Quaid100K Achieved: Pakistan Steps into Quantum-Secure Future with 100,000-Bit QKD Key

Date: April 22, 2025

In a groundbreaking leap for quantum cryptography, Dr. Zuhair Ahmed, Founder of Quantum Research at the Centre of Excellence for Technology Quantum and AI Pakistan (CETQAP), has led his team to generate Pakistan’s first-ever 100,000-bit BB84 Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) protocol using IBM’s Sherbrooke quantum computer. Completed on April 21, 2025, this monumental experiment is likely the largest of its kind conducted on cloud-accessible quantum hardware, culminating in the creation of a secure 256-bit cryptographic key. This achievement establishes Pakistan as a formidable presence in the global quantum arena.

Mastering the BB84 Process

The BB84 protocol, originally introduced by Charles Bennett and Gilles Brassard in 1984, uses the principles of quantum mechanics to securely share cryptographic keys. Dr. Zuhair’s team executed the protocol with high precision on IBM’s 127-qubit Sherbrooke quantum system using Qiskit 0.38.0. The full experimental flow included:

1. Random Bit Generation
   100,000 random bits were generated for Alice’s key and basis selections, as well as Bob’s basis selections, via a secure RNG to ensure non-determinism.
2. Quantum Circuit Design
   10,000 circuits (each with 10 qubits) were created. Alice’s bits applied X-gates, and basis choices applied Hadamard gates accordingly. Bob’s basis similarly applied Hadamard gates before measurement.
3. Execution on Quantum Hardware
   These circuits were executed in 100 batch jobs (job ID: d03fp00qnmvg0082bedg) using XGate dynamical decoupling and a 5% bit-flip error model with matrix inversion mitigation, achieving a QBER of ~1–2%.
4. Basis Sifting
   Alice and Bob publicly compared their bases and retained only the matched ones (~50%), resulting in a ~50,000-bit sifted key.
5. Error Correction
   A multi-round LDPC-like parity check across block sizes (8 to 128) ensured identical keys, confirmed via a sampled QBER analysis.
6. Privacy Amplification
   The corrected key was reduced via SHA-256 hashing, resulting in a 256-bit final secure key (e.g., first 10 bits: [0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1]). The complete key is included in supplementary materials.

This precise sequence, conducted over 3–4 days, mirrors world-class QKD standards, with a QBER performance of ~1–2%, rivaling best-known benchmarks.

Testing Security: Simulated Eavesdropping

To validate the protocol’s robustness, Dr. Zuhair’s team simulated an intercept-resend attack where an adversary (Eve) measured qubits randomly and resent them, causing a QBER spike to ~25%—well above the 15% safety threshold. The original run showed no such attack, confirming the 256-bit key’s integrity and underscoring BB84’s resilience.

A Global Quantum Benchmark

A detailed literature scan (arXiv, IEEE Xplore, QCRYPT 2024) and social media review (as of April 22, 2025) found no public reports of BB84 QKD reaching 100,000 bits on quantum hardware. The closest effort in 2024 used 45 qubits with a significantly smaller key. With 10,000 circuits and a 50,000-bit sifted key, Dr. Zuhair’s experiment is likely a world-first—solidifying CETQAP’s leadership in cloud-based quantum cryptography.

“Quaid100K isn’t just a technical achievement—it’s a symbol of national pride,” said Dr. Zuhair. “At CETQAP, we’re laying the quantum foundation of Pakistan’s digital future.”

Visualizing Quantum Progress

A QBER trajectory visual (shared in the supplementary materials) shows:

• 2% QBER at 5,000 bits (Job ID: d03e73m6rr3g008s7aq0)
• 0% QBER at 10,000 bits (d03f070nhqag008vjwq0)
• ~1.5% QBER at 100,000 bits

These milestones reinforce the method’s scalability and reliability, powered by the cwq environment tailored for Qiskit.

Acknowledgments:
Thanks to IBM Quantum for providing access to Sherbrooke, CETQAP for its pioneering leadership, and the Qiskit community for invaluable tools and collaboration.

Results are based on experiments conducted on April 21, 2025, using Qiskit 0.38.0.