Performance analysis of physical-layer security in an OCDMA-based wiretap channel

Based on information-theoretic security, physical-layer security in an optical code division multiple access (OCDMA) system is analyzed. For the first time, the security leakage factor is employed to evaluate the physicallayer security level, and the safe receiving distance is used to measure the security transmission range. By establishing the wiretap channel model of a coherent OCDMA system, the influences of the extraction location, the extraction ratio, the number of active users, and the length of the code on the physical-layer security are analyzed quantitatively. The physical-layer security and reliability of the coherent OCDMA system are evaluated under the premise of satisfying the legitimate user’s bit error rate and the security leakage factor. The simulation results show that the number of users must be in a certain interval in order to meet the legitimate user’s reliability and security. Furthermore, the security performance of the coherent OCDMA-based wiretap channel can be improved by increasing the code length.