Absolutely secure distributed superdense coding: entanglement requirement for optimality

Abstract

Superdense coding uses entanglement as a resource to communicate classical information efficiently through quantum channels. A superdense coding method is optimal when its capacity reaches Holevo bound. We show that for optimality, maximal entanglement is a necessity across the bipartition of Alice and Bob, but neither absolute nor genuine multipartite entanglement is required. Unlike the previous schemes, which can transmit either even or odd bits of information, we demonstrate a generalized dense coding protocol using the genuine multipartite entangled GHZ state to send arbitrary information bits. Expressed in the eigenbasis of different Pauli operators, GHZ state is characterized by a unique parity pattern which enables us to formulate a security checking technique to ensure absolute security of the protocol. We show this method is better applicable in a scenario, where the initial information is distributed among spatially separated parties. Finally, optimizing the number of qubit(s) sent to Bob, we construct a distributed dense coding method, which completely depicts absolutely secure quantum communication between many to one party.