arXiv subjects

M. Pflitsch

Publications and source records attributed to M. Pflitsch.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2023

Applicability of QKD: TerraQuantum view on the NSA's scepticism

Quantum communication offers unique features that have no classical analog, in particular, it enables provably secure quantum key distribution (QKD). Despite the benefits of quantum communication are well understood within the scientific community, the practical implementations sometimes meet with scepticism or even resistance. In a recent publication [1], NSA claims that QKD is inferior to "quantum-resistant" cryptography and does not recommend it for use. Here we show that such a sceptical approach to evaluation of quantum security is not well justified. We hope that our arguments will be helpful to clarify the issue.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Boosting quantum key distribution via the end-to-end loss control

With the rise of quantum technologies, data security increasingly relies on quantum cryptography and its most notable application, quantum key distribution (QKD). Yet, current technological limitations, in particular, the unavailability of quantum repeaters, cause relatively low key distribution rates in practical QKD implementations. Here, we demonstrate a remarkable improvement in the QKD performance using end-to-end line tomography for the wide class of relevant protocols. Our approach is based on the real-time detection of interventions in the transmission channel, enabling an adaptive response that modifies the QKD setup and post-processing parameters, leading, thereby, to a substantial increase in the key distribution rates. Our findings provide everlastingly secure efficient quantum cryptography deployment potentially overcoming the repeaterless rate-distance limit.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Experimental demonstration of scalable quantum key distribution over a thousand kilometers

Secure communication over long distances is one of the major problems of modern informatics. Classical transmissions are recognized to be vulnerable to quantum computer attacks. Remarkably, the same quantum mechanics that engenders quantum computers offers guaranteed protection against such attacks via quantum key distribution (QKD). Yet, long-distance transmission is problematic since the essential signal decay in optical channels occurs at a distance of about a hundred kilometers. We propose to resolve this problem by a QKD protocol, further referred to as the Terra Quantum QKD protocol (TQ-QKD protocol). In our protocol, we use semiclassical pulses containing enough photons for random bit encoding and exploiting erbium amplifiers to retranslate photon pulses and, at the same time, ensuring that at the chosen pulse intensity only a few photons could go outside the channel even at distances of about a hundred meters. As a result, an eavesdropper will not be able to efficiently utilize the lost part of the signal. The central component of the TQ-QKD protocol is the end-to-end loss control of the fiber-optic communication line since optical losses can in principle be used by the eavesdropper to obtain the transmitted information. However, our control precision is such that if the degree of the leak is below the detectable level, then the leaking states are quantum since they contain only a few photons. Therefore, available to the eavesdropper parts of the bit encoding states representing `0' and `1' are nearly indistinguishable. Our work presents the experimental demonstration of the TQ-QKD protocol allowing quantum key distribution over 1079 kilometers. Further refining the quality of the scheme's components will expand the attainable transmission distances. This paves the way for creating a secure global QKD network in the upcoming years.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Tetra-AML: Automatic Machine Learning via Tensor Networks

Neural networks have revolutionized many aspects of society but in the era of huge models with billions of parameters, optimizing and deploying them for commercial applications can require significant computational and financial resources. To address these challenges, we introduce the Tetra-AML toolbox, which automates neural architecture search and hyperparameter optimization via a custom-developed black-box Tensor train Optimization algorithm, TetraOpt. The toolbox also provides model compression through quantization and pruning, augmented by compression using tensor networks. Here, we analyze a unified benchmark for optimizing neural networks in computer vision tasks and show the superior performance of our approach compared to Bayesian optimization on the CIFAR-10 dataset. We also demonstrate the compression of ResNet-18 neural networks, where we use 14.5 times less memory while losing just 3.2% of accuracy. The presented framework is generic, not limited by computer vision problems, supports hardware acceleration (such as with GPUs and TPUs) and can be further extended to quantum hardware and to hybrid quantum machine learning models.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2023

Forty Thousand Kilometers Under Quantum Protection

Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a revolutionary cryptography response to the rapidly growing cyberattacks threat posed by quantum computing. Yet, the roadblock limiting the vast expanse of secure quantum communication is the exponential decay of the transmitted quantum signal with the distance. Today's quantum cryptography is trying to solve this problem by focusing on quantum repeaters. However, efficient and secure quantum repetition at sufficient distances is still far beyond modern technology. Here, we shift the paradigm and build the long-distance security of the QKD upon the quantum foundations of the Second Law of Thermodynamics and end-to-end physical oversight over the transmitted optical quantum states. Our approach enables us to realize quantum states' repetition by optical amplifiers keeping states' wave properties and phase coherence. The unprecedented secure distance range attainable through our approach opens the door for the development of scalable quantum-resistant communication networks of the future.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2021

Boosting quantum key distribution via the end-to-end physical control

Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a cornerstone of the secure quantum encryption. Building on the quantum irreversibility, we develop a technique reborning the existing QKDs into protocols that are unrestricted in distance and have unprecedented high rates enhanced up to the standard protocols communication speeds. The core of our method is the continuous end-to-end physical control of information leaks in the quantum channel. Contrary to the existing long-distance QKD offerings, our technique does not require any trust nodes.

quant-ph↗