21 April 2015, Theoretical Computer Science Seminar, Yi-Kai Liu

Abstract: We investigate the possibility of constructing tamper-resistant cryptographic devices using quantum mechanics. In particular, we consider "one-time programs" -- programs that can be run only once, and reveal nothing about their internal structure. It is known that one-time programs can be constructed using "one-time memories" -- a simpler class of devices related to oblivious transfer. We show how one-time memories can be built using "isolated qubits" -- qubits that have long coherence times, but can only be accessed using single-qubit gates and measurements; entangling operations are not allowed. Our construction achieves information-theoretic security based on a clear physical assumption, and is potentially realizable using near-future technologies such as solid-state qubits.

For more information, contact Christian Schaffner (c.schaffner at uva.nl)