A New Quantum Secure Time Transfer System

Fuente: arXiv
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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Adhikari, Ravi Singh, Gupta, Aman, Rani, Anju, Ai, Xiaoyu, Malaney, Robert
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Adhikari, Ravi Singh
Gupta, Aman
Rani, Anju
Ai, Xiaoyu
Malaney, Robert
author_facet Adhikari, Ravi Singh
Gupta, Aman
Rani, Anju
Ai, Xiaoyu
Malaney, Robert
contents High-precision clock synchronization is essential for a wide range of network-distributed applications. In the quantum space, these applications include communication, sensing, and positioning. However, current synchronization techniques are vulnerable to attacks, such as intercept-resend attacks, spoofing, and delay attacks. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a new quantum secure time transfer (QSTT) system, subsequently used for clock synchronization, that largely negates such attacks. Novel to our system is the optimal use of self-generated quantum keys within the QSTT to information-theoretically secure the maximum amount of timing data; as well as the introduction, within a hybrid quantum/post-quantum architecture, of an information-theoretic secure obfuscated encryption sequence of the remaining timing data. With these enhancements, we argue that our new system represents the most robust implementation of QSTT to date.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_10847
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A New Quantum Secure Time Transfer System
Adhikari, Ravi Singh
Gupta, Aman
Rani, Anju
Ai, Xiaoyu
Malaney, Robert
Quantum Physics
Cryptography and Security
High-precision clock synchronization is essential for a wide range of network-distributed applications. In the quantum space, these applications include communication, sensing, and positioning. However, current synchronization techniques are vulnerable to attacks, such as intercept-resend attacks, spoofing, and delay attacks. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a new quantum secure time transfer (QSTT) system, subsequently used for clock synchronization, that largely negates such attacks. Novel to our system is the optimal use of self-generated quantum keys within the QSTT to information-theoretically secure the maximum amount of timing data; as well as the introduction, within a hybrid quantum/post-quantum architecture, of an information-theoretic secure obfuscated encryption sequence of the remaining timing data. With these enhancements, we argue that our new system represents the most robust implementation of QSTT to date.
title A New Quantum Secure Time Transfer System
topic Quantum Physics
Cryptography and Security
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.10847