Verifier-initiated quantum message-authentication via quantum zero-knowledge proofs

Abstract:On-demand authentication is critical for scalable quantum systems, yet many existing quantum signature and message-authentication schemes are signer-initiated, requiring advance distribution of authentication material even when no verification occurs. We introduce verifier-initiated quantum digital signatures (VIQDS), in which the verifier requests authentication only when needed and the signer responds once; after issuance, verification proceeds without further interaction. Practically, shifting authentication to a verifier-driven, on-demand workflow reduces avoidable communication and storage overhead and aligns with deployments where verification is sporadic, such as distributed services and audit-oriented infrastructures. Our approach leverages quantum zero-knowledge techniques so that verification reveals nothing about the signer's secret key beyond the fact that the signature is valid. We present a general conversion principle from suitable quantum proof protocols to VIQDS, together with a concrete realization based on elementary qubit platforms. Here, we show information-theoretic security against forgery and privacy against curious verifiers without computational hardness assumptions.

arXiv:2512.05420 [quant-ph]

(or arXiv:2512.05420v2 [quant-ph] for this version)

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2512.05420 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite

Wang, W., Hayashi, M. Verifier-initiated quantum message-authentication via quantum zero-knowledge proofs. Nat Commun 17, 6137 (2026)

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-74620-w Focus to learn more DOI(s) linking to related resources

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