Multi‐Party Semi‐Quantum Key Distribution Protocol With Four‐Particle Cluster States

• Published in: Annalen der Physik Vol. 531; no. 8
• Main Authors: Zhou, Nan‐Run, Zhu, Kong‐Ni, Zou, Xiang‐Fu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.08.2019
• Subjects: Clusters; four‐particle cluster state; quantum communication; Quantum cryptography; Qubits (quantum computing); semi‐quantum key distribution; unconditional security
• ISSN: 0003-3804; 1521-3889
• DOI: 10.1002/andp.201800520

The application of semi‐quantum conception can provide unconditional secure communication for communicators without quantum capabilities. A semi‐quantum key distribution (SQKD) protocol based on four‐particle cluster states is put forward, which can achieve key distribution among one quantum party and two classical parties simultaneously. Furthermore, this protocol can be expanded to the χ‐party (χ>3) communication scheme. Compared with the existing multi‐party SQKD protocol, the proposed protocol and the extended one own more excellent time efficiency and qubit efficiency. The security of the proposed SQKD protocol under ideal circumstances is validated while the key rate under non‐ideal conditions is calculated. The proposed semi‐quantum key distribution protocol with four‐particle cluster states can achieve key distribution among one quantum party and two classical parties simultaneously, which can be expanded to more than two classical communication parties. The proposed protocol owns great time efficiency and qubit efficiency, whose security under ideal circumstances and key rate under non‐ideal conditions are analyzed.