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arXiv:2610.00442

Robust classical and quantum communication over almost-iid channels

Liuhang Ye, Bjarne Bergh, Nilanjana Datta

quant-phSubmitted Sep 30, 2026• Announced Oct 1, 2026• 0 citations
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Abstract

The independent and identically distributed (iid) paradigm for asymptotic communication through quantum channels describes $n$ uses of a channel $Φ$ by $Φ^{\otimes n}$. Since exact tensor-power behaviour is an idealization, we ask whether the asymptotic capacities of $Φ$ remain achievable for channel sequences that are almost-iid along $Φ$. We consider sequences of Choi-almost-iid channels whose normalized Choi states are Mazzola-Sutter-Renner (MSR) almost-iid along the normalized Choi state of $Φ$, with defect parameters $r_n=o(n)$. In Renner's exponential de Finetti theorem for quantum states, almost-iid states appear in the approximating mixture and motivate the MSR almost-iid class. Choi-almost-iid channels play the corresponding role in an exponential de Finetti theorem for quantum channels established in a companion paper. In this paper, we prove that the universal unassisted classical and quantum capacities of the class of Choi-almost-iid channels along $Φ$ equal those of the channel $Φ$. Here universality is within this class: for each rate below the relevant capacity, a code sequence depending on $Φ$ and the rate, but not on the particular channel sequence, achieves vanishing error for every sequence in the class.

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The independent and identically distributed (iid) paradigm for asymptotic communication through quantum channels describes nnn uses of a channel ΦΦΦ by Φ⊗nΦ^{\otimes n}Φ⊗n. Since exact tensor-power behaviour is an idealization, we ask whether the asymptotic capacities of ΦΦΦ remain achievable for channel sequences that are almost-iid along ΦΦΦ. We consider sequences of Choi-almost-iid channels whose normalized Choi states are Mazzola-Sutter-Renner (MSR) almost-iid along the normalized Choi state of ΦΦΦ, with defect parameters rn=o(n)r_n=o(n)rn​=o(n). In Renner's exponential de Finetti theorem for quantum states, almost-iid states appear in the approximating mixture and motivate the MSR almost-iid class. Choi-almost-iid channels play the corresponding role in an exponential de Finetti theorem for quantum channels established in a companion paper. In this paper, we prove that the universal unassisted classical and quantum capacities of the class of Choi-almost-iid channels along ΦΦΦ equal those of the channel ΦΦΦ. Here universality is within this class: for each rate below the relevant capacity, a code sequence depending on ΦΦΦ and the rate, but not on the particular channel sequence, achieves vanishing error for every sequence in the class.
Standard finite quantum de Finetti theorems approximate the kkk-system marginals of permutation-invariant states of nnn-systems by mixtures of independent and identically distributed (iid) states, usually in trace distance. We prove both standard and Renner's exponential de Finetti theorems in the stronger form of operator inequalities, implying bounds in every Schatten norm and for every quantum Rényi divergence satisfying data processing. In the standard case, for fixed local dimension, our k/nk/nk/n error bound in max-relative entropy improves on the previously best known k2/nk^2/nk2/n scaling, even in the classical setting. The operator-inequality approach is particularly suited to study channel de Finetti representations because operator order between Choi states is equivalent to completely positive (CP) order between the underlying channels. For permutation-covariant channels N(n):A⊗n→B⊗nN^{(n)}:A^{\otimes n}\to B^{\otimes n}N(n):A⊗n→B⊗n, where dA=dim⁡Ad_A=\dim AdA​=dimA, we prove that the kkk-system reduced channel is CP-dominated by a mixture of tensor-power channels with error O(k/n)O(k/\sqrt{n})O(k/n​) and polynomial dependence on the local dimensions, addressing a question raised by Berta et al. [Math. Program. 194, 781-829 (2022)]. Under the no-signalling condition, we also prove an exponential channel de Finetti theorem where the approximating mixture consists of Choi-almost-iid channels, whose normalized Choi states are almost-iid in the sense of Mazzola-Sutter-Renner. In the case of rrr defects, the representation error is at most poly(n)(2dA4k3/(nr2))(r+1)/2\mathrm{poly}(n)\bigl(2d_A^4k^3/(nr^2)\bigr)^{(r+1)/2}poly(n)(2dA4​k3/(nr2))(r+1)/2 and decays exponentially in nnn for a suitable choice of parameters rrr and kkk.
Information-theoretic techniques are based on the assumption that resources are well characterized by independent and identically distributed (iid) states. This assumption cannot be justified operationally, since, for example, correlations between subsequent systems emitted by a source cannot be detected by any practical tomographic protocol. Operationally motivated symmetry assumptions still imply, via de Finetti theorems, that the resources are described by almost-iid states. This raises the question: Are almost-iid resources as effective as perfect iid resources for information-processing tasks? Here we address this question and prove that the conditional entropy of almost-iid states asymptotically coincides with that of iid states. As an application, this implies that squashed entanglement is robust for almost-iid states, asymptotically matching its value on iid states.
The asymptotic rates of information-theoretic protocols - including error exponents, data-compression rates, and channel capacities - are traditionally derived under the idealised assumption that the underlying resources are independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.). Somewhat surprisingly, even slight departures from the exact i.i.d. structure can drastically alter the asymptotic behaviour predicted by the i.i.d. theory. If the precise nature of the perturbation is known, for instance in the case of a pointwise defect, one can design a bespoke protocol that compensates for it, e.g. by discarding the corrupted subsystem. In realistic physical settings, however, exact i.i.d. behaviour cannot be guaranteed, and deviations from the ideal regime cannot generally be identified precisely. This raises a fundamental question: which notions of almost i.i.d. structure are sufficiently robust to preserve the asymptotic predictions of quantum Shannon theory? We investigate this question for three central information-theoretic tasks: asymmetric hypothesis testing, classical and quantum data compression, and classical communication through quantum channels. Rather than designing protocols tailored to specific defects, we seek robust protocols that remain asymptotically optimal and that are universal within a broad class of almost i.i.d. resources whose precise deviations from the ideal regime are unknown. To this end, we study three inequivalent notions of almost i.i.d. structure, and determine which of them preserve the asymptotic rates and error exponents predicted by the i.i.d. theory. Along the way, we introduce the notion of an almost i.i.d. process and a new distance measure between quantum channels - the club distance - designed to capture stability under local perturbations. These notions may be of independent interest.
We study the robustness of asymptotic entanglement manipulation for Mazzola--Sutter--Renner (MSR) almost-iid sources, which allow a sublinear number of deviations from tensor-power structure. For pure sources along ∣φ⟩AB|φ\rangle_{AB}∣φ⟩AB​, every concentration rate below S(φA)S(φ_A)S(φA​) is achievable by a single Schur--Weyl protocol depending only on the rate and local Hilbert spaces. For general sources along ρABρ_{AB}ρAB​, every distillation rate below ED(ρAB)E_D(ρ_{AB})ED​(ρAB​) is achievable by a single LOCC protocol sequence independent of the particular source and defect size. Its error vanishes exponentially and uniformly for each prescribed defect bound rn=o(n)r_n=o(n)rn​=o(n), yielding an optimal universal distillation rate equal to ED(ρAB)E_D(ρ_{AB})ED​(ρAB​). For dilution, the entanglement cost of every MSR almost-iid target sequence along ρABρ_{AB}ρAB​ is at most EF∞(ρAB)E_F^\infty(ρ_{AB})EF∞​(ρAB​), the regularized entanglement of formation of the reference state. Consequently, every MSR almost-iid sequence along a pure reference state ∣φ⟩AB|φ\rangle_{AB}∣φ⟩AB​ is asymptotically reversible, with distillable entanglement and entanglement cost equal to S(φA)S(φ_A)S(φA​), even when its individual states are mixed. The proofs establish structural and entropic properties of MSR almost-iid sources that may be useful in other information-theoretic settings.
Typically, multiple copies of a quantum state are described by a tensor power of that state. However, from an operational point of view, an experimentalist cannot, in general, rule out imperfections at unknown positions or correlations between copies, so assuming independent and identically distributed (iid) copies is not justified a priori. In the following, we relax the iid assumption by considering a whole set of resource states that are fundamentally indistinguishable from a tensor power state, and in that sense look like many copies of the quantum state to the experimentalist. Using a de Finetti-type argument, we show that this operational set of states can asymptotically be represented by almost-iid states. As an application, we introduce operational analogues of asymptotic transformation rates, such as entanglement cost and distillation. This raises the question of whether these rates coincide with their iid counterparts.
We show that the capacity of a quantum channel demarcates a phase transition: while reliable transmission below capacity is always possible, any attempt to transmit information above it fails catastrophically. Specifically, we prove exponential strong converse theorems for unassisted quantum and classical communication over arbitrary finite-dimensional memoryless quantum channels. At rates beyond the respective capacity, the entanglement-generation fidelity and the success probability for classical communication decay exponentially with the number of channel uses. This rules out transmission above capacity even when one tolerates arbitrarily large errors. Our proof follows the classical Arimoto strategy, augmented by a crucial new ingredient: integral representations of Rényi information measures that lead to asymptotic continuity bounds for Rényi capacities.