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Advances in information security, privacy, and ethics book series

Quantum Secure Key Generation for QKD Protocols Using Quantum Gates

T. S. Gururaja, Padmapriya Praveenkumar, Nirbhay Kumar Chaubey

Published Nov 27, 2024• 4 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Cryptography is evolving to meet the demands of future cyber technologies, but classical cryptographic methods remain vulnerable to interception. Cryptographic techniques struggle to address the evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats, Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) emerges as a superior alternative, leveraging quantum mechanics principles such as superposition and entanglement for secure key exchanges. This chapter details the implementation of a Quantum True Random Number Generator (QTRNG) using fundamental single-qubit operation including Hadamard (H), Rotation (RZ) and square-root NOT (SX) gates using IBM Quantum Platform. We evaluate the integration of this QTRNG across several discrete variable QKD protocols: BB84, B92, E91, T22, Differential Phase Shift, and SARG04. The study focuses on how the QTRNG contributes to the randomness and security of these protocols, demonstrating its effectiveness in producing high-quality quantum keys that meet rigorous cryptographic standards.

DOI
10.4018/979-8-3693-9220-1.ch012

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Cryptography is evolving to meet the demands of future cyber technologies, but classical cryptographic methods remain vulnerable to interception. Cryptographic techniques struggle to address the evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats, Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) emerges as a superior alternative, leveraging quantum mechanics principles such as superposition and entanglement for secure key exchanges. This chapter details the implementation of a Quantum True Random Number Generator (QTRNG) using fundamental single-qubit operation including Hadamard (H), Rotation (RZ) and square-root NOT (SX) gates using IBM Quantum Platform. We evaluate the integration of this QTRNG across several discrete variable QKD protocols: BB84, B92, E91, T22, Differential Phase Shift, and SARG04. The study focuses on how the QTRNG contributes to the randomness and security of these protocols, demonstrating its effectiveness in producing high-quality quantum keys that meet rigorous cryptographic standards.
True randomness is a basic necessity of secure cryptography. This secures the reliability of encryption keys, digital signatures and authentication mechanisms. Classical random number generators based on deterministic algorithms can introduce patterns and decrease reliability. This paper introduces a Quantum True Random Number Generator (QTRNG) takes advantage of the intrinsic unpredictability of quantum mechanics. The proposed quantum circuit usesRY(π/2)R Y(\pi / 2)RY(π/2)andRZ(π/2)R Z(\pi / 2)RZ(π/2)rotations to create superposition states like Hadamard operation. These gates control the phase and orientation of qubits on the Bloch sphere yields measurement outcomes are inherently random. The resulting distributions are unbiased and balanced offers a source of true randomness. The quality of the generated bitstrings is verified using statistical tests such as the NIST SP 800-22, SP 800-90 test suites and autocorrelation tests. The measurements show high entropy, uniform distribution and low bias satisfy the basic requirements for cryptographic security. Phase-based quantum operations provide an efficient for producing high-quality quantum randomness facilitates the construction of effective quantum-secure cryptographic systems.
This chapter introduces Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), a key cryptographic technology that employs quantum mechanics to enhance communication security. Central to QKD is its use of quantum principles such as superposition, entanglement, and the no-cloning theorem, which collectively facilitate the generation of secure cryptographic keys. These keys are secure against both traditional cryptographic attacks and those posed by emerging quantum computing technologies. The chapter begins with a detailed introduction to the core concepts of QKD, explaining how it fundamentally differs from classical cryptographic methods by ensuring security based on the laws of physics rather than computational complexity. It traces the historical evolution of QKD, from early theoretical formulations to its current implementations and the development of key protocols like the BB84, which marked a significant milestone in practical QKD applications. As the discussion progresses, the chapter explores various sophisticated QKD protocols, including E91, decoy-state, and Measurement Device Independent (MDI) protocols. Each protocol is analysed for its operational mechanics, security features, and the specific challenges it addresses in protecting data against quantum threats. The technical complexities and requirements for implementing these protocols in real-world scenarios are also examined, showing their potential and limitations for extending secure communication networks. Moreover, the chapter evaluates the practical challenges associated with QKD, such as managing transmission distances, environmental susceptibilities, and the infrastructural demands of deploying quantum networks. It concludes by highlighting the future directions of QKD, underscoring its growing integration into critical global communication infrastructures, and its significant potential to revolutionize data security in the quantum age. This chapter presents the significance of QKD in modern cryptography, demonstrating its evolution from a conceptual framework to a fundamental technology set to counteract the challenges of quantum decryption. Through this approach, the chapter demonstrates the critical role of QKD in fortifying the foundations of secure communications worldwide.
Secure communication has become essential due to the rapid increase in cyber-attacks and data security threats in modern networks. Traditional communication systems mainly rely on classical security methods, which may become vulnerable to advanced attacks. Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) improves secure communication by generating cryptographic keys using quantum principles, making key interception extremely difficult. In this work, a Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) is integrated with classical communication to develop a hybrid quantum-classical communication framework. The QRNG generates highly random bits that improve authentication, randomness, and key security. The proposed system compares three QKD protocols: BB84, B92, and E91 using different bit sizes of 8000, 10000, and 13000 bits. The protocols are evaluated using important metrics such as QBER, key rate, entropy, erasure rate, throughput, and correlation. Experimental results show that all protocols achieved entropy values close to 1 and correlation values near zero, indicating strong randomness and secure key generation. Among the evaluated protocols, E91 achieved lower QBER values and higher key rates, while BB84 showed stable and reliable performance. B92 produced comparatively higher error rates under similar conditions. The throughput remained nearly 278–281 bits/sec across all experiments. A ranking-based analysis confirmed that E91 provides the best balance between security, efficiency, and communication performance, making it suitable for future quantum-secure communication systems.
Secure image transmission has become critical in the emerging quantum computing landscape. This research introduces a hybrid key quantum encryption approach that combines Quantum True Random Number Generation (QTRNG) and Quantum Pseudo Random Number Generation (QPRNG) to enhance security and efficiency. The proposed Quantum Hybrid Random Number Generator (QHRNG) integrates entanglement-based true randomness with structured pseudo-randomness using Hadamard, controlled rotation and Clifford gates to generate high-entropy encryption keys. The generated Quantum keys are applied to encrypt grayscale images using the Novel Enhanced Quantum Image Representation (NEQR). The encryption process is strengthened by quantum bit-level scrambling and selective Quantum Fourier Transform. The proposed method is implemented on Qiskit’s Aer and Basic simulators and validated on IBM’s torino quantum hardware. Compared to standalone QTRNG and QPRNG methods, QHRNG consistently provides higher randomness and stronger security in noisy and noiseless environments. This work offers a robust and future-ready framework for quantum secure image encryption.
In recent years, quantum computing technologies have steadily matured and have begun to find practical applications across various domains. One important area is network communication security, where Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) enables communicating parties to establish a shared secret that can then be used to generate symmetric keys for subsequent encryption and decryption. This study focuses on implementing and comparing two well-known QKD protocols, namely BB84 and E91, within an actual quantum computing environment. It also proposes the use of SX gate operations to generate uniform quantum superposition states. By leveraging the properties of quantum superposition and quantum entanglement, the study illustrates how communicating parties can securely obtain a shared secret while preventing adversaries from intercepting it. The experiments are conducted using the IBM Quantum Platform to demonstrate the feasibility of the BB84 and E91 protocols on actual quantum hardware. The evaluation considers several metrics, including entropy, Independent and Identically Distributed (IID), and error-rate verifications.
Secure Information exchange in the present times is a very crucial process. Introduction to a secure quantum paradigm by utilizing the principle of quantum physics and quantum mechanics achieves this secrecy. To ensure secure cryptography, E91 is used for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) along with the integration of Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) for unpredictable assignment of basis. The E91 protocol leverages the Bell’s inequality along with the quantum entanglement for secure exchange of secret keys between the two parties also utilising correlation checks to identify eavesdroppers. Integrating a QRNG with the E91 QKD protocol framework provides secure, unpredictable keys by leveraging genuine random numbers derived from the inherent randomness of quantum superposition. IBM’s Qiskit simulations confirm the security of the key exchange process along with the evaluation of the Quantum Bit Error Rate (QBER) and S Value to evaluate overall communication reliability.