Asymmetric cryptography with physical unclonable keys
| Abstract | Secure communication is of paramount importance in modern society.Asymmetric cryptography methods such as the widely used RSA method allowsecure exchange of information between parties who have not sharedsecret keys. However, the existing asymmetric cryptographic schemes relyon unproven mathematical assumptions for security. Further, the digitalkeys used in their implementation are susceptible to copying that mightremain unnoticed. Here we introduce a secure communication method thatovercomes these two limitations by employing Physical Unclonable Keys(PUKs). Using optical PUKs realized in opaque scattering materials andemploying off-the-shelf equipment, we transmit messages in anerror-corrected way. Information is transmitted as patterned wavefrontsof few-photon wavepackets which can be successfully decrypted only withthe receivers PUK. The security of PUK-Enabled Asymmetric Communication(PEAC) is not based on any stored secret but on the hardness ofdistinguishing between different few-photon wavefronts. |
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| URL | https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2058-9565/ab479f/pdf |
| Authors | R. Uppu, T. A. W. Wolterink, S. A. Goorden, B. Chen, B. Škorić, A. P. Mosk, and P. W. H. Pinkse |
| Year of publication | 2019 |
| Date published | 10/2019 |
| Journal | Quantum Sci. Technol. |
| Volume | 4 |
| Pages | 045011: 1-7 |
| DOI number | 10.1088/2058-9565/ab479f |
| Keywords | Asymmetric Communication, authentication, Physical Unclonable Function, Physical Unclonable Key, Quantum communication |