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    Device-independent quantum digital signatures under realistic conditions

    Yi Fan1,2, Jing-Wei Bian1,2, Bing-Hong Li1,2,*, Jingwei Wen3, Hua-Lei Yin2,1,†, and Zeng-Bing Chen1

    • 1National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and School of Physics, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
    • 2School of Physics and Key Laboratory of Quantum State Construction and Manipulation (Ministry of Education), Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
    • 3China Mobile (Suzhou) Software Technology Company Limited, Suzhou 215163, China

    • *Contact author: 171830542@smail.nju.edu.cn
    • †Contact author: hlyin@ruc.edu.cn

    Phys. Rev. A 114, 032617 – Published 22 September, 2026

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/tyjx-bczz

    Abstract

    Quantum digital signatures (QDS) provide information-theoretic security for data integrity, authenticity, and nonrepudiation by exploiting the laws of quantum mechanics. While existing QDS protocols have achieved significant efficiency improvements via one-time universal hashing, they rely on trusted quantum devices, requiring precise characterization and stable calibration of state preparation and measurement processes, which in practice cannot be fully guaranteed. Here, we propose a device-independent QDS protocol based on the violation of Bell inequalities and the entropy accumulation theorem, thereby ensuring information-theoretic security against general coherent attacks without assumptions on the internal functioning of the devices. We analyze the protocol performance under realistic noise and loss models and show that it is feasible with current experimental technology over multikilometer distances. Furthermore, by leveraging state-of-the-art single-photon sources, the achievable distance can be extended to several tens of kilometers. Our results establish device-independent QDS as a practical and scalable cryptographic primitive for secure applications in quantum networks with untrusted devices.

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