A novel protocol for multiparty quantum key management

Key management plays a fundamental role in the field of cryptography. In this paper, we propose a novel multiparty quantum key management (QKM) protocol. Departing from single-function quantum cryptography protocols, our protocol has a salient feature in that it accomplishes a complete QKM process. In this process, we can simultaneously realize the functions of key generation, key distribution and key backup by executing the protocol once. Meanwhile, for the first time, we propose the idea of multi-function QKM. Firstly, the secret key is randomly generated by managers via the quantum measurements in d -level Bell basis. Then, through entanglement swapping, the secret key is successfully distributed to users. Under circumstances of urgent requirement, all managers can cooperate to recover the users’ secret key, but neither of them can recover it unilaterally. Furthermore, this protocol is further generalized into the multi-manager and multi-user QKM scenario. It has clear advantages in the burgeoning area of quantum security group communication. In this system, all group members share the same group key, and group key management is the foundation of secure group communication and hence an important subject of study.