Physical Layer Security in Multimode Fiber Optical Networks
This addresses security vulnerabilities in fiber optical networks for communication systems, representing an incremental step towards cyber-physical systems.
The paper tackles physical layer security in multimode fiber networks by using inverse precoding to exploit mode-dependent losses, resulting in a significant SNR advantage for legitimate receivers and preventing message reconstruction by eavesdroppers even in worst-case scenarios.
Inverse precoding algorithms in multimode fiber based communication networks are used to exploit mode dependent losses on the physical layer. This provides an asymmetry between legitimate (Bob) and unlegitimate (Eve) receiver of messages resulting in a significant SNR advantage for Bob. In combination with dynamic mode channel changes, Eve has no chance to reconstruct a sent message even in a worst case scenario in which she is almighty. This is the first time, Physical Layer Security in a fiber optical network is investigated on the basis of measured transmission matrices. These results show that messages can be sent securely with conventional communication techniques. Translating the task of securing data from software to hardware represents the potential of a scientific paradigm shift. The introduced technique is a step towards the development of cyber physical systems.