Problem 1:

Problem: Alice wants to send a secure message to Bob using the BB84 protocol.
Alice chooses the following random bits to send: 1100. She decides to encode
these bits using the BB84 protocol with the following bases:

 For the first bit (1), she uses the Z-basis (standard basis).
 For the second bit (1), she uses the X-basis (Hadamard basis).
 For the third bit (0), she uses the Z-basis.
 For the fourth bit (0), she uses the X-basis.

1. What are the states Alice sends for each bit?

2. If Bob measures these qubits using the following bases: Z-basis, X-basis,
Z-basis, X-basis, what will his measurement results be?

Alice wants to send the bits 1100. She encodes them using the BB84 protocol
with the following bases:

 1st bit: Z-basis

 2nd bit: X-basis
 3rd bit: Z-basis
 4th bit: X-basis

1. States Alice Sends:

o For the 1st bit (1), encoded in the Z-basis:
 The state for bit 1 is ∣1⟩, which corresponds to ∣1⟩ in the Z-
basis.
o For the 2nd bit (1), encoded in the X-basis:
 The state for bit 1 in the X-basis is 1√2(∣0⟩+∣1⟩)
o For the 3rd bit (0), encoded in the Z-basis:
 The state for bit 0 is ∣0⟩ in the Z-basis.
o For the 4th bit (0), encoded in the X-basis:
 The state for bit 0 in the X-basis is 1√2(∣0⟩−∣1⟩)
 Summary of states Alice sends:
o 1st bit: ∣1⟩
o 2nd bit: 1√2(∣0⟩+∣1⟩)
o 3rd bit: ∣0⟩
o 4th bit: 1√2(∣0⟩−∣1⟩)
 2. Bob's Measurement Results:

Bob measures in the following bases: Z-basis, X-basis, Z-basis, X-basis.

o For the 1st qubit, Bob measures in the Z-basis. Since Alice also used
the Z-basis, Bob’s measurement will directly give the bit value.
Thus, Bob will measure ∣1⟩
o For the 2nd qubit, Bob measures in the X-basis. Alice encoded it in
the X-basis, so Bob’s measurement will yield a result of 1 with a
50% probability. Thus, Bob’s result is 111.
o For the 3rd qubit, Bob measures in the Z-basis. Alice encoded it in
the Z-basis, so Bob’s measurement will directly give the bit value.
Thus, Bob will measure ∣0⟩
o For the 4th qubit, Bob measures in the X-basis. Alice also encoded
it in the X-basis, so Bob’s measurement will yield a result of 0 with
a 50% probability. Thus, Bob’s result is 000.

Summary of Bob’s measurement results:

o 1st bit: 1
o 2nd bit: 1 (with 50% probability)
o 3rd bit: 0
o 4th bit: 0 (with 50% probability)

Problem 2:

Problem: Suppose Alice and Bob have performed the BB84 protocol and have
shared a quantum key. After the key is established, they compare a portion of
their bits to estimate the error rate. They find that out of 1000 bits, 20 bits differ
between Alice's and Bob's results.

1. What is the error rate in percentage?

2. Based on this error rate, what can Alice and Bob infer about the potential
presence of an eavesdropper?

Alice and Bob compare their bit strings after key distribution. Out of 1000 bits,
they find 20 bits differ.

1. Error Rate Calculation:

 The error rate is given by the formula:

Error Rate=Number of Errors/Total Number of Bits×100%

Here, Number of Errors = 20 and Total Number of Bits = 1000.

Error Rate=20/1000×100%=2%

2. Inference About Eavesdropper:

If the error rate is higher than expected (typically close to 0% in the absence
of eavesdropping), this could indicate the presence of an eavesdropper or
other issues in the transmission.

Problem 3: Eavesdropping Detection

Problem: Alice and Bob are using the BB84 protocol to establish a secure key.
An eavesdropper, Eve, tries to intercept and measure the qubits being sent from
Alice to Bob. Eve chooses a random basis for each qubit she intercepts.

1. If Eve uses the Z-basis for 60% of the qubits and the X-basis for 40% of
the qubits, what is the probability that she correctly guesses the basis Alice
used for each qubit?
2. How does Eve's choice of bases affect the security of the BB84 protocol?

Eve uses the Z-basis for 60% of the qubits and the X-basis for 40% of the qubits.

1. Probability That Eve Guesses Correctly:

Eve guesses the basis used by Alice with the following probabilities:

o Probability of correct basis match when Eve uses Z-basis (Alice also
uses Z-basis) = 0.6.
o Probability of correct basis match when Eve uses X-basis (Alice also
uses X-basis) = 0.4.

The probability that Eve guesses the basis correctly is:

Probability (Correct Guess)=0.5×0.6+0.5×0.4=0.3+0.2=0.5

So, Eve has a 50% probability of guessing the correct basis.

 2. Impact on Security:
Eve’s 50% guessing probability implies that she introduces errors in Bob’s
key because of incorrect basis choices. This will increase the error rate in
the final key, which Alice and Bob can detect.

Problem 4: BB84 Protocol Security Analysis

Problem: In the BB84 protocol, Alice sends 100 qubits to Bob. Each qubit is
encoded in either the Z-basis or the X-basis, with each basis chosen randomly and
with equal probability.

1. What is the probability that Bob measures a qubit in the same basis as Alice
for any given qubit?
2. If Alice and Bob find that they have successfully shared 80% of the qubits
(the rest being discarded due to basis mismatches or errors), what is the
expected number of qubits for which the basis matches?

Alice and Bob are using the BB84 protocol. Alice sends 100 qubits.

1. Probability That Bob Measures in the Same Basis as Alice:

Since Alice and Bob each choose the basis randomly, the probability that
Bob measures in the same basis as Alice for any given qubit is:

Probability=1/2

2. Expected Number of Matching Bases:

If Alice and Bob share 100 qubits, and each qubit is measured with the
same basis with probability 0.5:

Expected Number of Matching Bases=100×0.5=50

Problem 5: Key Sifting and Error Correction

Problem: After running the BB84 protocol, Alice and Bob end up with the
following bit strings:

 Alice's string: 11010010

 Bob's string (after measuring): 11010110

Alice and Bob decide to compare their bits using the BB84 protocol's key sifting
and error correction procedures.

1. Identify the bits where Alice and Bob have mismatches.

2. If the mismatched bits are due to a communication error, suggest a method
for Alice and Bob to estimate the error rate and correct the errors.

Alice’s string: 11010010

Bob’s string: 11010110

1. Mismatched Bits Identification:

Compare Alice's and Bob's strings bit by bit:

o 1st bit: Match (1 = 1)

o 2nd bit: Match (1 = 1)
o 3rd bit: No match (0 ≠ 0)
o 4th bit: Match (1 = 1)
o 5th bit: No match (0 ≠ 1)
o 6th bit: Match (0 = 0)
o 7th bit: Match (1 = 1)
o 8th bit: No match (0 ≠ 1)

Mismatched bits are at positions 3, 5, and 8.

2. Estimating Error Rate and Correction:

The number of mismatched bits = 3. Total bits compared = 8.

Error Rate=3/8×100%=37.5%

To correct these errors, Alice and Bob can use an error correction algorithm
like the Cascade protocol or other error-correcting codes, which will help
reconcile their bit strings.