Quantum cryptography key distribution method and device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a quantum cryptography key distribution method and apparatus, and more specifically, to a quantum cryptography key distribution method and apparatus in which an optical unit in a quantum cryptography key distribution device comprises a plurality of unit optical modules, or a post-processing unit comprises a plurality of unit post-processing modules, or the optical unit and the post-processing unit each comprise a plurality of unit optical modules and a plurality of unit post-processing modules, thereby enabling more efficient calculation of a quantum cryptography key. The present invention discloses a quantum cryptography key distribution device that is connected to another quantum cryptography key distribution device via a quantum channel and distributes a quantum cryptography key, comprising: an optical unit having an optical element for transmitting information; and a post-processing unit that processes a random number generated by the optical unit to calculate a quantum cryptography key; wherein the optical unit comprises a plurality of unit optical modules, or the post-processing unit comprises a plurality of unit post-processing modules, or the optical unit and the post-processing unit each comprise a plurality of unit optical modules and a plurality of unit post-processing modules.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a quantum cryptography key distribution method and apparatus, and more particularly to a quantum cryptography key distribution method and apparatus in which an optical unit in a quantum cryptography key distribution device includes a plurality of unit optical modules, a post-processing unit includes a plurality of unit post-processing modules, or an optical unit and a post-processing unit each include a plurality of unit optical modules and a plurality of unit post-processing modules, thereby enabling more efficient calculation of a quantum cryptography key. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, with the widespread use of wired and wireless communication services and the growing social awareness of personal information, security issues for communication networks have emerged as important issues. In particular, security in communication networks related to countries, companies, finance, etc. can expand beyond personal issues to social issues, and the importance of security is being emphasized.

[0003] However, with the development of hacking methods, secure communications using conventional technologies are at high risk of having the contents of communications exposed by external attacks. To complement this, quantum cryptography, which can guarantee extremely high security, is attracting attention as a next-generation security technology.

[0004] In relation to this, intensive research is being conducted on quantum key distribution (QKD) technology, which distributes quantum cryptographic keys to service devices such as equipment and terminals that constitute a quantum cryptographic communication system.

[0005] More specifically, in a quantum key distribution device (QKD), information is transmitted using light (more precisely, a single photon having quantum properties or a light signal at a level similar to a single photon (quasi-single photon)) in order to distribute quantum cryptographic keys using quantum states, and a quantum cryptographic key that is secure from eavesdropping is generated and provided using the polarization, phase, and other quantum properties possessed by photons.

[0006] In this case, the quantum key distribution device (QKD) may generally be configured to include an optical unit that is composed of an interferometer that generates single photons (quantum states) using optical elements and encodes and decodes information into the single photons, and a single-photon detector that detects the single photons and converts them into digital information, and a post-processing unit that checks for the presence or absence of hacking from the binary random numbers generated by the optical unit and generates a quantum cryptography key.

[0007] However, since the post-processing section generally processes information in the form of digital bits, it is possible to process signals at high speed and generate a quantum cryptographic key using existing information processing devices and communication channels.

[0008] On the other hand, the optical unit generally has a problem in that it is difficult to generate the binary random numbers at high speed due to single photon generation, channel loss, and low efficiency of single photon detectors.

[0009] Therefore, in the above case, in a quantum key distribution device (QKD) composed of the optical unit and the post-processing unit, even though the post-processing unit has sufficient processing power, there is a limitation in that the quantum key cannot be generated efficiently due to the slow speed of generating binary random numbers in the optical unit, which also leads to the problem that the processing power of the post-processing unit is wasted.

[0010] In addition, the random number generation speed of the optical section can vary depending on the loss rate of the quantum channel such as optical fiber, and the performance of each component module such as the single-photon generator and single-photon detector. Moreover, even when the same component modules are used, a phenomenon can occur in which the quantum cryptography key generation rate changes as the loss rate of the quantum channel increases or decreases depending on the transmission distance, etc. (see Figure 1).

[0011] Therefore, depending on the communication environment in which the quantum key distribution (QKD) device is applied, the random number generation speed of the optical unit may be faster than the processing speed of the post-processing unit. In such cases, the binary random numbers generated by the optical unit may not be processed in a timely manner by the post-processing unit, and the processing capacity of the optical unit may be wasted.

[0012] Therefore, there is a need for a method for preventing the processing capacity of the optical section or the post-processing section from being wasted even when there is a discrepancy between the random number generation capacity of the optical section and the random number processing capacity of the post-processing section in a quantum key distribution (QKD) device, and for enabling smooth quantum cryptography communication by generating quantum cryptography keys more efficiently. However, an appropriate solution to this problem has not yet been presented. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0013] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and aims to provide a quantum key distribution method and apparatus which prevents the processing capacity of the optical section or the post-processing section from being wasted even when there is a discrepancy between the random number generation capacity of the optical section and the random number processing capacity of the post-processing section in a quantum key distribution device (QKD), and generates quantum cryptography keys more efficiently, thereby enabling smooth quantum cryptography communication.

[0014] Other detailed objects of the present invention will be clearly understood and appreciated by experts and researchers in the field of this technology from the specific contents described below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] A quantum cryptography key distribution device according to one aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems is a quantum cryptography key distribution device that is connected to other quantum cryptography key distribution devices via a quantum channel to distribute quantum cryptography keys, and is composed of: an optical unit that has an optical element and transmits information; and a post-processing unit that processes a random number generated by the optical unit to calculate a quantum cryptography key; and is characterized in that the optical unit has a plurality of unit optical modules, the post-processing unit has a plurality of unit post-processing modules, or the optical unit and the post-processing unit each have a plurality of unit optical modules and a plurality of unit post-processing modules.

[0016] In this case, the optical unit includes one unit optical module, and the post-processing unit includes a plurality of unit post-processing modules, which can process random numbers generated by the one unit optical module to calculate a quantum cryptography key.

[0017] In addition, the optical unit includes a plurality of unit optical modules, and the post-processing unit includes one unit post-processing module, which can process random numbers generated by the plurality of unit optical modules to calculate a quantum cryptography key.

[0018] In addition, the optical unit includes a plurality of unit optical modules, and the post-processing unit includes a plurality of unit post-processing modules, and the plurality of unit post-processing modules can process random numbers generated by the plurality of unit optical modules to calculate a quantum cryptography key.

[0019] Here, a random number generation speed per unit time of the unit optical module may be different from a random number processing speed per unit time of the unit post-processing module.

[0020] In addition, the number of unit post-processing modules operating in association with the optical unit in the post-processing section can be increased or decreased according to a change in the random number generation speed per unit time of the optical unit.

[0021] Furthermore, the post-processing section can calculate a quantum cryptography key for each protocol while operating in accordance with one or more protocols used in each unit optical module of the optical section.

[0022] In addition, the post-processing unit can receive information regarding the protocol used in each unit optical module of the optical unit, and process the random numbers generated by each unit optical module to calculate a quantum cryptography key corresponding to each unit optical module.

[0023] Also, each unit optical module can transmit information regarding a protocol used by itself and a connected link to the post-processing unit.

[0024] In addition, each unit optical module of the optical unit and each unit post-processing module of the post-processing unit constitute a trusted node, and can distribute the quantum cryptography key to a second quantum cryptography key distribution device at another site.

[0025] In addition, the optical unit and the post-processing unit are provided at a first site to constitute a first quantum cryptography key distribution device, and are connected to a second quantum cryptography key distribution device provided at a second site and including a second optical unit and a second post-processing unit, and can process random numbers generated by a plurality of unit optical modules provided in the optical unit to distribute quantum cryptography keys between the first quantum cryptography key distribution device and the second quantum cryptography key distribution device.

[0026] At this time, the random numbers can be generated in the plurality of unit optical modules using two or more protocols different from each other.

[0027] In addition, a quantum cryptography key distribution method according to another aspect of the present invention is a method for distributing a quantum cryptography key between quantum cryptography key distribution devices, comprising: a random number generation step of generating random numbers using an optical unit having an optical element and transmitting information; and a post-processing step of calculating a quantum cryptography key using a post-processing unit that processes the random number generated by the optical unit; and the quantum cryptography key distribution device is characterized in that the optical unit comprises a plurality of unit optical modules, the post-processing unit comprises a plurality of unit post-processing modules, or the optical unit and the post-processing unit each comprise a plurality of unit optical modules and a plurality of unit post-processing modules. Effect of the Invention

[0028] As a result, in the quantum encryption key distribution method and apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, the quantum encryption key can be generated more efficiently by having the optical unit in the quantum encryption key distribution device include a plurality of unit optical modules, or the post-processing unit include a plurality of unit post-processing modules, or the optical unit and the post-processing unit each include a plurality of unit optical modules and a plurality of unit post-processing modules. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0029] The accompanying drawings, which are included as part of the detailed description to aid in understanding the present invention, provide examples of the present invention and, together with the detailed description, explain the technical concepts of the present invention.

[0030] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a quantum cryptography key generation rate according to a transfer distance in a conventional quantum cryptography key distribution device.

[0031] [Diagram 2] 1 is a configuration diagram of a quantum cryptography key communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] [Diagram 3] 1 is a block diagram of a quantum cryptography key distribution device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a quantum cryptography key distribution device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] [Diagram 5] 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a quantum cryptography key distribution device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] [Figure 6] 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a quantum cryptography key distribution device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a quantum cryptography key distribution device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] [Figure 8] 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating the operation of a quantum cryptography key distribution device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] [Figure 9] 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating the operation of a quantum cryptography key distribution device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] [Figure 10] 2 is a flowchart of a quantum cryptography key distribution method according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0040] The present invention can be modified in various ways and can have various embodiments, and a specific embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] The following examples are provided to aid in a comprehensive understanding of the methods, devices and / or systems described herein, but are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0042] When describing an embodiment of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a known technology related to the present invention may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted. In addition, the terms described below are defined in consideration of the functions in the present invention, and may vary depending on the intention or practice of a user or operator. Therefore, the definition should be based on the contents of the entire specification. The terms used in the detailed description are merely for describing the embodiment of the present invention and are in no way limiting. Unless otherwise specified, expressions in the singular form include the plural form. In this description, expressions such as "include" or "comprise" are intended to refer to certain features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts thereof, or combinations thereof, and should not be interpreted to exclude the presence or possibility of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts thereof, or combinations other than those described.

[0043] Furthermore, terms such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but these components are not limited to the terms, and the terms are used only to distinguish one component from another component.

[0044] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Exemplary embodiments of a quantum cryptography key distribution method and apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0045] First, a configuration diagram of a quantum cryptography communication system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the quantum cryptography communication system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a sender 11, a receiver 12, and a quantum channel 13, and the sender 11 and the receiver 12 generate and share a quantum cryptography key while transmitting and receiving an optical signal through the quantum channel 13.

[0046] In this case, the sender 11 and the receiver 12 may be a server, a client or terminal device connected to the server, or communication equipment such as a gateway or router, or even a mobile device having mobility, or may be composed of various other devices that can generate and share a quantum cryptography key to communicate.

[0047] The quantum channel 13 is provided between the sender 11 and the receiver 12 to transmit an optical signal. The quantum channel 13 may be configured using an optical fiber, but the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto, and any other medium capable of transmitting an optical signal may be used to configure the quantum channel 13.

[0048] This allows the sender 11 and the receiver 12 to exchange information necessary to generate a quantum cryptography key using the phase, polarization, etc. of the optical signal using various protocols such as the BB84 protocol, generate and share the quantum cryptography key, and effectively prevent an attacker 14 from stealing the quantum cryptography key or attempting to hack it.

[0049] In the quantum cryptography communication system 10, the security of the communication system can be enhanced by performing encryption and decryption for communication using a quantum cryptography key generated by a quantum key distribution (QKD) device.

[0050] More specifically, the sender 11 and the receiver 12 may be provided with a quantum key distribution device (QKD) and a quantum key management device (QKM). In this case, the quantum key management device (QKM) divides a quantum key from a quantum key stream generated by the quantum key distribution device (QKD) and provides the quantum key to an application.

[0051] In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, the quantum key distribution device (QKD) 100 may include an optical unit 110 including an interferometer that generates single photons (quantum states) using optical elements and encodes / decodes information into the single photons, and a single photon detector that detects the single photons and converts them into digital information, and a post-processing unit 120 that checks for the presence or absence of hacking from the binary random number path generated by the optical unit 110 and generates a quantum cryptography key.

[0052] In this case, in the quantum cryptography key distribution device 100 of one embodiment of the present invention, the optical unit 110 includes a plurality of unit optical modules 111, or the post-processing unit 120 includes a plurality of unit post-processing modules 121, or the optical unit 110 and the post-processing unit 120 each include a plurality of unit optical modules 111 and a plurality of unit post-processing modules 121, so that the quantum cryptography key can be calculated more efficiently.

[0053] Meanwhile, in the conventional quantum cryptography key distribution device 100 described above, the post-processing unit 120 processes information using digital bits, so that it is possible to process signals at high speed and generate a quantum cryptography key using existing information processing devices and communication channels. However, the optical unit 110 generally cannot generate the binary random numbers at high speed due to single photon generation, channel loss, and low efficiency of single photon detectors. Therefore, even if the post-processing unit 120 has sufficient processing capabilities, the quantum cryptography key cannot be generated efficiently due to the slow generation speed of the binary random numbers of the optical unit 110, and this can also lead to a problem of wasting the processing capabilities of the post-processing unit 120.

[0054] Furthermore, depending on the transmission distance and loss rate of the quantum channel 13, the performance of the constituent modules of the optical unit 110, etc., the random number generation speed of the optical unit 110 may be faster than the random number processing speed of the post-processing unit 120. In such cases, the binary random numbers generated by the optical unit 110 cannot be processed in a timely manner by the post-processing unit 120, and the processing capacity of the optical unit 110 may be wasted.

[0055] In contrast, in a quantum cryptography key distribution device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, the optical unit 110 includes a plurality of unit optical modules 111 (FIG. 4(a)), the post-processing unit 120 includes a plurality of unit post-processing modules 121 (FIG. 4(b)), or the optical unit 110 and the post-processing unit 120 each include a plurality of unit optical modules 111 and a plurality of unit post-processing modules 121 (FIG. 4(c)), thereby making it possible to more efficiently calculate a quantum cryptography key.

[0056] More specifically, a specific configuration and operation of the quantum cryptography key distribution device 100 in the case of Fig. 4(a) is illustrated in Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 5, the quantum cryptography key distribution device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include an optical unit 110 having an optical element and transmitting information, and a post-processing unit 120 that processes random numbers generated by the optical unit 110.

[0057] In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, the optical unit 110 includes a plurality of unit optical modules 111a, 111b, ..., 111m, and the post-processing unit 120 includes one unit post-processing module 121, which can process random numbers generated by the plurality of unit optical modules 111a, 111b, ..., 111m to calculate a quantum cryptography key.

[0058] Here, the optical unit 110 and the post-processing unit 120 may be embodied as a single physical device, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this, and they may be embodied as physically separate devices and connected to each other by a cable or the like to operate in conjunction with each other.

[0059] In addition, the multiple unit optical modules 111a, 111b, ..., 111m provided in the optical unit 110 may also be embodied as a single physical device, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this, and the multiple unit optical modules 111a, 111b, ..., 111m may also be embodied as physically independent modules from each other.

[0060] As a result, in the quantum cryptography key distribution device 100 of one embodiment of the present invention, one unit post-processing module 121 can process the random numbers generated by the multiple unit optical modules 111a, 111b, ..., 111m, thereby preventing the processing capacity of the unit post-processing module 121 from being wasted when the processing capacity is sufficient, and enabling the quantum cryptography key to be calculated efficiently.

[0061] In addition, some or all of the multiple unit optical modules 111a, 111b, ..., 111m can operate using different protocols, which makes it possible for the unit post-processing module 121 to calculate a quantum cryptography key using a protocol corresponding to each unit optical module 111.

[0062] As a result, in the quantum cryptography key distribution device 100 of one embodiment of the present invention, one unit post-processing module 121 processes the random numbers generated by the multiple unit optical modules 111 and calculates the quantum cryptography keys corresponding to each unit optical module 111, so that the quantum cryptography keys can be generated more efficiently in the quantum cryptography key distribution device 100 and the problem of wasting the processing power of the post-processing unit 120 can be alleviated.

[0063] 6 illustrates a specific configuration and operation of the quantum cryptography key distribution device 100 in the case of FIG. 4(b). As shown in FIG. 6, the quantum cryptography key distribution device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include an optical unit 110 having an optical element and transmitting information, and a post-processing unit 120 processing a random number generated by the optical unit 110. In this case, the optical unit 110 includes one unit optical module 111, and the post-processing unit 120 includes a plurality of unit post-processing modules 121a, 121b, ..., 121n, and the plurality of unit post-processing modules 121a, 121b, ..., 121n may process the random number generated by the one unit optical module 111 to calculate a quantum cryptography key.

[0064] At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, in the quantum cryptography key distribution device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention, the random numbers generated by one unit optical module 111 can be processed by a plurality of unit post-processing modules 121a, 121b, ..., 121n. As a result, even if the random number generation speed per unit time of the unit optical module 111 is faster than the random number processing speed per unit time of the unit post-processing module 121, the post-processing unit 120 can use the plurality of unit post-processing modules 121a, 121b, ..., 121n to prevent processing delays of the random numbers generated by the unit optical module 111 and efficiently calculate the quantum cryptography key.

[0065] Here, the optical unit 110 and the post-processing unit 120 may be embodied as a single physical device, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. They may be embodied as physically separate devices and connected to each other by a cable or the like to operate in conjunction with each other.

[0066] In addition, the plurality of unit post-processing modules 121a, 121b, ..., 121n included in the post-processing unit 120 can also be embodied as a single physical device, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this, and the plurality of unit post-processing modules 121a, 121b, ..., 121n that are physically independent from each other can be linked to form the post-processing unit 120. Furthermore, in the post-processing unit 120, the plurality of unit post-processing modules 121a, 121b, ..., 121n may be configured like a cloud computer to process random numbers generated by the optical unit 110 more flexibly and efficiently.

[0067] As a result, in the quantum cryptography key distribution device 100 of one embodiment of the present invention, the random numbers generated by one unit optical module 111 can be processed by multiple unit post-processing modules 121a, 121b, ..., 121n, thereby preventing delays in the processing of the random numbers generated by the unit optical module 111 and enabling the quantum cryptography key to be calculated efficiently.

[0068] 7 illustrates a specific configuration and operation of the quantum cryptography key distribution device 100 in the case of FIG. 4(c). As shown in FIG. 7, the quantum cryptography key distribution device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include an optical unit 110 having an optical element and transmitting information, and a post-processing unit 120 processing a random number generated by the optical unit 110, in which the optical unit 110 includes a plurality of unit optical modules 111a, 111b, ..., 111m, and the post-processing unit 120 includes a plurality of unit post-processing modules 121a, 121b, ..., 121n, and the plurality of unit post-processing modules 121a, 121b, ..., 121n may process the random numbers generated by the plurality of unit optical modules 111a, 111b, ..., 111m to calculate a quantum cryptography key.

[0069] Here, the optical unit 110 and the post-processing unit 120 may be embodied as a single physical device, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. They may be embodied as physically separate devices and connected to each other by a cable or the like to operate in conjunction with each other.

[0070] In addition, the multiple unit optical modules 111a, 111b, ..., 111m provided in the optical unit 110 can also be embodied as a single physical device, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this, and the multiple unit optical modules 111a, 111b, ..., 111n can also be embodied as physically independent modules from each other.

[0071] In addition, the plurality of unit post-processing modules 121a, 121b, ..., 121n included in the post-processing unit 120 can also be embodied as a single physical device, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this, and the plurality of unit post-processing modules 121a, 121b, ..., 121n that are physically independent from each other can be linked to form the post-processing unit 120. Furthermore, in the post-processing unit 120, the plurality of unit post-processing modules 121a, 121b, ..., 121n may be configured like a cloud computer to process random numbers generated by the optical unit 110 more flexibly and efficiently.

[0072] Furthermore, in the quantum cryptographic key distribution device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention, the number of unit post-processing modules 121 operating in response to the optical unit 110 in the post-processing unit 120 can be increased or decreased according to a change in the random number generation speed per unit time of the optical unit 110, thereby preventing delays in processing the random numbers generated by the optical unit 110 and also preventing the processing capacity of the post-processing unit 120 from being wasted.

[0073] In addition, some or all of the multiple unit optical modules 111a, 111b, ..., 111n can operate using different protocols, which makes it possible for the post-processing unit 120 to calculate a quantum cryptography key using a protocol corresponding to each unit optical module 111.

[0074] As a result, in the quantum cryptography key distribution device 100 of one embodiment of the present invention, even if the random number generation speed per unit time of the unit optical module 111 is different from the random number processing speed per unit time of the unit post-processing module 121, it is possible to efficiently process random numbers and calculate a quantum cryptography key, and further, even if the generation speed of random numbers generated by the optical unit 110 changes, it is possible to efficiently generate a quantum cryptography key by flexibly changing the settings and operation of the post-processing unit 120.

[0075] 8 and 9, a specific configuration and operation of the quantum cryptography key distribution device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention are described.

[0076] Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the quantum cryptography key management device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS.

[0077] First, the quantum cryptography key management device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include an optical unit 110 having an optical element and transmitting information, and a post-processing unit 120 that processes random numbers generated by the optical unit 110 to calculate a quantum cryptography key.

[0078] In this case, the optical element may include a light source, an interferometer that generates a single photon (or a quasi-single photon equivalent thereto) from the light generated by the light source and encodes or decodes information for generating a quantum cryptography key in the single photon, and a single photon detector that detects the single photon and converts it into digital information.

[0079] Thus, the optical section 110 includes an optical element, and transmits information for generating a quantum cryptography key to the optical section 110 of the quantum cryptography key distribution device 100 provided on the other side.

[0080] Correspondingly, the post-processing unit 120 processes the random numbers generated by the optical unit 110 to calculate a quantum cryptographic key.

[0081] In this case, in the quantum encryption key management device 100 of one embodiment of the present invention, the optical unit 110 includes a plurality of unit optical modules 111, or the post-processing unit 120 includes a plurality of unit post-processing modules 121, or the optical unit 110 and the post-processing unit 120 each include a plurality of unit optical modules 111 and a plurality of unit post-processing modules 121, respectively, so that the quantum encryption key can be generated more efficiently.

[0082] Here, in the quantum cryptography key management device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention, the optical unit 110 and the post-processing unit 120 may be configured as a single physical device, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this, and the optical unit 110 and the post-processing unit 120 may be configured as two or more separate physical devices that operate in conjunction with each other.

[0083] In the quantum cryptography key management device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the post-processing unit 120 can also calculate each quantum cryptography key in accordance with one or more protocols used in the optical unit 110 .

[0084] More specifically, in FIG. 5, the first unit optical module 110a of the optical unit 110 can use the BB84 protocol, and the second unit optical module 110b can use the COW (Coherent One Way) protocol, so that the unit post-processing module 121 of the post-processing unit 120 can process the random number generated by the first unit optical module 110a using the BB84 protocol to calculate a quantum encryption key, and process the random number generated by the second unit optical module 110b using the COW protocol to calculate a quantum encryption key.

[0085] Therefore, the post-processing unit 120 must be configured to be capable of processing all of the multiple protocols used in each unit optical module 111 of the optical unit 110 so as to perform post-processing in accordance with the multiple protocols and calculate a quantum cryptography key.

[0086] More specifically, the post-processing unit 120 receives information such as a discriminator for the protocol used in each unit optical module 111 of the optical unit 110, and can calculate a quantum cryptography key corresponding to each unit optical module 111 by processing the random numbers generated by each unit optical module 111.

[0087] In this case, the post-processing unit 120 receives information regarding the protocol used by the plurality of unit optical modules 111 and processes random numbers generated by the plurality of unit optical modules 111 to generate a quantum cryptography key, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this, and the post-processing unit 120 may receive information regarding the protocol used by the plurality of unit optical modules 111 from a separate external device such as a control server that controls the quantum cryptography key distribution system.

[0088] In addition, the post-processing unit 120 can also receive information about the link to which the multiple unit optical modules 111 are connected, along with the protocol used by the multiple unit optical modules 111, and generate a quantum cryptography key corresponding to the link.

[0089] Therefore, in the quantum cryptography key distribution device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention, even if the multiple unit optical modules 111 use different protocols, the post-processing unit 120 can distinguish the protocols of each unit optical module 111 and perform different post-processing processes to generate quantum cryptography keys for each link.

[0090] In addition, in the quantum cryptography key distribution device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention, the optical unit 110 and the post-processing unit 120 form a trusted node, and can distribute the quantum cryptography key to a second quantum cryptography key distribution device at another site.

[0091] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, a method for extending the transmission distance using trusted nodes has been attempted in the past for long-distance quantum cryptography key distribution.

[0092] However, as shown in FIG. 8, even in the above case, the processing capacity of the optical section 110 or the post-processing section 120 of the quantum cryptography key distribution device 100 constituting the trusted node is wasted, and there is a problem that the quantum cryptography key is not generated efficiently.

[0093] To give a more specific example, when the random number processing capability of the post-processing unit 120 is higher than the random number generation capability of the optical unit 110, the processing capability of the post-processing unit 120 may be wasted, and the number of quantum cryptography keys generated may be insufficient compared to the processing capability of the post-processing unit 120.

[0094] In contrast, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 9, the optical unit 110 and the post-processing unit 120 form a trusted node, and can distribute the quantum cryptography key to a second quantum cryptography key distribution device 210 at another site (Site B).

[0095] In this case, the plurality of unit optical modules 111a, 111b, 111c, and 111d of the optical unit 110 and the unit post-processing module 121 of the post-processing unit 120 may constitute a first quantum cryptography key distribution device 200 provided at a first site (Site A).

[0096] As a result, in the case of a trusted node connected to four nodes in Figure 9, in the conventional case, four quantum key distribution devices 100 each including an optical unit 110 and a post-processing unit 120 were required, but in the present invention, it is possible to configure a trusted node with just one unit post-processing module 121 and four unit optical modules 111a, 111b, 111c, and 111d connected to each node.

[0097] In addition, in the quantum cryptographic key distribution apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the optical unit 110 and the post-processing unit 120 may be provided at a first site (Site A) to constitute a first quantum cryptographic key distribution apparatus 200.

[0098] In this case, the first quantum encryption key distribution device 200 is connected to a second quantum encryption key distribution device 210 including another optical unit 110 and another post-processing unit 120 provided at a second site (Site B), and the quantum encryption key can be distributed between the first quantum encryption key distribution device 200 and the second quantum encryption key distribution device 210.

[0099] It should be noted that the random numbers can be generated using two or more protocols different from each other in the plurality of unit optical modules 111a, 111b, 111c, and 111d.

[0100] In this case, in the present invention, the first quantum encryption key distribution device 200 and the second quantum encryption key distribution device 210 are connected to the plurality of unit optical modules 111, and can distribute quantum encryption keys by simultaneously processing random numbers generated in the plurality of unit optical modules 111, thereby increasing the speed of generating quantum encryption keys.

[0101] Furthermore, in the present invention, the first quantum encryption key distribution device 200 and the second quantum encryption key distribution device 210 can simultaneously process the random numbers generated by the multiple unit optical modules 111 to distribute the quantum encryption key. Therefore, even if some of the multiple unit optical modules 111 are exposed to hacking, the random numbers generated by the remaining unit optical modules 111 can be safely generated, so that it is possible to more efficiently prevent an attacker 14 from obtaining the quantum encryption key.

[0102] In particular, when the plurality of unit optical modules 111 use different protocols, it becomes more difficult for the attacker 14 to obtain the quantum encryption key.

[0103] Furthermore, in the present invention, even if a problem occurs in some of the multiple unit optical modules 111 or in the quantum channels 13 connecting them, the remaining unit optical modules 111 can effectively generate random numbers, and redundancy can be ensured so that quantum cryptography keys can be continuously distributed without interruption even if some unit optical modules 110 or some quantum channels 13 are abnormal.

[0104] FIG. 10 illustrates a flowchart of a quantum cryptography key distribution method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0105] As shown in FIG. 10, the quantum cryptography key distribution method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a method for distributing quantum cryptography keys between quantum cryptography key distribution devices 100, and includes a random number generation step (S110) of generating random numbers using an optical unit 110 having an optical element and transmitting information, and a post-processing step (S120) of calculating a quantum cryptography key using a post-processing unit 120 that processes the random number generated by the optical unit 110, and in this case, the quantum cryptography key distribution device 100 is characterized in that the optical unit 110 has a plurality of unit optical modules 111, or the post-processing unit 120 has a plurality of unit post-processing modules 121, or the optical unit 110 and the post-processing unit 120 each have a plurality of unit optical modules 111 and a plurality of unit post-processing modules 121.

[0106] The quantum cryptography key distribution method according to one embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to Figs. 1 to 9 in relation to the quantum cryptography key distribution device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the detailed description will be omitted and only the core configuration will be briefly described.

[0107] At this time, the quantum cryptography key distribution method according to one embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the quantum cryptography key distribution device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention with reference to Figures 1 to 9 above, so repeated detailed description will be omitted here.

[0108] In addition, a computer program according to yet another aspect of the present invention is characterized in that it is a computer program stored in a computer-readable medium for executing each step of the quantum cryptographic key distribution method described above on a computer. The computer program may be a computer program including a machine code created by a compiler, as well as a computer program including a high-level language code executable by a computer using an interpreter or the like. In this case, the computer is not limited to a personal computer (PC) or a notebook computer, but may be any information processing device that has a central processing unit (CPU) and can execute a computer program, such as a server, communication equipment, a smartphone, a tablet PC, a PDA, or a mobile phone. In addition, the computer-readable medium includes any computer-readable storage medium, such as an electromagnetic recording medium (e.g., ROM, flash memory, etc.), a magnetic storage medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, etc.), an optically readable medium (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD, etc.), and a carrier wave (e.g., transmission via the Internet).

[0109] Therefore, in the quantum encryption key distribution device and method according to one embodiment of the present invention, in the quantum encryption key distribution device 100, the optical unit 120 has a plurality of unit optical modules 211, or the post-processing unit 120 has a plurality of unit post-processing modules 121, or the optical unit 110 and the post-processing unit 120 each have a plurality of unit optical modules 111 and a plurality of unit post-processing modules 121, respectively, thereby making it possible to generate quantum encryption keys more efficiently.

[0110] The above description is merely an illustrative example of the technical concept of the present invention, and various modifications and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments described in the present invention are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the technical concept of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention should be interpreted according to the appended claims, and any technical concept within the scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A quantum cryptographic key distribution device that is connected to another quantum cryptographic key distribution device via a quantum channel to distribute a quantum cryptographic key, An optical section that includes an optical element and transmits information; and A post-processing unit that processes the random numbers generated by the optical unit and calculates a quantum cryptography key; the optical unit includes a plurality of unit optical modules, The post-processing section includes at least one unit post-processing module; the plurality of unit optical modules are connected to other quantum cryptographic key distribution devices via quantum channels, The post-processing unit receives information regarding a protocol used in each unit optical module of the optical unit; The random numbers generated by each of the unit optical modules are processed to calculate a quantum cryptography key corresponding to each unit optical module. Quantum encryption key distribution device.

2. The post-processing unit includes one unit post-processing module, The one unit post-processing module processes random numbers generated by the plurality of unit optical modules to calculate a quantum cryptography key.

2. The quantum cryptography key distribution device according to claim 1.

3. The post-processing unit includes a plurality of unit post-processing modules, The plurality of unit post-processing modules process random numbers generated by the plurality of unit optical modules to calculate a quantum cryptography key.

2. The quantum cryptography key distribution device according to claim 1.

4. The random number generation speed per unit time of the unit optical module is different from the random number processing speed per unit time of the unit post-processing module.

2. The quantum cryptography key distribution device according to claim 1.

5. According to a change in a random number generation speed per unit time of the optical unit, the number of unit post-processing modules operating in the post-processing unit corresponding to the optical unit is increased or decreased.

2. The quantum cryptography key distribution device according to claim 1.

6. The post-processing unit operates in accordance with one or more protocols used in each unit optical module of the optical unit and calculates a quantum cryptography key for each protocol.

2. The quantum cryptography key distribution device according to claim 1.

7. Each unit optical module transmits information about a protocol used by itself and a connected link to the post-processing unit.

2. The quantum cryptography key distribution device according to claim 1.

8. Each unit optical module of the optical unit and each unit post-processing module of the post-processing unit constitute a trusted node; and distributing the quantum cryptography key to a second quantum cryptography key distribution device at another site.

2. The quantum cryptography key distribution device according to claim 1.

9. the optical unit and the post-processing unit are provided at a first site to constitute a first quantum cryptography key distribution device; a second quantum key distribution device provided at a second site and including a second optical unit and a second post-processing unit; The quantum cryptographic key is distributed between the first quantum cryptographic key distribution device and the second quantum cryptographic key distribution device by processing random numbers generated by a plurality of unit optical modules provided in the optical unit.

2. The quantum cryptography key distribution device according to claim 1.

10. The random numbers are generated by using two or more protocols different from each other in the plurality of unit optical modules.

10. The quantum cryptography key distribution device according to claim 9.

11. 1. A method for distributing a quantum cryptography key among quantum cryptography key distribution devices, comprising: A random number generation step for generating random numbers using an optical unit that has an optical element and transmits information; and A post-processing step of calculating a quantum cryptographic key using a post-processing unit that processes the random numbers generated by the optical unit; In the quantum cryptography key distribution device, the optical unit includes a plurality of unit optical modules, and the post-processing unit includes at least one unit post-processing module; the plurality of unit optical modules are connected to other quantum cryptographic key distribution devices via quantum channels, The post-processing unit receives information regarding a protocol used in each unit optical module of the optical unit; The random numbers generated by each of the unit optical modules are processed to calculate a quantum cryptography key corresponding to each unit optical module. Quantum cryptography key distribution methods.

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