Lucas Tsunaki, Bernd Bauerhenne, Malwin Xibraku, Martin E Garcia, Kilian Singer and Boris Naydenov
{"title":"Ensemble-based quantum token protocol benchmarked on IBM quantum processors","authors":"Lucas Tsunaki, Bernd Bauerhenne, Malwin Xibraku, Martin E Garcia, Kilian Singer and Boris Naydenov","doi":"10.1088/2058-9565/ae03e6","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Quantum tokens envision to store unclonable quantum states in a physical device, with the goal of being used for personal authentication protocols, as required by banks. Still, the experimental realization of such devices faces many technical challenges, which can be partially mitigated using ensembles instead of single qubits. In this work, we thus propose an ensemble-based quantum token protocol, describing it through a simple yet general model based on a quantum mechanical observable. The protocol is benchmarked on five IBM quantum processors and a general hacker attack scenario is analyzed, in which the attacker attempts to read the bank token and forge a fake one, based on the information gained from this measurement. We experimentally demonstrate that the probability that the bank erroneously accepts a forged coin composed of multiple tokens can reach values below 10−22, while the probability that the bank accepts its own coin is above 0.999. The overall security of the protocol is therefore demonstrated within a hardware-agnostic framework, confirming the practical viability of the protocol in arbitrary quantum systems and thus paving the way for future applications with different ensembles of qubits, such as color center defects in solids.","PeriodicalId":20821,"journal":{"name":"Quantum Science and Technology","volume":"84 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Quantum Science and Technology","FirstCategoryId":"101","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1088/2058-9565/ae03e6","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PHYSICS, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Quantum tokens envision to store unclonable quantum states in a physical device, with the goal of being used for personal authentication protocols, as required by banks. Still, the experimental realization of such devices faces many technical challenges, which can be partially mitigated using ensembles instead of single qubits. In this work, we thus propose an ensemble-based quantum token protocol, describing it through a simple yet general model based on a quantum mechanical observable. The protocol is benchmarked on five IBM quantum processors and a general hacker attack scenario is analyzed, in which the attacker attempts to read the bank token and forge a fake one, based on the information gained from this measurement. We experimentally demonstrate that the probability that the bank erroneously accepts a forged coin composed of multiple tokens can reach values below 10−22, while the probability that the bank accepts its own coin is above 0.999. The overall security of the protocol is therefore demonstrated within a hardware-agnostic framework, confirming the practical viability of the protocol in arbitrary quantum systems and thus paving the way for future applications with different ensembles of qubits, such as color center defects in solids.
期刊介绍:
Driven by advances in technology and experimental capability, the last decade has seen the emergence of quantum technology: a new praxis for controlling the quantum world. It is now possible to engineer complex, multi-component systems that merge the once distinct fields of quantum optics and condensed matter physics.
Quantum Science and Technology is a new multidisciplinary, electronic-only journal, devoted to publishing research of the highest quality and impact covering theoretical and experimental advances in the fundamental science and application of all quantum-enabled technologies.