| Project ID |
BITS-SRIP/B1F9A2/2026 |
| Project Title |
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD): Protocol Physics, Security Analysis, and End-to-End Simulation |
| Project Description |
Quantum Key Distribution enables secure key exchange by encoding information in non-orthogonal quantum states and exploiting measurement disturbance. This project targets physics students and develops a technical understanding of QKD at the level of state preparation, quantum measurements, realistic channel/detector models, and security metrics. The focus will be on implementing BB84 (and optionally E91) in a simulator that includes photon loss, detector dark counts, basis misalignment, and finite-size effects, and on computing the resulting quantum bit error rate (QBER) and secret key rate.
The student will connect the quantum mechanics (density matrices, POVMs, error operators) to practical system parameters, and will study eavesdropping models such as intercept-resend and beam-splitting attacks. If time permits, the project can include decoy-state BB84 concepts to address photon-number-splitting vulnerabilities in weak-coherent pulse implementations.
Expected Outcomes
• A reproducible QKD simulation codebase (Python/MATLAB) with modular channel and detector models
• Plots of QBER vs distance, key rate vs distance, and sensitivity to misalignment and dark counts
• A technical report explaining the physics of security, assumptions, and performance limits
• Clear understanding of how quantum state preparation/measurement constraints translate into secure key generation |
| Project Discipline |
Physics, Engineering Physics, Electrical Engineering, and Electronics and Communication Engineering |
| Faculty Name |
Syed Mohammad Zafaruddin |
| Department |
Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering |
