Masking information into quantum correlations is a cornerstone of many quantum information applications. While there exist the no-hiding and no-masking theorems, approximate quantum information masking (AQIM) offers a promising means of circumventing the constraints. Despite its potential, AQIM still remains underexplored, and constructing explicit approximate maskers remains a challenge. In this work, we investigate AQIM from multiple perspectives and propose using random isometries to construct approximate maskers. First, different notions of AQIM are introduced and we find there are profound intrinsic connections among them. These relationships are characterized by a set of figures of merit, which are introduced to quantify the deviation of AQIM from exact QIM. We then explore the possibility of realizing AQIM via random isometries in bipartite and multipartite systems. In bipartite systems, we identify a fundamental lower bound for a key figure of merit, implying that almost all random isometries fail to realize AQIM. This surprising result generalizes the original no-masking theorem to the no-random-AQIM theorem for bipartite systems. In contrast, in multipartite systems, we show almost all random isometries can realize AQIM. Remarkably, the number of physical qubits required to randomly mask a single logical qubit scales only linearly. We further explore the implications of these findings. In particular, we show that, under certain conditions, approximate quantum error correction is equivalent to AQIM. Consequently, AQIM naturally gives rise to approximate quantum error correction codes with constant code rates and exponentially small correction inaccuracies. Overall, our results establish quantum information masking as a central concept in quantum information theory, bridging diverse notions across multiple domains.
Masking information into quantum correlations is a cornerstone of many quantum information applications. While there exist the no-hiding and no-masking theorems, approximate quantum information masking (AQIM) offers a promising means of circumventing the constraints. Despite its potential, AQIM still remains underexplored, and constructing explicit approximate maskers remains a challenge. In this work, we investigate AQIM from multiple perspectives and propose using random isometries to construct approximate maskers. First, different notions of AQIM are introduced and we find there are profound intrinsic connections among them. These relationships are characterized by a set of figures of merit, which are introduced to quantify the deviation of AQIM from exact QIM. We then explore the possibility of realizing AQIM via random isometries in bipartite and multipartite systems. In bipartite systems, we identify a fundamental lower bound for a key figure of merit, implying that almost all random isometries fail to realize AQIM. This surprising result generalizes the original no-masking theorem to the no-random-AQIM theorem for bipartite systems. In contrast, in multipartite systems, we show almost all random isometries can realize AQIM. Remarkably, the number of physical qubits required to randomly mask a single logical qubit scales only linearly. We further explore the implications of these findings. In particular, we show that, under certain conditions, approximate quantum error correction is equivalent to AQIM. Consequently, AQIM naturally gives rise to approximate quantum error correction codes with constant code rates and exponentially small correction inaccuracies. Overall, our results establish quantum information masking as a central concept in quantum information theory, bridging diverse notions across multiple domains.
Since masking of quantum information was introduced by Modi et al. in [PRL 120, 230501 (2018)], many discussions on this topic have been published. In this paper, we consider relationship between quantum multipartite maskers (QMMs) and quantum error-correcting codes (QECCs). We say that a subset Q of pure states of a system K can be masked by an operator S into a multipartite system $\H^{(n)}$ if all of the image states S∣ψ of states ∣ψ in Q have the same marginal states on each subsystem. We call such an S a QMM of Q. By establishing an expression of a QMM, we obtain a relationship between QMMs and QECCs, which reads that an isometry is a QMM of all pure states of a system if and only if its range is a QECC of any one-erasure channel. As an application, we prove that there is no an isometric universal masker from $\C^2$ into $\C^2\otimes\C^2\otimes\C^2$ and then the states of $\C^3$ can not be masked isometrically into $\C^2\otimes\C^2\otimes\C^2$. This gives a consummation to a main result and leads to a negative answer to an open question in [PRA 98, 062306 (2018)]. Another application is that arbitrary quantum states of $\C^d$ can be completely hidden in correlations between any two subsystems of the tripartite system $\C^{d+1}\otimes\C^{d+1}\otimes\C^{d+1}$, while arbitrary quantum states cannot be completely hidden in the correlations between subsystems of a bipartite system [PRL 98, 080502 (2007)].
Since masking of quantum information was introduced by Modi et al. in [PRL 120, 230501 (2018)], many discussions on this topic have been published. In this paper, we consider relationship between quantum multipartite maskers (QMMs) and quantum error-correcting codes (QECCs). We say that a subset Q of pure states of a system K can be masked by an operator S into a multipartite system $\H^{(n)}$ if all of the image states S∣ψ of states ∣ψ in Q have the same marginal states on each subsystem. We call such an S a QMM of Q. By establishing an expression of a QMM, we obtain a relationship between QMMs and QECCs, which reads that an isometry is a QMM of all pure states of a system if and only if its range is a QECC of any one-erasure channel. As an application, we prove that there is no an isometric universal masker from $\C^2$ into $\C^2\otimes\C^2\otimes\C^2$ and then the states of $\C^3$ can not be masked isometrically into $\C^2\otimes\C^2\otimes\C^2$. This gives a consummation to a main result and leads to a negative answer to an open question in [PRA 98, 062306 (2018)]. Another application is that arbitrary quantum states of $\C^d$ can be completely hidden in correlations between any two subsystems of the tripartite system $\C^{d+1}\otimes\C^{d+1}\otimes\C^{d+1}$, while arbitrary quantum states cannot be completely hidden in the correlations between subsystems of a bipartite system [PRL 98, 080502 (2007)].
It is impossible to mask an arbitrary quantum state into the correlations between two subsystems such that the original information is completely unknown to each local system. This is the no-masking theorem proposed by Modi et al. [K. Modi, A. K. Pati, A. Sen(De), and U. Sen, Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 230501 (2018)]. In this work, we propose the concept of k-uniform quantum information masking in multipartite systems and indicate the relation between quantum error-correcting codes (QECCs) in heterogeneous systems and quantum information masking. As a consequence, we show that the no-masking theorem is a special case of the quantum Singleton bound for QECCs in heterogeneous systems essentially, and we give a more general no-masking theorem in multipartite systems based on the quantum Singleton bound. We also solve two open questions proposed by Li and Wang [M.-S. Li and Y.-L. Wang, Phys. Rev. A 98, 062306 (2018)]. That is, an arbitrary state of level d cannot be masked in a tripartite system of level d such that the marginal states are not proportional to identity, and an arbitrary state of level d cannot be masked in a tripartite system of level n with n<d. Further, we give some methods for constructing new QECCs from old QECCs in heterogeneous systems.
k-Uniform states are fundamental to quantum information and computing, with applications in multipartite entanglement and quantum error-correcting codes (QECCs). Prior work has primarily focused on constructing exact k-uniform states or proving their nonexistence. However, due to inevitable theoretical approximations and experimental imperfections, generating exact k-uniform states is neither feasible nor necessary in practice. In this work, we initiate the study of approximate k-uniform states, demonstrating that they are locally indistinguishable from their exact counterparts unless massive measurements are performed. We prove that such states can be constructed with high probability from the Haar-random ensemble and, more efficiently, via shallow random quantum circuits. Furthermore, we establish a connection between approximate k-uniform states and approximate QECCs, showing that Haar random constructions yield high-performance codes with linear rates, vanishing proximity, and exponentially small failure probability while random circuits can't construct codes with linear code rate in shallow depth. Finally, we investigate the relationship between approximate QECCs and approximate quantum information masking. Our work lays the foundation for the practical application of k-uniform states.
Classical information can be completely hidden in the correlations of bipartite quantum systems. However, it is impossible to hide or mask all quantum information according to the no-hiding and no-masking theorems derived recently. Here we show that any set of informationally complete quantum states is neither hidable nor maskable, thereby strengthening the no-hiding and no-masking theorems known before. Then, by virtue of Hurwitz-Radon matrices (representations of the Clifford algebra), we show that information about real quantum states can be completely hidden in the correlations, although the minimum dimension of the composite Hilbert space required increases exponentially with the dimension of the original Hilbert space. Moreover, the set of real quantum states is a maximal maskable set within quantum theory and has a surprising connection with maximally entangled states. These results offer valuable insight on the potential and limit of hiding and masking quantum information, which are of intrinsic interest to a number of active research areas.
We develop a theory of approximate quantum error correction (QEC) based on the error-set model, complemented by general methods for code construction. Exact QEC has a powerful error-set structure: by the Knill-Laflamme conditions, a code correcting a given error set automatically protects against every channel whose Kraus operators lie in their linear span. This linearity gives rise to code distance, the equivalence between erasures and general errors, and a theory of asymptotically good codes. A longstanding view has been that these features do not extend to AQEC, leaving the theory essentially channel-by-channel. We show instead that, although full Knill--Laflamme linearity fails, a restricted form survives and suffices to extend all three structural features to the approximate setting. Specifically, a common error-set criterion governs families of channels whose Kraus operators are linear combinations of a given error set and whose coefficient matrices satisfy a spectral constraint. Using the Bény-Oreshkov worst-case and Petz average-case frameworks, we derive uniform fidelity guarantees for these families in terms of two new code parameters--the \emph{environment-leakage distance}, controlling worst-case performance, and the \emph{Knill-Laflamme Hellinger distance}, characterizing the average-case performance of Petz recovery.
To demonstrate the scope of this model, we develop partition-based constructions across diverse quantum systems and geometries, placing exact and approximate correction on equal footing. These constructions lead to a metric--error alignment hierarchy for Hilbert spaces, metrics, and error families, which in turn characterizes the resulting recovery guarantees. They yield the first known asymptotically good code families for fermionic systems, one-dimensional Rydberg-blockaded systems, and deletion errors, and extend to other physical platforms.