Introduction to Quantum Cryptography

Thomas Vidick · Stephanie Wehner

Sep 2023 · Cambridge University Press

About this ebook

This book offers an accessible and engaging introduction to quantum cryptography, assuming no prior knowledge in quantum computing. Essential background theory and mathematical techniques are introduced and applied in the analysis and design of quantum cryptographic protocols. The title explores several important applications such as quantum key distribution, quantum money, and delegated quantum computation, while also serving as a self-contained introduction to the field of quantum computing. With frequent illustrations and simple examples relevant to quantum cryptography, this title focuses on building intuition and challenges readers to understand the basis of cryptographic security. Frequent worked examples and mid-chapter exercises allow readers to extend their understanding, and in-text quizzes, end-of-chapter homework problems, and recommended further reading reinforce and broaden understanding. Online resources available to instructors include interactive computational problems in Julia, videos, lecture slides, and a fully worked solutions manual.

About the author

Thomas Vidick is Professor in the Department Computer Science and Applied Mathematics at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. He received his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley in 2011, followed by two years of postdoctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he worked on quantum complexity and cryptography. He joined the Computer Science Faculty at the California Institute of Technology in 2014, and became Professor in 2018. In 2022 he took a leave from CalTech to start his current position at the Weizmann Institute. Professor Vidick is best known for his research on device-independence, including the first security proof of device-independent quantum key distribution. In 2019 he received a Presidential Early-Career Award, and in 2021 was named a Simons Investigator at CalTech. In 2023 he received the Michael and Sheila Held prize from the National Academy of Sciences for his work in quantum cryptography and quantum complexity.

Stephanie Wehner is Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Professor at Delft University of Technology, QuTech, and Director of the Quantum Internet Alliance. A member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, she is also a co- founder of QCRYPT, the largest international conference in quantum cryptography. In a former life, she worked as a professional hacker. Her research is focused on manipulating the laws of quantum mechanics to construct better information networks and computer systems. Together with the Quantum Internet Alliance she is working on realizing a large-scale quantum computer network.