Asynchronous QKD on a Relay Network

Abstract

We show how QKD on a multi-user, multi-path, network can be used to establish a key between any two end users in an asynchronous fashion using the technique of bit-transport. By a suitable adaptation of our previous secret-sharing scheme we show that an attacker has to compromise all of the intermediate relays on the network in order to obtain the key. Thus, two end users can establish a secret key provided they trust at least one of the network relays.