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Improving Underwater Continuous-Variable Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key Distribution via Zero-Photon
Yuang Wang1, Shanhua Zou1,2, Yun Mao1
1School of Automation, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China.
Entropy (Basel, Switzerland)
|December 8, 2020
Summary
This study enhances underwater quantum key distribution (QKD) using zero-photon catalysis (ZPC) for secure submarine communication. The ZPC-based measurement-device-independent (MDI) QKD scheme offers improved transmission distance over traditional methods.
Area of Science:
- Quantum Information Science
- Optical Communications
- Marine Technology
Background:
- Underwater quantum key distribution (QKD) is crucial for secure communication in challenging marine environments.
- Existing QKD methods face limitations in transmission distance and secret key rate, hindering secure underwater networking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance the performance of continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CVQKD) for underwater applications.
- To investigate a novel measurement-device-independent (MDI) CVQKD scheme utilizing zero-photon catalysis (ZPC).
Main Methods:
- Development and numerical simulation of a ZPC-based MDI-CVQKD system.
- Comparison of the ZPC-involved scheme with a single-photon subtraction (SPS)-involved scheme.
- Analysis of environmental factors including temperature, salinity, and solar elevation angle on system performance.
Main Results:
- The ZPC-based MDI-CVQKD scheme demonstrates superior performance compared to the SPS-based scheme, particularly in asymmetric scenarios.
- The ZPC scheme achieves a longer transmission distance than the SPS scheme.
- System performance is sensitive to temperature and solar elevation angle, with maximal transmission distance decreasing under higher temperatures and lower sun angles. Salinity shows minimal impact.
Conclusions:
- The proposed ZPC-based MDI-CVQKD is a promising approach for advancing secure underwater communication.
- Environmental factors significantly influence the effectiveness of underwater QKD systems, necessitating careful consideration for practical deployment.
