Constant modulation for enhancing QKD security
US7233672B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 21, 2004 |
| Grant date | Jun 19, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 10, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L9/0858
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method of improving the security of a QKD system is disclosed. The QKD system exchanges qubits between QKD stations, wherein the brief period of time surrounding the expected arrival time of a qubit at a modulator in a QKD station defines a gating interval. The method includes randomly activating the modulator in a QKD station both within the gating interval and outside of the gating interval, while recording those modulations made during the gating interval. Such continuous or near-continuous modulation prevents an eavesdropper from assuming that the modulations correspond directly to the modulation of a qubit. Thus, an eavesdropper (Eve) has the additional and daunting task of determining which modulations correspond to actual qubit modulations before she can begin to extract any information from detected modulation states of the modulator.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.