Secure quantum key distribution with realistic devices

Feihu Xu; Xiongfeng Ma; Qiang Zhang; Hoi‐Kwong Lo; Jian-Wei Pan

doi:10.1103/revmodphys.92.025002

Abstract

In principle, quantum key distribution (QKD) offers information-theoretic security based on the laws of physics. In practice, however, the imperfections of realistic devices might introduce deviations from the idealized models used in security analyses. Can quantum code-breakers successfully hack real systems by exploiting the side channels? Can quantum code-makers design innovative counter-measures to foil quantum code-breakers? This article reviews theoretical and experimental progress in the practical security aspects of quantum code-making and quantum code-breaking. After numerous attempts, researchers now thoroughly understand and are able to manage the practical imperfections. Recent advances, such as the measurement-device-independent protocol, have closed the critical side channels in the physical implementations, paving the way for secure QKD with realistic devices.

Keywords

PhysicsQuantum key distributionKey (lock)Quantum cryptographyDistribution (mathematics)Statistical physicsQuantumQuantum mechanicsComputer securityQuantum informationComputer science

Affiliated Institutions

University of Science and Technology of China CN

Related Publications

Limitations on Practical Quantum Cryptography

Gilles Brassard , Norbert Lütkenhaus , Tal Mor +1 more

We provide limits to practical quantum key distribution, taking into account channel losses, a realistic detection process, and imperfections in the "qubits" sent from the sende...

2000 Physical Review Letters 1152 citations

From Bell’s Theorem to Secure Quantum Key Distribution

Antonio Acín , Nicolas Gisin , Lluís Masanes

The first step in any quantum key distribution (QKD) protocol consists of sequences of measurements that produce correlated classical data. We show that these correlation data m...

2006 Physical Review Letters 675 citations

Quantum cryptography using larger alphabets

H. Bechmann-Pasquinucci , Wolfgang Tittel

Like all of quantum information theory, quantum cryptography is traditionally\nbased on two level quantum systems. In this letter, a new protocol for quantum\nkey distribution b...

2000 Physical Review A 459 citations

Private Entanglement over Arbitrary Distances, Even Using Noisy Apparatus

H.N. Aschauer , Hans J. Briegel

We give a security proof of quantum cryptography based entirely on entanglement purification. Our proof applies to all possible attacks (individual and coherent). It implies the...

2002 Physical Review Letters 31 citations

Quantum cryptography without Bell’s theorem

Charles H. Bennett , Gilles Brassard , N. David Mermin

Ekert has described a cryptographic scheme in which Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) pairs of particles are used to generate identical random numbers in remote places, while Bell's...

1992 Physical Review Letters 2344 citations

Publication Info

Year: 2020
Type: article
Volume: 92
Issue: 2
Citations: 1311
Access: Closed

External Links

View on DOI.org

Social Impact

Altmetric

Secure quantum key distribution with realistic devices

PlumX Metrics

Social media, news, blog, policy document mentions

Citation Metrics

1311

OpenAlex

Cite This

APA Style

                            
                                
                                    Feihu Xu, 
                                
                                    Xiongfeng Ma, 
                                
                                    Qiang Zhang
                                
                                et al.
                            
                            (2020). 
                            Secure quantum key distribution with realistic devices. 
                            Reviews of Modern Physics
                            , 92
                            (2)
                            .
                            https://doi.org/10.1103/revmodphys.92.025002
                        

Identifiers

DOI: 10.1103/revmodphys.92.025002