Joonwoo Bae

Asymptotic quantum cloning is state estimation

The impossibility of perfect cloning and state estimation are two fundamental results in quantum mechanics. It has been conjectured that quantum cloning becomes equivalent to state estimation in the asymptotic regime where the number of clones tends to infinity. We prove this conjecture using two known results of quantum information theory: the monogamy of quantum correlations and the properties of entanglement breaking channels.

Structural approximations to positive maps and entanglement-breaking channels

Structural approximations to positive, but not completely positive maps are approximate physical realizations of these nonphysical maps. They find applications in the design of direct entanglement-detection methods. We show that many of these approximations, in the relevant case of optimal positive maps, define an entanglement breaking channel and, consequently, can be implemented via a measurement and statepreparation protocol. We also show how our findings can be useful for the design of better and simpler direct entanglement detection methods.

Quantum state discrimination and its applications

Quantum state discrimination underlies various applications in quantum information processing tasks. It essentially describes the distinguishability of quantum systems in different states, and the general process of extracting classical information from quantum systems. It is also useful in quantum information applications, such as the characterization of mutual information in cryptographic protocols, or as a technique for deriving fundamental theorems on quantum foundations. It has deep connections to physical principles such as relativistic causality. Quantum state discrimination traces a long history of several decades, starting with the early attempts to formalize information processing of physical systems such as optical communication with photons. Nevertheless, in most cases, the problems of finding optimal strategies of quantum state discrimination remain unsolved, and related applications are valid in some limited cases only. The present review aims to provide an overview on quantum state discrimination, covering some recent progress, and addressing applications in some selected areas. This review serves to strengthen the link between results in quantum state discrimination and quantum information applications, by showing the ways in which the fundamental results are exploited in applications and vice versa.

On structural physical approximations and entanglement breaking maps

Very recently, a conjecture saying that the so-called structural physical approximations (SPAs) to optimal positive maps (optimal entanglement witnesses) give entanglement breaking (EB) maps (separable states) has been posed (Korbicz et al 2008 Phys. Rev. A 78 062105). The main purpose of this contribution is to explore this subject. First, we extend the set of entanglement witnesses supporting the conjecture. Then, we ask whether SPAs constructed from other than the depolarizing channel maps also lead to EB maps and show that in general this is not the case. On the other hand, we prove an interesting fact that for any positive map Λ, there exists an EB channel Φ such that the SPA of Λ constructed with the aid of Φ is again an EB channel. Finally, we ask similar questions in the case of continuous variable systems. We provide a simple way of constructing SPA and prove that in the case of the transposition map it gives the EB channel.

Minimum-error discrimination of qubit states: Methods, solutions, and properties

We show a geometric formulation for minimum-error discrimination of qubit states that can be applied to arbitrary sets of qubit states given with arbitrary a priori probabilities. In particular, when qubit states are given with equal a priori probabilities, we provide a systematic way of finding optimal discrimination and the complete solution in a closed form. This generally gives a bound to cases when prior probabilities are unequal. Then it is shown that the guessing probability does not depend on detailed relations among the given states, such as the angles between them, but on a property that can be assigned by the set of given states itself. This also shows how a set of quantum states can be modified such that the guessing probability remains the same. Optimal measurements are also characterized accordingly, and a general method of finding them is provided. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.87.012334

Structure of minimum-error quantum state discrimination

Distinguishing different quantum states is a fundamental task having practical applications in information processing. Despite the effort devoted so far, however, strategies for optimal discrimination are known only for specific examples. In this paper we consider the problem of minimum-error quantum state discrimination where one attempts to minimize the average error. We show the general structure of minimum-error state discrimination as well as useful properties to derive analytic solutions. Based on the general structure, we present a geometric formulation of the problem, which can be applied to cases where quantum state geometry is clear. We also introduce equivalent classes of sets of quantum states in terms of minimum-error discrimination: sets of quantum states in an equivalent class that share the same guessing probability. In particular, for qubit states where the state geometry is found with the Bloch sphere, we illustrate that for an arbitrary set of qubit states, the minimum-error state discrimination with equal prior probabilities can be analytically solved, that is, optimal measurement and the guessing probability are explicitly obtained.

Key distillation from quantum channels using two-way communication protocols

We provide a general formalism to characterize the cryptographic properties of quantum channels in the realistic scenario where the two honest parties employ prepare and measure protocols and the known two-way communication reconciliation techniques. We obtain a necessary and sufficient condition to distill a secret key using this type of schemes for Pauli qubit channels and generalized Pauli channels in higher dimension. Our results can be applied to standard protocols such as Bennett-Brassard 1984 or six-state, giving a critical error rate of 20% and 27.6%, respectively. We explore several possibilities to enlarge these bounds, without any improvement. These results suggest that there may exist weakly entangling channels useless for key distribution using prepare and measure schemes.

Experimental Realization of an Approximate Partial Transpose for Photonic Two-Qubit Systems

The partial transpose by which a subsystem’s quantum state is solely transposed is of unique importance in quantum information processing from both fundamental and practical point of view. In this work, we present a practical scheme to realize a physical approximation to the partial transpose using local measurements on individual quantum systems and classical communication. We then report its linear optical realization and show that the scheme works with no dependence on local basis of given quantum states. A proof-of-principle demonstration of entanglement detection using the physical approximation of the partial transpose is also reported.

Secrecy properties of quantum channels

We analyze the set of two-qubit states from which a secret key can be extracted by single-copy measurements plus classical processing of the outcomes. We introduce a key distillation protocol and give the corresponding necessary and sufficient condition for positive key extraction. Our results imply that the critical error rate derived by Chau, Phys. Rev. A {\bf 66}, 060302 (2002), for a secure key distribution using the six-state scheme is tight. Remarkably, an optimal eavesdropping attack against this protocol does not require any coherent quantum operation.

No-Signaling Principle Can Determine Optimal Quantum State Discrimination

We provide a general framework of utilizing the no-signaling principle in derivation of the guessing probability in the minimum-error quantum state discrimination. We show that, remarkably, the guessing probability can be determined by the no-signaling principle. This is shown by proving that, in the semidefinite programing for the discrimination, the optimality condition corresponds to the constraint that quantum theory cannot be used for a superluminal communication. Finally, a general bound to the guessing probability is presented in a closed form.