Phase coding semi-quantum key distribution system based on the Single-state protocol

Abstract

Semi-quantum key distribution (SQKD) allows sharing random keys between a quantum user and a classical user, which significantly saves user resources, especially when using the Single-state protocol. However, the operation of the classical user, which involves measurement and resending using the Single-state protocol, presents technical difficulties in experiment and there is a security vulnerability of "tagged" attack in theory. To solve these problems, in our work, based on the Single-state protocol, we propose the "selective modulation" method and successfully implement a phase-encoded semi-quantum key distribution system. The system operates at a frequency of 100MHz and an average photon number of 0.1. The interference contrast achieved 97.45%, the average quantum bit error rate was 1.20%, and the raw key rate reached 88Kbps. Our experimental results demonstrate the feasibility and stability of the proposed phase-encoded SQKD system. Furthermore, we conducted an analysis of the "selective modulation" scheme in terms of quantum state evolution to assess the security of our system and ultimately proved that it can resist "tagged" attack. The classical user of our system requires only two optical devices and operates without relying on full quantum capabilities, thereby enhancing its application potential in quantum networks. This work validates the feasibility of SQKD experiments and provides ideas for future research on SQKD experiments and security studies.