Counterfactual protocol within device independent framework and its insecurity

• Main Authors: Kamaruddin, Suhaili, Shamsul Shaari, Jesni, Kolenderski, Piotr
• Format: Article
• Language: English; English
• Published: Springer Nature 2020
• Subjects: QC Physics
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/80002/7/80002%20Counterfactual%20protocol%20within.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/80002/8/80002%20Counterfactual%20protocol%20within%20SCOPUS.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/80002/; https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-62812-3.pdf

We consider the counterfactual protocol proposed in Phys. Rev. Lett., 103, 230501 (2009) within a device independent framework and show how its security can easily be compromised. Capitalising on the fact that the protocol is based on the use of a single photon entanglement phenomenon, we propose an equivalent protocol. It can be made secure within such a pessimistic framework against a supra-quantum Eve limited only by the no-signalling principle. The equivalence the protocol demonstrates the possibility of device independent framework for counterfactual quantum cryptography.