Practical quantum encryption protocol with varying encryption configurations

Abstract

Quantum communication is an important application that derives from the burgeoning field of quantum information and quantum computation. Focusing on secure communication, quantum cryptography has two major directions of development, namely quantum key distribution and quantum encryption. In this work we propose a quantum encryption protocol that utilizes a quantum algorithm to create blocks of ciphertexts based on quantum states. The main feature of our quantum encryption protocol is that the encryption configuration of each block is determined by the previous blocks, such that additional security is provided. We then demonstrate our method by an example model encrypting the English alphabet, with numerical simulation results showing the large error rate of a mock attack by a potential adversary. The safety of the encryption method is further demonstrated against several possible attack models. With the improvements against noises, our quantum encryption protocol is a capable addition to the toolbox of quantum cryptography.