Efficient Lattice-Based Cryptosystems with Key Dependent Message Security

Key-dependent message (KDM) security is of great research significance, to better analyse and solve the potential security problems in complex application scenarios. Most of the current KDM security schemes are based on traditional hard mathematical problems, where the public key and ciphertext are not compact enough, and make the ciphertext size grow linearly with the degree of the challenge functions. To solve the above problems and the inefficient ciphertext operation, the authors propose a compact lattice-based cryptosystem with a variant of the RLWE problem, which applies an invertible technique to obtain the RLWE* problem. It remains hard after the modification from the RLWE problem. Compared with the ACPS scheme, our scheme further expands the set of challenge functions based on the affine function of the secret key, and the size of public key and ciphertext is O˜(n), which is independent of the challenge functions. In addition, this scheme enjoys a high level of efficiency, the cost of encryption and decryption is only ploylog(n) bit operations per message symbol, and we also prove that our scheme is KDM-CPA secure under the RLWE* assumption.

Impact of Cation Stoichiometry on the Crystalline Structure and Superconductivity in Nickelates

The recent discovery of superconductivity in infinite-layer nickelate films has aroused great interest since it provides a new platform to explore the mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity. However, superconductivity only appears in the thin film form and synthesizing superconducting nickelate films is extremely challenging, limiting the in-depth studies on this compound. Here, we explore the critical parameters in the growth of high-quality nickelate films using molecular beam epitaxy. We found that stoichiometry is crucial in optimizing the crystalline structure and realizing superconductivity in nickelate films. In precursor NdNiO3 films, optimal stoichiometry of cations yields the most compact lattice while off-stoichiometry of cations causes obvious lattice expansion, influencing the subsequent topotactic reduction and the emergence of superconductivity in infinite-layer nickelates. Surprisingly, in-situ reflection high energy electron diffraction indicates that some impurity phases always appear once Sr ions are doped into NdNiO3 although the X-ray diffraction data are of high quality. While these impurity phases do not seem to suppress the superconductivity, their impacts on the electronic and magnetic structure deserve further studies. Our work demonstrates and highlights the significance of cation stoichiometry in the superconducting nickelate family.

Diffraction-limited storage-ring vacuum technology

Some of the characteristics of recent ultralow-emittance storage-ring designs and possibly future diffraction-limited storage rings are a compact lattice combined with small magnet apertures. Such requirements present a challenge for the design and performance of the vacuum system. The vacuum system should provide the required vacuum pressure for machine operation and be able to handle the heat load from synchrotron radiation. Small magnet apertures result in the conductance of the chamber being low, and lumped pumps are ineffective. One way to provide the required vacuum level is by distributed pumping, which can be realised by the use of a non-evaporable getter (NEG) coating of the chamber walls. It may not be possible to use crotch absorbers to absorb the heat from the synchrotron radiation because an antechamber is difficult to realise with such a compact lattice. To solve this, the chamber walls can work as distributed absorbers if they are made of a material with good thermal conductivity, and distributed cooling is used at the location where the synchrotron radiation hits the wall. The vacuum system of the 3 GeV storage ring of MAX IV is used as an example of possible solutions for vacuum technologies for diffraction-limited storage rings.