Efficient multiparty quantum secret sharing based on a novel structure and single qubits

Abstract Quantum secret sharing (QSS) is a significant branch of quantum cryptography and can be widely used in various applications. Quantum secret sharing schemes can be developed by utilizing different features of quantum mechanics, and quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) is an effective way to achieve secret sharing using single qubits. The utilization of QSDC offers certain benefits, such as low cost, high security, and great potential for implementation with current technologies. However, the purpose of QSDC is different from that of QSS, which causes some vulnerabilities, such as dishonest participant attacks. We discover two critical factors that affect the security of traditional protocols. Firstly, they skip a few steps from the QSDC protocol to the QSS protocol. Secondly, the participants have different privileges. This can lead to participants with more privileges engaging in potential attack behavior. In light of these issues, this study proposes a new multiparty QSS scheme to address these vulnerabilities. The proposed protocol ensures the independence of each participant and grants them equal privileges. Analysis results demonstrate that it can defend against malicious attackers, retain the advantages of the QSDC protocol, and further reduce transmission costs. It achieves an excellent balance between security and performance.