Duality on the Thermodynamics of the Kirchhoff-Law-Johnson-Noise (KLJN) Secure Key Exchange Scheme

Abstract

This study investigates a duality approach to information leak detection in the generalized Kirchhoff-Law-Johnson-Noise secure key exchange scheme proposed by Vadai, Mingesz, and Gingl (VMG-KLJN). While previous work by Chamon and Kish sampled voltages at zero-current instances, this research explores sampling currents at zero-voltage crossings. The objective is to determine if this dual approach can reveal information leaks in non-equilibrium KLJN systems. Results indicate that the duality method successfully detects information leaks, further supporting the necessity of thermal equilibrium for unconditional security in KLJN systems. Our findings confirm that the duality method successfully detects information leaks, with results closely mirroring those of Chamon and Kish, showing comparable vulnerabilities in non-equilibrium conditions. These results further support the necessity of thermal equilibrium for unconditional security in the KLJN scheme.