Cloning the entanglement of a pair of d-dimensional quantum systems

We derive a quantum cloning machine that maximizes the entanglement of formation of the two copies of any maximally entangled input state, while preserving the separability of all unentangled input states. In addition, it is proven to optimally duplicate the entanglement of formation of all isotropic input states. For large d, the cloning machine behaves classically and outperforms a local entanglement cloner, studied for comparison. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

单光子纠缠态并发度的直接测量

通过分析光学分束器对单光子态的作用关系,提出了一个利用分束器和光子数探测器的单光子纠缠的直接测量方案.方案中用到单光子与空间模纠缠及其两个备份,并让它们通过一个50:50的分束器.选用并发度为纠缠度量,其可由单光子探测器的探测概率直接获得.此方案不需复杂的量子态层析方法,同时只用到在量子信息处理中常用的光学器件,增强了方案在实验上实现的可行性.     

Fiber-optics implementation of an asymmetric phase-covariant quantum cloner

We present the experimental realization of optimal symmetric and asymmetric phase-covariant 1-->2 cloning of qubit states using fiber optics. The state of each qubit is encoded into a single photon which can propagate through two optical fibers. The operation of our device is based on one- and two-photon interference. We have demonstrated the creation of two copies for a wide range of qubit states from the equator of the Bloch sphere. The measured fidelities of both copies are close to the theoretical values and they surpass the theoretical maximum obtainable with the universal cloner.     

More nonlocality with less purity

Quantum information is nonlocal in the sense that local measurements on a composite quantum system, prepared in one of many mutually orthogonal states, may not reveal in which state the system was prepared. It is shown that in the many copy limit this kind of nonlocality is fundamentally different for pure and mixed quantum states. In particular, orthogonal mixed states may not be distinguishable by local operations and classical communication, no matter how many copies are supplied, whereas any set of N orthogonal pure states can be perfectly discriminated with m copies, where m相似文献   

Superbroadcasting of harmonic oscillators mixed states

We consider the problem of broadcasting quantum information encoded in the displacement parameter for an harmonic oscillator, from N to M > N copies of a thermal state. We show the Weyl-Heisenberg covariant broadcasting map that optimally reduces the thermal photon number, and we prove that it minimizes the noise in conjugate quadratures at the output for general input states. We find that from two input copies broadcasting is feasible, with the possibility of simultaneous purification (superbroadcasting). The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

利用分束器通过条件测量制备非经典光场态和量子纠缠态

把相干态和单粒子数态作为分束器的输入态，通过条件测量可以剪去输入相干态中的任意粒子数态，并研究了这些被剪切了的光场态的性质。结果显示剪去真空态和单粒子数态的输出态具有较强的压缩和亚泊松分布等非经典效应。把剪切了的输出态和真空态输入分束器，得到的输出态具有量子纠缠性质，从而制备出量子纠缠态，同时也验证了被剪切的输出态的非经典性。     

Template matching of mixed quantum states

We consider the problem of optimal classification of an unknown input mixed quantum state with respect to a set of predefined patterns C_i, each represented by a known mixed quantum template . The performance of the matching strategy is addressed within a Bayesian formulation where the cost function, as suggested by the theory of monotone distances between quantum states, is chosen to be the fidelity or the relative entropy between the input and the templates. We investigate various examples of quantum template matching for the case of a finite number of copies of a two-level input state and for a generic, group covariant, set of two-level template states.     

Preparing and probing atomic number states with an atom interferometer

We describe the controlled loading and measurement of number-squeezed states and Poisson states of atoms in individual sites of a double well optical lattice. These states are input to an atom interferometer that is realized by symmetrically splitting individual lattice sites into double wells, allowing atoms in individual sites to evolve independently. The two paths then interfere, creating a matter-wave double-slit diffraction pattern. The time evolution of the double-slit diffraction pattern is used to measure the number statistics of the input state. The flexibility of our double well lattice provides a means to detect the presence of empty lattice sites, an important and so far unmeasured factor in determining the purity of a Mott state.     

Impossibility of Local State Transformation via Hypercontractivity

Local state transformation is the problem of transforming an arbitrary number of copies of a bipartite resource state to a bipartite target state under local operations. That is, given two bipartite states, is it possible to transform an arbitrary number of copies of one of them into one copy of the other state under local operations only? This problem is a hard one in general since we assume that the number of copies of the resource state is arbitrarily large. In this paper we prove some bounds on this problem using the hypercontractivity properties of some super-operators corresponding to bipartite states. We measure hypercontractivity in terms of both the usual super-operator norms as well as completely bounded norms.     

Superbroadcasting of mixed states

We derive the optimal universal broadcasting for mixed states of qubits. We show that the no-broadcasting theorem cannot be generalized to more than a single input copy. Moreover, for four or more input copies it is even possible to purify the input states while broadcasting. We name such purifying broadcasting superbroadcasting.     

Preservation of nonclassicality in the continuous-variable quantum teleportation

We first establish the relation between the P-function of the input and output states in the protocol of quantum teleportation of continuous variables of an optical field. We find a condition involving the squeezing parameter and the detector efficiency, under which the P-function of the output state becomes the Q function of the input state such that any nonclassical features in the input state will be eliminated in the teleported state. In particular, we notice that if the homodnye detection efficiency is less than 0.5 the teleported field must be classical even if the entanglement in the quantum channel is perfect.     

A generalized programmable unambiguous state discriminator for unknown qubit systems

We discuss a state discriminator that unambiguously distinguishes between two quantum registers prepared with multiple copies of two unknown qubits. This device achieves the optimal performance by von Neumann measurement and general POVM in different ranges of the input preparation probabilities, respectively, and in the limit of very large program registers the optimal measurement reduces to only von Neumann measurements.     

Purifying and reversible physical processes

Starting from the observation that reversible processes cannot increase the purity of any input state, we study deterministic physical processes, which map a set of states to a set of pure states. Such a process must map any state to the same pure output, if purity is demanded for the input set of all states. But otherwise, when the input set is restricted, it is possible to find non-trivial purifying processes. For the most restricted case of only two input states, we completely characterise the output of any such map. We furthermore consider maps, which combine the property of purity and reversibility on a set of states, and we derive necessary and sufficient conditions on sets, which permit such processes. PACS 03.67.-a; 03.65.-w     

Polarization orthogonalization properties of optical systems

We investigate the conditions under which an optical system (or device) may transform polarization states at its input into orthogonal states at its output. We find that such polarization orthogonalization is possible if the Jones matrix of the optical system satisfies a specific inequality. One, two, or an infinite number of input polarization states may be orthogonalized. In the latter case, the locus of input states is a circle in the complex plane (and on the Poincaré sphere) of polarization. Several examples are given for illustration.     

Cloning of continuous quantum variables

The cloning of quantum variables with continuous spectra is analyzed. A Gaussian quantum cloning machine is exhibited that copies equally well the states of two conjugate variables such as position and momentum. It also duplicates all coherent states with a fidelity of 2/3. More generally, the copies are shown to obey a no-cloning Heisenberg-like uncertainty relation.     

Asymptotic violation of Bell inequalities and distillability

A multipartite quantum state violates a Bell inequality asymptotically if, after jointly processing by general local operations an arbitrarily large number of copies of it, the result violates the inequality. In the bipartite case we show that asymptotic violation of the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality is equivalent to distillability. Hence, bound entangled states do not violate it. In the multipartite case we consider the complete set of full-correlation Bell inequalities with two dichotomic observables per site. We show that asymptotic violation of any of these inequalities by a multipartite state implies that pure-state entanglement can be distilled from it, although the corresponding distillation protocol may require that some of the parties join into several groups. We also obtain the extreme points of the set of distributions generated by measuring N quantum systems with two dichotomic observables per site.     

Duplicating classical bits with universal quantum cloning machine

It seems there is a large gap between quantum cloning and classical duplication since quantum mechanics forbid perfect copies of unknown quantum states. In this paper, we prove that a classical duplication process can be realized by using a universal quantum cloning machine(QCM). A classical bit is encoded not on a single quantum state, but on a large number of single identical quantum states. Errors are inevitable when copying these identical quantum states due to the quantum no-cloning theorem. When a small part of errors are ignored, i.e., errors as the minority are automatically corrected by the majority, the fidelity of duplicated copies of classical information will approach unity infinitely. In this way, the classical bits can be duplicated precisely with a universal QCM, which presents a natural transition from quantum cloning to classical duplication. The implement of classical duplication by using QCM shines new lights on the universality of quantum mechanics.     

Measuring multipartite concurrence with a single factorizable observable

We show that, for any composite system with an arbitrary number of finite-dimensional subsystems, it is possible to directly measure the multipartite concurrence of pure states by detecting only one single factorizable observable, provided that two copies of the composite state are available. This result can be immediately put into practice in trapped-ion and entangled-photon experiments.     

Direct measurement of the concurrence for two-photon polarization entangled pure states by parity-check measurements

We present a protocol for directly measuring the concurrence of a two-photon polarization entangled pure or mixed state without prior quantum state tomography. By parity-check measurements and simple operations on two copies of the two-photon polarization entangled pure state, the concurrence is encoded in the total probability of picking up the odd parity states from the signal states. This protocol makes use of highly efficient homodyne detection, and it could be feasible in the near future with the help of the weak cross-Kerr nonlinearity. Moreover, our protocol can be used in a distributed fashion to directly determine the entanglement of remote states, which may find its important applications in quantum communication.