Quantum Secrecy in Thermal States II

TL;DR

This paper explores a quantum key distribution scheme using thermal states and the Hanbury Brown and Twiss effect, demonstrating its security and potential advantages in microwave frequencies for long-distance cryptography.

Contribution

It introduces a thermal state-based quantum key distribution protocol with security proof against entangling cloner attacks, expanding quantum cryptography into microwave frequencies.

Findings

The scheme is secure against entangling cloner attacks.

Security is established both experimentally and theoretically.

Long-wavelength thermal states can be effective for quantum cryptography.

Abstract

In this paper we consider a scheme for cryptographic key distribution based on a variation of continuous variable quantum key distribution called central broadcast. In the continuous variable central broadcast scheme, security arises from discord present in the Hanbury Brown and Twiss effect from a thermal source. The benefit of this scheme is that it expands the range of frequencies into the microwave regime. Longer wavelengths, where the thermal photon number is higher and correlations remain robust over long distances, may even be preferable to optical wavelengths. Assming that Alice controls the source but not the distribution of the light (eg satellite broadcasts), then we demonstrate that the central broadcast scheme is robust to an entangling cloner attack. We establish the security of the protocol both experimentally and theoretically.