Hybrid PQC and QKD

Quantum key distribution (QKD) provides a physical approach to secure communications, which will continue to be secure in a future, fully-quantum-enabled world. However, QKD does require a separate authentication mechanism, which could be provided my new mathematical techniques known as post-quantum cryptography (PQC). This PhD project is linked to an international collaboration, to develop both new PQC and new applications of PQC for authentication, as applied to QKD. The international collaborators are Professor Delaram Kahrobaei (CUNY, USA) and Professor Ludovic Perret (Sorbonne University, Paris, France).The PhD student at York will work in collaboration with the project partners on the development of new PQC-based approaches to authentication - investigating, applying and optimising these techniques for use with various approaches to QKD. The project therefore involves theory, coding and finally practical implementation, leveraging QKD facilities at York. This complements and expands the QKD research and development being undertaken in the Quantum Communications Hub and the wider UK National Quantum Technologies Programme.