The black paper of quantum cryptography: Real implementation problems

The laws of physics play a crucial role in the security of quantum key distribution (QKD). This fact has often been misunderstood as if the security of QKD would be based only on the laws of physics. As the experts know well, things are more subtle. We review the progresses in practical QKD focusing on (I) the elements of trust that are common to classical and quantum implementations of key distribution; and (II) some threats to security that have been highlighted recently, none of which is unredeemable (i.e., in principle QKD can be made secure). This leads us to guess that the field, similar to non-quantum modern cryptography, is going to split in two directions: those who pursue practical devices may have to moderate their security claims; those who pursue ultimate security may have to suspend their claims of usefulness.

[1]  Robert A. Meyers,et al.  Encyclopedia of Complexity and Systems Science , 2009 .

[2]  Xiongfeng Ma,et al.  Security proof of quantum key distribution with detection efficiency mismatch , 2008, Quantum Inf. Comput..

[3]  Shor,et al.  Simple proof of security of the BB84 quantum key distribution protocol , 2000, Physical review letters.

[4]  G. G. Stokes.  "J." , 1890, The New Yale Book of Quotations.

[5]  Nicolas Gisin,et al.  Quantum repeaters based on atomic ensembles and linear optics , 2009, 0906.2699.

[6]  N. Gisin,et al.  Automated 'plug & play' quantum key distribution , 1998, quant-ph/9812052.

[7]  V. Scarani,et al.  The security of practical quantum key distribution , 2008, 0802.4155.

[8]  N. Gisin,et al.  Partial list of bipartite Bell inequalities with four binary settings , 2007, 0711.3362.

[9]  Andrew G. Glen,et al.  APPL , 2001 .

[10]  H. Weinfurter,et al.  The breakdown flash of silicon avalanche photodiodes-back door for eavesdropper attacks? , 2001, quant-ph/0104103.

[11]  P. Oscar Boykin,et al.  A Proof of the Security of Quantum Key Distribution , 1999, STOC '00.

[12]  M. Hayashi.  Upper bounds of eavesdropper’s performances in finite-length code with the decoy method , 2007, quant-ph/0702250.

[13]  Won-Young Hwang.  Quantum key distribution with high loss: toward global secure communication. , 2003, Physical review letters.

[14]  Jan Bouda,et al.  SECOQC White Paper on Quantum Key Distribution and Cryptography , 2007, ArXiv.

[15]  N. Lütkenhaus.  Security against individual attacks for realistic quantum key distribution , 2000 .

[16]  Christian Kurtsiefer,et al.  Breaking a quantum key distribution system through a timing side channel. , 2007, Optics express.

[17]  Christine Chen,et al.  Quantum hacking: Experimental demonstration of time-shift attack against practical quantum-key-distribution systems , 2007, 0704.3253.

[18]  Adrian Kent,et al.  No signaling and quantum key distribution. , 2004, Physical review letters.

[19]  V. Scarani,et al.  Device-independent quantum key distribution secure against collective attacks , 2009, 0903.4460.

[20]  D. Deutsch.  Quantum theory, the Church–Turing principle and the universal quantum computer , 1985, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. A. Mathematical and Physical Sciences.

[21]  N. Gisin,et al.  Trojan-horse attacks on quantum-key-distribution systems (6 pages) , 2005, quant-ph/0507063.

[22]  P R Tapster,et al.  Quantum cryptography: A step towards global key distribution , 2002, Nature.

[23]  Xiongfeng Ma,et al.  Decoy state quantum key distribution. , 2004, Physical review letters.

[24]  Hoi-Kwong Lo,et al.  Is Quantum Bit Commitment Really Possible? , 1996, ArXiv.

[25]  Fibirova Jana,et al.  Profit-Sharing – A Tool for Improving Productivity, Profitability and Competitiveness of Firms? , 2013 .

[26]  Stephen Wiesner,et al.  Conjugate coding , 1983, SIGA.

[27]  C. G. Peterson,et al.  Long-distance quantum key distribution in optical fibre , 2006, quant-ph/0607177.

[28]  T. Moroder,et al.  Heralded-qubit amplifiers for practical device-independent quantum key distribution , 2011, 1105.2573.

[29]  Renato Renner,et al.  Quantum cryptography with finite resources: unconditional security bound for discrete-variable protocols with one-way postprocessing. , 2007, Physical review letters.

[30]  T. Moroder,et al.  Testing quantum devices: Practical entanglement verification in bipartite optical systems , 2007, 0711.2709.

[31]  Stefano Pironio,et al.  Bell inequalities resistant to detector inefficiency , 2002 .

[32]  Yi Zhao,et al.  Quantum key distribution with an unknown and untrusted source , 2008, 0802.2725.

[33]  Ekert,et al.  Quantum cryptography based on Bell's theorem. , 1991, Physical review letters.

[34]  M. Dušek,et al.  Chapter 5 - Quantum cryptography , 2006, quant-ph/0601207.

[35]  Christian Kurtsiefer,et al.  Full-field implementation of a perfect eavesdropper on a quantum cryptography system. , 2010, Nature communications.

[36]  Nicolas Gisin,et al.  Quantum cryptography protocols robust against photon number splitting attacks for weak laser pulse implementations. , 2004, Physical review letters.

[37]  John Preskill,et al.  Security of quantum key distribution with imperfect devices , 2002, International Symposium onInformation Theory, 2004. ISIT 2004. Proceedings..

[38]  N. Gisin,et al.  “Plug and play” systems for quantum cryptography , 1996, quant-ph/9611042.

[39]  S. Massar.  Nonlocality, closing the detection loophole, and communication complexity , 2001, quant-ph/0109008.

[40]  Dominic Mayers,et al.  Unconditional security in quantum cryptography , 1998, JACM.

[41]  N. Gisin,et al.  From Bell's theorem to secure quantum key distribution. , 2005, Physical review letters.

[42]  V. Scarani,et al.  Device-independent security of quantum cryptography against collective attacks. , 2007, Physical review letters.

[43]  B Baek,et al.  Long Distance Quantum Key Distribution in Optical Fiber , 2008, OFC/NFOEC 2008 - 2008 Conference on Optical Fiber Communication/National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference.

[44]  J. Skaar,et al.  Effects of detector efficiency mismatch on security of quantum cryptosystems , 2005, quant-ph/0511032.

[45]  Sanders,et al.  Limitations on practical quantum cryptography , 2000, Physical review letters.

[46]  Valerio Scarani,et al.  Finite-key analysis for practical implementations of quantum key distribution , 2008, 0811.2628.

[47]  K. Tamaki,et al.  Security proof for quantum-key-distribution systems with threshold detectors , 2008, 0803.4226.

[48]  T. V'ertesi,et al.  Quantum bounds on Bell inequalities , 2008, 0810.1615.

[49]  Normand J. Beaudry,et al.  Squashing models for optical measurements in quantum communication. , 2008, Physical review letters.

[50]  N. Gisin,et al.  Proposal for implementing device-independent quantum key distribution based on a heralded qubit amplifier. , 2010, Physical review letters.

[51]  Dominic Mayers.  Unconditionally secure quantum bit commitment is impossible , 1997 .

[52]  J. Skaar,et al.  Hacking commercial quantum cryptography systems by tailored bright illumination , 2010, 1008.4593.

[53]  Lo,et al.  Unconditional security of quantum key distribution over arbitrarily long distances , 1999, Science.

[54]  Dag R. Hjelme,et al.  Faked states attack on quantum cryptosystems , 2005 .

[55]  H. Bechmann-Pasquinucci,et al.  Quantum cryptography , 2001, quant-ph/0101098.

[56]  H. Inamori,et al.  Unconditional security of practical quantum key distribution , 2007 .

[57]  Xiang‐Bin Wang,et al.  Beating the PNS attack in practical quantum cryptography , 2004 .