Michal Sedlak

Quantum learning algorithms for quantum measurements

Abstract We study quantum learning algorithms for quantum measurements. The optimal learning algorithm is derived for arbitrary von Neumann measurements in the case of training with one or two examples. The analysis of the case of three examples reveals that, differently from the learning of unitary gates, the optimal algorithm for learning of quantum measurements cannot be parallelized, and requires quantum memories for the storage of information.

Extremal quantum protocols

Generalized quantum instruments correspond to measurements where the input and output are either states or more generally quantum circuits. These measurements describe any quantum protocol including games, communications, and algorithms. The set of generalized quantum instruments with a given input and output structure is a convex set. Here, we investigate the extremal points of this set for the case of finite dimensional quantum systems and generalized instruments with finitely many outcomes. We derive algebraic necessary and sufficient conditions for extremality.

Towards optimization of quantum circuits

Any unitary operation in quantum information processing can be implemented via a sequence of simpler steps — quantum gates. However, actual implementation of a quantum gate is always imperfect and takes a finite time. Therefore, searching for a short sequence of gates — efficient quantum circuit for a given operation, is an important task. We contribute to this issue by proposing optimization of the well-known universal procedure proposed by Barenco et al. [Phys. Rev. A 52, 3457 (1995)]. We also created a computer program which realizes both Barenco’s decomposition and the proposed optimization. Furthermore, our optimization can be applied to any quantum circuit containing generalized Toffoli gates, including basic quantum gate circuits.

Unambiguous comparison of unitary channels

We address the problem of an unambiguous comparison of a pair of unknown qudit unitary channels. Using the framework of process positive operator valued measures we characterize all solutions and identify the optimal ones. We prove that the entanglement is the key ingredient in designing the optimal experiment for comparison of unitary channels. Without entanglement the optimality cannot be achieved. The proposed scheme is also experimentally feasible.

Optimal single-shot strategies for discrimination of quantum measurements

We study discrimination of m quantum measurements in the scenario when the unknown measurement with n outcomes can be used only once. We show that ancilla-assisted discrimination procedures provide a nontrivial advantage over simple (ancilla-free) schemes for perfect distinguishability and we prove that inevitably m <= n. We derive necessary and sufficient conditions of perfect distinguishability of general binary measurements. We show that the optimization of the discrimination of projective qubit measurements and their mixtures with white noise is equivalent to the discrimination of specific quantum states. In particular, the optimal protocol for discrimination of projective qubit measurements with fixed failure rate (exploiting maximally entangled test state) is described. While minimum error discrimination of two projective qubit measurements can be realized without any need of entanglement, we show that discrimination of three projective qubit measurements requires a bipartite probe state. Moreover, when the measurements are not projective, the non-maximally entangled test states can outperform the maximally entangled ones.

Single-shot discrimination of quantum unitary processes

We formulate minimum-error and unambiguous discrimination problems for quantum processes in the language of process positive operator valued measures (PPOVM). In this framework we present the known solution for minimum-error discrimination of unitary channels. We derive a ‘fidelity-like’ lower bound on the failure probability of the unambiguous discrimination of arbitrary quantum processes. This bound is saturated (in a certain range of a priori probabilities) in the case of unambiguous discrimination of unitary channels. Surprisingly, the optimal solution for both tasks is based on the optimization of the same quantity called completely bounded process fidelity.

Unambiguous comparison of quantum measurements

The goal of comparison is to reveal the difference of compared objects as fast and reliably as possible. In this paper we formulate and investigate the unambiguous comparison of unknown quantum measurements represented by non-degenerate sharp POVMs. We distinguish between measurement devices with apriori labeled and unlabeled outcomes. In both cases we can unambiguously conclude only that the measurements are different. For the labeled case it is sufficient to use each unknown measurement only once and the average conditional success probability decreases with the Hilbert space dimension as 1/d. If the outcomes of the apparatuses are not labeled, then the problem is more complicated. We analyze the case of two-dimensional Hilbert space. In this case single shot comparison is impossible and each measurement device must be used (at least) twice. The optimal test state in the two-shots scenario gives the average conditional success probability 3/4. Interestingly, the optimal experiment detects unambiguously the difference with nonvanishing probability for any pair of observables.

Incompatible measurements on quantum causal networks

The existence of incompatible measurements, epitomized by Heisenbergs uncertainty principle, is one of the distinctive features of quantum theory. So far, quantum incompatibility has been studied for measurements that test the preparation of physical systems. Here we extend the notion to measurements that test dynamical processes, possibly consisting of multiple time steps. Such measurements are known as testers and are implemented by interacting with the tested process through a sequence of state preparations, interactions, and measurements. Our first result is a characterization of the incompatibility of quantum testers, for which we provide necessary and sufficient conditions. Then we propose a quantitative measure of incompatibility. We call this measure the robustness of incompatibility and define it as the minimum amount of noise that has to be added to a set of testers in order to make them compatible. We show that (i) the robustness is lower bounded by the distinguishability of the sequence of interactions used by the tester and (ii) maximum robustness is attained when the interactions are perfectly distinguishable. The general results are illustrated in the concrete example of binary testers probing the time evolution of a single-photon polarization.

Exploring boundaries of quantum convex structures: Special role of unitary processes

We address the question of finding the most unbalanced convex decompositions into boundary elements (so-called boundariness) for sets of quantum states, observables, and channels. We show that in general convex sets the boundariness essentially coincides with the question of the most distinguishable element, thus providing an operational meaning for this concept. Unexpectedly, we discovered that for any interior point of the set of channels the most unbalanced decomposition necessarily contains a unitary channel. In other words, for any given channel the most distinguishable one is some unitary channel. Further, we prove that boundariness is submultiplicative under the composition of systems and explicitly evaluate its maximal value that is attained only for the most mixed elements of the considered sets.

Optimal entanglement-assisted discrimination of quantum measurements

We investigate optimal discrimination between two projective single-qubit measurements in a scenario where the measurement can be performed only once. We consider general setting involving a tunable fraction of inconclusive outcomes and we prove that the optimal discrimination strategy requires an entangled probe state for any nonzero rate of inconclusive outcomes. We experimentally implement this optimal discrimination strategy for projective measurements on polarization states of single photons. Our setup involves a real-time electrooptical feed-forward loop which allows us to fully harness the benefits of entanglement in discrimination of quantum measurements. The experimental data clearly demonstrate the advantage of entanglement-based discrimination strategy as compared to unentangled single-qubit probes.