New Light-Based Method Secures Optical Communication
BGU researchers develop a method that hides data within light structures, enhancing communication security against interception and quantum threats.
Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have developed a new approach to secure optical communication that hides information in the physical structure of light, making it difficult for unauthorized parties to intercept or decode.
The study addresses a growing challenge: advances in quantum computing are expected to weaken many of today’s encryption methods. While most security solutions rely on complex mathematical algorithms, this research adds protection earlier in the process—during the transmission of the signal itself.
The research was led by Dr. Judith Kupferman and Prof. Shlomi Arnon from the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. The findings were published in Optical and Quantum Electronics.
The researchers propose a communication method based on specially shaped light pulses, known as spatiotemporal optical vortices. These light beams are designed so that their key features are not visible in standard measurements.
To anyone trying to intercept the transmission, the signal appears uniform and carries no obvious information. Only a receiver that is precisely synchronized and has prior shared instructions can reconstruct the message.
In addition to hiding information in the structure of the light, the system also uses an algorithmic coordination method. Sender and receiver agree in advance on where real data is placed among many decoy signals, adding an extra layer of security.
Computer simulations showed that the method can transmit information reliably without revealing it through changes in beam size or intensity. The system was also found to be resilient to noise and capable of using many different signal patterns, increasing both security and data capacity.
The authors emphasize that the study presents a theoretical and simulation-based framework. It does not yet represent a deployed communication system, and further research will be needed to test how the method performs under real-world conditions, such as atmospheric interference.
The study was supported by the Israel Science Foundation (grant no. 897/21). Open-access funding was provided by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
