Standard formulations of quantum theory are based on complex numbers: Quantum states can be in superpositions, with weights given by complex probability amplitudes. Motivated by quantum theory promising a range of practical advantages over classical for a multitude of tasks, we investigate how the presence of complex amplitudes in quantum theory can yield operational advantages over counterpart real formulations. We identify a straightforward communication task for which complex quantum theory exhibits a provably lower communication cost than not just any classical approach, but also any approach based on real quantum theory. We certify the necessity of complex quantum theory for optimal approaches to the task through geometric properties of quantum state ensembles that witness the presence of basis-independent complexity. This substantiates a strict operational advantage of complex quantum theory. We discuss the relevance of this finding for quantum advantages in stochastic simulation.
Standard formulations of quantum theory are based on complex numbers: Quantum states can be in superpositions, with weights given by complex probability amplitudes. Motivated by quantum theory promising a range of practical advantages over classical for a multitude of tasks, we investigate how the presence of complex amplitudes in quantum theory can yield operational advantages over counterpart real formulations. We identify a straightforward communication task for which complex quantum theory exhibits a provably lower communication cost than not just any classical approach, but also any approach based on real quantum theory. We certify the necessity of complex quantum theory for optimal approaches to the task through geometric properties of quantum state ensembles that witness the presence of basis-independent complexity. This substantiates a strict operational advantage of complex quantum theory. We discuss the relevance of this finding for quantum advantages in stochastic simulation.
In communication complexity, a number of distant parties have the task of calculating a distributed function of their inputs, while minimizing the amount of communication between them. It is known that with quantum resources, such as entanglement and quantum channels, one can obtain significant reductions in the communication complexity of some tasks. In this work, we study the role of the quantum superposition of the direction of communication as a resource for communication complexity. We present a tripartite communication task for which such a superposition allows for an exponential saving in communication, compared to one-way quantum (or classical) communication; the advantage also holds when we allow for protocols with bounded error probability.
Abstract Although complex numbers are essential in mathematics, they are not needed to describe physical experiments, as those are expressed in terms of probabilities, hence real numbers. Physics, however, aims to explain, rather than describe, experiments through theories. Although most theories of physics are based on real numbers, quantum theory was the first to be formulated in terms of operators acting on complex Hilbert spaces 1,2 . This has puzzled countless physicists, including the fathers of the theory, for whom a real version of quantum theory, in terms of real operators, seemed much more natural 3 . In fact, previous studies have shown that such a ‘real quantum theory’ can reproduce the outcomes of any multipartite experiment, as long as the parts share arbitrary real quantum states 4 . Here we investigate whether complex numbers are actually needed in the quantum formalism. We show this to be case by proving that real and complex Hilbert-space formulations of quantum theory make different predictions in network scenarios comprising independent states and measurements. This allows us to devise a Bell-like experiment, the successful realization of which would disprove real quantum theory, in the same way as standard Bell experiments disproved local physics.
Despite the conceptual importance of contextuality in quantum mechanics, there is a hitherto limited number of applications requiring contextuality but not entanglement. Here, we show that for any quantum state and observables of sufficiently small dimensions producing contextuality, there exists a communication task with quantum advantage. Conversely, any quantum advantage in this task admits a proof of contextuality whenever an additional condition holds. We further show that given any set of observables allowing for quantum state-independent contextuality, there exists a class of communication tasks wherein the difference between classical and quantum communication complexities increases as the number of inputs grows. Finally, we show how to convert each of these communication tasks into a semi-device-independent protocol for quantum key distribution.
Quantum communication can outperform classical communication in a variety of information-processing tasks, but such advantages are typically established for a fixed communication network. Here we introduce topology-independent quantum advantage, in which a quantum protocol outperforms every classical protocol subject to the same communication constraint, irrespective of how the classical communication resource is distributed among the parties or which communication topology is employed, even when the parties may share unlimited classical randomness. We first demonstrate this phenomenon through a simple three-party equality task: two senders receive ternary classical inputs, while an input-free receiver determines whether the inputs are equal. We then formulate a general framework for topology-independent communication and completely characterize the corresponding classical correlation polytope in the minimal three-party scenario. Its facet inequalities reveal several instances of topology-independent quantum advantage. Remarkably, one of these inequalities enables the semi-device-independent certification of a nonunitary quantum channel, while another certifies a sequential quantum network topology without any prior assumption about the network configuration. Finally, we extend the framework to four-party networks, characterize the relevant classical communication structures, and identify a communication task exhibiting quantum advantages against all admissible classical topologies. Our results establish topology independence as a genuine and robust form of quantum advantage in communication networks.
In this review, we discuss a relation between quantum communication complexity and a long-standing debate in quantum foundation concerning the interpretation of the quantum state. Is the quantum state a physical element of reality as originally interpreted by Schrödinger? Or is it an abstract mathematical object containing statistical information about the outcome of measurements as interpreted by Born? Although these questions sound philosophical and pointless, they can be made precise in the framework of what we call classical theories of quantum processes, which are a reword of quantum phenomena in the language of classical probability theory. In 2012, Pusey, Barrett and Rudolph (PBR) proved, under an assumption of preparation independence, a theorem supporting the original interpretation of Schrödinger in the classical framework. The PBR theorem has attracted considerable interest revitalizing the debate and motivating other proofs with alternative hypotheses. Recently, we showed that these questions are related to a practical problem in quantum communication complexity, namely, quantifying the minimal amount of classical communication required in the classical simulation of a two-party quantum communication process. In particular, we argued that the statement of the PBR theorem can be proved if the classical communication cost of simulating the communication of n qubits grows more than exponentially in n. Our argument is based on an assumption that we call probability equipartition property. This property is somehow weaker than the preparation independence property used in the PBR theorem, as the former can be justified by the latter and the asymptotic equipartition property of independent stochastic sources. The probability equipartition property is a general and natural hypothesis that can be assumed even if the preparation independence hypothesis is dropped. In this review, we further develop our argument into the form of a theorem.
Quantum advantage is notoriously hard to find and even harder to prove. For example the class of functions computable with classical physics exactly coincides with the class computable quantum mechanically. It is strongly believed, but not proven, that quantum computing provides exponential speed-up for a range of problems, such as factoring. Here we address a computational scenario of randomness processing in which quantum theory provably yields, not only resource reduction over classical stochastic physics, but a strictly larger class of problems which can be solved. Beyond new foundational insights into the nature and malleability of randomness, and the distinction between quantum and classical information, these results also offer the potential of developing classically intractable simulations with currently accessible quantum technologies. Although quantum alternatives of various classical tasks are considered advantageous, this is typically extremely difficult to concretely prove. Here, the authors show that a quantum approach to randomness processing provides a reduction in resources and a larger class of solvable problems.