Physical layer secure key generation and distribution based on noise variances in optical fiber communications systems

Abstract

Considering the key demand in the secure optical fiber communication, a key generation and distribution scheme based on random noise variances is proposed. The noise of optical communication systems is inevitable due to the influence of various factors. The additive noise that cannot be eliminated is random after digital signal processing, which ensures the randomness of the key. However, the range of system noise variances is small and the noise of links is exposed. A random Gaussian white noise is added at receivers, which increases the noise fluctuation and enhances security. Legitimate parties obtain secure keys by calculating the data inconsistency rate, where the consistency comes from the correlation of noise variances in adjacent time slots over a period of time. Experimental results demonstrate that the error-free key is obtained with the key generation rate of 1.6 Mbit/s over 105 km standard single-mode fiber. Moreover, the security analysis shows that the proposed key generation and distribution scheme can resist fiber-tapping attacks.