We establish the classical capacity of optical quantum channels as a sharp transition between two regimes - one which is an error-free regime for communication rates below the capacity, and the other in which the probability of correctly decoding a classical message converges exponentially fast to zero if the communication rate exceeds the classical capacity. This result is obtained by proving a strong converse theorem for the classical capacity of all phase-insensitive bosonic Gaussian channels, a well-established model of optical quantum communication channels, such as lossy optical fibers, amplifier, and free-space communication. The theorem holds under a particular photon-number occupation constraint, which we describe in detail in this paper. Our result bolsters the understanding of the classical capacity of these channels and opens the path to applications, such as proving the security of noisy quantum storage models of cryptography with optical links.We establish the classical capacity of optical quantum channels as a sharp transition between two regimes - one which is an error-free regime for communication rates below the capacity, and the other in which the probability of correctly decoding a classical message converges exponentially fast to zero if the communication rate exceeds the classical capacity. This result is obtained by proving a strong converse theorem for the classical capacity of all phase-insensitive bosonic Gaussian channels, a well-established model of optical quantum communication channels, such as lossy optical fibers, amplifier, and free-space communication. The theorem holds under a particular photon-number occupation constraint, which we describe in detail in this paper. Our result bolsters the understanding of the classical capacity of these channels and opens the path to applications, such as proving the security of noisy quantum storage models of cryptography with optical links.

Civil War Book ReviewApr 1, 20155 citations

Classical Capacity of Single-Mode Bosonic Gaussian Channels

Gerardo Adesso, Ludovico Lami, Vittorio Giovannetti

The classical capacity of a noisy optical channel is the maximum rate at which information can be transmitted reliably, given a constraint on the mean input energy. For the ubiquitous bosonic Gaussian channels, which include standard models of loss and noise in fibre and free-space optical links, determining this rate requires addressing whether entanglement between channel uses or non-Gaussian signals can outperform Gaussian encodings. More precisely, the question is whether the energy-constrained Holevo information is additive across arbitrarily many channel uses and coincides with its Gaussian counterpart. We answer these fundamental questions in the affirmative for every single-mode bosonic Gaussian channel at every input energy. Namely, we prove that independently prepared Gaussian states with Gaussian-distributed random displacements achieve the capacity, including in the low-energy regime where squeezing the signals competes with encoding information in their displacement. Our proof connects an entanglement inequality to a sharp, additive lower bound on output entropy. We then characterise communication above capacity: under a strict total photon-number cutoff, the probability of correct decoding decreases exponentially with the number of channel uses, and we derive explicit bounds on the decay exponent. When only the mean photon number is constrained, a simple energy-rescaling formula determines exactly the entire asymptotic rate--error trade-off: the capacity at mean photon number $N$ and allowed average decoding error $ε$ equals the vanishing-error capacity at mean photon number $N/(1-ε)$ . Together, these results identify the ultimate limits of classical communication for some of the most fundamental models of optical communication.The classical capacity of a noisy optical channel is the maximum rate at which information can be transmitted reliably, given a constraint on the mean input energy. For the ubiquitous bosonic Gaussian channels, which include standard models of loss and noise in fibre and free-space optical links, determining this rate requires addressing whether entanglement between channel uses or non-Gaussian signals can outperform Gaussian encodings. More precisely, the question is whether the energy-constrained Holevo information is additive across arbitrarily many channel uses and coincides with its Gaussian counterpart. We answer these fundamental questions in the affirmative for every single-mode bosonic Gaussian channel at every input energy. Namely, we prove that independently prepared Gaussian states with Gaussian-distributed random displacements achieve the capacity, including in the low-energy regime where squeezing the signals competes with encoding information in their displacement. Our proof connects an entanglement inequality to a sharp, additive lower bound on output entropy. We then characterise communication above capacity: under a strict total photon-number cutoff, the probability of correct decoding decreases exponentially with the number of channel uses, and we derive explicit bounds on the decay exponent. When only the mean photon number is constrained, a simple energy-rescaling formula determines exactly the entire asymptotic rate--error trade-off: the capacity at mean photon number $N$ and allowed average decoding error $ε$ equals the vanishing-error capacity at mean photon number $N/(1-ε)$. Together, these results identify the ultimate limits of classical communication for some of the most fundamental models of optical communication.

quant-pharXiv:2610.22308Oct 16, 20260 citations

Strong converse for the capacity of quantum Gaussian channels

Bhaskar Roy Bardhan, Raúl García−Patrón, Mark M. Wilde +1 more

We prove that a strong converse theorem holds for the classical capacity of all phase-insensitive bosonic Gaussian channels, when imposing a maximum photon number constraint on the inputs of the channel. This class is a natural extension of classical continuous Gaussian channels, and the well studied pure-loss, thermal, additive noise, and amplifier channels are all in this class of channels. The statement of the strong converse theorem is that the probability of correctly decoding a classical message rapidly converges to zero in the limit of many channel uses if the communication rate exceeds the classical capacity. We prove this theorem by relating the success probability of any code with its rate of data transmission, the effective dimension of the channel output space, and the purity of the channel as quantified by the minimum output entropy. Our result bolsters the understanding of the classical capacity of these channels by establishing it as a sharp dividing line between possible and impossible communication rates over them.We prove that a strong converse theorem holds for the classical capacity of all phase-insensitive bosonic Gaussian channels, when imposing a maximum photon number constraint on the inputs of the channel. This class is a natural extension of classical continuous Gaussian channels, and the well studied pure-loss, thermal, additive noise, and amplifier channels are all in this class of channels. The statement of the strong converse theorem is that the probability of correctly decoding a classical message rapidly converges to zero in the limit of many channel uses if the communication rate exceeds the classical capacity. We prove this theorem by relating the success probability of any code with its rate of data transmission, the effective dimension of the channel output space, and the purity of the channel as quantified by the minimum output entropy. Our result bolsters the understanding of the classical capacity of these channels by establishing it as a sharp dividing line between possible and impossible communication rates over them.

IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory (ISIT)Jun 1, 20142 citations

Strong converse for the classical capacity of the pure-loss bosonic channel

Mark M. Wilde, Andreas Winter

This paper strengthens the interpretation and understanding of the classical capacity of the pure-loss bosonic channel, first established in [1]. In particular, we first prove that there exists a trade-off between communication rate and error probability if one imposes only a mean photon number constraint on the channel inputs. That is, if we demand that the mean number of photons at the channel input cannot be any larger than some positive number NS , then it is possible to respect this constraint with a code that operates at a rate g ( ηNS /(1- p )) where p is the code error probability, η is the channel transmissivity, and g ( x ) is the entropy of a bosonic thermal state with mean photon number x . Then we prove that a strong converse theorem holds for the classical capacity of this channel (that such a rate-error trade-off cannot occur) if one instead demands for a maximum photon number constraint, in such a way that mostly all of the “shadow” of the average density operator for a given code is required to be on a subspace with photon number no larger than nNS , so that the shadow outside this subspace vanishes as the number n of channel uses becomes large. Finally, we prove that a small modification of the well-known coherent-state coding scheme meets this more demanding constraint.This paper strengthens the interpretation and understanding of the classical capacity of the pure-loss bosonic channel, first established in [1]. In particular, we first prove that there exists a trade-off between communication rate and error probability if one imposes only a mean photon number constraint on the channel inputs. That is, if we demand that the mean number of photons at the channel input cannot be any larger than some positive number NS , then it is possible to respect this constraint with a code that operates at a rate g ( ηNS /(1- p )) where p is the code error probability, η is the channel transmissivity, and g ( x ) is the entropy of a bosonic thermal state with mean photon number x . Then we prove that a strong converse theorem holds for the classical capacity of this channel (that such a rate-error trade-off cannot occur) if one instead demands for a maximum photon number constraint, in such a way that mostly all of the “shadow” of the average density operator for a given code is required to be on a subspace with photon number no larger than nNS , so that the shadow outside this subspace vanishes as the number n of channel uses becomes large. Finally, we prove that a small modification of the well-known coherent-state coding scheme meets this more demanding constraint.

arXiv:1308.6732Problems of Information TransmissionApr 1, 201422 citations

A Strong Converse for Classical Channel Coding Using Entangled Inputs

Robert König, Stephanie Wehner

A fully general strong converse for channel coding states that when the rate of sending classical information exceeds the capacity of a quantum channel, the probability of correctly decoding goes to zero exponentially in the number of channel uses, even when we allow code states which are entangled across several uses of the channel. Such a statement was previously only known for classical channels and the quantum identity channel. By relating the problem to the additivity of minimum output entropies, we show that a strong converse holds for a large class of channels, including all unital qubit channels, the d-dimensional depolarizing channel and the Werner-Holevo channel. This further justifies the interpretation of the classical capacity as a sharp threshold for information transmission.A fully general strong converse for channel coding states that when the rate of sending classical information exceeds the capacity of a quantum channel, the probability of correctly decoding goes to zero exponentially in the number of channel uses, even when we allow code states which are entangled across several uses of the channel. Such a statement was previously only known for classical channels and the quantum identity channel. By relating the problem to the additivity of minimum output entropies, we show that a strong converse holds for a large class of channels, including all unital qubit channels, the d-dimensional depolarizing channel and the Werner-Holevo channel. This further justifies the interpretation of the classical capacity as a sharp threshold for information transmission.

arXiv:0903.2838Physical Review LettersAug 14, 200992 citations

Strong Converse Rates for Quantum Communication

Marco Tomamichel, Mark M. Wilde, Andreas Winter

We revisit a fundamental open problem in quantum information theory, namely, whether it is possible to transmit quantum information at a rate exceeding the channel capacity if we allow for a non-vanishing probability of decoding error. Here, we establish that the Rains information of any quantum channel is a strong converse rate for quantum communication. For any sequence of codes with rate exceeding the Rains information of the channel, we show that the fidelity vanishes exponentially fast as the number of channel uses increases. This remains true even if we consider codes that perform classical postprocessing on the transmitted quantum data. As an application of this result, for generalized dephasing channels, we show that the Rains information is also achievable, and thereby establish the strong converse property for quantum communication over such channels. Thus, we conclusively settle the strong converse question for a class of quantum channels that have a non-trivial quantum capacity.We revisit a fundamental open problem in quantum information theory, namely, whether it is possible to transmit quantum information at a rate exceeding the channel capacity if we allow for a non-vanishing probability of decoding error. Here, we establish that the Rains information of any quantum channel is a strong converse rate for quantum communication. For any sequence of codes with rate exceeding the Rains information of the channel, we show that the fidelity vanishes exponentially fast as the number of channel uses increases. This remains true even if we consider codes that perform classical postprocessing on the transmitted quantum data. As an application of this result, for generalized dephasing channels, we show that the Rains information is also achievable, and thereby establish the strong converse property for quantum communication over such channels. Thus, we conclusively settle the strong converse question for a class of quantum channels that have a non-trivial quantum capacity.

arXiv:1406.2946IEEE Transactions on Information TheoryOct 7, 201699 citations

N

and allowed average decoding error

ε

equals the vanishing-error capacity at mean photon number

N/(1-ε)

. Together, these results identify the ultimate limits of classical communication for some of the most fundamental models of optical communication.