Unconditionally Secure Quantum Key Distribution In Higher Dimensions

Abstract

In search of a quantum key distribution scheme that could stand up for more drastic eavesdropping attack, I discover a prepare-and-measure scheme using $N$-dimensional quantum particles as information carriers where $N$ is a prime power. Using the Shor-Preskill-type argument, I prove that this scheme is unconditional secure against all attacks allowed by the laws of quantum physics. Incidentally, for $N=2^n>2$, each information carrier can be replaced by $n$ entangled qubits. And in this case, I discover an eavesdropping attack on which no unentangled-qubit-based prepare-and-measure quantum key distribution scheme known to date can generate a provably secure key. In contrast, this entangled-qubit-based scheme produces a provably secure key under the same eavesdropping attack whenever $N\ge 16$. This demonstrates the advantage of using entangled particles as information carriers to combat certain eavesdropping strategies.

15 pages in ieeetran.cls; extensively revised; discussions on the relation between this scheme and mutually unbiased bases added

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Cited by in corpus (2)

• On mutually unbiased bases
• Unconditionally Secure Key Distribution In Higher Dimensions By Depolarization