Quantum Key Distribution: Security and Applications

This lecture by the instructor Nicolas Sangouard on Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) covers the most advanced application in cryptography, requiring control at the level of individual particles. QKD systems are commercially available but also a topic of ongoing academic research, involving mathematicians, cryptographers, physicists, and engineers. The lecture discusses the vulnerability of public key protocols like RSA to quantum computers and the need for post-quantum algorithms. It also explores the development of quantum computers and the importance of preparing against their potential threat. The presentation delves into the principles of QKD, the motivations for device-independent QKD, and the security definitions and protocols involved in ensuring secure key distribution.