Optimal Discrimination of Mixed Symmetric Multi-mode Coherent States

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Petrongonas, Ioannis, Andersson, Erika
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Petrongonas, Ioannis
Andersson, Erika
author_facet Petrongonas, Ioannis
Andersson, Erika
contents We find the optimal measurement for distinguishing between symmetric multi-mode phase-randomized coherent states. A motivation for this is that phase-randomized coherent states can be used for quantum communication, including quantum cryptography. The so-called square-root measurement is optimal for pure symmetric states, but is not always optimal for mixed symmetric states. When phase-randomizing a multi-mode coherent state, the state becomes a mixture of pure multi-mode states with different total photon numbers. We find that the optimal measurement for distinguishing between any set of phase-randomised coherent states can be realised by first counting the total number of photons, and then distinguishing between the resulting pure states in the corresponding photon-number subspace. If the multi-mode coherent states we started from are symmetric, then the optimal measurement in each subspace is a square-root measurement. The overall optimal measurement in the cases we consider is also a square-root measurement. In some cases, we are able to present a simple linear optical circuit that realizes the overall optimal measurement.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_11632
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Optimal Discrimination of Mixed Symmetric Multi-mode Coherent States
Petrongonas, Ioannis
Andersson, Erika
Quantum Physics
We find the optimal measurement for distinguishing between symmetric multi-mode phase-randomized coherent states. A motivation for this is that phase-randomized coherent states can be used for quantum communication, including quantum cryptography. The so-called square-root measurement is optimal for pure symmetric states, but is not always optimal for mixed symmetric states. When phase-randomizing a multi-mode coherent state, the state becomes a mixture of pure multi-mode states with different total photon numbers. We find that the optimal measurement for distinguishing between any set of phase-randomised coherent states can be realised by first counting the total number of photons, and then distinguishing between the resulting pure states in the corresponding photon-number subspace. If the multi-mode coherent states we started from are symmetric, then the optimal measurement in each subspace is a square-root measurement. The overall optimal measurement in the cases we consider is also a square-root measurement. In some cases, we are able to present a simple linear optical circuit that realizes the overall optimal measurement.
title Optimal Discrimination of Mixed Symmetric Multi-mode Coherent States
topic Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.11632