Is Quantum Communication Secure?
What QKD guarantees, what it assumes, and how it compares with post-quantum cryptography.
Quantum Cryptography
What is quantum cryptography?
Quantum cryptography uses quantum physics — chiefly the disturbance caused by measurement — to secure tasks such as key exchange.
Quantum key distribution lets two parties detect eavesdropping on a shared key.
Deployed systems still depend on hardware assumptions, and post-quantum cryptography is the mainstream response to future quantum attacks on today's encryption.
Recommended learning sequence
- Is Quantum Communication Secure?What QKD guarantees, what it assumes, and how it compares with post-quantum cryptography.
Frequently asked questions
- Is quantum communication secure?
- QKD can detect eavesdropping, but real-world security also depends on the equipment, and it protects key exchange only.
Lessons in this topic
Related subjects
Quantum Communication
Quantum communication transmits quantum states between locations, usually encoded in photons over fibre or free space.
Quantum Measurement
Measurement extracts a definite classical outcome from a quantum system, with probabilities given by squared amplitudes.
Quantum Teleportation
Quantum teleportation transfers a quantum state between locations using shared entanglement and two classical bits.