Quantum Walks: Schur Functions Meet Symmetry Protected Topological Phases.

This paper uncovers and exploits a link between a central object in harmonic analysis, the so-called Schur functions, and the very hot topic of symmetry protected topological phases of quantum matter. This connection is found in the setting of quantum walks, i.e. quantum analogs of classical random walks. We prove that topological indices classifying symmetry protected topological phases of quantum walks are encoded by matrix Schur functions built out of the walk. This main result of the paper reduces the calculation of these topological indices to a linear algebra problem: calculating symmetry indices of finite-dimensional unitaries obtained by evaluating such matrix Schur functions at the symmetry protected points ± 1 . The Schur representation fully covers the complete set of symmetry indices for 1D quantum walks with a group of symmetries realizing any of the symmetry types of the tenfold way. The main advantage of the Schur approach is its validity in the absence of translation invariance, which allows us to go beyond standard Fourier methods, leading to the complete classification of non-translation invariant phases for typical examples.

Robust and Resource-Efficient Microwave Near-Field Entangling

Microwave trapped-ion quantum logic gates avoid spontaneous emission as a fundamental source of decoherence. However, microwave two-qubit gates are still slower than laser-induced gates and hence more sensitive to fluctuations and noise of the motional mode frequency. We propose and implement amplitude-shaped gate drives to obtain resilience to such frequency changes without increasing the pulse energy per gate operation. We demonstrate the resilience by noise injection during a two-qubit entangling gate with ^{9}Be^{+} ion qubits. In the absence of injected noise, amplitude modulation gives an operation infidelity in the 10^{-3} range.

Propagation of quantum walks in electric fields.

We study one-dimensional quantum walks in a homogenous electric field. The field is given by a phase which depends linearly on position and is applied after each step. The long time propagation properties of this system, such as revivals, ballistic expansion, and Anderson localization, depend very sensitively on the value of the electric field, Φ, e.g., on whether Φ/(2π) is rational or irrational. We relate these properties to the continued fraction expansion of the field. When the field is given only with finite accuracy, the beginning of the expansion allows analogous conclusions about the behavior on finite time scales.

Continuous variable quantum key distribution: finite-key analysis of composable security against coherent attacks.

We provide a security analysis for continuous variable quantum key distribution protocols based on the transmission of two-mode squeezed vacuum states measured via homodyne detection. We employ a version of the entropic uncertainty relation for smooth entropies to give a lower bound on the number of secret bits which can be extracted from a finite number of runs of the protocol. This bound is valid under general coherent attacks, and gives rise to keys which are composably secure. For comparison, we also give a lower bound valid under the assumption of collective attacks. For both scenarios, we find positive key rates using experimental parameters reachable today.

Quantum walks with nonorthogonal position states.

Quantum walks have by now been realized in a large variety of different physical settings. In some of these, particularly with trapped ions, the walk is implemented in phase space, where the corresponding position states are not orthogonal. We develop a general description of such a quantum walk and show how to map it into a standard one with orthogonal states, thereby making available all the tools developed for the latter. This enables a variety of experiments, which can be implemented with smaller step sizes and more steps. Tuning the nonorthogonality allows for an easy preparation of extended states such as momentum eigenstates, which travel at a well-defined speed with low dispersion. We introduce a method to adjust their velocity by momentum shifts, which allows us to experimentally probe the dispersion relation, providing a benchmarking tool for the quantum walk, and to investigate intriguing effects such as the analog of Bloch oscillations.

Extremal quantum correlations and cryptographic security.

We investigate a fundamental property of device-independent security in quantum cryptography by characterizing probability distributions which are necessarily independent of the measurement results of any eavesdropper. We show that probability distributions that are secure in this sense are exactly the extremal quantum probability distributions. This allows us to give a characterization of security in algebraic terms. We apply the method to common examples for two-party as well as multiparty setups and present a scheme for verifying security of probability distributions with two parties, two measurement settings, and two outcomes.

Quantum cryptography as a retrodiction problem.

We propose a quantum key distribution protocol based on a quantum retrodiction protocol, known as the Mean King problem. The protocol uses a two way quantum channel. We show security against coherent attacks in a transmission-error free scenario, even if Eve is allowed to attack both transmissions. This establishes a connection between retrodiction and key distribution.

Estimating entanglement measures in experiments.

We present a method to estimate entanglement measures in experiments. We show how a lower bound on a generic entanglement measure can be derived from the measured expectation values of any finite collection of entanglement witnesses. Hence witness measurements are given a quantitative meaning without the need of further experimental data. We apply our results to a recent multiphoton experiment [M. Bourennane, Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 087902 (2004)], giving bounds on the entanglement of formation and the geometric measure of entanglement in this experiment.

Universally programmable quantum cellular automaton.

We discuss the role of classical control in the context of reversible quantum cellular automata. Employing the structure theorem for quantum cellular automata, we give a general construction scheme to turn an arbitrary cellular automaton with external classical control into an autonomous one, thereby proving the computational equivalence of these two models. We use this technique to construct a universally programmable cellular automaton on a one-dimensional lattice with single cell dimension 12.

Non-Gaussian cloning of quantum coherent states is optimal.

We consider the optimal cloning of quantum coherent states with single-clone and joint fidelity as figures of merit. While the latter is maximized by a Gaussian cloner, the former is not: the optimal single-clone fidelity for a symmetric 1-to-2 cloner is 0.6826, compared to 2/3 in a Gaussian setting. This cloner can be realized with an optical parametric amplifier and certain non-Gaussian bimodal states. Finally, we show that the single-clone fidelity of the optimal 1-to-infinity cloner is 1/2. It is achieved by a Gaussian scheme and cannot be surpassed even with supplemental bound entangled states.

Iterative optimization of quantum error correcting codes.

We introduce a convergent iterative algorithm for finding the optimal coding and decoding operations for an arbitrary noisy quantum channel. This algorithm does not require any error syndrome to be corrected completely, and hence also finds codes outside the usual Knill-Laflamme definition of error correcting codes. The iteration is shown to improve the figure of merit "channel fidelity" in every step.

Entanglement of formation for symmetric Gaussian states.

We show that for a fixed amount of entanglement, two-mode squeezed states are those that maximize Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen-like correlations. We use this fact to determine the entanglement of formation for all symmetric Gaussian states corresponding to two modes. This is the first instance in which this measure has been determined for genuine continuous variable systems.

Hiding classical data in multipartite quantum states.

We present a general technique for hiding a classical bit in multipartite quantum states. The hidden bit, encoded in the choice of one of two possible density operators, cannot be recovered by local operations and classical communication without quantum communication. The scheme remains secure if quantum communication is allowed between certain partners, and can be designed for any choice of quantum communication patterns to be secure, but to allow near perfect recovery for all other patterns. No entanglement is needed since the hiding states can be chosen to be separable. A single ebit of prior entanglement is not sufficient to break the scheme.

Distillability via protocols respecting the positivity of partial transpose.

We show that all quantum states that do not have a positive partial transpose are distillable via channels, which preserve the positivity of the partial transpose. The question whether bound entangled states with non-positive partial transpose exist is therefore closely related to the connection between the set of separable superoperators and positive partial transpose-preserving maps.

Bound entangled Gaussian states.

We discuss the entanglement properties of bipartite states with Gaussian Wigner functions. For the separability, and the positivity of the partial transpose, we establish explicit necessary and sufficient criteria in terms of the covariance matrix of the state. It is shown that, for systems composed of a single oscillator for Alice and an arbitrary number for Bob, positivity of the partial transpose implies separability. However, this implication fails with two oscillators on each side, as we show by constructing a five parameter family of bound entangled Gaussian states.