AsianScientist (May 23, 2014) – Securing communication networks with quantum cryptography is now more efficient, thanks to a new method described in the journal Nature.
In quantum cryptography, two parties can exchange information encoded in quantum states privately because any attempt to listen in will cause a detectable disturbance, which correlates with the amount of information that is intercepted. This communication protocol is known as quantum key distribution (QKD). In this protocol, part of the exchanged information has to be sacrificed and used to estimate any possible eavesdropping, which sets a limit on how efficiently information can be exchanged securely.
Dr. Masato Koashi from the University of Tokyo has developed a novel protocol in which this step is no longer needed. The approach works by spreading the information over hundreds of quantum systems using laser pulses. The inherent randomness limits the amount of information that can be obtained by the eavesdropper.
The use of conventional lasers and elimination of security monitoring costs could make the approach highly practical.
The article can be found at: Sasaki et al. (2014) Practical quantum key distribution protocol without monitoring signal disturbance.
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Source: Nature Publishing Group.
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