🤖 AI Summary
This work systematically investigates fundamental cryptographic primitives in quantum cryptography beyond key distribution, with a focus on quantum one-way functions and their associated constructs—such as one-way state generators and pseudorandom quantum states. By integrating quantum information theory, computational complexity, and quantum state preparation techniques, the study clarifies the mechanisms of one-wayness, physical realizability, and noise resilience under both computational and information-theoretic security frameworks across various adversarial models. The paper delineates conceptual relationships among diverse quantum cryptographic primitives, reviews and compares existing constructions, and identifies key open problems, thereby laying a theoretical foundation for practical quantum cryptographic systems that extend beyond quantum key distribution.
📝 Abstract
Quantum cryptographic primitives beyond key distribution remain a less well understood area of research. In classical cryptography, one-way functions underpin nearly all standard cryptographic protocols, motivating the search for meaningful quantum analogues and for a clear understanding of the physical and computational mechanisms that could enforce one-wayness. In this article, we review quantum one-way functions and a range of closely related quantum-state primitives, including one-way state generators, pseudorandom quantum states, and efficiently indistinguishable pairs of states. We discuss both computational and information-theoretic notions of quantum one-wayness, emphasizing the different adversarial models and security assumptions that underlie these constructions. We compare and contrast the various proposed primitives, and clarify their conceptual relationships. Particular emphasis is placed on questions of physical realizability, experimental feasibility, and robustness to noise. Finally, we outline open problems and future directions toward the development of practical quantum cryptographic primitives beyond key distribution, and the emergence of a broader quantum-cryptographic ecosystem.