Optical encryption terminal, cryptography key distribution system and method of generating cryptography keys in a cryptography key distribution system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11240015-B2
Application number	US-201816132017-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2018
Priority date	Sep 14, 2018
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

In an aspect, the present invention provides an optical encryption terminal for generating and distributing a cryptographic key signal in a cryptography key distribution system having at least two optical encryption terminals. The optical encryption terminal comprises an electronic processing unit and the optical encryption terminal is configured to selectively receive optical input signals generated by a source of electromagnetic radiation and optical input signals generated by a further optical encryption terminal, and to selectively output first optical output signals to a detection element and second optical output signals to the further optical encryption terminal, wherein the first optical output signals are based on the optical input signals generated by the further optical encryption terminal and transformed in accordance with an optical encryption pattern provided at the optical encryption terminal. Furthermore, the optical encryption terminal is configured to determine, using the electronic processing unit, a cryptographic key signal on the basis of at least one radiometric and/or photometric quantity associated with the optical output signals detected by the detection element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical encryption terminal for generating and distributing a cryptographic key signal in a cryptography key distribution system with at least two optical encryption terminals, the optical encryption terminal comprising an electronic processing unit, wherein the optical encryption terminal is configured to:
in a first mode,
receive first optical input signals generated by a source of electromagnetic radiation;
output first optical output signals to a further optical encryption terminal;

in a second mode,
receive second optical input signals generated by the further optical encryption terminal;
output second optical output signals to a detection element, the second optical output signals being based on the second optical input signals being transformed in accordance with an optical encryption pattern provided at the optical encryption terminal; and
determine, using the electronic processing unit, a cryptographic key signal on the basis of at least one radiometric and/or photometric quantity associated with the second optical output signals detected by the detection element.

2. The optical encryption terminal of claim 1 , wherein the optical encryption pattern comprises a plurality of regions of a first material randomly arranged in a second material, wherein the first and second materials differ in at least one optical characteristic from each other.

3. The optical encryption terminal of claim 2 , wherein the first material has a greater absorptive and/or transmissive and/or diffractive characteristic with regard to the electromagnetic radiation than the second material.

4. The optical encryption terminal of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of regions of the first material is arranged in accordance with a random and/or chaotic and/or predefined scattering pattern.

5. The optical encryption terminal of claim 1 , wherein the optical encryption pattern is formed in a photonic nanostructure.

6. A cryptography key distribution system, comprising:
a first optical encryption terminal configured to transform optical input signals into optical output signals in accordance with a first optical encryption pattern provided at the first optical encryption terminal;
a second optical encryption terminal configured to transform optical input signals into optical output signals in accordance with a second optical encryption pattern provided at the second optical encryption terminal, the first and second optical encryption terminals being optically coupled so as to mutually exchange optical output signals;
a first source of electromagnetic radiation configured to provide the first optical encryption terminal with first input signals of electromagnetic radiation;
a second source of electromagnetic radiation configured to provide the second optical encryption terminal with second input signals of electromagnetic radiation;
a first detection element configured to detect at least one first radiometric and/or photometric quantity associated with first optical output signals of the first optical encryption terminal, the first optical output signals being based on the second input signals being successively transformed by the second and first optical encryption terminals;
a second detection element configured to detect at least one second radiometric and/or photometric quantity associated with second optical output signals of the second optical encryption terminal, the second optical output signals being based on the first input signals being successively transformed by the first and second optical encryption terminals;
a first electronic processing unit coupled to the first detection element, the first electronic processing unit being configured to determine a first cryptographic key signal on the basis of at least one first radiometric and/or photometric quantity detected by the first detection element; and
a second electronic processing unit coupled to said second detection element, the second electronic processing unit being configured to determine a second cryptographic key signal on the basis of at least one detected second radiometric and/or photometric quantity detected by the second detection element.

7. The cryptography key distribution system of claim 6 , wherein the each of the first and second optical encryption patterns comprises a plurality of regions of a first material randomly arranged in a second material, wherein the first and second materials differ in at least one optical characteristic from each other.

8. The cryptography key distribution system of claim 7 , wherein the first material has a greater absorptive and/or transmissive and/or diffractive characteristic with regard to the electromagnetic radiation than the second material.

9. The cryptography key distribution system of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of regions of the first material is arranged in accordance with a random and/or chaotic and/or predefined scattering pattern of a respective optical encryption terminal.

10. The cryptography key distribution system of claim 6 , wherein each of the first and second optical encryption patterns is formed in a photonic structure.

11. A method of generating cryptographic keys in a cryptography key distribution system having a first optical encryption terminal and a second optical encryption terminal, the method comprising:
providing the first optical encryption terminal with electromagnetic radiation of a first source of electromagnetic radiation as first optical input signals;
transforming the first optical input signals into first optical output signals in accordance with a first optical encryption pattern formed at the first optical encryption terminal;
providing the second optical encryption terminal with the first optical output signals as second optical input signals;
transforming the second optical input signals into second optical output signals in accordance with a second optical encryption pattern formed at the second optical encryption terminal;
detecting at least one first radiometric and/or photometric quantity associated with the second optical output signals; and
determining a first cryptographic key on the basis of the at least one detected first radiometric and/or photometric quantity.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
providing the second optical encryption terminal with electromagnetic radiation of a second source of electromagnetic radiation as third optical input signals;
transforming the third optical input signals into third optical output signals in accordance with the second optical encryption pattern;
providing the first optical encryption terminal with the third optical output signals as fourth optical input signals;
transforming the fourth optical input signals into fourth optical output signals in accordance with the first optical encryption pattern;
detecting at least one second radiometric and/or photometric quantity associated with the fourth optical output signals; and
determining a second cryptographic key on the basis of the at least one detected second photometric quantity.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first and second cryptographic keys are identical.

14. A communication system for providing communication between third party devices and a controller employing a cryptography key distribution system according to claim 6 .

15. The communication system of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the first and second sources of electromagnetic radiation are an opto-electronic converter or modulator integrated in the third party device.

16. The communication system of claim 14 , wherein at least

Assignees

• Cup Sciences Inc
• The Univ Court Of The Univ Of St Andrews
• Univ King Abdullah Sci & Tech

Inventors

• Cruz Aluizio M
• Fratalocchi Andrea
• Mazzone Valerio
• Di Falco Andrea

Classifications

• H04L9/0866 Primary

  involving user or device identifiers, e.g. serial number, physical or biometrical information, DNA, hand-signature or measurable physical characteristics · CPC title

• H04L9/0858 Primary

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

• H04L9/083

  involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP] · CPC title

• H04L9/0838

  Key agreement, i.e. key establishment technique in which a shared key is derived by parties as a function of information contributed by, or associated with, each of these (network architectures or network communication protocols for key exchange in a packet data network H04L63/061) · CPC title

• G02B6/4293

  hybrid electrical and optical connections for transmitting electrical and optical signals · CPC title