An Efficient Routing Protocol for Quantum Key Distribution Networks

Quantum key distribution (QKD) can provide point-to-point information-theoretic secure key services for two connected users. In fact, the development of QKD networks needs more focus from the scientific community in order to broaden the service scale of QKD technology to deliver end-to-end secure key services. Of course, some recent efforts have been made to develop secure communication protocols based on QKD. However, due to the limited key generation capability of QKD devices, high quantum secure key utilization is the major concern for QKD networks. Since traditional routing techniques do not account for the state of quantum secure keys on links, applying them in QKD networks directly will result in underutilization of quantum secure keys. Therefore, an efficient routing protocol for QKD networks, especially for large-scale QKD networks, is desperately needed. In this study, an efficient routing protocol based on optimized link-state routing, namely QOLSR, is proposed for QKD networks. QOLSR considerably improves quantum key utilization in QKD networks through link-state awareness and path optimization. Simulation results demonstrate the validity and efficiency of the proposed QOLSR routing protocol. Most importantly, with the growth of communication traffic, the benefit becomes even more apparent.     

量子信令交换机模型设计及性能分析

本文提出了量子信令交换机的模型, 该交换机由经典信息控制模块、交换控制模块和量子交换模块三部分组成. 经典控制模块负责将纠缠初态信息传送给纠缠测量及交换单元并更新路由信息. 交换控制模块实现通路选择, 为纠缠对的分发提供通路. 量子交换模块制备纠缠对, 进行Bell态的测量, 完成纠缠交换. 量子信令交换机可以实现多用户间的信令传输及局域网通信. 通过对交换机的性能分析与仿真, 结果表明该交换机结构简单、安全保密、便于扩展、时延小, 对于构建量子通信网有很好的支撑作用. 关键词： 量子通信 量子信令网 量子信令交换机 纠缠交换     

High-Efficient Syndrome-Based LDPC Reconciliation for Quantum Key Distribution

Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a promising technique to share unconditionally secure keys between remote parties. As an essential part of a practical QKD system, reconciliation is responsible for correcting the errors due to the quantum channel noise by exchanging information through a public classical channel. In the present work, we propose a novel syndrome-based low-density parity-check (LDPC) reconciliation protocol to reduce the information leakage of reconciliation by fully utilizing the syndrome information that was previously wasted. Both theoretical analysis and simulation results show that our protocol can evidently reduce the information leakage as well as the number of communication rounds.     

Performance optimization for quantum key distribution in lossy channel using entangled photons

In quantum key distribution(QKD), the times of arrival of single photons are important for the keys extraction and time synchronization. The time-of-arrival(TOA) accuracy can affect the quantum bit error rate(QBER) and the final key rate. To achieve a higher accuracy and a better QKD performance, different from designing more complicated hardware circuits, we present a scheme that uses the mean TOA of M frequency-entangled photons to replace the TOA of a single photon. Moreover, to address the problem that the entanglement property is usually sensitive to the photon loss in practice,we further propose two schemes, which adopt partially entangled photons and grouping-entangled photons, respectively.In addition, we compare the effects of these three alternative schemes on the QKD performance and discuss the selection strategy for the optimal scheme in detail. The simulation results show that the proposed schemes can improve the QKD performance compared to the conventional single-photon scheme obviously, which demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed schemes.     

Controllable Quantum Network Coding Scheme Based on Quantum Walk

Quantum entanglement is one of the key methods in quantum information processing, but it is difficult to prepare quantum entanglement. Quantum walk is widely used in quantum computation and quantum simulation, it can be applied to the preparation of quantum entangled states. In this paper, a controllable quantum network coding scheme based on quantum walk is proposed. With the help of quantum walk, the scheme preliminary realized the entanglement distribution of butterfly network, reduced entanglement resources and enhanced scalability. According to the existing technology, it is feasible to implement the quantum network coding scheme proposed in this paper.

     

Quantum Key Distribution Scheme with High Efficiency

Based on entanglement swapping, a quantum key distribution （QKD） scheme is proposed. In this scheme, the secret keys are formed by comparing initial Bell states and outcomes of entanglement swapping. Moreover, all initial Bell states prepared by Alice and Bob are completely arbitrary. As the classical information exchanged between two parties is very little, this QKD scheme has a high efficiency. In addition, in order to prevent eavesdropping, decoy particles are used.     

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.     

Routing protocol for wireless quantum multi-hop mesh backbone network based on partially entangled GHZ state

Quantum multi-hop teleportation is important in the field of quantum communication. In this study, we propose a quantum multi-hop communication model and a quantum routing protocol with multihop teleportation for wireless mesh backbone networks. Based on an analysis of quantum multi-hop protocols, a partially entangled Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger (GHZ) state is selected as the quantum channel for the proposed protocol. Both quantum and classical wireless channels exist between two neighboring nodes along the route. With the proposed routing protocol, quantum information can be transmitted hop by hop from the source node to the destination node. Based on multi-hop teleportation based on the partially entangled GHZ state, a quantum route established with the minimum number of hops. The difference between our routing protocol and the classical one is that in the former, the processes used to find a quantum route and establish quantum channel entanglement occur simultaneously. The Bell state measurement results of each hop are piggybacked to quantum route finding information. This method reduces the total number of packets and the magnitude of air interface delay. The deduction of the establishment of a quantum channel between source and destination is also presented here. The final success probability of quantum multi-hop teleportation in wireless mesh backbone networks was simulated and analyzed. Our research shows that quantum multi-hop teleportation in wireless mesh backbone networks through a partially entangled GHZ state is feasible.     

Quantum key distribution by comparing Bell states

We propose a quantum key distribution (QKD) scheme based on entanglement swapping. In this scheme, the methods to form secret keys are so interesting. By comparing initial Bell state and outcome of entanglement swapping, the secret keys between Alice and Bob are generated involuntarily.     

Quantum cryptography using partially entangled states

We show that non-maximally entangled states can be used to build a quantum key distribution (QKD) scheme where the key is probabilistically teleported from Alice to Bob. This probabilistic aspect of the protocol ensures the security of the key without the need of non-orthogonal states to encode it, in contrast to other QKD schemes. Also, the security and key transmission rate of the present protocol is nearly equivalent to those of standard QKD schemes and these aspects can be controlled by properly harnessing the new free parameter in the present proposal, namely, the degree of partial entanglement. Furthermore, we discuss how to build a controlled QKD scheme, also based on partially entangled states, where a third party can decide whether or not Alice and Bob are allowed to share a key.     

Quantum secure dialogue by using single photons

By combining the idea of quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) and BB84 quantum key distribution (QKD), we propose a secure quantum dialogue protocol via single photons. Comparing with the previous bidirectional quantum secure communication scheme [24] in which the EPR pairs are used, our protocol is not only feasible in practice but also can overcome the drawback “information leakage” or “classical correlation”. Our scheme possesses the characters of security and high efficiency.     

对称噪声信道下利用多纠缠态实现量子密钥分配

研究了对称噪声信道下的量子密钥分配(Quantum Key Distribution,QKD)过程，并得到了其误码率和信道保真度的关系式。基于量子态的局域区分原理，我们提出了使用“多纠缠态”进行噪声信道下的密钥分配的新方案。应用这个新方案，我们可以获得和在理想无噪声信道下使用最大纠缠态(四个Bell态之一)进行QKD一样好的结果。     

Effect of excess noise on continuous variable entanglement sudden death and Gaussian quantum discord

A symmetric two-mode Gaussian entangled state is used to investigate the effect of excess noise on entanglement sudden death and Gaussian quantum discord with continuous variables. The results show that the excess noise in the channel can lead to entanglement sudden death of a symmetric two-mode Gaussian entangled state, while Gaussian quantum discord never vanishes. As a practical application, the security of a quantum key distribution （QKD） scheme based on a symmetric two-mode Gaussian entangled state against collective Gaussian attacks is analyzed. The calculation results show that the secret key cannot be distilled when entanglement vanishes and only quantum discord exists in such a QKD scheme.     

一种基于纠缠态的量子中继通信系统

提出了一种基于纠缠态的量子中继通信系统,该系统应用纠缠为基本资源.纠缠为量子隐形传态和绝对安全的量子通信提供了保证.量子中继器用来延长高纠缠度的纠缠光子对的纠缠距离,利用纠缠交换和纠缠纯化在系统的发信者与受信者之间建立光子对的纠缠.应用量子隐形传态的原理传输量子信息.系统分析表明,量子通信系统的吞吐率随着通信双方成功建立纠缠的概率增大而显著增加,量子信号的传输距离取决于量子中继节点的级数.     

基于N个有序纠缠光子对的量子机密共享方案

提出了一种基于N个有序纠缠光子对量子机密共享方案.用纠缠光子作为信息的载体,密钥管理者Alice将纠缠光子对分成两个序列,其中一个序列直接发送给合作者之一Bob,在确保第一个序列发送安全后,再对第二个序列进行编码,发送给另一个合作者Charlie.Bob和Charlie分别对他们所接收到的光子序列进行Bell基联合测量,从而得到Alice所发布的密钥,完整密钥的获得需要管理者和所有合作者共同实现.本方案采用两体纠缠态,相对三体纠缠态来说,在实验上更容易实现,仅需要线性光学元件和简单的纠缠源.     

变分法研究一维Bose-Fermi系统的稳定性

利用能量泛函变分法研究了一维Bose-Fermi系统稳定基态的存在条件.根据Bose-Fermi系统的Lagrange量可以得到三维Bose-Fermi体系所满足的非线性动力学方程组.当外势阱的横向囚禁频率远大于轴向囚禁频率时,体系可以当作一维模型来处理.从描述三维体系的动力学方程可以得到描述一维体系的动力学方程,选取适当的无量纲参数,可以对一维动力学方程组进行无量纲处理,得到数值计算和理论分析中常用到的无量纲方程.选择高斯型试探解(简单孤立子解),利用能量泛函变分法得到一维Bose-Fermi体系稳定的 关键词： Bose-Fermi 稳定性 基态 临界条件     

Multi-User Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key Distribution Based on GHZ Entangled State

As a multi-particle entangled state, the Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger (GHZ) state plays an important role in quantum theory and applications. In this study, we propose a flexible multi-user measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) scheme based on a GHZ entangled state. Our scheme can distribute quantum keys among multiple users while being resistant to detection attacks. Our simulation results show that the secure distance between each user and the measurement device can reach more than 280 km while reducing the complexity of the quantum network. Additionally, we propose a method to expand our scheme to a multi-node with multi-user network, which can further enhance the communication distance between the users at different nodes.     

Quantum error rejection for faithful quantum communication over noise channels

Quantum state transmission is a prerequisite for various quantum communication networks. The channel noise inevitably introduces distortion of quantum states passing through either a free-space channel or a fibre channel, which leads to errors or decreases the security of a practical quantum communication network. Quantum error rejection is a useful technology to faithfully transmit quantum states over large-scale quantum channels. It provides the communication parties with an uncorrupted quantum state by rejecting error states. Usually, additional photons or degrees of freedom are required to overcome the adverse effects of channel noise. As quantum error rejection method consumes less quantum resource than other anti-noise methods, it is more convenient to perform error-rejection quantum state transmission with current technology. In this review, several typical quantum errorrejection schemes for single-photon state transmission are introduced in brief and some error-rejection schemes for entanglement distribution are also briefly presented.     

Quantum Oblivious Transfer: A Short Review

Quantum cryptography is the field of cryptography that explores the quantum properties of matter. Generally, it aims to develop primitives beyond the reach of classical cryptography and to improve existing classical implementations. Although much of the work in this field covers quantum key distribution (QKD), there have been some crucial steps towards the understanding and development of quantum oblivious transfer (QOT). One can show the similarity between the application structure of both QKD and QOT primitives. Just as QKD protocols allow quantum-safe communication, QOT protocols allow quantum-safe computation. However, the conditions under which QOT is fully quantum-safe have been subject to intense scrutiny and study. In this review article, we survey the work developed around the concept of oblivious transfer within theoretical quantum cryptography. We focus on some proposed protocols and their security requirements. We review the impossibility results that daunt this primitive and discuss several quantum security models under which it is possible to prove QOT security.     

Quantum Communication Complexity

Can quantum communication be more efficient than its classical counterpart? Holevo's theorem rules out the possibility of communicating more than n bits of classical information by the transmission of n quantum bits—unless the two parties are entangled, in which case twice as many classical bits can be communicated but no more. In apparent contradiction, there are distributed computational tasks for which quantum communication cannot be simulated efficiently by classical means. In some cases, the effect of transmitting quantum bits cannot be achieved classically short of transmitting an exponentially larger number of bits. In a similar vein, can entanglement be used to save on classical communication? It is well known that entanglement on its own is useless for the transmission of information. Yet, there are distributed tasks that cannot be accomplished at all in a classical world when communication is not allowed, but that become possible if the non-communicating parties share prior entanglement. This leads to the question of how expensive it is, in terms of classical communication, to provide an exact simulation of the spooky power of entanglement.