Quantum key distribution as a quantum machine learning task

Abstract

We propose considering Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) protocols as a use case for Quantum Machine Learning (QML) algorithms. We define and investigate the QML task of optimizing eavesdropping attacks on the quantum circuit implementation of the BB84 protocol. QKD protocols are well understood and solid security proofs exist enabling an easy evaluation of the QML model performance. The power of easy-to-implement QML techniques is shown by finding the explicit circuit for optimal individual attacks in a noise-free setting. For the noisy setting we find, to the best of our knowledge, a new cloning algorithm, which can outperform known cloning methods. Finally, we present a QML construction of a collective attack by using classical information from QKD post-processing within the QML algorithm.