Rey-Domínguez, J. orcid.org/0009-0006-2210-5470, Navarrete, Á orcid.org/0000-0003-3506-6037, van Loock, P. orcid.org/0000-0001-9445-0771 et al. (1 more author) (2024) Hacking coherent-one-way quantum key distribution with present-day technology. Quantum Science and Technology, 9 (3). 035044.
Abstract
Recent results have shown that the secret-key rate of coherent-one-way (COW) quantum key distribution (QKD) scales quadratically with the system’s transmittance, thus rendering this protocol unsuitable for long-distance transmission. This was proven by using a so-called zero-error attack, which relies on an unambiguous state discrimination (USD) measurement. This type of attack allows the eavesdropper to learn the whole secret key without introducing any error. Here, we investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of zero-error attacks against COW QKD with present-day technology. For this, we introduce two practical USD receivers that can be realized with linear passive optical elements, phase-space displacement operations and threshold single-photon detectors. The first receiver is optimal with respect to its success probability, while the second one can impose stronger restrictions on the protocol’s performance with faulty eavesdropping equipment. Our findings suggest that zero-error attacks could break the security of COW QKD even assuming realistic experimental conditions.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Keywords: | quantum key distribution, quantum hacking, coherent-one-way |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Electronic & Electrical Engineering (Leeds) > Pollard Institute (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 21 Jun 2024 11:29 |
Last Modified: | 21 Jun 2024 11:29 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | IOP Publishing |
Identification Number: | 10.1088/2058-9565/ad4f0c |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:213709 |
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Filename: Rey-Domínguez_2024_Quantum_Sci._Technol._9_035044.pdf
Licence: CC-BY 4.0