Security and Practical Models for Quantum Key Distribution

Security and Practical Models for Quantum Key Distribution

van Mil, Juliette (TU Delft Applied Sciences; TU Delft Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science)

Elkouss Coronas, D. (mentor)
Möller, M. (mentor)

Delft University of Technology

Applied Mathematics | Applied Physics

2021-08-18

This report reviews two quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols: the BB84 protocol and the measurement device independent (MDI) QKD protocol. The goal of this report is to recreate the security proof of the BB84 protocol, to generate the secret key rate for a practical application of the BB84 protocol, both with and without decoy states, and to review the MDI-QKD protocol and look at the advantages it has for practical QKD. The proof security of the BB84 protocol is done by designing an equivalent theoretical protocol and proving its security by bounding the information of the eavesdropper to an exponentially small number. The best distance over which secret key rate can be generated with the practical model of the BB84 protocol that is presented in this report, is 165 km. This is achieved by employing decoy states and is more than three times as far as the model can achieve without decoy states, which gave a distance of 52 km at best. The zero distance key rate of the model with decoy states is R = 1.21 · 10^-2 bits per pulse (bpp), at best. This is an order of magnitude larger than R =1.02 · 10^-3 bpp, which is what the model without decoy states could produce. The decoy state method is therefore an improvement for practical QKD. By reviewing the MDI-QKD protocol it can be concluded that because it eliminates the measurement device side channels, it is very useful for practical QKD, since it makes security analysis simpler and more precise. It also necessarily employs decoy states, which improves the secret key rate. MDI-QKD therefore is a promising protocol to use for future quantum communications.

Quantum information
quantum key distribution
Security Analysis

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:90095544-17b6-4234-9e2e-aa1275386683

Student theses

bachelor thesis

© 2021 Juliette van Mil