dilithium

Dilithium is a fictional mineral in the Star Trek franchise. In the series and films, dilithium crystals regulate the matter-antimatter reactions that power warp-drive propulsion. They are depicted as crystalline substances with properties that permit controlled antimatter annihilation and the generation of warp fields. The crystals are rare and valuable, often mined on various planets or encountered as strategic resources. In-universe mechanics describe dilithium as forming a lattice that stabilizes the reaction and allows the crew to modulate warp power, coherence, and safety margins.

In cryptography, Dilithium is a lattice-based digital signature algorithm designed for resistance to quantum attacks. It is part of the CRYSTALS-Dilithium family and was a leading candidate in the NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography project. The scheme relies on module lattices and the Fiat-Shamir with aborts paradigm to provide signatures with relatively small sizes and fast verification. It offers several parameter sets (commonly referred to as Dilithium2, Dilithium3, and Dilithium4) that balance security level with performance. It is widely implemented in research and some libraries as a post-quantum option.

Origin of the name: The use of the term in cryptography is a nod to its Star Trek namesake.