The Classification of Quantum Symmetric-Key Encryption Protocols

TL;DR

This paper classifies quantum symmetric-key encryption protocols based on five core elements, identifying which types have been constructed, which are impossible, and which remain unconstructed, thereby clarifying the current research landscape.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive classification framework for quantum symmetric-key encryption protocols, highlighting the types that are feasible, impossible, or yet to be developed.

Findings

5 types of protocols have been constructed and studied

21 types are proven impossible to construct

6 types are not yet effectively presented

Abstract

The classification of quantum symmetric-key encryption protocol is presented. According to five elements of a quantum symmetric-key encryption protocol: plaintext, ciphertext, key, encryption algorithm and decryption algorithm, there are 32 different kinds of them. Among them, 5 kinds of protocols have already been constructed and studied, and 21 kinds of them are proved to be impossible to construct, the last 6 kinds of them are not yet presented effectively. That means the research on quantum symmetric-key encryption protocol only needs to consider with 5 kinds of them nowadays.