Identity authentication between communicating parties is a fundamental prerequisite for secure communication. Classical authentication systems face serious threats from the advent of quantum computing. In contrast, quantum identity authentication (QIA) can provide security based on the fundamental principle of quantum mechanics and has consequently attracted significant research interest. However, currently most QIA schemes either belong to one-way identity authentication or suffer from information leakage during the identity authentication process. Here, we for the first time propose a bidirectional QIA scheme with zero-knowledge proof. This scheme will not disclose any information other than the authenticity of the statement itself, and it possesses the merits of simple structure and easy execution. Theoretical analysis has been conducted on the completeness, robustness, and zero-knowledge nature of the proposed scheme. Furthermore, corresponding experimental demonstrations have been carried out by utilizing entanglement sources. This work has effectively improved the practical security and practicability of QIA, paving the way for the construction of a large-scale quantum internet in the future.

Close

PrevNext

View figure in article

• Optical quantum information processing
• Quantum cryptography
• Quantum information theory