Quantum Authenticated Key Expansion with Key Recycling

Wen Yu Kon; Jefferson Chu; Kevin Han Yong Loh; Obada Alia; Omar Amer; Marco Pistoia; Kaushik Chakraborty; Charles Lim

doi:10.22331/q-2026-10-28-2255

Quantum Authenticated Key Expansion with Key Recycling

Wen Yu Kon, Jefferson Chu, Kevin Han Yong Loh, Obada Alia, Omar Amer, Marco Pistoia, Kaushik Chakraborty, and Charles Lim

Global Technology Applied Research, JPMorganChase

Published:	2026-10-28, volume 10, page 2255
Editor:	Pei Zeng
Eprint:	arXiv:2409.16540v2
Doi:	https://doi.org/10.22331/q-2026-10-28-2255
Citation:	Quantum 10, 2255 (2026).

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Abstract

Data privacy and authentication are two main security requirements for remote access and cloud services. While QKD has been explored to address data privacy concerns, oftentimes its use is separate from the client authentication protocol despite implicitly providing authentication. Here, we present a quantum authentication key expansion (QAKE) protocol that (1) integrates both authentication and key expansion within a single protocol, and (2) provides key recycling property – allowing all authentication keys to be reused. We analyse the security of the protocol in a QAKE framework adapted from a classical authentication key exchange (AKE) framework, providing separate security conditions for authentication and data privacy. We experimentally implemented the protocol with appropriate post-selection. Additional results on the security of pseudorandom basis generation in QAKE and decoy state BB84 are provided.

► BibTeX data

@article{Kon2026quantum,
  doi = {10.22331/q-2026-10-28-2255},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.22331/q-2026-10-28-2255},
  title = {Quantum {A}uthenticated {K}ey {E}xpansion with {K}ey {R}ecycling},
  author = {Kon, Wen Yu and Chu, Jefferson and Loh, Kevin Han Yong and Alia, Obada and Amer, Omar and Pistoia, Marco and Chakraborty, Kaushik and Lim, Charles},
  journal = {{Quantum}},
  issn = {2521-327X},
  publisher = {{Verein zur F{\"{o}}rderung des Open Access Publizierens in den Quantenwissenschaften}},
  volume = {10},
  pages = {2255},
  month = oct,
  year = {2026}
}

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[2] Devashish Tupkary, Shlok Nahar, and Ernest Y.-Z. Tan, "Authentication in Security Proofs for Quantum Key Distribution", arXiv:2601.17960, (2026).

[3] Devashish Tupkary, "Rigorous Security Proofs for Practical Quantum Key Distribution", arXiv:2604.21791, (2026).

[4] Ali Hamza Malik, Raja Hasnain Anwar, and Muhammad Taqi Raza, "Beyond the Quantum Promise: A Security Analysis of Classical Control in Quantum Key Distribution", arXiv:2608.07626, (2026).

[5] Sergejs Kozlovičs, Elīna Kalniņa, Juris Vīksna, Krišjānis Petručeņa, and Edgars Rencis, "The Butterfly Protocol: Secure Symmetric Key Exchange and Mutual Authentication via Remote QKD Nodes", Symmetry 18 1, 153 (2026).

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