Simultaneous two-way classical communication and measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution on oceanic quantum channels

Simultaneous two-way classical and quantum (STCQ) communication combines both continuous classical coherent optical communication and continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CV-QKD), which eliminates all detection-related imperfections by being measurement-device-independent (MDI). In this paper, we propose a protocol relying on STCQ communication on the oceanic quantum channel, in which the superposition-modulation-based coherent states depend on the information bits of both the secret key and the classical communication ciphertext. We analyse the encoding combination in classical communication and consider the probability distribution transmittance under seawater turbulence with various interference factors. Our numerical simulations of various practical scenarios demonstrate that the proposed protocol can simultaneously enable two-way classical communication and CV-MDI QKD with just a slight performance degradation transmission distance compared to the original CV-MDI QKD scheme. Moreover, the asymmetric situation outperforms the symmetric case in terms of transmission distance and optical modulation variance. We further take into consideration the impact of finite-size effects to illustrate the applicability of the proposed scheme in practical scenarios. The results show the feasibility of the underwater STCQ scheme, which contributes toward developing a global quantum communication network in free space.     

Cryptanalysis of Multiparty Quantum Secret Sharing of Quantum State Using Entangled States

Security of a quantum secret sharing of quantum state protocol proposed by Guo et al. [Chin. Phys. Lett. 25 （2008） 16] is reexamined. It is shown that an eavesdropper can obtain some of the transmitted secret information by monitoring the classical channel or the entire secret by intercepting the quantum states, and moreover, the eavesdropper can even maliciously replace the secret message with an arbitrary message without being detected. Finally, the deep reasons why an eavesdropper can attack this protocol are discussed and the modified protocol is presented to amend the security loopholes.     

Experimental Decoy State Quantum Key Distribution Over 120km Fibre

Decoy state quantum key distribution （QKD）, being capable of beating PNS attack and being unconditionally secure has become attractive recently. However, in many QKD systems, disturbances of transmission channel make the quantum bit error rate （QBER） increase, which limits both security distance and key bit rate of real-world decoy state QKD systems. We demonstrate the two-intensity decoy QKD with a one-way Faraday- Michelson phase modulation system, which is free of channel disturbance and keeps an interference fringe visibility （99%） long period, over a 120 km single mode optical fibre in telecom （1550nm） wavelength. This is the longest distance fibre decoy state QKD system based on the two-intensity protocol.     

Space-to-Ground Quantum Key Distribution Using a Small-Sized Payload on Tiangong-2 Space Lab

Quantum technology establishes a foundation for secure communication via quantum key distribution(QKD). In the last two decades, the rapid development of QKD makes a global quantum communication network feasible. In order to construct this network, it is economical to consider small-sized and low-cost QKD payloads, which can be assembled on satellites with different sizes, such as space stations. Here we report an experimental demonstration of space-to-ground QKD using a small-sized payload, from Tiangong-2 space lab to Nanshan ground station. The 57.9-kg payload integrates a tracking system, a QKD transmitter along with modules for synchronization, and a laser communication transmitter. In the space lab,a 50 MHz vacuum+weak decoy-state optical source is sent through a reflective telescope with an aperture of 200 mm. On the ground station, a telescope with an aperture of 1200 mm collects the signal photons. A stable and high-transmittance communication channel is set up with a high-precision bidirectional tracking system, a polarization compensation module, and a synchronization system.When the quantum link is successfully established,we obtain a key rate over 100 bps with a communication distance up to 719 km. Together with our recent development of QKD in daylight,the present demonstration paves the way towards a practical satellite-constellation-based global quantum secure network with small-sized QKD payloads.     

Photon subtraction-based continuous-variable measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with discrete modulation over a fiber-to-water channel

We propose a discrete-modulated continuous-variable measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution protocol over a fiber-to-water channel. Different from optical fibers, the underwater channel has more severe optical attenuation because of optical absorption and scattering, which reduces the maximum communication distance. To enhance the performance of the protocol, the photon subtraction operation is implemented at the modulator side. We carry out a performance simulation in two different kinds of seawater channel, and the result shows that the scheme with photon subtraction has a longer secure communication distance under certain conditions.     

Practical decoy state quantum key distribution with finite resource

In this paper, we consider the controllably secure quantum key distribution (QKD) with coherent source, i.e., the practical decoy state QKD with finite resource is studied within the scope of some controllable security parameters. Our simulation shows the controllably secure QKD is more resource-consuming compared with the practical decoy QKD with relatively statistical fluctuation. However, further numerically solutions show that both protocols agree well with each other in the asymptotic limit, where the resource is large enough but not infinite. Our work shows the dark counts will contribute apparently to the transmission distance when communication distance approaches to the asymptotic limit. It also shows that both the secure transmission distance and the rate of the secure final key can be increased apparently when the security estimation parameters are not fixed but numerically optimized.     

基于量子催化的离散调制连续变量量子密钥分发

相比于离散变量量子密钥分发,连续变量量子密钥分发虽然具备更高的安全码率等优势,但是在安全传输距离上却略有不足.尽管量子催化的运用对高斯调制连续变量量子密钥分发协议的性能,尤其在安全传输距离方面有着显著的提升,然而能否用来改善离散调制协议的性能却仍然未知.鉴于上述分析,本文提出了一种基于量子催化的离散调制协议的方案,试图在安全密钥率、安全传输距离和最大可容忍过噪声方面进一步提升协议性能.研究结果表明,在相同参数下,当优化量子催化引入的透射率T,相比于原始四态调制协议,所提方案能够有效地提升量子密钥分发的性能.特别是,对于可容忍过噪声为0.002,量子催化可将安全通信距离突破300 km,密钥率为10^-8bits/pulse,而过大的可容忍噪声会抑制量子催化对协议性能的改善效果.此外,为了彰显量子催化的优势,本文给出了点对点量子通信的最终极限Pirandola-Laurenza-Ottaviani-Banchi边界,仿真结果表明,虽然原始方案与所提方案都未能突破这种边界,但是相比于前者,后者能够在远距离通信上逼近于这种边界,这为实现全球量子安全通信的最终目标提供理论依据.     

基于不可信光源的量子密钥分配的统计特性研究

通过比较被动系统与主动系统的特性, 得出可信光源、不可信光源主动系统和不可信光源被动系统的密钥生成率随距离的变化关系; 采用标准误差分析法, 得到相应变量的偏离量; 基于诱骗态方案分析不可信光源被动系统暗计数率和光源强度参数波动对系统安全特性的影响, 得出在1310 nm 和1550 nm通信窗口下, 系统最大安全通信距离范围分别为[73.2 km, 96.5 km] 和[104.5 km, 137.9 km]. 这可为实用量子通信实验提供重要的理论参数. 关键词： 量子密钥分配 不可信光源 被动系统 统计波动     

诱惑态量子密钥分配系统中统计涨落的研究

针对实用的量子密钥分配(QKD)系统是基于强衰减的弱激光脉冲作为单光子源, 光子数分束攻击极大限制了通信双方在非理想条件下QKD的传输距离和密钥生成率,采用大数定律对诱惑态协议中单光子的计数率、单光子增益和误码率分别进行统计涨落分析, 利用双诱惑态比较了1310 nm和1550 nm条件下,编码脉冲的长度为(N = 10⁶-N = 10¹²)实际QKD协议中密钥的生成率与安全传输距离之间的关系、安全传输距离随编码长度的变化的关系, 得出脉冲编码长度增大到N = 10¹²时,密钥的最大安全传输距离为135 km.     

基于量子存储的长距离测量设备无关量子密钥分配研究

针对量子中继器短时间内难以应用于长距离量子密钥分配系统的问题, 提出了基于量子存储的长距离测量设备无关量子密钥分配协议, 分析了其密钥生成率与存储效率、信道传输效率和安全传输距离等参数间的关系, 研究了该协议中量子存储单元的退相干效应对最终密钥生成率的影响, 比较了经典测量设备无关量子密钥分配协议和基于量子存储的测量设备无关量子密钥分配协议的密钥生成率与安全传输距离的关系. 仿真结果表明, 添加量子存储单元后, 协议的安全传输距离由无量子存储的216 km增加至500 km, 且量子存储退相干效应带来的误码对最终的密钥生成率影响较小. 实验中可以采取调节信号光强度的方式提高测量设备无关量子密钥分配系统的密钥生成率, 为实用量子密钥分配实验提供了重要的理论参数.     

Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution

How to remove detector side channel attacks has been a notoriously hard problem in quantum cryptography. Here, we propose a simple solution to this problem--measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (QKD). It not only removes all detector side channels, but also doubles the secure distance with conventional lasers. Our proposal can be implemented with standard optical components with low detection efficiency and highly lossy channels. In contrast to the previous solution of full device independent QKD, the realization of our idea does not require detectors of near unity detection efficiency in combination with a qubit amplifier (based on teleportation) or a quantum nondemolition measurement of the number of photons in a pulse. Furthermore, its key generation rate is many orders of magnitude higher than that based on full device independent QKD. The results show that long-distance quantum cryptography over say 200 km will remain secure even with seriously flawed detectors.     

非均匀水流中涌浪运动对水下量子通信性能的影响

涌浪运动是非均匀水流中的一种非线性运动,是常见的海洋运动形式之一.在进行水下量子通信时,会对光量子信号的传输造成极大的影响.然而,有关涌浪运动造成量子通信信道参数变化的研究,迄今尚未展开.为了研究涌浪运动对水下量子通信性能的影响,首先对涌浪运动的传播建立了数学模型并分析了其频谱特性.针对退极化信道,提出了涌浪运动与水下量子通信信道纠缠和信道容量的定量关系,并对量子密钥分发过程中误码率的影响进行了分析.仿真结果表明,当海面风速在0—20.5 m/s变化时,随着传播周期逐渐增大,信道纠缠度由0.0012逐渐增加到0.8426,信道容量由0.8736减小到0.1024,密钥分发过程中,量子误码率由0.1651增加到0.4812.由此可见,涌浪运动对于水下量子通信性能有着明显的影响.因此,在进行水下量子通信时,应根据涌浪运动的不同程度,自适应调整系统参数.     

Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key Distribution with Two-Way Local Operations and Classical Communications

Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution(MDI-QKD) is proven to be immune to all the detector side channel attacks.With two symmetric quantum channeis,the maximal transmission distance can be doubled when compared with the prepare-and-measure QKD.An interesting question is whether the transmission distance can be extended further.In this work,we consider the contributions of the two-way local operations and classical communications to the key generation rate and transmission distance of the MDI-QKD.Our numerical results show that the secure transmission distances are increased by about 12 km and 8 km when the 1 B and the2 B steps are implemented,respectively.     

Continuous-Variable Quantum Key Distribution with Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing Modulation

We demonstrate a multicarrier QKD protocol for continuous-variables (CV) using the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) technique which was employed in frequency domain. The multicarrier communication formulates sub-channels from OFDM technique and physical quantum channel, each dedicated to the transmission of a subcarrier CV. In the OFDM-CVQKD scenario, the input quantum states of the legal parties are granulated into subcarrier CVs, at the receiver, the subcarriers are decoded by an unitary CV operation, which results in the recovered single-carrier CVs. Compared with the device of the multichannel parallel CVQKD protocol that utilizes N arrayed-waveguide gratings (AWG) in optical domain, this protocol shows better feasibility of implementation from both equipment and technique. We derive the formulas of the secret key rate, moreover, analyze the security in the finite-size through the OFDM-CVQKD scheme. Simulation results indicate that the OFDM-CVQKD scheme leads to improved secret key rates and higher tolerable excess noise in comparison to single-carrier CVQKD. Particularly, the secret key rate of the 64 subcarrier CVQKD has increased by roughly an order of magnitude of the single-channel CVQKD, whereas the tolerable excess noise can be controlled in a small range. The results reveal that the OFDM-CVQKD protocol provides a feasible framework for the experimental implementation of an unconditionally secure communication over standard telecommunication networks.     

Fluctuations of Internal Transmittance in Security of Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key Distribution with an Untrusted Source

Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution(MDI-QKD) is immune to detector side channel attacks, which is a crucial security loophole problem in traditional QKD. In order to relax a key assumption that the sources are trusted in MDI-QKD, an MDI-QKD protocol with an untrusted source has been proposed. For the security of MDI-QKD with an untrusted source, imperfections in the practical experiment should also be taken into account. In this paper, we analyze the effects of fluctuations of internal transmittance on the security of a decoy-state MDI-QKD protocol with an untrusted source. Our numerical results show that both the secret key rate and the maximum secure transmission distance decrease when taken fluctuations of internal transmittance into consideration. Especially, they are more sensitive when Charlie's mean photon number per pulse is smaller. Our results emphasize that the stability of correlative optical devices is important for practical implementations.     

Hybrid quantum private communication with continuous-variable and discrete-variable signals

The quantum key distribution(QKD) has been entering the practical application era. Subsequently, hybrid quantum private communication with discrete-variable signals, continuous-variable signals, and classic optical signals becomes inevitable in the practical scenario. In this paper, we experimentally investigated the mutual effects between the discrete-variable QKD(DVQKD) and the continuous-variable QKD(CVQKD) via a fiber channel. The experimental results show that the DVQKD will be influenced by the continuous-variable quantum signals and classic optical signals, while the CVQKD is not sensitive to the discrete-variable quantum signals.     

Experimental quantum key distribution with decoy states

To increase dramatically the distance and the secure key generation rate of quantum key distribution (QKD), the idea of quantum decoys--signals of different intensities--has recently been proposed. Here, we present the first experimental implementation of decoy state QKD. By making simple modifications to a commercial quantum key distribution system, we show that a secure key generation rate of 165 bit/s, which is 1/4 of the theoretical limit, can be obtained over 15 km of a telecommunication fiber. We also show that with the same experimental parameters, not even a single bit of secure key can be extracted with a non-decoy-state protocol. Compared to building single photon sources, decoy state QKD is a much simpler method for increasing the distance and key generation rate of unconditionally secure QKD.     

不同海面风速对量子卫星星舰通信性能的影响

量子卫星星舰通信是量子保密通信的重要应用场景之一,在海面上,由于不同风速所引起的气溶胶粒子浓度发生剧烈变化,而气溶胶粒子浓度的剧变,必然导致星舰量子链路性能的剧烈衰减.然而,有关不同海面风速与量子卫星星舰通信信道参数关系的研究,迄今尚未展开.本文根据海面风速与气溶胶的Gras模型,分别建立了风速与星舰量子信道误码率、信道容量和信道平均保真度的定量关系.仿真结果表明,当风速分别为4 m/s和20 m/s时,海洋大气信道误码率、信道容量、信道平均保真度分别依次为4.62×10^-3和4.91×10^-3、0.957和0.65、0.999和0.974.由此可见,风速对海上量子通信性能有显著的影响.因此,为了提高通信的可靠性,应根据风速大小,自适应调整系统的各项参数.     

连续变量纠缠态光场在光纤中传输特性的实验研究

连续变量纠缠态由于其确定性产生、高效率的特点而被广泛应用于连续变量量子信息处理.在量子信息处理过程中纠缠态与量子信道发生相互作用而退相干,这是限制长距离量子信息发展的重要因素之一.光纤信道作为理想的量子信道,是目前连续变量量子信息研究关注的热点.本文利用Ⅱ类匹配的楔角极化磷酸氧钛钾晶体构成了三共振的非简并光学参量放大器,获得了8.3 dB的光通信波段1.5μm连续变量纠缠态光场.将产生的纠缠态光场注入单模光纤,其量子特性在传输距离达50 km后仍得到保持,纠缠度为0.21dB.该研究可为基于光纤的长距离连续变量量子信息研究提供有效的依据.     

Security of the Decoy State Two-Way Quantum Key Distribution with Finite Resources

The quantum key distribution(QKD) allows two parties to share a secret key by typically making use of a one-way quantum channel However,the two-way QKD has its own unique advantages,which means the two-way QKD has become a focus recently.To improve the practical performance of the two-way QKD,we present a security analysis of a two-way QKD protocol based on the decoy method with heralded single-photon sources(HSPSs).We make use of two approaches to calculate the yield and the quantum bit error rate of single-photon and two-photon pulses.Then we present the secret key generation rate based on the GLLP formula.The numerical simulation shows that the protocol with HSPSs has an advantage in the secure distance compared with weak coherent state sources.In addition,we present the final secret key generation rate of the LM05 protocol with finite resources by considering the statistical fluctuation of the yield and the error rate.