SaTC 2.0: RES: Foundations of Quantum Cryptography

Recent years have witnessed rapid progress in building large-scale quantum computers, the existence of which could make current cryptographic tools for protecting online communication, financial transactions, medical records, and government systems ineffective. This project studies how to obtain security in a future where powerful quantum computers exist, whether they are first used by attackers, offered for customers through remote computing services, or eventually become widely available services. The project will develop the foundations needed to protect data and computation in each of these settings and to identify new security capabilities that quantum information science may enable. The results can help secure communications, commerce, and health care against future attacks, while also making it safer for individuals and organizations to rely on remote quantum services. The project pursues four connected research directions in the foundations of quantum cryptography. First, it will study the real capabilities of quantum computers for breaking cryptosystems by improving algorithms, concrete resource estimates, and error-correction methods, with the goal of determining when large-scale code-breaking attacks may become practical. Second, it will broaden the basis of post-quantum cryptography by constructing advanced cryptographic primitives, such as homomorphic encryption, from alternatives to lattice-based hardness. The project will also advance this field by developing proof techniques that remain sound against quantum attackers. Third, it will investigate how a classical user can delegate computation to a quantum server and still verify correctness, including studying the minimal assumptions for verifiable delegation, and constructing succinct and publicly verifiable proofs that a quantum computation was carried out correctly. Fourth, it will study uniquely quantum capabilities, including quantum money, quantum copy protection, quantum one-time programs, and related forms of quantum program obfuscation. Together, these activities aim to deepen the theory of secure communication and computation in a quantum world. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. NSF Award ID: 2534400 | Program: 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT | Principal Investigator: Vinod Vaikuntanathan | Institution: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, CAMBRIDGE, MA | Award Amount: $1,200,000 View on NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2534400 View on Research.gov: https://www.research.gov/awardapi-service/v1/awards/2534400.html