SELECTION OF MASTER STATION AND SYNCHRONIZATION OF TRANSMISSION IN QUANTUM CRYPTOGRAPHY: A NOVEL APPROACH MOLOY DHAR, SANDIP TIGGA, SOURISH MITRA & SAYANI CHANDRA Guru Nanak Institute of Technology, Panihati, Kolkata, West Bengal, India ABSTRACT Two parties can communicate in secret if they already share a sufficient quantity of secret information. The problem then is how to distribute this secret information or key. Quantum cryptography provides the potential to ensure the security of the process of key distribution and hence to guarantee the covert nature of the communication. Quantum key distribution (QKD) uses quantum mechanics to guarantee secure communication. It enables two parties to produce a shared random secret key known only to them, which can then be used to encrypt and decrypt messages. Classical Cryptographic communication system is a secret communication that can only take place after a key is communicated in secret over a totally secure communication channel. Most widely used is the BB84 Protocol which was developed by IBM. In this paper takes advantage of Heisenberg’s principle in which measuring a quantum system disturbs it and yields incomplete information i.e. quantum key distribution which takes advantage of certain phenomena that occur at the subatomic level, so that any attempt by an enemy to obtain the bits in a key not only fails, but gets detected as well. In this paper, the intention was to propose the idea of an algorithm that can realize a quantum transmission between two computers. This algorithm, based on the result of the Secret Key conciliation process proposed by Bennett and Brassard on 1984 (BB84), can assure a high security communication between two users. The master station selection and its synchronized transmission oriented approach intend to be a quantum network algorithm that can realize a quantum connection between two computers. KEYWORDS: Quantum Key Distribution, Quantum Cryptography, Quantum Connection, Secret Key Reconciliation, Synchronized Transmission INTRODUCTION Cryptography (derived from the Greek words “kryptos” and “graphein” meaning hidden writing) is the science of codes and ciphers. An important and unique property of quantum distribution is the ability of the two communicating users to detect the presence of any third party trying to gain knowledge of the key. Well-known examples of quantum cryptography are the use of quantum communication to securely exchange a key (quantum key distribution) and the hypothetical use of quantum computers that would allow the breaking of various popular public-key encryption and signature schemes (e.g., RSA and ElGamal). A cipher is essentially a cryptographic algorithm which is used to convert a message, known as the plaintext, into unreadable ciphertext. The message can then be safely transmitted without fear of letting sensitive information fall into the hands of the enemy. Quantum cryptography describes the use of quantum mechanical effects (in particular quantum communication and quantum computation) to perform cryptographic tasks or to break cryptographic systems. The most well known and developed application of quantum cryptography is quantum key distribution (QKD) which describes the process of using quantum communication to establish a shared key between two parties (usually called Alice and Bob) without a third party (Eve) learning anything about that key, even if Eve can eavesdrop on all communication between Alice and Bob. This is achieved by Alice encoding the bits of the key as quantum data and sending them to Bob; if Eve tries to learn these bits, the messages will be disturbed and Alice and Bob will notice. International Journal of Computer Science Engineering and Information Technology Research (IJCSEITR) ISSN 2249-6831 Vol. 3, Issue 4, Oct 2013, 151-158 © TJPRC Pvt. Ltd.