Controlled node dialogue in IoT networks based on nonlocal orthogonal product states

Abstract

The rapid expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT) and advancements in quantum computing pose security challenges for IoT systems, encompassing classical attacks and quantum attacks. In this work, we concentrate on secure information exchange in the quantum IoT, mainly addressing the problem of establishing direct and secure quantum dialogue between two authorized IoT nodes located at a distance. The nonlocal quantum orthogonal product basis (OPB) is adopted for the first time, to our best knowledge, in a controlled quantum dialogue protocol, which eliminates the need for pre-key sharing or key storage. Through uniquely corresponding operations, private information is encrypted onto the nonlocal OPB, which is transmitted in one way. Compared with entangled states, the OPB is easier to prepare, thus reducing the quantum capability required for IoT nodes. Our approach achieves high transmission efficiency (57.1%) and qubit efficiency (100%) while providing comprehensive security measures that withstand various attacks and effectively prevent information leakage. Furthermore, an OPB-based self-error-correction quantum repeater is proposed to mitigate noise in the communication channel between distant IoT nodes. This repeater requires fewer physical resources compared with repeaters based on entangled states.