Analysis and improvement of verifiable blind quantum computation

In blind quantum computation (BQC), a client with weak quantum computation capabilities is allowed to delegate its quantum computation tasks to a server with powerful quantum computation capabilities, and the inputs, algorithms and outputs of the quantum computation are confidential to the server. Verifiability refers to the ability of the client to verify with a certain probability whether the server has executed the protocol correctly and can be realized by introducing trap qubits into the computation graph state to detect server deception. The existing verifiable universal BQC protocols are analyzed and compared in detail. The XTH protocol (proposed by Xu Q S, Tan X Q, Huang R in 2020), a recent improvement protocol of verifiable universal BQC, uses a sandglass-like graph state to further decrease resource expenditure and enhance verification capability. However, the XTH protocol has two shortcomings: limitations in the coloring scheme and a high probability of accepting an incorrect computation result. In this paper, we present an improved version of the XTH protocol, which revises the limitations of the original coloring scheme and further improves the verification ability. The analysis demonstrates that the resource expenditure is the same as for the XTH protocol, while the probability of accepting the wrong computation result is reduced from the original minimum (0.866)^d* to (0.819)^d*, where d^* is the number of repeated executions of the protocol.     

Multiple-server Flexible Blind Quantum Computation in Networks

Blind quantum computation (BQC) can allow a client with limited quantum power to delegate his quantum computation to a powerful server and still keep his own data private. In this paper, we present a multiple-server flexible BQC protocol, where a client who only needs the ability of accessing qua ntum channels can delegate the computational task to a number of servers. Especially, the client’s quantum computation also can be achieved even when one or more delegated quantum servers break down in networks. In other words, when connections to certain quantum servers are lost, clients can adjust flexibly and delegate their quantum computation to other servers. Obviously it is trivial that the computation will be unsuccessful if all servers are interrupted.     

Two-Party Privacy-Preserving Set Intersection with FHE

A two-party private set intersection allows two parties, the client and the server, to compute an intersection over their private sets, without revealing any information beyond the intersecting elements. We present a novel private set intersection protocol based on Shuhong Gao’s fully homomorphic encryption scheme and prove the security of the protocol in the semi-honest model. We also present a variant of the protocol which is a completely novel construction for computing the intersection based on Bloom filter and fully homomorphic encryption, and the protocol’s complexity is independent of the set size of the client. The security of the protocols relies on the learning with errors and ring learning with error problems. Furthermore, in the cloud with malicious adversaries, the computation of the private set intersection can be outsourced to the cloud service provider without revealing any private information.     

Blind Quantum Signature with Blind Quantum Computation

Blind quantum computation allows a client without quantum abilities to interact with a quantum server to perform a unconditional secure computing protocol, while protecting client’s privacy. Motivated by confidentiality of blind quantum computation, a blind quantum signature scheme is designed with laconic structure. Different from the traditional signature schemes, the signing and verifying operations are performed through measurement-based quantum computation. Inputs of blind quantum computation are securely controlled with multi-qubit entangled states. The unique signature of the transmitted message is generated by the signer without leaking information in imperfect channels. Whereas, the receiver can verify the validity of the signature using the quantum matching algorithm. The security is guaranteed by entanglement of quantum system for blind quantum computation. It provides a potential practical application for e-commerce in the cloud computing and first-generation quantum computation.     

Arbitrated Quantum Signature with Hamiltonian Algorithm Based on Blind Quantum Computation

A novel arbitrated quantum signature (AQS) scheme is proposed motivated by the Hamiltonian algorithm (HA) and blind quantum computation (BQC). The generation and verification of signature algorithm is designed based on HA, which enables the scheme to rely less on computational complexity. It is unnecessary to recover original messages when verifying signatures since the blind quantum computation is applied, which can improve the simplicity and operability of our scheme. It is proved that the scheme can be deployed securely, and the extended AQS has some extensive applications in E-payment system, E-government, E-business, etc.     

Multi-party Semi-quantum Key Agreement with Delegating Quantum Computation

A multi-party semi-quantum key agreement (SQKA) protocol based on delegating quantum computation (DQC) model is proposed by taking Bell states as quantum resources. In the proposed protocol, the participants only need the ability of accessing quantum channel and preparing single photons {|0〉, |1〉, |+〉, |?〉}, while the complicated quantum operations, such as the unitary operations and Bell measurement, will be delegated to the remote quantum center. Compared with previous quantum key agreement protocols, this client-server model is more feasible in the early days of the emergence of quantum computers. In order to prevent the attacks from outside eavesdroppers, inner participants and quantum center, two single photon sequences are randomly inserted into Bell states: the first sequence is used to perform the quantum channel detection, while the second is applied to disorder the positions of message qubits, which guarantees the security of the protocol.     

An Efficient Protocol for the Secure Multi-party Quantum Summation

In this paper, a new and efficient quantum protocol which allows a group of mutually distrustful players to perform the summation computation is proposed. Different from previous protocols, we utilize the multi-particle entangled states as the information carriers. A third party, i.e. TP, is assumed semi-honest in the two-party quantum summation protocol. All various kinds of outside attacks and participant attacks are discussed in detail. In addition, we code all players’ Bell-basis measurement outcomes into one classical bit (cbit). Not only the cost of classical information in the public communication network is decreased, but also the security of the protocol is improved. The protocol is also generalized into multi-party quantum summation. It is secure for the collusive attack performed by at most n−2 players.     

基于W态的跨中心量子网络身份认证方案

利用量子隐形传态原理和量子纠缠交换技术,提出了基于W态的跨中心量子网络身份认证方案,实现了分布式量子通信网络中对客户的身份认证.该方案分为注册阶段和身份认证阶段,认证系统包括主服务器和客户端服务器.客户所有的操作都在客户端服务器上进行,不直接与主服务器进行通信.身份认证全部由服务器根据量子力学原理进行,保证了认证方案的安全性.最后,对该方案进行了安全性分析.     

A Quantum Protocol for (t,n)-Threshold Identity Authentication Based on Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger States

A quantum protocol for (t,n)-threshold identity authentication based on Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states is presented. A trusted third party (TTP) can authenticate the users simultaneously when and only when t or more users among n apply for authentication. Compared with the previous multiparty simultaneous quantum identity authentication (MSQIA) protocols, the proposed scheme is more flexible and suitable for practical applications.     

Authenticated Quantum Key Distribution with Collective Detection using Single Photons

We present two authenticated quantum key distribution (AQKD) protocols by utilizing the idea of collective (eavesdropping) detection. One is a two-party AQKD protocol, the other is a multiparty AQKD protocol with star network topology. In these protocols, the classical channels need not be assumed to be authenticated and the single photons are used as the quantum information carriers. To achieve mutual identity authentication and establish a random key in each of the proposed protocols, only one participant should be capable of preparing and measuring single photons, and the main quantum ability that the rest of the participants should have is just performing certain unitary operations. Security analysis shows that these protocols are free from various kinds of attacks, especially the impersonation attack and the man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack.     

Mediated Semi‐Quantum Key Distribution Without Invoking Quantum Measurement

This paper proposes a new semi‐quantum key distribution protocol, allowing two “classical” participants without sophisticated quantum capability to establish a shared secret key under an untrusted third party (a quantum server). The proposed protocol is free from several well‐known attacks. Furthermore, the efficiency is better than the existing three‐party SQKD protocol in which the classical participants must have the quantum measurement capability.     

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.     

A Quantum Dual-Signature Protocol Based on SNOP States without Trusted Participant

Quantum dual-signature means that two signed quantum messages are combined and expected to be sent to two different recipients. A quantum signature requires the cooperation of two verifiers to complete the whole verification process. As an important quantum signature aspect, the trusted third party is introduced to the current protocols, which affects the practicability of the quantum signature protocols. In this paper, we propose a quantum dual-signature protocol without arbitrator and entanglement for the first time. In the proposed protocol, two independent verifiers are introduced, here they may be dishonest but not collaborate. Furthermore, strongly nonlocal orthogonal product states are used to preserve the protocol security, i.e., no one can deny or forge a valid signature, even though some of them conspired. Compared with existing quantum signature protocols, this protocol does not require a trusted third party and entanglement resources.     

Quantum Protocol for Millionaire Problem

A quantum protocol for millionaire problem based on commutative encryption is proposed. In our protocol, Alice and Bob don’t have to use the entangled character, joint measurement of quantum states. They encrypt their private information and privately get the result of their private information with the help of a third party (TP). Correctness analysis shows that the proposed protocol can be used to get the result of their private information correctly. The proposed protocol can also resist various attacks and overcomes the problem of information leakage with acceptable efficiency. In theory, our protocol can be used to build complex secure protocols for other multiparty computation problems and also have lots of other important applications in distributed networks.

     

Semi-quantum Dialogue Based on Single Photons

In this paper, we propose two semi-quantum dialogue (SQD) protocols by using single photons as the quantum carriers, where one requires the classical party to possess the measurement capability and the other does not have this requirement. The security toward active attacks from an outside Eve in the first SQD protocol is guaranteed by the complete robustness of present semi-quantum key distribution (SQKD) protocols, the classical one-time pad encryption, the classical party’s randomization operation and the decoy photon technology. The information leakage problem of the first SQD protocol is overcome by the classical party’ classical basis measurements on the single photons carrying messages which makes him share their initial states with the quantum party. The security toward active attacks from Eve in the second SQD protocol is guaranteed by the classical party’s randomization operation, the complete robustness of present SQKD protocol and the classical one-time pad encryption. The information leakage problem of the second SQD protocol is overcome by the quantum party’ classical basis measurements on each two adjacent single photons carrying messages which makes her share their initial states with the classical party. Compared with the traditional information leakage resistant QD protocols, the advantage of the proposed SQD protocols lies in that they only require one party to have quantum capabilities. Compared with the existing SQD protocol, the advantage of the proposed SQD protocols lies in that they only employ single photons rather than two-photon entangled states as the quantum carriers. The proposed SQD protocols can be implemented with present quantum technologies.     

Chaotic maps and biometrics-based anonymous three-party authenticated key exchange protocol without using passwords

In three-party password authenticated key exchange(AKE) protocol, since two users use their passwords to establish a secure session key over an insecure communication channel with the help of the trusted server, such a protocol may suffer the password guessing attacks and the server has to maintain the password table. To eliminate the shortages of passwordbased AKE protocol, very recently, according to chaotic maps, Lee et al. [2015 Nonlinear Dyn. 79 2485] proposed a first three-party-authenticated key exchange scheme without using passwords, and claimed its security by providing a wellorganized BAN logic test. Unfortunately, their protocol cannot resist impersonation attack, which is demonstrated in the present paper. To overcome their security weakness, by using chaotic maps, we propose a biometrics-based anonymous three-party AKE protocol with the same advantages. Further, we use the pi calculus-based formal verification tool Pro Verif to show that our AKE protocol achieves authentication, security and anonymity, and an acceptable efficiency.     

Multiparty simultaneous quantum identity authentication with secret sharing

Two multiparty simultaneous quantum identity authentication (MSQIA) protocols based on secret sharing are presented. All the users can be authenticated by a trusted third party (TTP) simultaneously. In the first protocol, the TTP shares a random key K with all the users using quantum secret sharing. The ith share acts as the authentication key of the ith user. When it is necessary to perform MSQIA, the TTP generates a random number R secretly and sends a sequence of single photons encoded with K and R to all the users. According to his share, each user performs the corresponding unitary operations on the single photon sequence sequentially. At last, the TTP can judge whether the impersonator exists. The second protocol is a modified version with a circular structure. The two protocols can be efficiently used for MSQIA in a network. They are feasible with current technology. Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (Grant No. 2007CB311100), the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (Grant Nos. 2006AA01Z419 and 20060101Z4015), the Major Research Plan of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 90604023), the Scientific Research Common Program of Beijing Municipal Commission of Education (Grant No. KM200810005004), the Scientific Research Foundation for the Youth of Beijing University of Technology (Grant No. 97007016200701), the National Research Foundation for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (Grant No. 20040013007), the National Laboratory for Modern Communications Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 9140C1101010601), and the Doctor Scientific Research Activation Foundation of Beijing University of Technology (Grant No. 52007016200702)     

Enhancing robustness of multiparty quantum correlations using weak measurement

Multipartite quantum correlations are important resources for the development of quantum information and computation protocols. However, the resourcefulness of multipartite quantum correlations in practical settings is limited by its fragility under decoherence due to environmental interactions. Though there exist protocols to protect bipartite entanglement under decoherence, the implementation of such protocols for multipartite quantum correlations has not been sufficiently explored. Here, we study the effect of local amplitude damping channel on the generalized Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger state, and use a protocol of optimal reversal quantum weak measurement to protect the multipartite quantum correlations. We observe that the weak measurement reversal protocol enhances the robustness of multipartite quantum correlations. Further it increases the critical damping value that corresponds to entanglement sudden death. To emphasize the efficacy of the technique in protection of multipartite quantum correlation, we investigate two proximately related quantum communication tasks, namely, quantum teleportation in a one sender, many receivers setting and multiparty quantum information splitting, through a local amplitude damping channel. We observe an increase in the average fidelity of both the quantum communication tasks under the weak measurement reversal protocol. The method may prove beneficial, for combating external interactions, in other quantum information tasks using multipartite resources.     

Quantum cryptography protocols robust against photon number splitting attacks for weak laser pulse implementations

We introduce a new class of quantum key distribution protocols, tailored to be robust against photon number splitting (PNS) attacks. We study one of these protocols, which differs from the original protocol by Bennett and Brassard (BB84) only in the classical sifting procedure. This protocol is provably better than BB84 against PNS attacks at zero error.     

Semi-Quantum Key Distribution Protocols with GHZ States

With the development of information security, quantum key distribution (QKD) has attracted much attention. Because of the lower requirement on quantum capability, more attention is paid to semi-quantum key distribution (SQKD). Two semi-quantum key distribution protocols based on GHZ states are proposed. The first protocol can achieve quantum key distribution between one classical party and one quantum party by cooperating with a third party with a strong quantum capability. Under the same conditions, the second one can achieve quantum key distribution between two classical parties. And the proposed semi-quantum key distribution protocols are free from some common attacks. It is significant for communication party without enough quantum devices to achieve quantum communication.