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Complexity Limitations on One-turn Quantum Refereed Games

This paper studies complexity theoretic aspects of quantum refereed games, which are abstract games between two competing players that send quantum states to a referee, who performs an efficiently implementable joint measurement on the two states to determine which of the player wins. The complexity class QRG(1) contains those decision problems for which one of the players can always win with high probability on yes-instances and the other player can always win with high probability on no-instances, regardless of the opposing player’s strategy. This class trivially contains QMA ∪co-QMA and is known to be contained in PSPACE. We prove stronger containments on two restricted variants of this class. Specifically, if one of the players is limited to sending a classical (probabilistic) state rather than a quantum state, the resulting complexity class CQRG(1) is contained in ∃⋅PP (the nondeterministic polynomial-time operator applied to PP); while if both players send quantum states but the referee is forced to measure one of the states first, and incorporates the classical outcome of this measurement into a measurement of the second state, the resulting class MQRG(1) is contained in P ⋅PP (the unbounded-error probabilistic polynomial-time operator applied to PP).

Improving the Performance of Continuous-Variable Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key Distribution via a Noiseless Linear Amplifier.

In the continuous variable measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (CV-MDI-QKD) protocol, both Alice and Bob send quantum states to an untrusted third party, Charlie, for detection through the quantum channel. In this paper, we mainly study the performance of the CV-MDI-QKD system using the noiseless linear amplifier (NLA). The NLA is added to the output of the detector at Charlie’s side. The research results show that NLA can increase the communication distance and secret key rate of the CV-MDI-QKD protocol. Moreover, we find that the more powerful the improvement of the performance with the longer gain of NLA and the optimum gain is given under different conditions.

Quantum repeaters in space

Long-distance entanglement is a very precious resource, but its distribution is very difficult due to the exponential losses of light in optical fibres. A possible solution consists in the use of quantum repeaters, based on entanglement swapping (ES) or quantum error correction. Alternatively, satellite-based free-space optical links can be exploited, achieving better loss-distance scaling. We propose to combine these two ingredients, quantum repeaters and satellite-based links, into a scheme that allows to achieve entanglement distribution over global distances with a small number of intermediate untrusted nodes. The entanglement sources, placed on satellites, send quantum states encoded in photons towards orbiting quantum repeater stations, where ES is performed. The performance of this repeater chain is assessed in terms of the secret key rate achievable by the BBM92 cryptographic protocol. We perform a comparison with other repeater chain architectures and show that our scheme, even though more technically demanding, is superior in many situations of interest. Finally, we analyse strengths and weaknesses of the proposed scheme and discuss exemplary orbital configurations. The integration of satellite-based links with ground repeater networks can be envisaged to represent the backbone of the future quantum internet.

Distributed Private Randomness Distillation.

We develop the resource theory of private randomness extraction in the distributed and device-dependent scenario. We begin by introducing the notion of independent random bits, which are bipartite states containing ideal private randomness for each party, and motivate the natural set of free operations. As a conceptual tool, we introduce virtual quantum state merging, which is essentially the flip side of quantum state merging, without communication. We focus on the bipartite case and find the rate regions achievable in different settings. Surprisingly, it turns out that local noise can boost randomness extraction. As a consequence of our analysis, we resolve a long-standing problem by giving an operational interpretation for the reverse coherent information (up to a constant term logd) as the number of private random bits obtained by sending quantum states from one honest party (server) to another one (client) via the eavesdropped quantum channel.

Semi-quantum protocol for deterministic secure quantum communication using Bell states

Based on Bell states, this paper proposes a semi-quantum protocol enabling the limited semi-quantum or “classical” user Bob to transmit the secret message to a fully quantum Alice directly. A classical user is restricted to measure, prepare, reorder and send quantum states only in the classical basis \( \{ \left| 0 \right\rangle ,\left| 1 \right\rangle \} \). The protocol must rely on the quantum Alice to produce Bell states, perform Bell basis measurement and store qubits, but the classical party Bob does not require quantum memory. Security and efficiency of the proposed schemes have been discussed. The analysis results show that the protocol is secure against some eavesdropping attacks and the qubit efficiency of the protocol is higher than the other related semi-quantum protocols.

Intracity Quantum Communication via Thermal Microwave Networks

Communication over proven-secure quantum channels is potentially one of the most wide-ranging applications of currently developed quantum technologies. It is generally envisioned that in future quantum networks, separated nodes containing stationary solid-state or atomic qubits are connected via the exchange of optical photons over large distances. In this work we explore an intriguing alternative for quantum communication via all-microwave networks. To make this possible, we describe a general protocol for sending quantum states through thermal channels, even when the number of thermal photons in the channel is much larger than one. The protocol can be implemented with state-of-the-art superconducting circuits and enables the transfer of quantum states over distances of ~100 m via microwave transmission lines cooled to only T=4K. This opens up completely new possibilities for quantum communication within and across buildings, and consequently, for the implementation of intra-city quantum networks based on microwave technology only.

Experimental noiseless linear amplification using weak measurements

The viability of quantum communication schemes rely on sending quantum states of light over long distances. However, transmission loss can degrade the signal strength, adding noise. Heralded noiseless amplification of a quantum signal can provide a solution by enabling longer direct transmission distances and by enabling entanglement distillation. The central idea of heralded noiseless amplification—a conditional modification of the probability distribution over photon number of an optical quantum state—is suggestive of a parallel with weak measurement: in a weak measurement, learning partial information about an observable leads to a conditional back-action of a commensurate size. Here we experimentally investigate the application of weak, or variable-strength, measurements to the task of heralded amplification, by using a quantum logic gate to weakly couple a small single-optical-mode quantum state (the signal) to an ancilla photon (the meter). The weak measurement is carried out by choosing the measurement basis of the meter photon and, by conditioning on the meter outcomes, the signal is amplified. We characterise the gain of the amplifier as a function of the measurement strength, and use interferometric methods to show that the operation preserves the coherence of the signal.

Three-step semiquantum secure direct communication protocol

Quantum secure direct communication is the direct communication of secret messages without need for establishing a shared secret key first. In the existing schemes, quantum secure direct communication is possible only when both parties are quantum. In this paper, we construct a three-step semiquantum secure direct communication (SQSDC) protocol based on single photon sources in which the sender Alice is classical. In a semiquantum protocol, a person is termed classical if he (she) can measure, prepare and send quantum states only with the fixed orthogonal quantum basis{|0>,|1>}. The security of the proposed SQSDC protocol is guaranteed by the complete robustness of semiquantum key distribution protocols and the unconditional security of classical one-time pad encryption. Therefore, the proposed SQSDC protocol is also completely robust. Complete robustness indicates that nonzero information acquired by an eavesdropper Eve on the secret message implies the nonzero probability that the legitimate participants can find errors on the bits tested by this protocol. In the proposed protocol, we suggest a method to check Eves disturbing in the doves returning phase such that Alice does not need to announce publicly any position or their coded bits value after the photons transmission is completed. Moreover, the proposed SQSDC protocol can be implemented with the existing techniques. Compared with many quantum secure direct communication protocols, the proposed SQSDC protocol has two merits: firstly the sender only needs classical capabilities; secondly to check Eves disturbing after the transmission of quantum states, no additional classical information is needed.

Controlled Simultaneous Teleportation and Dense Coding

We propose a teleportation protocol and a dense coding protocol. In these protocols, one sender intends to send quantum states or classical bits to two receivers through two GHZ entanglement channels. The entanglement channels are locked by the sender and the communication process is supervised by a controller. In order to obtain the messages, the receivers need the controller’s permission, and must collaborate to unlock the entanglement channels.

Teleportation is necessary for faithful quantum state transfer through noisy channels of maximal rank

Quantum teleportation enables deterministic and faithful transmission of quantum states, provided a maximally entangled state is pre-shared between sender and receiver, and a one-way classical channel is available. Here, we prove that these resources are not only sufficient, but also necessary, for deterministically and faithfully sending quantum states through any fixed noisy channel of maximal rank, when a single use of the cannel is admitted. In other words, for this family of channels, there are no other protocols, based on different (and possibly cheaper) sets of resources, capable of replacing quantum teleportation.

Conjugate degradability and the quantum capacity of cloning channels

A quantum channel is conjugate degradable if the channel’s environment can be simulated up to complex conjugation using the channel’s output. For all such channels, the quantum capacity can be evaluated using a single-letter formula. In this article we introduce conjugate degradability and establish a number of its basic properties. We then use it to calculate the quantum capacity of N to N+1 and 1 to M universal quantum cloning machines as well as the quantum capacity of a channel that arises naturally when data are being transmitted to an accelerating receiver. All the channels considered turn out to have strictly positive quantum capacity, meaning they could be used as part of a communication system to send quantum states reliably.

Unconditional Privacy over Channels which Cannot Convey Quantum Information

Quantum cryptography enables one to verify that the state of the quantum system has not been tampered with and thus one can obtain privacy regardless of the power of the eavesdropper. All previous protocols relied on the ability to faithfully send quantum states or equivalently to share pure entanglement. Here we show this need not be the case-one can obtain verifiable privacy even through some channels which cannot be used to reliably send quantum states.

Output state in multiple entanglement swapping

The technique of quantum repeaters is a promising candidate for sending quantum states over long distances through a lossy channel. The usual discussion of this technique deals with only a finite-dimensional Hilbert space. However the qubits, with which one implements this procedure, will ``ride'' on continuous degrees of freedom of the carrier particles. Here we analyze the action of quantum repeaters using a model based on pulsed parametric down-conversion entanglement swapping. Our model contains the basic traits of a real experiment. We show that the state created, after the use of any number of parametric down-converters in a series of entanglement swappings, is always an entangled (actually distillable) state, although of a different form than the one that is usually assumed. Furthermore, the output state always violates a Bell inequality.

Transfer function approach to quantum control- part II: control concepts and applications

Based on the stochastic differential equation of quantum mechanical feedback obtained in the first part of this paper, detailed control concepts and applications are discussed for quantum systems interacting with a noncommutative noise source. A feedback system in our framework is purely nonclassical in the sense that feedback control is performed via local operation and quantum communication through a quantum channel. The role of the controller is to alter the quantum dynamic characteristics of the plant through entanglement, shared between the plant and controller by sending quantum states, that is modulated by the Hamiltonian on the controller. The input-output relation of quantum systems provides a natural extension of control theory to the quantum domain. This enables one to present a control theoretical interpretation of some fundamental quantum mechanical notions such as the uncertainty principle, but also to find applications of ideas and tools of control theory. One of the most important applications is the production of squeezed states, which has been an important issue of quantum theory in relation to quantum computation and quantum communication. The method proposed here reduces the application to a conventional noise reduction problem with feedback. The H/sub /spl infin// control then leads to complete squeezing.