ABSTRACT:

This work presents quantum key distribution protocols (QKDPs) to safeguard security in large networks, ushering in new directions in classical cryptography and quantum cryptography. Two 3-party QKDPs, one with implicit user authentication and the other with express mutual authentication, are proposed to demonstrate the merits of the new combination, that embrace the subsequent: one) security against such attacks as man-in-the-middle, eavesdropping and replay, 2) potency is improved as the proposed protocols contain the fewest range of communication rounds among existing QKDPs, and 3) 2 parties can share and use a protracted-term secret (repeatedly). To prove the safety of the proposed schemes, this work also presents a brand new primitive referred to as the Unbiased-Chosen Basis (UCB) assumption.