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arXiv:0704.1754 · Physical Review Letters

No-Broadcasting Theorem and Its Classical Counterpart

Amir Kalev, Itay Hen

Published May 29, 2008• 50 citations
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Abstract

Although it is widely accepted that "no-broadcasting"-the nonclonability of quantum information-is a fundamental principle of quantum mechanics, an impossibility theorem for the broadcasting of general density matrices has not yet been formulated. In this Letter, we present a general proof for the no-broadcasting theorem, which applies to arbitrary density matrices. The proof relies on entropic considerations, and as such can also be directly linked to its classical counterpart, which applies to probabilistic distributions of statistical ensembles.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.100.210502

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Although it is widely accepted that "no-broadcasting"-the nonclonability of quantum information-is a fundamental principle of quantum mechanics, an impossibility theorem for the broadcasting of general density matrices has not yet been formulated. In this Letter, we present a general proof for the no-broadcasting theorem, which applies to arbitrary density matrices. The proof relies on entropic considerations, and as such can also be directly linked to its classical counterpart, which applies to probabilistic distributions of statistical ensembles.
Abstract No-broadcasting theorem is one of the most fundamental results in quantum information theory; it guarantees that the simplest attacks on any quantum protocol, based on eavesdropping and copying of quantum information, are impossible. Due to the fundamental importance of the no-broadcasting theorem, it is essential to understand the exact boundaries of this limitation. We generalize the standard definition of broadcasting by restricting the set of states which we want to broadcast and restricting the sets of measurements which we use to test the broadcasting. We show that in some of the investigated cases broadcasting is equivalent to commutativity, while in other cases commutativity is not necessary.
Quantum information cannot be broadcast-an intrinsic limitation imposed by quantum mechanics. However, recent advances in virtual operations offer new insights into the no-broadcasting theorem. Here, we focus on the practical utility and introduce sample efficiency as a fundamental constraint, requiring any practical broadcasting protocol perform no worse than the naive approach of direct preparation and distribution. We prove that no linear process-whether quantum or beyond-can simultaneously uphold sample efficiency, unitary covariance, permutation invariance, and classical consistency. This leads to a no-practical-broadcasting theorem, which places strict limits on the practical distribution of quantum information. By applying Schur-Weyl duality, we establish the uniqueness of the canonical 1-to-N virtual broadcasting map that satisfies the latter three conditions, provide its construction, and determine its sample complexity through semidefinite programming. Finally, we explore the interplay between virtual broadcasting and a quantum spacetime framework, known as the pseudodensity operator, showing that their correspondence holds only in the 1-to-2 case, underscoring the fundamental asymmetry between spatial and temporal statistics in the quantum world.
We prove generic versions of the no-cloning and no-broadcasting theorems, applicable to essentially {\em any} non-classical finite-dimensional probabilistic model that satisfies a no-signaling criterion. This includes quantum theory as well as models supporting ``super-quantum'' correlations that violate the Bell inequalities to a larger extent than quantum theory. The proof of our no-broadcasting theorem is significantly more natural and more self-contained than others we have seen: we show that a set of states is broadcastable if, and only if, it is contained in a simplex whose vertices are cloneable, and therefore distinguishable by a single measurement. This necessary and sufficient condition generalizes the quantum requirement that a broadcastable set of states commute.
The no-broadcasting theorem is a fundamental result in quantum information theory. It guarantees that a class of attacks on quantum protocols, based on eavesdropping and indiscriminate copying of quantum information, are impossible. Due to its fundamental importance, it is natural to ask whether it is an intrinsic quantum property or whether it also holds for a broader class of non-classical theories. To address this question, one could use the framework of correlation scenarios. Under this standpoint, Joshi, Grudka, and the Horodeckis conjectured that one cannot locally broadcast nonlocal behaviours. In this paper, we prove their conjecture based on the monotonicity of the relative entropy for behaviours. Additionally, following a similar reasoning, we obtain an analogous no-go theorem for steerable assemblages.