Quantum cryptography over underground optical fibers
Quantum cryptography is an emerging technology in which two parties may simultaneously generated shared, secret cryptographic key material using the transmission of quantum states of light whose security is based on the inviolability of the laws of quantum mechanics. An adversary can neither successfully tap the key transmissions, nor evade detection, owing to Heisenberg`s uncertainty principle. In this paper the authors describe the theory of quantum cryptography, and the most recent results from their experimental system with which they are generating key material over 14-km of underground optical fiber. These results show that optical-fiber based quantum cryptography could allow secure, real-time key generation over ``open`` multi-km node-to-node optical fiber communications links between secure ``islands.``
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Department of Defense, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 251411
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-96-0624; CONF-960862-1; ON: DE96008510; TRN: AHC29614%%139
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: CRYPTO `96: 16. annual Crypto conference, Santa Barbara, CA (United States), 18-22 Aug 1996; Other Information: PBD: [1996]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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