Chen Lei, Chen Xiao-Ming, Yan Ya-Long
School of Cyberspace Security, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, No.10, Xitucheng Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100876, Beijing, China.
Department of Cyberspace Security, Beijing Electronic Science and Technology Institute, No.7, Fufeng Road, Fengtai District, Beijing, 100070, Beijing, China.
Sci Rep. 2024 Oct 25;14(1):25326. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-77047-9.
The post-processing of quantum key distribution mainly includes error correction and privacy amplification. The error correction algorithms and privacy amplification methods used in the existing quantum key distribution are completely unrelated. Based on the principle of correspondence between error-correcting codes and hash function families, we proposed the idea of time-division multiplexing for error correction and privacy amplification for the first time. That is to say, through the common error correction algorithms and their corresponding hash function families or the common hash function families and their corresponding error-correcting codes, error correction and privacy amplification can be realized by time-division multiplexing with the same set of devices. In addition, we tested the idea from the perspective of error correction and privacy amplification, respectively. The analysis results show that the existing error correction algorithms and their corresponding hash function families or the common privacy amplification methods and their corresponding error-correcting codes cannot realize time-division multiplexing for error correction and privacy amplification temporarily. However, according to the principle of correspondence between error-correcting codes and hash function families, the idea of time-division multiplexing is possible. Moreover, the research on time-division multiplexing for error correction and privacy amplification has some practical significance. Once the idea of time-division multiplexing is realized, it will further reduce the calculation and storage cost of the post-processing process, reduce the deployment cost of quantum key distribution, and help to remote the practical engineering of quantum key distribution.
量子密钥分发的后处理主要包括纠错和保密增强。现有量子密钥分发中所采用的纠错算法和保密增强方法完全不相关。基于纠错码与哈希函数族之间的对应原理，我们首次提出了纠错和保密增强时分复用的思想。也就是说，通过通用的纠错算法及其对应的哈希函数族，或者通用的哈希函数族及其对应的纠错码，利用同一套设备通过时分复用即可实现纠错和保密增强。此外，我们分别从纠错和保密增强的角度对该思想进行了测试。分析结果表明，现有的纠错算法及其对应的哈希函数族，或者通用的保密增强方法及其对应的纠错码暂时无法实现纠错和保密增强的时分复用。然而，根据纠错码与哈希函数族之间的对应原理，时分复用的思想是可行的。而且，对纠错和保密增强时分复用的研究具有一定的实际意义。一旦时分复用的思想得以实现，将进一步降低后处理过程的计算和存储成本，降低量子密钥分发的部署成本，并有助于推进量子密钥分发的实际工程应用。
