Authenticated communication from quantum readout of PUFs

Area of Science:

• Quantum Information Science
• Cryptography
• Physical Unclonable Functions

Background:

• Quantum readout of physical unclonable functions (PUFs) offers a novel approach for remote object authentication.
• Existing protocols primarily focus on authenticating the PUF device itself.

Purpose of the Study:

• To extend the quantum readout protocol for physical unclonable functions (PUFs) to enable data authentication.
• To introduce a method for verifying the origin of classical data transmitted by a PUF holder.
• To present a protocol for authenticating quantum states.

Main Methods:

• Development of a modified quantum readout protocol, termed QR-d (or QSA-d for optical-PUF implementations), for data authentication.
• Exploration of parallel operation modes for the QSA-d protocol.
• Formulation of a protocol for quantum state authentication.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated the extension of quantum readout of PUFs for classical data authentication.
• Proposed parallel operation strategies to enhance the efficiency of QSA-d.
• Introduced a novel protocol for authenticating quantum states, expanding the scope of quantum-based security.

Conclusions:

• The QR-d/QSA-d protocol significantly enhances the security applications of PUFs by enabling data origin verification.
• Parallel operation offers practical advantages for real-world implementations.
• The developed quantum state authentication protocol opens new avenues for secure quantum communication.