Quantum Key Distribution Device with Combined Error Rate Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In one-to-many quantum key distribution systems, the processing load is biased towards a single node that needs to perform key distillation processes for multiple nodes, leading to inefficiencies and increased load compared to other nodes.
Innovation Solution
A quantum key distribution device with a quantum key sharing unit, error correcting unit, error rate deciding unit, and privacy amplifier that calculates a combined error rate and generates encryption keys of equal length for all connected nodes, reducing the processing load by performing key compression and error correction processes only once for all nodes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single node performs key distillation processes for multiple nodes in one-to-many quantum key distribution, then encryption keys can be shared among multiple nodes, but the processing load becomes biased towards that single node
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the key distillation processes of multiple nodes into a single combined process. The central node collects bit strings from multiple other nodes, performs error correction and privacy amplification on the combined data, and generates encryption keys that are shared among all nodes. This eliminates the need for each node to perform separate key distillation processes, thereby balancing the processing load.
Solution Approach 2:
The central node is designed to perform multiple functions: it acts as both a participant in key generation and as a coordinator that manages key distillation for multiple other nodes. The node performs error correction, privacy amplification, and key generation processes that serve the entire network, making it a universal processing center that handles tasks for all connected nodes.
2Reliability
If separate key distillation processes are performed for each node pair, then each node processes only its own keys, but the overall key distribution efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual key distillation processes into a single unified process. Instead of each node pair performing separate error correction and privacy amplification, the central node performs these operations once on the combined bit strings from all nodes, thereby improving overall key distribution efficiency while maintaining the reliability of individual key generation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the single node performs key compression and error correction for multiple nodes, then all nodes can share encryption keys, but the processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The central node performs error correction and privacy amplification operations on the combined bit strings before distributing keys to multiple nodes. By performing these computationally intensive operations once on the aggregated data rather than separately for each node pair, the system reduces total processing time while enabling multi-node key sharing.
Data Source
AI summary
According to an embodiment, a quantum key distribution (QKD) device includes a sharing unit, a correcting unit, a deciding unit, a calculator, and a privacy amplifier. The sharing unit is configured to generate a shared bit string through quantum key distribution with each other QKD device connected via quantum communication channels. The correcting unit is configured to generate a corrected bit string through an error correction process on the shared bit string. The deciding unit is configured to calculate an error rate in the corresponding quantum communication channel with respect to each other QKD device, and decide on a combined error rate from error rates calculated. The calculator is configured to calculate, based on the combined error rate, a length of an encryption key to be shared. The privacy amplifier is configured to generate the encryption key having the calculated length of the encryption key from the corrected bit string.