Secure fiber optic seals enabled by quantum optical communication concepts
| DWPI Title: Method for detecting tampering for padlock, involves outputting indication of tampering on communications channel between quantum optical receiver and quantum optical transmitter based upon correlation statistic and correlation value |
| Abstract: Described herein are various technologies pertaining to detecting tampering of a seal based upon quantum optical communication via a communications channel comprising the seal. A plurality of pulses of light encoded with random data are transmitted on the communications channel, whereupon they are received and their data values measured. The measured data values of the pulses are then compared to the known transmitted data to determine a correlation statistic between the transmitted and received data values. Tampering with the seal can be detected based upon identifying that the correlation statistic has dropped below a threshold non-tampered level of correlation between transmitted and received values. |
| Use: Method for detecting tampering for a seal i.e. padlock for securing an object e.g. container and entrance, for securing facilities by a sealing system (claimed). |
| Advantage: The method enables allowing a user to increase or decrease a sensitivity of the system to tampering by selecting different alert conditions for a control system based upon performance and operational requirements of the seal in a deployed environment, so that an integrated circuit detects a quantum mechanical relationship between two quadratures of the light to detect tampering. The integrated optical circuit ensures identifying discrepancies between quantum states of light transmitted by the transmitter and the quantum states of the light as received at the receiver, where seals are vulnerable, and can replicate the electrical or optical signal propagated through the loop to prevent a detection of interruption from occurring even when the seal is broken. |
| Novelty: The method involves receiving a group of pulses of light at a quantum optical receiver. Randomly selected data is encoded on the pulses of light by a quantum optical transmitter. A respective measured data value for each of received second pulses is stored. A correlation statistic is determined based upon a comparison of measured data values of pulses and encoded data values of the pulses. An indication of tampering is output on a communications channel (110) between the quantum optical receiver and the quantum optical transmitter based upon the correlation statistic and the threshold correlation value. The transmitter is a continuous-variable (CV) optical transmitter (204) and a discrete-variable (DV) optical transmitter. The receiver is a CV optical receiver (206) and a DV optical receiver. |
| Filed: 9/29/2016 |
| Application Number: US15279706A |
| Tech ID: SD 13553.1 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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