A Modified Key Sifting Scheme With Artificial Neural Network Based Key Reconciliation Analysis in Quantum Cryptography

Quantum Cryptography emerged from the limitations of classical cryptography. It will play a vital role in information security after the availability of expected powerful quantum computers. Still many quantum primitives like quantum money, blind quantum computation, quantum copy protection, etc. are theoretical as they require a completely functional quantum computer for their implementation. But one prominent quantum cryptographic primitive, the Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is possible with current technology. The QKD is a key establishment system having several stages namely raw key generation, key sifting, key reconciliation, and privacy amplification. In this paper, an efficient key sifting scheme has been developed. Successful simulation has shown that the proposed modified key sifting scheme requires less time to build the sifted key compared to the sifted key in conventional BB84 protocol in most cases. This paper also represents Tree Parity Machine (TPM) based key reconciliation analysis using different learning algorithms such as Hebbian, Anti-Hebbian, and Random-Walk. This reconciliation analysis helps to choose the optimum learning algorithm for Artificial Neural Network (ANN) based key reconciliation in future Quantum Key Distribution systems.