Scientists from the University of Calgary have discovered the weakness of quantum-based secure communication systems and made recommendations for a new approach that actually works to overcome this weakness.
The research also removes a huge problem to realizing future applications of quantum communication with a fully working quantum network.
"I hope that our new quantum key distribution (QKD) system shows to people who take security seriously that QKD has many advantages and is a viable approach to safeguarding secret information," says Wolfgang Tittel, professor of physics and astronomy and the Alberta Innovates Technology Futures Strategic Research Chair in Quantum Secured Communication to Phys.Org.
Communication networks equipped with QKD would be more secured than networks presently safeguarded by encrypting secret information with mathematical algorithms that can be solved and then eventually reveal secrets.
Two parties exchange photons – individual quantum particles of light – in QKD-secured communications. This exchange of photons generates a shared random secret key that can be used to encrypt and decrypt documents.
Because of the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics, an eavesdropper trying to get the key would certainly change it, thus sending an alert to the communicating parties about the invasion which will prompt the removal of the security key.
However, if the security key hasn’t been corrupted during sharing, it can still be used for encryption.
To overcome the weakness, the scientists recommend a new strategy that involves two parties sending photons to a “middle man,” who measures the two photons. This then will tell him that only the two parties have identical security keys, but it will not give out any information about the security key.
The scientists were successful in testing its new QKD through a fiber optic cable linking the University SAIT Polytechnic located in the main campus and the University’s Foothills Hospital Campus.
The study was published in the journal Physical Review Letters.
