#!/usr/bin/env python3 """ Simulation of the Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) protocol called BB84, created by Charles Bennett and Gilles Brassard in 1984. BB84 is a key-distribution protocol that ensures secure key distribution using qubits instead of classical bits. The generated key is the result of simulating a quantum circuit. Our algorithm to construct the circuit is as follows: Alice generates two binary strings. One encodes the basis for each qubit: - 0 -> {0,1} basis. - 1 -> {+,-} basis. The other encodes the state: - 0 -> |0> or |+>. - 1 -> |1> or |->. Bob also generates a binary string and uses the same convention to choose a basis for measurement. Based on the following results, we follow the algorithm below: X|0> = |1> H|0> = |+> HX|0> = |-> 1. Whenever Alice wants to encode 1 in a qubit, she applies an X (NOT) gate to the qubit. To encode 0, no action is needed. 2. Wherever she wants to encode it in the {+,-} basis, she applies an H (Hadamard) gate. No action is necessary to encode a qubit in the {0,1} basis. 3. She then sends the qubits to Bob (symbolically represented in this circuit using wires). 4. Bob measures the qubits according to his binary string for measurement. To measure a qubit in the {+,-} basis, he applies an H gate to the corresponding qubit and then performs a measurement. References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BB84 https://qiskit.org/textbook/ch-algorithms/quantum-key-distribution.html """ import numpy as np import qiskit def bb84(key_len: int = 8, seed: int | None = None) -> str: """ Performs the BB84 protocol using a key made of `key_len` bits. The two parties in the key distribution are called Alice and Bob. Args: key_len: The length of the generated key in bits. The default is 8. seed: Seed for the random number generator. Mostly used for testing. Default is None. Returns: key: The key generated using BB84 protocol. >>> bb84(16, seed=0) '0111110111010010' >>> bb84(8, seed=0) '10110001' """ # Set up the random number generator. rng = np.random.default_rng(seed=seed) # Roughly 25% of the qubits will contribute to the key. # So we take more than we need. num_qubits = 6 * key_len # Measurement basis for Alice's qubits. alice_basis = rng.integers(2, size=num_qubits) # The set of states Alice will prepare. alice_state = rng.integers(2, size=num_qubits) # Measurement basis for Bob's qubits. bob_basis = rng.integers(2, size=num_qubits) # Quantum Circuit to simulate BB84 bb84_circ = qiskit.QuantumCircuit(num_qubits, name="BB84") # Alice prepares her qubits according to rules above. for index, _ in enumerate(alice_basis): if alice_state[index] == 1: bb84_circ.x(index) if alice_basis[index] == 1: bb84_circ.h(index) bb84_circ.barrier() # Bob measures the received qubits according to rules above. for index, _ in enumerate(bob_basis): if bob_basis[index] == 1: bb84_circ.h(index) bb84_circ.barrier() bb84_circ.measure_all() # Simulate the quantum circuit. sim = qiskit.Aer.get_backend("aer_simulator") # We only need to run one shot because the key is unique. # Multiple shots will produce the same key. job = qiskit.execute(bb84_circ, sim, shots=1, seed_simulator=seed) # Returns the result of measurement. result = job.result().get_counts(bb84_circ).most_frequent() # Extracting the generated key from the simulation results. # Only keep measurement results where Alice and Bob chose the same basis. gen_key = "".join( [ result_bit for alice_basis_bit, bob_basis_bit, result_bit in zip( alice_basis, bob_basis, result ) if alice_basis_bit == bob_basis_bit ] ) # Get final key. Pad with 0 if too short, otherwise truncate. key = gen_key[:key_len] if len(gen_key) >= key_len else gen_key.ljust(key_len, "0") return key if __name__ == "__main__": print(f"The generated key is : {bb84(8, seed=0)}") from doctest import testmod testmod()