Improvement of two-way continuous variable quantum cryptography by using additional noise

The performance of quantum key distribution such as one-way continuous variable protocols, can be increased by adding some noise on the reference side of error correction in the error-correction phase. For this reason, we here study this possibility in the case of two-way continuous variable system. Finally, the numerical results show that the using of additional noise gives two-way schemes better security performance in terms of secret key rates and resistance to channel excess noise.     

Fault tolerant three-party quantum secret sharing against collective noise

We present two robust three-party quantum secret sharing protocols against two kinds of collective noise. Each logical qubit is made up of two physical qubits and is invariant under a collective noise. The two agents encode their message on each logical qubit with two unitary physical operations on two physical qubits. As each logical qubit received by each agent can carry two bits of information and the classical information exchanged is reduced largely, these protocols have a high intrinsic efficiency. Moreover, the boss Alice can read out her agents' information with two Bell-state measurements on each four-qubit system, not four-photon joint measurements.     

Controlled quantum key distribution with three-photon polarization-entangled states via the collective noise channel

Using three-photon polarization-entangled GHZ states or W states, we propose controlled quantum key distribution protocols for circumventing two main types of collective noise, collective dephasing noise, or collective rotation noise. Irrespective of the number of controllers, a three-photon state can generate a one-bit secret key. The storage technique of quantum states is dispensable for the controller and the receiver, and it therefore allows performing the process in a more convenient mode. If the photon cost in a security check is disregarded, then the efficiency theoretically approaches unity.     

Expandable quantum key distribution networks based on secret bits comparison

A scheme of quantum network based on multiuser differential phase shift quantum key distribution system (DPS-QKD) is proposed. In this quantum network, arbitrary two users can achieve secret bits sharing by point-to-multipoint quantum key distribution and secret bits comparison. A protocol of secret bits sharing between arbitrary two users is presented. This network can implement secret bits distribution over 200 km with higher key generation rate by today's technologies. In theory, the capacity of user numbers in this network is unlimited. Hence, our proposed quantum network can serve for a metropolitan QKD network. A wide area QKD network can be constructed with this metropolitan QKD network.     

Postponement of dark-count effects in practical quantum key-distribution by two-way post-processing

The influence of imperfections on achievable secret-key generation rates of quantum key distribution protocols is investigated. As examples of relevant imperfections, we consider tagging of Alice's qubits and dark counts at Bob's detectors, while we focus on a powerful eavesdropping strategy which takes full advantage of tagged signals. It is demonstrated that error correction and privacy amplification based on a combination of a two-way classical communication protocol and asymmetric Calderbank-Shor-Steane codes may significantly postpone the disastrous influence of dark counts. As a result, the distances are increased considerably over which a secret key can be distributed in optical fibres reliably. Results are presented for the four-state, the six-state, and the decoy-state protocols.     

Efficient quantum key distribution with trines of reference-frame-free qubits

We propose a rotationally-invariant quantum key distribution scheme that uses a pair of orthogonal qubit trines, realized as mixed states of three physical qubits. The measurement outcomes do not depend on how Alice and Bob choose their individual reference frames. The efficient key generation by two-way communication produces two independent raw keys, a bit key and a trit key. For a noiseless channel, Alice and Bob get a total of 0.573 key bits per trine state sent (98% of the Shannon limit). This exceeds by a considerable amount the yield of standard trine schemes, which ideally attain half a key bit per trine state. Eavesdropping introduces an ?-fraction of unbiased noise, ensured by twirling if necessary. The security analysis reveals an asymmetry in Eve's conditioned ancillas for Alice and Bob resulting from their inequivalent roles in the key generation. Upon simplifying the analysis by a plausible symmetry assumption, we find that a secret key can be generated if the noise is below the threshold set by ?=0.197.     

Relating quantum privacy and quantum coherence: an operational approach

Given many realizations of a state or a channel as a resource, two parties can generate a secret key as well as entanglement. We describe protocols to perform the secret key distillation (as it turns out, with optimal rate). Then we show how to achieve optimal entanglement generation rates by "coherent" implementation of a class of secret key agreement protocols, proving the long-conjectured "hashing inequality."     

Lower bound for the security of differential phase shift quantum key distribution against a one-pulse-attack

Quantum key distribution is the art of sharing secret keys between two distant parties, and has attracted a lot of attention due to its unconditional security. Compared with other quantum key distribution protocols, the differential phase shift quantum key distribution protocol has higher efficiency and simpler apparatus. Unfortunately, the unconditional security of differential phase shift quantum key distribution has not been proved. Utilizing the sharp continuity of the von Neuman entropy and some basic inequalities, we estimate the upper bound for the eavesdropper Eve's information. We then prove the lower bound for the security of the differential phase shift quantum key distribution protocol against a one-pulse attack with Devatak-Winter's secret key rate formula.     

Error corrections of quantum key distribution of the quantum codes via optical wireless link

Quantum key generated by using a fiber optic Mach Zehnder interferometer incorporating a fiber optic ring resonator is proposed. The generated quantum key is distributed via an optical wireless link system, which is available for the free space link. The random quantum bits can be formed and used as the secret codes in quantum communication system. By adding an ancillary photon after the signal photon within the correlation time of the fiber noise and by performing quantum parity checking, the high fidelity to the noiseless quantum in free space is achieved by the technique known as the quantum error correction.     

A Multi-party Quantum Key Agreement Protocol Based on Shamir’s Secret Sharing

Quantum networks can extend the advantages of quantum key distribution protocols to more than two remote participants. Based on Shamir threshold secret sharing scheme, a new quantum key agreement protocol on a quantum network with any number of participants is proposed. First, each participant and distributor negotiate a sub-secret key using a kind of quantum key distribution protocol, and then each of these participants, as distributor, shares these sub-secret keys with other participants using Shamir threshold secret sharing scheme. Furthermore, each participant combines all these shared sub-secret keys and his own sub-secret key in sequence to form secret key, and sends the hash function values of this secret key to the master distributor to authenticate, finally they obtain the security key. Our scheme is practical and secure, and it can also prevent fraudulent from participants.

     

Fault tolerant channel-encrypting quantum dialogue against collective noise

In this paper,two fault tolerant channel-encrypting quantum dialogue(QD)protocols against collective noise are presented.One is against collective-dephasing noise,while the other is against collective-rotation noise.The decoherent-free states,each of which is composed of two physical qubits,act as traveling states combating collective noise.Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen pairs,which play the role of private quantum key,are securely shared between two participants over a collective-noise channel in advance.Through encryption and decryption with private quantum key,the initial state of each traveling two-photon logical qubit is privately shared between two participants.Due to quantum encryption sharing of the initial state of each traveling logical qubit,the issue of information leakage is overcome.The private quantum key can be repeatedly used after rotation as long as the rotation angle is properly chosen,making quantum resource economized.As a result,their information-theoretical efficiency is nearly up to 66.7%.The proposed QD protocols only need single-photon measurements rather than two-photon joint measurements for quantum measurements.Security analysis shows that an eavesdropper cannot obtain anything useful about secret messages during the dialogue process without being discovered.Furthermore,the proposed QD protocols can be implemented with current techniques in experiment.     

QKD Based on Symmetric Entangled Bernstein-Vazirani

This paper introduces a novel entanglement-based QKD protocol, that makes use of a modified symmetric version of the Bernstein-Vazirani algorithm, in order to achieve secure and efficient key distribution. Two variants of the protocol, one fully symmetric and one semi-symmetric, are presented. In both cases, the spatially separated Alice and Bob share multiple EPR pairs, each one qubit of the pair. The fully symmetric version allows both parties to input their tentative secret key from their respective location and acquire in the end a totally new and original key, an idea which was inspired by the Diffie-Hellman key exchange protocol. In the semi-symmetric version, Alice sends her chosen secret key to Bob (or vice versa). The performance of both protocols against an eavesdroppers attack is analyzed. Finally, in order to illustrate the operation of the protocols in practice, two small scale but detailed examples are given.     

集体噪声信道上带身份认证的无信息泄露的量子对话协议

在集体噪声条件下提出三个带身份认证的量子对话协议,两个量子对话协议分别用于抵抗集体消相干噪声和集体旋转噪声,另一个用于同时抵抗这两种集体噪声.通信双方通过广义幺正变换将自己的秘密信息编码到量子态中;并根据自己的秘密信息和携带秘密信息的粒子的初末两量子态,便可推知对方的秘密信息实现量子对话.协议的效率、安全性和无信息泄露等性能分析表明了协议的有效性.     

Performance improvement of eight-state continuous-variable quantum key distribution with an optical amplifier

Discrete modulation is proven to be beneficial to improving the performance of continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CVQKD) in long-distance transmission. In this paper, we suggest a construct to improve the maximal generated secret key rate of discretely modulated eight-state CVQKD using an optical amplifier (OA) with a slight cost of transmission distance. In the proposed scheme, an optical amplifier is exploited to compensate imperfection of Bob's apparatus, so that the generated secret key rate of eight-state protocol is enhanced. Specifically, we investigate two types of optical amplifiers, phase-insensitive amplifier (PIA) and phase-sensitive amplifier (PSA), and thereby obtain approximately equivalent improved performance for eight-state CVQKD system when applying these two different amplifiers. Numeric simulation shows that the proposed scheme can well improve the generated secret key rate of eight-state CVQKD in both asymptotic limit and finite-size regime. We also show that the proposed scheme can achieve the relatively high-rate transmission at long-distance communication system.     

On quantum key distribution using ququarts

A comparative analysis of quantum key distribution protocols using qubits and ququarts as information carriers is presented. Several schemes of incoherent attacks that can be used by an eavesdropper to obtain secret information are considered. The errors induced by the eavesdropper are analyzed for several key distribution protocols.     

Cascading attack on trusted-relay quantum key distribution networks

Trusted relays are the main state-of-the-art way to realize quantum key distribution networks.However, it is hard to require that all nodes in the network are fully trusted. In a multipath keytransmission mechanism, the nodes can be weakly trusted because the secret key can be split into many parts and each part is transmitted to the receiver through a different path. However, if the capacity of a node's quantum key pool is poorly designed, an attacker, Eve may eavesdrop on the communicating parties' secret message by initiating a redirection attack. In this paper, we show that Eve can trigger a cascading collapse effect by collapsing one of the edges in the network and forcing the communication parties to transmit the message through the nodes controlled by Eve. The influence of the traffic transfer ratio and the control parameters of the edge load on the breakdown probability of the edge are analyzed using a simulation. In order to effectively defend against the cascading attack, it is important for the designer to handle the relationship between the traffic and the capacity of the quantum key pool of each node in the network.     

利用N粒子纠缠态的量子秘密共享

 为了高效实现多方之间的量子秘密共享,引入了一种纠缠度较高的N粒子纠缠态,并提出了利用该N粒子纠缠态在一方与（N-1）方之间形成共享秘密位串的方案.该方案在建立秘密位串的过程中,Alice对发送的粒子随机选择么正操作I和σx,并选择一部分粒子用于检测信道的安全|之后Alice根据（N-1）方选择的操作又选择了一部分粒子用于对参与者诚实度检测及信道安全检测.通过多次对窃听者的检测,很好地保证了信道的安全性及产生的秘密位串的可用性.最终在Alice及另外（N-1）方之间可形成n[1-(N-1)/2 N-1]/6个共享秘密位.     

A secure quantum key distribution scheme based on variable quantum encoding algorithms

The security of the quantum secret key plays a critical role in quantum communications.Thus far,one problem that still exists in existing protocols is the leakage of the length of the secret key.In this letter,based on variable quantum encoding algorithms,we propose a secure quantum key distribution scheme,which can overcome the security problem involving the leakage of the secret key.Security analysis shows that the proposed scheme is both secure and effective.     

Secure four-site distribution and quantum communication of χ−type entangled states

The research of multi-particle entanglement is a hot topic because of its important applications and far-reaching effects on vast aspects of quantum information. The article is devoted to the χ − type entangled state, a peculiar four-particle entangled state, which is different from a four-particle GHZ or W state under stochastic local operations and classical communication (SLOCC). Secure four-site distribution using decoy particles is proposed. Moreover, applying it, several communication protocols are presented, including four-party hierarchical quantum secret sharing, supervisory three-party asymmetric deterministic secure quantum communication, etc. The security of the four-site distribution and the communication protocols are also analyzed.     

Member expansion in quantum (t,n) threshold secret sharing schemes

A protocol for member expansion in quantum (t,n) threshold secret sharing schemes was proposed. Without a trusted center and modifying the shares of old participants, the protocol needs that t (t is the threshold) old participants cooperate to generate the new share. Compared with the previous secret sharing protocols, the proposed protocol has the advantage of joining new participants agilely.