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Register a new userSecurity analysis of the time-coding quantum key distribution protocols
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Added by
Thierry Debuisschert
Publication date
2011
fields
Physics
and research's language is
English
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We report the security analysis of time-coding quantum key distribution protocols. The protocols make use of coherent single-photon pulses. The key is encoded in the photon time-detection. The use of coherent superposition of states allows to detect eavesdropping of the key. We give a mathematical model of a first protocol from which we derive a second, simpler, protocol. We derive the security analysis of both protocols and find that the secure rates can be similar to those obtained with the BB84 protocol. We then calculate the secure distance for those protocols over standard fibre links. When using low-noise superconducting single photon detectors, secure distances over 200 km can be foreseen. Finally, we analyse the consequences of photon-number splitting attacks when faint pulses are used instead of single photon pulses. A decoy states technique can be used to prevent such attacks.
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Quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols are cryptographic techniques with security based only on the laws of quantum mechanics. Two prominent QKD schemes are the BB84 and B92 protocols that use four and two quantum states, respectively. In 2000, Phoenix et al. proposed a new family of three state protocols that offers advantages over the previous schemes. Until now, an error rate threshold for security of the symmetric trine spherical code QKD protocol has only been shown for the trivial intercept/resend eavesdropping strategy. In this paper, we prove the unconditional security of the trine spherical code QKD protocol, demonstrating its security up to a bit error rate of 9.81%. We also discuss on how this proof applies to a version of the trine spherical code QKD protocol where the error rate is evaluated from the number of inconclusive events.
A quantum key distribution protocol based on time coding uses delayed one photon pulses with minimum time-frequency uncertainty product. Possible overlap between the pulses induces an ambiguous delay measurement and ensures a secure key exchange.
We have implemented an experimental set-up in order to demonstrate the feasibility of time-coding protocols for quantum key distribution. Alice produces coherent 20 ns faint pulses of light at 853 nm. They are sent to Bob with delay 0 ns (encoding bit 0) or 10 ns (encoding bit 1). Bob directs at random the received pulses to two different arms. In the first one, a 300 ps resolution Si photon-counter allows Bob to precisely measure the detection times of each photon in order to establish the key. Comparing them with the emission times of the pulses sent by Alice allows to evaluate the quantum bit error rate (QBER). The minimum obtained QBER is 1.62 %. The possible loss of coherence in the set-up can be exploited by Eve to eavesdrop the line. Therefore, the second arm of Bob set-up is a Mach-Zender interferometer with a 10 ns propagation delay between the two path. Contrast measurement of the output beams allows to measure the autocorrelation function of the received pulses that characterizes their average coherence. In the case of an ideal set-up, the value expected with the pulses sent by Alice is 0.576. The experimental value of the pulses autocorrelation function is found to be 0.541. Knowing the resulting loss of coherence and the measured QBER, one can evaluate the mutual information between Alice and Eve and the mutual information between Alice and Bob, in the case of intercept-resend attacks and in the case of attacks with intrication. With our values, Bob has an advantage on Eve of 0.43 bit per pulse. The maximum possible QBER corresponding to equal informations for Bob and Eve is 5.8 %. With the usual attenuation of fibres at 850 nm, it shows that secure key distribution is possible up to a distance of 2.75 km, which is sufficient for local links.
Time coding quantum key distribution with coherent faint pulses is experimentally demonstrated. A measured 3.3 % quantum bit error rate and a relative contrast loss of 8.4 % allow a 0.49 bit/pulse advantage to Bob.
Decoy state protocols are a useful tool for many quantum key distribution systems implemented with weak coherent pulses, allowing significantly better secret bit rates and longer maximum distances. In this paper we present a method to numerically find optimal three-level protocols, and we examine how the secret bit rate and the optimized parameters are dependent on various system properties, such as session length, transmission loss, and visibility. Additionally, we show how to modify the decoy state analysis to handle partially distinguishable decoy states as well as uncertainty in the prepared intensities.
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