QuIKS: Near-Zero Latency Key Supply with Adaptive Buffering for Resource-Efficient Quantum Key Distribution Networks
2026-04-10 • Networking and Internet Architecture
Networking and Internet Architecture
AI summaryⓘ
The authors developed QuIKS, a new method for quickly supplying secure keys in quantum key distribution (QKD) networks, which helps keep data safe when sent over long distances. Unlike previous methods that used large amounts of stored keys and were inefficient, QuIKS uses an analytical model to keep buffer sizes very small while still delivering keys almost instantly. Their approach adjusts key requests and buffer sizes based on real-time data and network conditions. Tests on a real QKD network showed that QuIKS greatly reduces delays and uses much less key storage than other methods.
Quantum key distribution (QKD)key bufferingkey supply latencyadaptive bufferingkey relayingbuffer sizenetwork conditionscryptographyquantum computing
Authors
Yuxin Chen, Zite Xia, Jian Li, Kaiping Xue, Zhonghui Li, Lutong Chen, Ruidong Li
Abstract
Quantum key distribution (QKD) networks provide information-theoretically secure keys for distant parties, emerging as a vital alternative to classical cryptography infrastructures threatened by quantum computing. In QKD networks, the immediacy of key supply service is crucial to the security and performance of applications, as their data must be encrypted before transmission. While key buffering can enable instant key supply services, existing schemes rely on heuristic solutions that incur prohibitive key resource consumption, thus significantly hindering practical deployment. To address this issue, we propose QuIKS, an instant key supply scheme based on adaptive buffering, offering the dominant advantage of near-zero key supply latency while consuming ultra-low key resources (i.e., ultra-low buffer size). Specifically, it is built upon a novel analytical model that determines the minimum buffer size required to guarantee near-zero-latency key supply performance. Guided by this model, QuIKS introduces a lightweight two-phase control algorithm that dynamically determines key relaying requests and adjusts the buffer size by probing real-time application patterns and network conditions. Experiments on a real QKD network testbed demonstrate that QuIKS achieves near-zero key supply latency while providing a more than 10-fold reduction in key buffer size compared to state-of-the-art schemes.