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Experimental loss-tolerant quantum coin flipping

Author

Listed:
  • Guido Berlín

    (Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3J7.)

  • Gilles Brassard

    (Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3J7.)

  • Félix Bussières

    (Laboratoire des fibres optiques, École Polytechnique de Montréal, C.P. 6079, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3A7.
    University of Calgary
    Group of Applied Physics, Université de Genève, Rue de l'École-de-Médecine 20)

  • Nicolas Godbout

    (Laboratoire des fibres optiques, École Polytechnique de Montréal, C.P. 6079, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3A7.)

  • Joshua A. Slater

    (University of Calgary)

  • Wolfgang Tittel

    (University of Calgary)

Abstract

Coin flipping is a cryptographic primitive in which two distrustful parties wish to generate a random bit to choose between two alternatives. This task is impossible to realize when it relies solely on the asynchronous exchange of classical bits: one dishonest player has complete control over the final outcome. It is only when coin flipping is supplemented with quantum communication that this problem can be alleviated, although partial bias remains. Unfortunately, practical systems are subject to loss of quantum data, which allows a cheater to force a bias that is complete or arbitrarily close to complete in all previous protocols and implementations. Here we report on the first experimental demonstration of a quantum coin-flipping protocol for which loss cannot be exploited to cheat better. By eliminating the problem of loss, which is unavoidable in any realistic setting, quantum coin flipping takes a significant step towards real-world applications of quantum communication.

Suggested Citation

  • Guido Berlín & Gilles Brassard & Félix Bussières & Nicolas Godbout & Joshua A. Slater & Wolfgang Tittel, 2011. "Experimental loss-tolerant quantum coin flipping," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 2(1), pages 1-7, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:2:y:2011:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms1572
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1572
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