We consider whether every quantum random access code (QRAC) with density-operator encodings and arbitrary decoding measurements obeys the conjectured bound $p\leq(1+\sqrt{m/n})/2$, where $n$ classical bits are encoded into $m$ qubits and $p$ is the worst-case success probability. We find that classical random access codes with private randomness, which form a subclass of this QRAC model, violate the bound. We embed these classical codes as QRACs with diagonal encoding states and commuting decoding measurements, and construct pure-state realizations with identical decoding statistics. The achievability theorem of Ambainis, Nayak, Ta-Shma, and Vazirani then yields violations for every fixed $p\in(1/2,1)$ at sufficiently large input length. The counterexamples span the full open interval between the conjectured and Nayak bounds at each fixed compression rate. A finite-blocklength analysis further yields order-optimal logarithmic qubit scaling for a recovery bias scaling as $\sqrt{\log_2 n/n}$ with a sufficiently large prefactor. These results identify the classical coding rate as the source of the separation and motivate restricted bounds based on quantitative spectral properties of decoding measurements.
We consider whether every quantum random access code (QRAC) with density-operator encodings and arbitrary decoding measurements obeys the conjectured bound p≤(1+m/n)/2, where n classical bits are encoded into m qubits and p is the worst-case success probability. We find that classical random access codes with private randomness, which form a subclass of this QRAC model, violate the bound. We embed these classical codes as QRACs with diagonal encoding states and commuting decoding measurements, and construct pure-state realizations with identical decoding statistics. The achievability theorem of Ambainis, Nayak, Ta-Shma, and Vazirani then yields violations for every fixed p∈(1/2,1) at sufficiently large input length. The counterexamples span the full open interval between the conjectured and Nayak bounds at each fixed compression rate. A finite-blocklength analysis further yields order-optimal logarithmic qubit scaling for a recovery bias scaling as log2n/n with a sufficiently large prefactor. These results identify the classical coding rate as the source of the separation and motivate restricted bounds based on quantitative spectral properties of decoding measurements.
Quantum random access codes (QRACs) ask how well N classical bits can be encoded into M qubits while allowing any single bit to be recovered. Although the Nayak bound remains the standard general upper bound on the decoding probability, numerical evidence suggests a stronger upper bound in the small-qubit regime.
In this work, we formulate the optimal decoding probability in terms of decoding measurements, reformulating QRAC design as a spectral problem for noncommuting measurements. Using this formulation, we give an elementary proof of the Nayak bound by simplifying the Chernoff-bound argument. Moreover, we refine the argument to obtain upper bounds that improve over Nayak's bound in the entire finite-size regime.
The equality conditions of our bounds justify defining mutually unbiased projector-valued measurements (MUPVMs), a generalization of mutually unbiased bases. We show that decoding measurement of any two-qubit QRAC attaining the conjectured bound must form MUPVMs. We also show that any MUPVM, assisted by one ancillary qubit, yields a QRAC with optimal N-scaling decoding probability. Finally, we propose a new MUPVM-based construction for the (M+2,M)-QRAC family attaining the conjectured bound.
A random access code (RAC) encodes an L-bit string into a k-bit message, L>k, so that any requested bit can be recovered with high probability; a quantum RAC (QRAC) uses k qubits instead. We give a geometric characterization of optimal classical (L,k)-RACs under average and worst-case decoding criteria. The average criterion is reduced to choosing 2k representatives in {0,1}L, while the worst-case criterion is reduced to a minimax problem over 2k points in [0,1]L with a distance-like objective. This framework proves optimality for several parameter families, with many optimal constructions arising from standard infinite families of binary linear codes. It also yields two explicit classical--quantum separations. First, for every L>1, we construct a (L,1)-QRAC whose average decoding success probability strictly exceeds the optimal classical value. Second, for the family (2k−1,k), we prove worst-case optimality of a classical RAC and construct a QRAC with strictly larger worst-case success probability. For the family (L,L−1), the framework identifies a classical RAC that is average-case optimal and, under a stated conjecture, also worst-case optimal. The same viewpoint further recovers explicit (L,L−1)-QRACs attaining a previously conjectured upper-bound value.
Analytical construction of (n,n−1) quantum random access codes saturating the conjectured bound
Quantum Random Access Codes (QRACs) embody the fundamental trade-off between the compressibility of information into limited quantum resources and the accessibility of that information, serving as a cornerstone of quantum communication and computation. In particular, the (n,n−1)-QRACs, which encode n bits of classical information into n−1 qubits, provides an ideal theoretical model for verifying quantum advantage in high-dimensional spaces; however, the analytical derivation of optimal codes for general n has remained an open problem. In this paper, we establish an analytical construction method for (n,n−1)-QRACs by using an explicit operator formalism. We prove that this construction strictly achieves the numerically conjectured upper bound of the average success probability, P=1/2+(n−1)/n/2, for all n. Furthermore, we present a systematic algorithm to decompose the derived optimal POVM into standard quantum gates. Since the resulting decoding circuit consists solely of interactions between adjacent qubits, it can be implemented with a circuit depth of O(n) even under linear connectivity constraints. Additionally, we analyze the high-dimensional limit and demonstrate that while the non-commutativity of measurements is suppressed, an information-theoretic gap of O(logn) from the Holevo bound inevitably arises for symmetric encoding. This study not only provides a scalable implementation method for high-dimensional quantum information processing but also offers new insights into the mathematical structure at the quantum-classical boundary.
A (Quantum) Random Access Code ((Q)RAC) is a scheme that encodes n bits into m (qu)bits such that any of the n bits can be recovered with a worst case probability p>21. Such a code is denoted by the triple (n,m,p). It is known that n<4m for all QRACs and n<2m for classical RACs. These bounds are also known to be tight, as explicit constructions exist for n=4m−1 and n=2m−1 for quantum and classical codes respectively. We generalize (Q)RACs to a scheme encoding nd-levels into m (qu)-d-levels such that any d-level can be recovered with the probability for every wrong outcome value being less than d1. We construct explicit solutions for all n≤d−1d2m−1. For d=2, the constructions coincide with those previously known. We show that the (Q)RACs are d-parity-oblivious, generalizing ordinary parity-obliviousness. We further investigate optimization of the success probabilities. For d=2, we use the measure operators of the previously best known solutions, but improve the encoding states to give a higher success probability. We conjecture that for maximal (n=4m−1,m,p) QRACs, p=21+(3+1)m−11 is possible and show that it is an upper bound for the measure operators that we use. When we compare (n,m,pq) QRACs with classical (n,2m,pc) RACs, we can always find pq≥pc, but the classical code gives information about every input bit simultaneously, while the QRAC only gives information about a subset. For several different (n,2,p) QRACs, we see the same trade-off, as the best p values are obtained when the number of bits that can be obtained simultaneously is as small as possible. The trade-off is connected to parity-obliviousness, since high certainty information about several bits can be used to calculate probabilities for parities of subsets.
Optimal Average Success Probabilities of Binary (n,n−1) and (n,n−2) Quantum Random Access Codes
A binary (n,m) quantum random access code (QRAC) compresses an n-bit classical string into an m-qubit quantum state, from which a decoder attempts to recover a randomly selected target bit. Of particular interest is the optimal average probability of success, Pn,mQ,avg,opt, which was numerically conjectured to satisfy the bound Pn,mQ,avg,opt≤21+21nm. Recent constructions of (n,n−1) QRACs by Suzuki and (n,n−2) QRACs by Akibue et al. meet this bound exactly, raising the question of their strict optimality. In this work, we settle this question by proving the conjectured upper bound for m∈{n−1,n−2}, thereby precisely determining Pn,n−1Q,avg,opt and Pn,n−2Q,avg,opt. The proof utilizes a translation recently studied by Lin and de Wolf from local to global reconstruction via pretty good measurement, along with dimensional and positive-semidefinite constraints on an induced channel.
We consider a communication method, where the sender encodes n classical bits into 1 qubit and sends it to the receiver who performs a certain measurement depending on which of the initial bits must be recovered. This procedure is called (n,1,p) quantum random access code (QRAC) where p > 1/2 is its success probability. It is known that (2,1,0.85) and (3,1,0.79) QRACs (with no classical counterparts) exist and that (4,1,p) QRAC with p > 1/2 is not possible. We extend this model with shared randomness (SR) that is accessible to both parties. Then (n,1,p) QRAC with SR and p > 1/2 exists for any n > 0. We give an upper bound on its success probability (the known (2,1,0.85) and (3,1,0.79) QRACs match this upper bound). We discuss some particular constructions for several small values of n. We also study the classical counterpart of this model where n bits are encoded into 1 bit instead of 1 qubit and SR is used. We give an optimal construction for such codes and find their success probability exactly--it is less than in the quantum case. Interactive 3D quantum random access codes are available on-line at http://home.lanet.lv/~sd20008/racs .