Quantum Hacking
& Certification Lab
The main direction of the lab’s research is testing practical security of quantum communication systems, finding and demonstrating their loopholes, and helping to develop and test countermeasures.
Quantum cryptography is absolutely secure in theory, but practical implementations often deviate from the theory description, which leaves loopholes for eavesdropping.
By openly publishing all our results, we ensure the hardening of quantum communication technology against all possible attacks.
One of the main activities of the lab is to contribute to certification standards for quantum communication systems and their components.
Journal papers
15. D. Ruzhitskaya, I. Zhluktova, A. Ponosova, F. Ushakov, A. Zverev, G. Tertyshnikova, T. Xing, K. Min’kov, D. Trefilov, A. Huang, V. Kamynin, V. Tsvetkov, and V. Makarov, “Robustness of fiber-optic attenuators to 1061-nm sub-nanosecond pulsed laser radiation in quantum key distribution systems”, preprint arXiv:2604.25620 (2026).
14. A. Huang, Q. Peng, J. Liu, X. Yuan, C. Peng, Z. Yang, H. Wu, Z. Chen, G. Sun, F. Wang, and V. Makarov, “Penetration testing of quantum key distribution system as a black box”, Natl. Sci. Rev. advance publication nwag174 (2026).
13. K. Zaitsev, V. Bizin, D. Kuzmin, and V. Makarov, “Energy–time attack on detectors in quantum key distribution”, preprint arXiv:2603.07538 (2026).
12. B. Gao, J. Liu, E. Borisova, H. Tan, M. Zhong, Z. Chen, Q. Peng, W. Shi, A. Ponosova, V. Makarov, and A. Huang, “Spectral side channels in quantum key distribution under laser damage”, preprint arXiv:2512.11701 (2025).
11. E. Borisova, A. Ponosova, N. Arutyunyan, A. Shilko, E. Obraztsova, B. Galagan, and V. Makarov, “Fiber-optic power limiter device based on carbon nanotubes”, preprint arXiv:2510.09301 (2025).
10. S. Juárez, A. Marcomini, M. Petrov, R. I. Woodward, T. J. Dowling, R. M. Stevenson, M. Curty, and D. Rusca, “Reference-beam attacks against twin-field quantum key distribution using optical injection locking”, Phys. Rev. A 113, 032613 (2026).
9. H. Tan, M. Petrov, W. Zhang, L. Han, S.-K. Liao, V. Makarov, F. Xu, and J.-W. Pan, “Wide-spectrum security of quantum key distribution”, PRX Quantum 6, 040331 (2025).
8. A. Ponosova, I. Zhluktova, D. Ruzhitskaya, D. Trefilov, A. Huang, A. Wolf, V. Kamynin, V. Tsvetkov, and V. Makarov, “Pulsed laser attack at 1061 nm potentially compromises quantum key distribution”, Appl. Phys. Lett. 127, 194002 (2025).
7. M. Fadeev, A. Ponosova, Q. Peng, A. Huang, R. Shakhovoy, and V. Makarov, “Optical-pumping attack on a quantum key distribution laser source”, Opt. Express 33, 47001 (2025).
6. N. Sultana, J. Krynski, J. G. Lim, J. Floyd, M. Lembeck, V. Makarov, P. Kwiat, and T. Jennewein, “CubeSat single-photon detector module for investigating in-orbit laser annealing to heal radiation damage”, preprint arXiv:2412.20559 (2024).
5. A. Podlazov and V. Makarov, “Dual approach to proving electoral fraud via statistics and forensics”, preprint arXiv:2412.04535 (2024).
4. D. Trefilov, X. Sixto, V. Zapatero, A. Huang, M. Curty, V. Makarov, “Intensity correlations in decoy-state BB84 quantum key distribution systems”, Optica Quantum 3, 417 (2025).
3. Q. Peng, B. Gao, K. Zaitsev, D. Wang, J. Ding, Y. Liu, Q. Liao, Y. Guo, A. Huang, and J. Wu, “Security boundaries of an optical-power limiter for protecting quantum-key-distribution systems”, Physical Review Applied 22, 014026 (2024).
2. V. Makarov, A. Abrikosov, P. Chaiwongkhot, A. K. Fedorov, A. Huang, E. Kiktenko, M. Petrov, A. Ponosova, D. Ruzhitskaya, A. Tayduganov, D. Trefilov, and K. Zaitsev. “Preparing a commercial quantum key distribution system for certification against implementation loopholes”, Physical Review Applied 22, 044076 (2024).
- 1. P. Acheva, K. Zaitsev, V. Zavodilenko, A. Losev, A. Huang, and V. Makarov, “Automated verification of countermeasure against detector-control attack in quantum key distribution”, EPJ Quantum Technol. 10, 22 (2023).
Proceedings
1. D. Ruzhitskaya, I. Zhluktova, A. Ponosova, D. Trefilov, P. Chaiwongkhot, A. Huang, V. Kamynin, V. Makarov, “Resilience of Quantum Key Distribution Source against Laser-Damage Attack by a Variety of Lasers”, in 2023 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC), paper 10231603 (2023).
Books
International conferences
7. T. Xing, Á. Navarrete, Y. Du, Z. Zhao, D. Trefilov, X. Hua, X. Xiao, V. Makarov, K. Wei, M. Curty, A. Huang, “Cross polarization-intensity correlations in chip-based QKD”, 15th international conference on quantum cryptography (QCRYPT2025), Sanya, Hainan, China, 25-29 August 2025.
6. D. Trefilov, X. Sixto, V. Zapatero, A. Huang, M. Curty, V. Makarov, “Intensity correlations in decoy-state BB84 quantum key distribution systems”, 4th International symposium on quantum science, technology and innovation (Quantum Innovation 2024), Tokyo, Japan, 21-23 October 2024.
5. V. Makarov, A. Abrikosov, P. Chaiwongkhot, A. K. Fedorov, A. Huang, E. Kiktenko, M. Petrov, A. Ponosova, D. Ruzhitskaya, A. Tayduganov, D. Trefilov, and K. Zaitsev. “Preparing a commercial quantum key distribution system for certification against implementation loopholes”, 14th international conference on quantum cryptography (QCRYPT2024), Vigo, Spain, 2-6 September 2024.
4. D. Trefilov, X. Sixto, V. Zapatero, A. Huang, M. Curty, V. Makarov, “Intensity correlations in decoy-state BB84 QKD systems”, 14th international conference on quantum cryptography (QCRYPT2024), Vigo, Spain, 2-6 September 2024.
3. D. Trefilov, X. Sixto, V. Zapatero, A. Huang, M. Curty, and V. Makarov, “Intersymbol intensity correlations in BB84 decoy-state QKD systems”, 2023 International Workshop on Quantum Information, Zhangjiajie, China, 04-08 July (2023).
2. D. Trefilov, X. Sixto, V. Zapatero, A. Huang, M. Curty, and V. Makarov, “Intersymbol intensity correlations in BB84 decoy-state QKD systems”, QUANTA International Symposium on Quantum Science and Technology (QiQ 2023), Changsha, China, 01-03 July (2023).
1. D. Ruzhitskaya, I. Zhluktova, A. Ponosova, D. Trefilov, P. Chaiwongkhot, A. Huang, V. Kamynin, and V. Makarov, “Resilience of quantum key distribution source against laser-damage attack by a variety of lasers”, CLEO/Europe-EQEC 2023, Munich, Germany, 26-30 June (2023).
National conferences
2. D. Trefilov, X. Sixto, V. Zapatero, A. Huang, M. Curty, V. Makarov, “Intersymbol intensity correlations in BB84 decoy-state QKD systems”, Kick-off Primera Reunión Nacional del Plan Complementario de Comunicaciones Cuánticas, 19-21 September 2023, Madrid.
1.K. Zaitsev, P. Acheva, V. Makarov, “Testing single-photon detector with a countermeasure”, Kick-off Primera Reunión Nacional del Plan Complementario de Comunicaciones Cuánticas, 19-21 September 2023, Madrid.
News
