Universität Wien

260053 VU Modern (Quantum) Cryptography (2024W)

10.00 ECTS (6.00 SWS), SPL 26 - Physik
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle
Tu 26.11. 14:00-16:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 15 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Tuesday 01.10. 14:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Wednesday 02.10. 10:00 - 12:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Tuesday 08.10. 14:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Wednesday 09.10. 10:00 - 12:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Tuesday 15.10. 14:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Wednesday 16.10. 10:00 - 12:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Tuesday 22.10. 14:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Wednesday 23.10. 10:00 - 12:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Tuesday 29.10. 14:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Wednesday 30.10. 10:00 - 12:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Tuesday 05.11. 14:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Wednesday 06.11. 10:00 - 12:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Tuesday 12.11. 14:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Wednesday 13.11. 10:00 - 12:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Tuesday 19.11. 14:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Wednesday 20.11. 10:00 - 12:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Wednesday 27.11. 10:00 - 12:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Tuesday 03.12. 14:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Wednesday 04.12. 10:00 - 12:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Tuesday 10.12. 14:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Wednesday 11.12. 10:00 - 12:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Tuesday 17.12. 14:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Tuesday 07.01. 14:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Wednesday 08.01. 10:00 - 12:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Tuesday 14.01. 14:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Wednesday 15.01. 10:00 - 12:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Tuesday 21.01. 14:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG
  • Wednesday 22.01. 10:00 - 12:30 Seminarraum Physik Sensengasse 8 EG

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Cryptography is the scientific study of techniques for securing digital information, transaction and distributed computations. Any modern communication system that claims to be "secure" builds upon cryptographic protocols and the hardness of certain mathematical problems. Although widely used and studied, the dominant position of the RSA algorithm crumbles in the presence of quantum computers, which exploit quantum properties to break its hardness assumptions.

As a response to this threat, two solutions are being extensively researched: post-quantum cryptography, based on mathematical problems that are hard for quantum computers, and quantum/relativistic cryptography, which harnesses the laws of quantum mechanics and special relativity to provide new security guarantees. Milestone protocols of this kind include quantum key distribution, unforgeable quantum money and relativistic bit commitment.

This lecture will give an introduction to state-of-the-art classical and quantum cryptography, tackling the follow topics:
- Goals of security, definitions of trust
- Symmetric encryption and hashing
- Asymmetric cryptography and its foundations (e.g. group theory, prime numbers, discrete logarithm, elliptic curves)
- Threats to modern cryptography (especially quantum computers)
- Post-quantum cryptography
- Quantum key distribution and unforgeable quantum money
- Mistrustful quantum cryptography
- Relativistic quantum cryptography
- Photonic implementation of quantum cryptography

The lectures will be complemented with exercises, that feature
- Pen-and-paper calculation
- Programming in Python and Matlab
- Quantum optics laboratory (depending on the number of students)

Assessment and permitted materials

1. Attendance to lectures
2. In-class completion of exercises
3. Final oral presentation of one topic of the course

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

- 80% attendance in the lecture
- 100% submission of exercises
- Successful oral presentation

Examination topics

The final examination will consist of an oral presentation related to a selection of recent quantum cryptography papers.

Reading list

- Joachim von Zur Gathen - CryptoSchool: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-662-48425-8
- Jonathan Katz and Yehuda Lindell - Introduction to Modern Cryptography: https://www.routledge.com/Introduction-to-Modern-Cryptography/Katz-Lindell/p/book/9780815354369
- Michael A. Nielsen, Isaac L. Chuang - Quantum Computation and Quantum Information: https://www.cambridge.org/highereducation/books/quantum-computation-and-quantum-information/01E10196D0A682A6AEFFEA52D53BE9AE#overview
- Bernstein, D. J. (2009). Introduction to post-quantum cryptography. In Post-quantum cryptography (pp. 1-14). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
- Vidick, T., & Wehner, S. (2023). Introduction to quantum cryptography. Cambridge University Press

Association in the course directory

M-VAF A 2, M-VAF B, PM-SPEC, Doktorat Physik

Last modified: Mo 30.09.2024 15:06