We provide a general framework of utilizing the no-signaling principle in derivation of the guessing probability in the minimum-error quantum state discrimination. We show that, remarkably, the guessing probability can be determined by the no-signaling principle. This is shown by proving that, in the semidefinite programing for the discrimination, the optimality condition corresponds to the constraint that quantum theory cannot be used for a superluminal communication. Finally, a general bound to the guessing probability is presented in a closed form.
Distinguishing different quantum states is a fundamental task having practical applications in information processing. Despite the effort devoted so far, however, strategies for optimal discrimination are known only for specific examples. In this paper we consider the problem of minimum-error quantum state discrimination where one attempts to minimize the average error. We show the general structure of minimum-error state discrimination as well as useful properties to derive analytic solutions. Based on the general structure, we present a geometric formulation of the problem, which can be applied to cases where quantum state geometry is clear. We also introduce equivalent classes of sets of quantum states in terms of minimum-error discrimination: sets of quantum states in an equivalent class that share the same guessing probability. In particular, for qubit states where the state geometry is found with the Bloch sphere, we illustrate that for an arbitrary set of qubit states, the minimum-error state discrimination with equal prior probabilities can be analytically solved, that is, optimal measurement and the guessing probability are explicitly obtained.
The minimum-error probability of ambiguous discrimination for two quantum states is the well-known {\it Helstrom limit} presented in 1976. Since then, it has been thought of as an intractable problem to obtain the minimum-error probability for ambiguously discriminating arbitrary
m quantum states. In this paper, we obtain a new lower bound on the minimum-error probability for ambiguous discrimination and compare this bound with six other bounds in the literature. Moreover, we show that the bound between ambiguous and unambiguous discrimination does not extend to ensembles of more than two states. Specifically, the main technical contributions are described as follows: (1) We derive a new lower bound on the minimum-error probability for ambiguous discrimination among arbitrary
m mixed quantum states with given prior probabilities, and we present a necessary and sufficient condition to show that this lower bound is attainable. (2) We compare this new lower bound with six other bounds in the literature in detail, and, in some cases, this bound is optimal. (3) It is known that if
m=2, the optimal inconclusive probability of unambiguous discrimination
QU and the minimum-error probability of ambiguous discrimination
QE between arbitrary given
m mixed quantum states have the relationship
QU≥2QE. In this paper, we show that, however, if
m>2, the relationship
QU≥2QE may not hold again in general, and there may be no supremum of
QU/QE for more than two states, which may also reflect an essential difference between discrimination for two-states and multi-states. (4) A number of examples are constructed.
The problem of discriminating with minimum error between two mixed quantum states is reviewed, with emphasis on the detection operators necessary for performing the measurement. An analytical result is derived for the minimum probability of errors in deciding whether the state of a quantum system is either a given pure state or a uniform statistical mixture of any number of mutually orthogonal states. The result is applied to two-qubit states, and the minimum error probabilities achievable by collective and local measurements on the qubits are compared.
We derive a general lower bound on the minimum-error probability for ambiguous discrimination between arbitrary
m mixed quantum states with given prior probabilities. When
m=2, this bound is precisely the well-known Helstrom limit. Also, we give a general lower bound on the minimum-error probability for discriminating quantum operations. Then we further analyze how this lower bound is attainable for ambiguous discrimination of mixed quantum states by presenting necessary and sufficient conditions related to it. Furthermore, with a restricted condition, we work out an upper bound on the minimum-error probability for ambiguous discrimination of mixed quantum states. Therefore, some sufficient conditions are obtained for the minimum-error probability attaining this bound. Finally, under the condition of the minimum-error probability attaining this bound, we compare the minimum-error probability for ambiguously discriminating arbitrary
m mixed quantum states with the optimal failure probability for unambiguously discriminating the same states.