Semi-quantum secret sharing is a fundamental topic in quantum communication that enables the transmission of classical secrets by combining quantum-capable senders with classically limited users. A comprehensive review of semi-quantum secret sharing schemes up to 2025 reveals that existing protocols typically rely on either the application of quantum operators or the assumption of fully trusted intermediary users, while the simultaneous presence of trusted and untrusted intermediaries without applying quantum operators has not been adequately addressed. In this paper, a novel semi-quantum secret sharing protocol is proposed in which no quantum operators are applied and both trusted and untrusted intermediary users coexist within the same framework. The protocol employs Bell and GHZ entangled states, while imposing stricter limitations on classical users, including the inability to apply quantum operators, generate qubits, store quantum states, or transmit qubits. Security is ensured through two independent verification phases, and intermediary users are prevented from accessing the shared secret. Moreover, the receiver cannot reconstruct the secret without the cooperation of intermediary users. The proposed protocol enables the transmission of two classical bits using each set of three GHZ qubits and demonstrates robustness against dishonest participants. Compared with recent semi-quantum secret sharing schemes, including threshold-based and decoy-assisted designs, the proposed method offers a distinct trade-off between security, practicality, and resource efficiency, highlighting its potential applicability in realistic semi-quantum communication scenarios.
bolokian, M. & houshmand, M. (2026). Semi-quantum secret sharing with trusted and untrusted intermediate users without applying operators. (e5359). Journal of Communication Engineering, (), e5359 https://doi.org/10.22070/jce.2026.21517.1295
MLA
bolokian, M., & houshmand, M. "Semi-quantum secret sharing with trusted and untrusted intermediate users without applying operators" .e5359 , Journal of Communication Engineering, , 2026, e5359. doi: 10.22070/jce.2026.21517.1295
HARVARD
bolokian, M., & houshmand, M. (2026). 'Semi-quantum secret sharing with trusted and untrusted intermediate users without applying operators', Journal of Communication Engineering, (), e5359. doi: 10.22070/jce.2026.21517.1295
CHICAGO
bolokian, M. & houshmand, M., "Semi-quantum secret sharing with trusted and untrusted intermediate users without applying operators." Journal of Communication Engineering, (2026): e5359, doi: 10.22070/jce.2026.21517.1295
VANCOUVER
bolokian M., houshmand M. Semi-quantum secret sharing with trusted and untrusted intermediate users without applying operators. Journal of Communication Engineering. 2026;():e5359. doi: 10.22070/jce.2026.21517.1295