Resource Allocation in Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) for Space-Air-Ground Integrated Networks

TL;DR

This paper proposes a stochastic programming-based resource allocation scheme for quantum key distribution in space-air-ground integrated networks, optimizing deployment costs amid security and weather uncertainties.

Contribution

It introduces a novel two-stage stochastic programming model for QKD resource allocation in SAGIN, addressing deployment cost minimization under uncertain conditions.

Findings

Achieves optimal deployment cost in diverse scenarios

Effectively handles security and weather uncertainties

Demonstrates robustness through extensive experiments

Abstract

Space-air-ground integrated networks (SAGIN) are one of the most promising advanced paradigms in the sixth generation (6G) communication. SAGIN can support high data rates, low latency, and seamless network coverage for interconnected applications and services. However, communications in SAGIN are facing tremendous security threats from the ever-increasing capacity of quantum computers. Fortunately, quantum key distribution (QKD) for establishing secure communications in SAGIN, i.e., QKD over SAGIN, can provide information-theoretic security. To minimize the QKD deployment cost in SAGIN with heterogeneous nodes, in this paper, we propose a resource allocation scheme for QKD over SAGIN using stochastic programming. The proposed scheme is formulated via two-stage stochastic programming (SP), while considering uncertainties such as security requirements and weather conditions. Under extensive experiments, the results clearly show that the proposed scheme can achieve the optimal deployment cost under various security requirements and unpredictable weather conditions.