Noise Level Modulation for Secure Optical Communications

Year: 2024

Authors: Caputo S., Viciani S., Gherardini S., Borghini G., Cataliotti F.S., Mucchi L.

Autors Affiliation: Univ Florence, Dept Informat Engn, F-50139 Florence, Italy; Natl Inst Opt CNR CNR INO, F-50125 Florence, Italy.

Abstract: Noise Level Modulation (NLM) is a robust physical-layer security technique which uses the injection of random phase noise into the transmitted signal to provide confidentiality in optical networks. The legitimate receiver can seamlessly recover the information by utilizing a feedback loop, while eavesdropping attempts fail, irrespective of the attacker’s location or computational capabilities. This paper outlines the theoretical and implementation principles of NLM when applied to full fiber-optic networks. Our findings reveal that NLM can attain a complete secrecy rate while ensuring compatibility with existing optical devices and protocols. We also propose a practical fiber optic-based implementation scheme, providing a thorough analysis of its variations from the theoretical framework. Furthermore, we delve into the challenges associated with NLM in the context of secure full optical communication systems and explore potential future directions.

Journal/Review: IEEE Access

Volume: 12      Pages from: 148693  to: 148705

More Information: This work was supported in part by the European Union under the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) ofNextGenerationEU, partnership on ’’Telecommunications of the Future’’ Program ’’Research and Innovation on FutureTelecommunications Systems and Networks, to make Italy more Smart (RESTART)’’ under Grant PE00000001.
KeyWords: Optical fibers; Security; Optical receivers; Optical fiber networks; Encryption; Optical noise; Noise measurement; Optical modulation; Optical transmitters; Optical fiber devices; Optical fiber communication; Information security; Optical communications; physical layer security; noise injection; noise modulation; information theoretical security
DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2024.3476520