Authentication for Quantum Networks is a two‑day workshop bringing together researchers from quantum communications, classical cryptography, theory, experiment, and industry to explore the authentication requirements that underpin secure quantum communication and future quantum networks.

Although QKD is often presented as providing information‑theoretic security, every QKD system depends on an authenticated classical channel. The details of how authentication is achieved, what resources it requires, and what level of security it offers are not always widely discussed within the quantum community. In light of recent scrutiny from organisations such as NCSC and NSA, there is a growing need for clearer understanding across the field.

The workshop aims to provide this broader perspective. The programme will combine accessible introductory tutorials with more technical talks, contributions from experimental groups working on authentication for QKD, and insights from industry on practical deployment. A poster session will give PhD students, postdocs, and other researchers an opportunity to present their work and engage with the community.

The event is open to all. It will be particularly valuable for researchers who work on QKD but have had limited exposure to authentication, for specialists from non-classical cryptography interested in quantum applications, and for early‑career researchers looking to strengthen their foundation in this area.

Deadline to apply for travel support has now passed.  

Registrations have reached the capacity of the venue, but if you would still like to attend, please contact one of the organisers (contact shared below). 

Tentative Schedule

Participants are requested to arrive and register for both days to the Strand building reception area on the Strand Campus of King's College London. Once registered, you will be given a day ticket that will allow you to go freely in and out of the campus for that day.

Monday 1 June [Tutorials in KIN 205 -- Lunch, coffee and poster in KIN 427 ]

• 11:45-12:30 Arrival (Registation) and Lunch. Arrival desk open in the Strand reception area (if you arrive later than 13:15, please ask the Strand reception desk)

• 12:50 Welcome: Roger Colbeck (King's College London)

• 13:00 Tutorial 1: Kit Battarbee (University of Edinbugh)

• 14:30 Coffee [KIN 427 -- King's Building]

• 15:00 Tutorial 2: An introduction to cryptographic authentication -- Martin Albrecht (King's College London)

• 16:30 Drinks/nibbles + poster session [KIN 427 -- King's building]

Tuesday 2 June [Talks/Tutorials in S -2.08 -- Lunch and coffee in S-2.23] Both rooms are on (-2) level of the Strand building. 

• 08:45 - 9:45: Arrival desk open in the Strand reception area (if you arrive later than 09:45, please ask the Strand reception desk)

• 09:15 Post-quantum methods – Ayesha Khalid (Queens University Belfast)

• 10:00 Hardware methods – Mina Doosti (Univerisity of Edinburgh)

• 10:45 Coffee

• 11:15 QKD security tutorial – Máté Farkas (University of York)

• 12:00 Lunch

• 13:20 Introduction to (categorical) composable cryptography– Martti Karvonen (University College London)

• 14:05 Scaling and recovering symmetric authentication in QKD – Catherine White (BT)

• 14:45 Coffee

• 15:15 Authentication: Perspectives from a chip-scale QKD vendor – Robert Starkwood (KETS)

• 15:50 Composably secure QKD Networks. Stefano Pirandola (University of York and Node Q)

• 16:30 Finish

Speakers

• Martin Albrecht, King's College London

• Catherine White, BT

• Máté Farkas, University of York

• Robert Starkwood, KETS

• Stefano Pirandola, University of York and NodeQ

• Ayesha Khalid, Queens University Belfast

• Mina Doosti, University of Edinburgh

• Martti Karvonen, University College London

• Kit Battarbee, University of Edinburgh

Organising Committee

• Rutvij Bhavsar*^, King's College London [rutvij.bhavsar@kcl.ac.uk]

• Kit Battarbee^, University of Edinburgh [kit.battarbee@ed.ac.uk]

• Roger Colbeck*, King's College London

• Ayesha Khalid, Queens University Belfast

• Mina Doosti, University of Edinburgh

*Local host.  ^Please feel free to contact for queries. 

Sponsors