Is the security of quantum cryptography guaranteed by the laws of physics?
This is an incremental critique for researchers in quantum cryptography, questioning foundational assumptions without proposing new solutions.
The paper challenges the claim that quantum key distribution (QKD) security is guaranteed by physics, arguing that physical laws pose obstacles to QKD security and are ignored in existing security proofs.
It is often claimed that the security of quantum key distribution (QKD) is guaranteed by the laws of physics. However, this claim is content-free if the underlying theoretical definition of QKD is not actually compatible with the laws of physics. This paper observes that (1) the laws of physics pose serious obstacles to the security of QKD and (2) the same laws are ignored in all QKD "security proofs".