Quantum entanglement for secret sharing and secret splitting

Abstract

We show how a quantum secret sharing protocol, similar to that of Hillery, Buzek, and Berthiaume (Los Alamos e-print archive quant-ph/9806063), can be implemented using two-particle quantum entanglement, as available experimentally today. We also discuss in some detail how both two- and three-particle protocols must be carefully designed in order to detect eavesdropping or a dishonest participant. We also discuss the extension of a multiparticle entanglement secret sharing and splitting scheme toward a protocol so that m of n persons with $m<~n$ can retrieve the secret.