A Quantum-Resistant Photonic Hash Function

TL;DR

This paper introduces a quantum hash function based on Gaussian boson sampling that offers strong resistance to quantum attacks, with promising applications in blockchain security and quantum-era information systems.

Contribution

It presents a novel quantum-resistant hash function leveraging photonic quantum computing and analyzes its security and implementation challenges.

Findings

Exponential increase in collision resistance with mode counts

Strong cryptographic properties demonstrated through simulations

Potential for quantum-resistant security in blockchain applications

Abstract

We propose a quantum hash function based on Gaussian boson sampling on a photonic quantum computer, aiming to provide quantum-resistant security. Extensive simulations demonstrate that this hash function exhibits strong properties of preimage, second preimage, and collision resistance, which are essential for cryptographic applications. Notably, the estimated number of attempts required for a successful collision attack increases exponentially with the mode counts of the photonic quantum computer, suggesting robust resistance against birthday attacks. We also analyze the sampling cost for physical implementation and discuss potential applications to blockchain technologies, where the inherent quantum nature of the hash computation could provide quantum-resistant security. The high dimensionality of the quantum state space involved in the hashing process poses significant challenges for quantum attacks, indicating a path towards quantum security. Our work lays the foundation for a new paradigm of quantum-resistant hashing with applications in emerging quantum-era information systems.