Measurements For State Discrimination Research Articles

Testing complementarity on a transmon quantum processor

We propose quantum circuits to test interferometric complementarity using symmetric two-way interferometers coupled to a which-path detector. First, we consider the two-qubit setup in which the controlled transfer of path information to the detector subsystem depletes interference on the probed subspace, testing the visibility-distinguishability tradeoff via minimum-error state discrimination measurements. Next, we consider the quantum eraser setup, in which reading out path information in the right basis recovers an interference pattern. These experiments are then carried out in an IBM superconducting transmon processor. A detailed analysis of the results is provided. Despite finding good agreement with theory at a coarse level, we also identify small but persistent systematic deviations preventing the observation of full particlelike and wavelike statistics. We understand them by carefully modeling two-qubit gates, showing that even small coherent errors in their implementation preclude the observation of Bohr's strong formulation of complementarity.

Helstrom measurement: A nondestructive implementation

We discuss an implementation of the minimum error state discrimination measurement, originally introduced by Helstrom [Quantum Detection and Estimation Theory (Academic Press, New York, 1976)]. In this implementation, instead of performing the optimal projective measurement directly on the system, it is first entangled to an ancillary system and the measurement is performed on the ancilla. We show that, by an appropriate choice of the entanglement transformation, the Helstrom bound can be attained. The advantage of this approach is twofold. First, it provides an implementation when the optimal projective measurement cannot be directly performed. For example, in the case of continuous variable states (binary and $N$ phase-shifted coherent signals), the available detection methods, photon counting and homodyning, are insufficient to perform the required cat-state projection. In the case of symmetric states, the square-root measurement is optimal, but it is not easy to perform directly for more than two states. Our approach provides a feasible alternative in both cases. Second, the measurement is nondestructive from the point of view of the original system and one has a certain amount of freedom in designing the post-measurement state, which can then be processed further.

Sequential discrimination of qudits by multiple observers

We discuss a scheme in which sequential state-discrimination measurements are performed on qudits to determine the quantum state in which they were initially prepared. The qudits belong to a set of nonorthogonal quantum states and hence cannot be distinguished with certainty. Unambiguous state discrimination allows error-free measurements at the expense of occasionally failing to give a conclusive answer about the state of the qudit. Qudits have the potential to carry more information per transmission than qubits. We considered the situation in which Alice sends one of N qudits, where the dimension of the qudits is also N. We looked at two cases, one in which the states all have the same overlap and one in which the qudits are divided into two sets, with qudits in different sets having different overlaps. We also studied the robustness of our scheme against a simple eavesdropping attack and found that by using qudits rather than qubits, there is a greater probability that an eavesdropper will introduce errors and be detected.

Extracting information from a qubit by multiple observers: toward a theory of sequential state discrimination.

We discuss sequential unambiguous state-discrimination measurements performed on the same qubit. Alice prepares a qubit in one of two possible states. The qubit is first sent to Bob, who measures it, and then on to Charlie, who also measures it. The object in both cases is to determine which state Alice sent. In an unambiguous state discrimination measurement, we never make a mistake, i.e., misidentify the state, but the measurement may fail, in which case we gain no information about which state was sent. We find that there is a nonzero probability for both Bob and Charlie to identify the state, and we maximize this probability. The probability that Charlie's measurement succeeds depends on how much information about the state Alice sent is left in the qubit after Bob's measurement, and this information can be quantified by the overlap between the two possible states in which Bob's measurement leaves the qubit. This Letter is a first step toward developing a theory of nondestructive sequential quantum measurements, which could be useful in quantum communication schemes.

Notes on Entropic Uncertainty Relations Beyond the Scope of Riesz’s Theorem

We discuss those relations for entropies of two quantum measurements that do not follow from the Riesz theorem and its varieties. As measures of an uncertainty, both the Renyi entropies and Tsallis entropies are utilized. It is assumed that values of entropic parameters do not share the usual relation which is required for application of Riesz’s theorem. As is shown, the question is quite reduced to estimating from below the sum or the product of norm-like functions of two generated probability distributions. The considered approach is developed in details within the two examples. In the first example, entropic uncertainty relations are given for a pair of spin-1/2 components along two non-orthogonal axes. The second example deals with two measurements for state discrimination. The former projective measurement is assigned to the Helstrom scheme, the second POVM is related to the B92 protocol of quantum key distribution.

Differential-phase-shift quantum key distribution with phase modulation to combat sequential attacks

Phase-modulated differential-phase-shift (DPS) quantum key distribution (QKD) is presented for combating sequential attacks that most severely restrict the DPS-QKD system distance. Slow phase modulation imposed onto the DPS signal obstructs the optimum unambiguous state discrimination measurement conducted in the sequential attack and improves the QKD distance as a result. The condition with which the phase modulation does not degrade the DPS-QKD system performance is also described.

Rényi formulation of the entropic uncertainty principle for POVMs

Uncertainty relations for a pair of arbitrary measurements are posed in the form of inequalities using the Rényi entropies. The formulation deals with POVM measurements on finite-dimensional Hilbert space. Both the entropic uncertainty relations with state-dependent and state-independent bounds are presented. The results are illustrated on the example of measurements for state discrimination.

Strategies and networks for state-dependent quantum cloning

State-dependent cloning machines that have so far been considered either deterministically copy a set of states approximately, or probablistically copy them exactly. In considering the case of two equiprobable pure states, we derive the maximum global fidelity of $N$ approximate clones given $M$ initial exact copies, where $N>M$. We also consider strategies which interpolate between approximate and exact cloning. A tight inequality is obtained which expresses a trade-off between the global fidelity and success probability. This inequality is found to tend, in the limit as $N{\to}{\infty}$, to a known inequality which expresses the trade-off between error and inconclusive result probabilities for state-discrimination measurements. Quantum-computational networks are also constructed for the kinds of cloning machine we describe. For this purpose, we introduce two gates: the distinguishability transfer and state separation gates. Their key properties are described

Entanglement and unambiguous discrimination between non-orthogonal states

We study the effect of unambiguous state-discrimination measurements on entangled quantum systems. These are shown to be equivalent to certain methods of entanglement concentration. We also examine the consequences of performing such measurements within the context of the Hardy-Goldstein demonstration of nonlocality without inequalities. The correlations induced by such measurements are, unlike those associated with von Neumann measurements, compatible with local-realism.