Semi-Quantum Private Comparison Using Single Photons

IEEE Trans. Quantum Eng.

2020

A semiquantum key distribution (SQKD) protocol allows two users, one of whom is restricted in their quantum capabilities to being nearly classical, to establish a shared secret key, secure against an all-powerful adversary. The study of such protocols helps to answer the fundamental question of "how quantum" must a protocol be to gain an advantage over classical communication. In this article, we design a new SQKD protocol using high-dimensional quantum states and conduct an information theoretic security analysis. We show that, similar to the fully quantum key distribution case, high-dimensional systems can increase the noise tolerance in the semiquantum case. Furthermore, we prove several general security results which are applicable to other (S)QKD protocols (both high-dimensional ones and standard qubit-based protocols) utilizing a two-way quantum channel.

Section: Transactions On Ieeementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since its original introduction in 2007, there have been numerous new semiquantum key distribution (SQKD) protocols developed [6]- [12]. There have also been extensions to the model beyond basic key distribution including secret sharing [13]- [15], identification [16], and state comparison [17]- [19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High-Dimensional Semiquantum Cryptography

Iqbal

IEEE Trans. Quantum Eng.

2020

“…Since its original introduction in 2007, there have been numerous new semiquantum key distribution (SQKD) protocols developed [6,7,8,9,10,11,12]. There have also been extensions to the model beyond basic key distribution including secret sharing [13,14,15] and state comparison [16,17,18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other SQPC protocols have been proposed. In [145,146], protocols requiring only single photons were presented. Another protocol in [135] was developed which used a new semiquantum key agreement protocol developed in the same reference.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Semi-quantum cryptography

Iqbal

2020

Quantum Inf Process

Quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols allow two parties to establish a shared secret key, secure against an all powerful adversary. This is a task impossible to achieve through classical communication only; indeed, to distribute a secret key through classical means requires one to assume computationally bounded adversaries. If, however, both parties are "quantum capable" then security may be attained assuming only that the adversary must obey the laws of physics. But "how quantum" must a protocol actually be to gain this advantage over classical communication? This is one of the questions semi-quantum cryptography seeks to answer.Semi-quantum communication, a model introduced in 2007 by M. Boyer, D. Kenigsberg, and T. Mor (PRL 99 140501), involves the use of fully-quantum users and semiquantum, or "classical" users. These classical users are only allowed to interact with the quantum channel in a limited, classical manner. Originally introduced to study the key-distribution problem, semi-quantum research has since expanded, and continues to grow, with new protocols, security proof methods, experimental implementations, and new cryptographic applications beyond key distribution. Research in the field of semi-quantum cryptography requires new insights into working with restricted protocols and, so, the tools and techniques derived in this field can translate to results in broader quantum information science. Furthermore, other questions such as the connection between quantum and classical processing, including how classical information processing can be used to counteract a quantum deficiency in a protocol, can shed light on important theoretical questions.This work surveys the history and current state-of-the-art in semi-quantum research. We discuss the model and several protocols offering the reader insight into how protocols are constructed in this realm. We discuss security proof methods and how classical post-processing can be used to counteract users' inability to perform certain quantum operations. Moving beyond key distribution, we survey current work in other * semi-quantum cryptographic protocols and current trends. We also survey recent work done in attempting to construct practical semi-quantum systems including recent experimental results in this field. Finally, as this is still a growing field, we highlight, throughout this survey, several open problems that we feel are important to investigate in the hopes that this will spur even more research in this topic.

“…Beyond key distribution itself, the semi-quantum model has been used for other cryptographic tasks including secret sharing [23,24,25,26], direct communication [27,28,29], and quantum private comparison [30,31,32,33]. There has also been work recently in analyzing SQKD protocols in more practical settings (where it is impossible for B to accurately perform the Measure and Resend operation as he cannot prepare a photon in exactly the same state it was received) [2,34,35].…”

Section: A Semi-quantum Cryptographymentioning

confidence: 99%

Semiquantum key distribution with high quantum noise tolerance

Amer

2019

Phys. Rev. A

Semi-quantum key distribution protocols are designed to allow two parties to establish a shared secret key, secure against an all-powerful adversary, even when one of the users is restricted to measuring and preparing quantum states in one single basis. While interesting from a theoretical standpoint, these protocols have the disadvantage that a two-way quantum communication channel is necessary which generally limits their theoretical efficiency and noise tolerance. In this paper, we construct a new semiquantum key distribution (SQKD) protocol which actually takes advantage of this necessary two-way channel, and, after performing an information theoretic security analysis against collective attacks, we show it is able to tolerate a channel noise level higher than any prior SQKD protocol to-date. We also compare the noise tolerance of our protocol to other two-way fully quantum protocols, along with BB84 with Classical Advantage Distillation (CAD). We also comment on some practical issues involving semi-quantum key distribution (in particular, concerning the potential complexity in physical implementation of our protocol as compared with other standard QKD protocols). Finally, we develop techniques that can be applied to the security analysis of other (S)QKD protocols reliant on a two-way quantum communication channel.