Joint twin-field quantum key distribution cryptosystem
AssigneeArizona Board of Regents on Behalf of the University of Arizona
InventorIvan Djordjevic
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods of providing a secure quantum key distribution cryptosystem in which the quantum key data is exchanged between Alice and Bob using a quantum channel and the parity bits associated with the quantum key data are encrypted using a post-quantum computing (PQC) encryption method and communicated between Alice and Bob using a public channel.
Claims15
A quantum communications system, comprising:
- a quantum domain comprising a first quantum transmitter circuitry and a second quantum transmitter circuitry to communicate over a quantum channel link;
- the first quantum transmitter circuitry and the second quantum transmitter circuitry to generate a raw encryption key using quantum communications via the quantum channel link;
- a public domain comprising first public channel circuitry and second public channel circuitry to communicate over a public channel link;
- the second public channel circuitry to generate a sifted key based on the raw key, and to generate a parity bits syndrome vector with respect to the sifted key;
- the second public channel circuitry further to encrypt the syndrome vector and transmit the encrypted syndrome vector, over the public channel link to the first public channel circuitry, to enable the first public channel circuitry to determine a corrected key that is based on the sifted key;
- wherein the first public channel circuitry further to decrypt the encrypted syndrome vector and wherein the first public channel circuitry includes low-density parity check (LDPC) code to decode the decrypted syndrome vector and generate the corrected key.
A method to reduce information leakage between two link partners, using a joint quantum key distribution (QKD) and post-quantum cryptography (PQC) system, the method comprising:
- generating a raw key between a first transceiver system and a second transceiver system communicating over a quantum channel link, the raw key being generated using a quantum key distribution (QKD) technique;
- sifting, by the first and second transceiver systems, the raw key to obtain a sifted key (x);
- generating, by the second transceiver system, a parity bits syndrome vector (p) by multiplying the sifted key x by a parity-check matrix H representing low-density parity check (LDPC) code;
- encrypting, by the second transceiver system, the syndrome (p) using a post-quantum cryptography (PQC) protocol;
- transmitting, by the second transceiver system, the encrypted syndrome (p) to the first transceiver system over a public channel link;
- decrypting, by first transceiver system, the encrypted syndrome vector using the PQC protocol;
- and
- decoding, by first transceiver system, using low density parity check (LDPC) circuitry, performed on the decrypted syndrome vector and sifted key to generate a corrected key.
At least one non-transitory storage device that includes machine-readable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations, comprising:
- generate a raw key between Alice and Bob communicating over a quantum channel link, the raw key being generated using a quantum key distribution (QKD) technique;
- generate a raw key between a first transceiver system and a second transceiver system communicating over a quantum channel link, the raw key being generated using a quantum key distribution (QKD) technique;
- sift, by the first and second transceiver systems, the raw key to obtain a sifted key (x);
- generate, by the second transceiver system, a parity bits syndrome vector (p) by multiplying the sifted key x by a parity-check matrix H representing low-density parity check (LDPC) code;
- encrypt, by the second transceiver system, the syndrome (p) using a post-quantum cryptography (PQC) protocol;
- transmit, by the second transceiver system, the encrypted syndrome (p) to the first transceiver system over a public channel link;
- decrypt, by first transceiver system, the encrypted syndrome vector using the PQC protocol;
- and
- decode, by the first transceiver system Alice decoder using low-density parity check (LDPC) decoding circuitry, the decrypted syndrome vector and the sifted key to generate a corrected key.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.