On universal quantum cloning and state estimation

Both perfect cloning and perfect state estimation of an unknown pure quantum state are impossible, due to principles of quantum mechanics. Nevertheless, they can be performed imperfectly. A link between these two scenarios allows us to derive an upper bound for the fidelity in one of them, given an upper bound is known in the other. Furthermore, it is shown that also a lower bound on cloning is related to an upper bound on state estimation. Received: 15 June 1999 / Revised version: 23 September 1999 / Published online: 10 November 1999