Authentication method, device and system for quantum key distribution process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10313114-B2
Application number	US-201615223477-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2016
Priority date	Jul 31, 2015
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

An authentication method for a QKD process includes: a sender selects a basis for preparing authentication information according to an algorithm in an algorithms library, and respectively applies different wavelengths to send quantum states of control information and data information according to a preset information format; a receiver filters the received quantum states, employs a basis of measurement corresponding to the algorithm to measure the authentication information quantum state, sends reverse authentication information when the measurement result is in line with the algorithm, and terminates the distribution process otherwise. In addition, the sender terminates the distribution process when its local authentication information is inconsistent with the reverse authentication information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An authentication method for a quantum key distribution (QKD) process implemented in both a quantum communication device of a sender and a quantum communication device of a receiver involved in the QKD process, the method comprising:
selecting, by a sender, a basis for preparing authentication information according to an algorithm in a preset algorithms library;
sending, by the sender, quantum states of control information and of data information according to a preset information format over different wavelengths to a receiver respectively, the data information comprising authentication information and randomly generated key information;
filtering, by the receiver, the quantum states according to the plurality of wavelengths and the preset information format;
employing, by the receiver, a basis of measurement corresponding to the algorithm;
measuring a quantum state of the authentication information with the basis of measurement;
obtaining a reverse authentication information based on the measured quantum state of the authentication information;
sending the reverse authentication information to the sender to authenticate the receiver when the quantum state of the authentication information corresponds to the algorithm;
generating, by the sender, local authentication information according to the received reverse authentication information;
determining whether the local authentication information corresponds with the reverse authentication information; and
terminating the method when the local authentication information does not correspond with the reverse authentication information.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
disclosing, by the receiver, the basis of measurement for measuring a quantum state of the key information via a pre-determined channel when the measured authentication information corresponds with the algorithm; and
in response to the local authentication information corresponding to the reserve authentication information:
determining, by the sender, a correct basis of measurement of the key information quantum state;
screening an initial key in the sender;
disclosing the correct basis of measurement of the key information quantum state to the receiver via the pre-determined channel;
screening the initial key in the receiver in response to disclosing the correct basis of measurement; and
acquiring a final shared quantum key in each of the sender and the receiver through error rate estimation, error correction and privacy amplification.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
negotiating an algorithm number through a pre-determined channel in the receiver and the sender,
wherein the algorithm number is negotiated before selecting the basis for preparing authentication information; and
further wherein, the algorithm is selected from a plurality of preset algorithm libraries according to the negotiated algorithm number.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the algorithm number is synchronously transformed according to a preset strategy.

5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the algorithm number is cryptographically transmitted with a shared key preset by the receiver and the sender during negotiation for the algorithm number via the pre-determined channel.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the preset information format comprises using a control information as a prefix for the authentication information and key information.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein a wavelength that carries a control information quantum state as the authentication information prefix is different from a wavelength that carries a control information quantum state as the key information prefix.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein:
a plurality of different codes are respectively applied to prefixes of the authentication information and the key information, the plurality of different codes comprising at least one of a plurality of different codes pre-negotiated by the receiver and the sender via a pre-determined channel,
further wherein a basis for preparing a control information quantum states comprises at least one of a basis preset by the receiver and the sender, and a basis determined by pre-negotiation via the pre-determined channel.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the preset information format comprises applying a shared control information as prefixes of the authentication information and the key information, and
wherein selecting the basis for preparing the authentication information according to the algorithm in the preset algorithms library comprises negotiating, between the receiver and the sender, a length of the authentication information between the control information and the key information via a pre-determined channel.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the reverse authentication information comprises location information corresponding to where the receiver selects a receiver authentication key, and at least one of: the receiver authentication key, and a hash value of the receiver authentication key,
wherein generating local authentication information comprises:
selecting a corresponding sender authentication key in the local authentication information according to received local information;
and using at least one of the corresponding sender authentication key and a hash value of the corresponding sender authentication key as the local authentication information.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the reverse authentication information comprises at least one of:
location information corresponding to where the receiver selects a receiver authentication key;
a ciphertext of auxiliary authentication information that is locally generated and encrypted by the receiver authentication key; and
a hash value of the character string formed by splicing the auxiliary authentication information and the receiver authentication key.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein generating the local authentication information comprises:
selecting, by the sender, a corresponding sender authentication key in the local authentication information according to received location information;
decrypting the received auxiliary authentication information ciphertext by applying the corresponding sender authentication key to acquire the auxiliary authentication information;
calculating the hash value of the character string formed by splicing the acquired auxiliary authentication information and the sender authentication key; and
using the calculated hash value as the local authentication information.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein determining whether the local authentication information corresponds with the reverse authentication information comprises:
applying a sender authentication key to encrypt a variant of the auxiliary authentication information acquired by decryption;
transmitting the encrypted ciphertext via a pre-determined channel;
decrypting the received ciphertext with the receiver authentication key in response to receiving the ciphertext;
determining whether the decrypted information corresponds with the variant of the auxiliary authentication information; and
terminating the QKD process when the decrypted information does not correspond with the variant of the auxiliary authentication information.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein selecting the basis for preparing the authentication information according to the algorithm in the preset algorithms library comprises performing, by the receiver and the sender, an authentication p

Assignees

• Alibaba Group Holding Ltd

Inventors

• Fu Yingfang

Classifications

• H04L63/061

  for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838) · CPC title

• H04L9/0858

  Details about key distillation or coding, e.g. reconciliation, error correction, privacy amplification, polarisation coding or phase coding · CPC title

• H04L9/08

  Key distribution {or management, e.g. generation, sharing or updating, of cryptographic keys or passwords (network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting key management in a packet data network H04L63/06)} · CPC title

• H04L9/0852 Primary

  Quantum cryptography (transmission systems employing electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. light, infrared H04B10/00; wavelength-division multiplex systems H04J14/02; WDM arrangements H04J14/03) · CPC title

• H04L9/3242 Primary

  involving keyed hash functions, e.g. message authentication codes [MACs], CBC-MAC or HMAC · CPC title