Secure quantum clock synchronization

Antia Lamas-Linares; James Troupe

doi:10.1117/12.2290561

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22 February 2018 Secure quantum clock synchronization

Antia Lamas-Linares; James Troupe

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Proceedings Volume 10547, Advances in Photonics of Quantum Computing, Memory, and Communication XI; 105470L (2018) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2290561
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2018, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

The ability to synchronize remote clocks plays an increasingly important role in our infrastructure, from maintaining coherence in the electrical grid to allowing precise positioning and navigation for civilian and military applications. However, many of the techniques to establish and maintain this time synchronization have been shown to be susceptible to interference by malicious parties. Here we propose a protocol that builds on techniques from quantum communication to provide a verified and secure time synchronization protocol. In contrast with classical protocols aimed at increasing the security of time distribution, we need not make any assumptions about the distance or propagation times between the clocks. In order to compromise the security of the protocol, an adversary must be able to perform quantum non-demolition measurements of the presence of a singe photon with high probability. The requirement of such quantum measurements raises a serious technological barrier for any would-be adversary

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Antia Lamas-Linares and James Troupe "Secure quantum clock synchronization", Proc. SPIE 10547, Advances in Photonics of Quantum Computing, Memory, and Communication XI, 105470L (22 February 2018); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2290561

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