Exploration on Quantum Cryptography by using FPGAs and Optics

Abstract

This project serves to respond the aims on constructing a hardware system, constructed by using FPGAs and Optical devices, which is able to practice an encrypted communication channel which is free from attack by quantum computing machines in the post-quantum era. In contracts to the traditional encryption method and protocol, this project will focus, construct a workable prototype and discuss on the possibility on "hoisting with his own petard", which means using quantum properties (such as entanglement, super-position) for encrypting the system, against the attack from quantum computing.

The project aims to explore the possibility of building a system as prototype of encrypted communication channel between 2 Field Programmable Gate Array boards (Zynq), with limited budgets and cheap materials, a Sender and a Receiver ultimately. The system is also know as a Quantum Key Distribution System (QKD). The prototype aims to achieve a binary communication channel with protocol derived from E91 protocol. To set up the above system, some critical experiments such as testing the Bell's theory, which we will see the process, difficulties and how to overcome the barriers in this final year project.

The project consists of both hardware designs and software synthesis and implementations. Where on the hardware side, by using existing electronics and optical apparatus, through handmade modifications and re-designs, placements, could achieves high sensitive detection and signals processing capabilities. While on the software side, by using Xilinx Vivado developer, Linux platform, Python and Very high-speed Hardware Description Language (VHDL), would provide controls on the encryption, detection processes, signals analysis, decryption processes and modeling.

The project also has a great potential on transforming into a quantum computing devices or as a platform to enhance the and test protocols of quantum encrypted communications, which I hope would showcase and demonstrate an easy-to-understand set-up, protocol and cost-efficiency capability in development of quantum related platform for cryptography uses as an exploration to see whether how the electronics such as FPGAs system could interact with optical apparatus and also some other high-level language programming and implementations. Which hopefully could raise the interest and confidence on promoting, developing quantum related knowledge, technologies and implementations among the electronic engineering communities and the society.

For the project achievement, we have ran multiple experiments on finding the solutions to get all the hardware optics welly built, where it is functional to entangle photons, detect single photon (quantum detection)... etc and for the software part, most of the required decryption methods, models were built, which are well reported in this project report. To make the project more convincing, the true challenge lying ahead is to put all the components into a system and prove the system stability and security, which will be summarized in some experiments set up when the complete version prototype is fully prepared as thus making this project more perfection.