Side-channel attack to quantum communications by exploiting electromagnetic radiations of the single photon detectors
Naser Chamani Jam · eResearch@Ozyegin · 2020
In this thesis an unprecedented cyber-physical attack which can be a game changer in the quantum cryptosystems' security is explained. This attack is the first non-optical patented intercept in quantum field that is based on a security issue in the physical layer of the quantum communication and key distribution systems. We experimentally and theoretically showed that the bit contents of a quantum key transmission system can be intercepted from far away by exploiting the ultrawideband electromagnetic signals radiated from the hi-voltage avalanche effect of the single photon detectors. This concept was a significant hidden secret based on the physical nature of the single photon detectors that are generally used in quantum key distribution. It has been proved theoretically and experimentally that any Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode that is used inside single photon detectors, systematically acts like a downconverter that converts the optical-wavelength photons to radio-wavelength photons. Our experiments also showed that the radiated waveforms captured by an ultrawideband antenna can be used as a unique fingerprint to find which photodiode in the cryptosystem has absorbed a photon. These fingerprints were fed to a deep learning neural network as training data, and after training, the neural network was able to clone the bit content of quantum transmission with high accuracy.