A feasible semi-quantum private comparison based on entanglement swapping of Bell states

Semi-quantum private comparison (SQPC) enables two classical users with limited quantum capabilities to compare confidential information using a semi-honest third party (TP) with full quantum power. However, entanglement swapping, as an important property of quantum mechanics in previously proposed SQPC protocols is usually neglected. In this paper, we propose a feasible SQPC protocol based on the entanglement swapping of Bell states, eliminating the need for an additional semi-quantum key distribution protocol to ensure the security of private data. Security analysis shows that our protocol is resilient to both external and internal attacks. To verify the feasibility and correctness of the proposed SQPC protocol, we design and simulate the corresponding quantum circuits using IBM Qiskit. Finally, we compare and discuss our protocol with related work. The results reveal that our protocol maintains high qubit efficiency, even when entanglement swapping is employed. Consequently, our proposed approach showcases the potential applications of entanglement swapping in the field of semi-quantum cryptography. (c) 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.