Adaptive Quantum Information Processing, patent number US9838141 B2, can minimize the error rate of a communication protocol by calculating the quantum representation that corresponds to maximum capacity. We prove that for an arbitrary unital channel the most the error rate can be reduced by is half its initial value in QKD, an example of which is gravitational noise in Earth to satellite communication.
Adaptive Quantum Information Processing, patent number US9838141 B2, can minimize the error rate of a communication protocol by calculating the quantum representation that corresponds to maximum capacity. We prove that for an arbitrary unital channel the most the error rate can be reduced by is half its initial value in QKD, an example of which is gravitational noise in Earth to satellite communication.
Quantum information has the potential to revolutionize the way we store, process, transfer and acquire information [1,14,15,21,37]. In particular, quantum information offers exciting new approaches to secure communication, computation and sensing. However, in order to realize such technologies, we must first understand the effect that environmental noise has on a quantum system. This dissertation builds upon recent studies that have explored the underlying structure of quantum information and the effects of qubit channels in quantum communication protocols. This work is divided into five main chapters, with Chapter 1 being a brief introduction to quantum information. We then begin Chapter 2 by defining the error function for our qubit communication protocols. From there we explore the properties of our error functions and the topological space that they form. In Chapter 3 we consider the newly patented process Adaptive Quantum Information Processing, patent number US9838141 B2; originally outlined by Martin in [23]. We restate the adaptive scheme and exemplify its application through the Prepare and Send Protocol and Quantum Key Distribution. Applying our results from Chapter 2, we obtain an expression for the adaptability of unital channels in these two protocols and classify the channels that admit the most improvement. We dedicate Chapter 4 to the derivation of gravitational noise, and show that in certain circumstances gravity results in a channel that can be maximally improved in Adaptive QKD [3,14,16]. Lastly, we study the set of error functions through the lens of domain theory. Domain theory is a subset of mathematics that was developed in order to rigorously formalize computations. The first four chapters are all consequences of past discoveries in the mathematical structure of quantum channels. In Chapter 5 we characterize the set of error functions through domain theory, extending the mathematical foundations of quantum information. [12,18,20, 22, 23,25].
Quantum error correction (QEC) is a crucial element of quantum computing, enabling the reliable transmission and processing of quantum information. Current QEC protocols, however, often rely on fixed parameters, limiting their effectiveness in complex quantum systems. This paper introduces a novel dimension-adaptive quantum error correction protocol that dynamically adjusts the strength of quantum error correction based on the quantum system's internal state distribution. This dynamic adjustment minimizes the error rate and extends the reach of quantum communication and computation. We propose a mechanism leveraging quantum state adaptation to reduce the impact of quantum noise, resulting in improved fidelity and longer entanglement lifetimes. This work addresses a critical limitation in existing QEC approaches, offering a potential pathway to more robust and scalable quantum technologies.
In this thesis we investigate the fundamental limitations that the laws of the quantum nature impose on the performance of quantum communications, quantum metrology and quantum channel discrimination. In a quantum communication scenario, the typical tasks are represented by the simple transmission of quantum bits, the distribution of entangle- ment and the sharing of quantum secret keys. The ultimate rates for each of these protocols are given by the two-way quantum capacities of the quantum channel which are in turn defined by considering the most general adaptive strategies that can be implemented over the channel. To assess these quantum capacities, we combine the simulation of quantum channels, suitably generalized to systems of arbitrary dimension, with quantum telepor- tation and the relative entropy of entanglement. This procedure is called teleportation stretching. Relying on this, we are able to reduce any adaptive protocols into simpler block ones and to determine the tightest upper bound on the two-way quantum capacities. Re- markably, we also prove the existence of a particular class of quantum channel for which the lower and the upper bounds coincide. By employing a slight modification of the tele- portation scheme, allowing the two parties to share a multi-copy resource state, we apply our technique to simplify adaptive protocols for quantum metrology and quantum channel discrimination. In the first case we show that the modified teleportation stretching implies a quantum Cram ́er-Rao bound that follows asymptotically the Heisenberg scaling. In the second scenario we are able to derive the only known so far fundamental lower bound on the probability of error affecting the discrimination of two arbitrary finite-dimensional quantum channels.
The rate of secure key generation (SKG) in quantum key distribution (QKD) is adversely affected by optical noise and loss in the quantum channel. In a free-space atmospheric channel, the scattering of sunlight into the channel can lead to quantum bit error ratios (QBERs) sufficiently large to preclude SKG. Furthermore, atmospheric turbulence limits the degree to which spatial filtering can reduce sky noise without introducing signal losses. A system simulation quantifies the potential benefit of tracking and higher-order adaptive optics (AO) technologies to SKG rates in a daytime satellite engagement scenario. The simulations are performed assuming propagation from a low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite to a terrestrial receiver that includes an AO system comprised of a Shack-Hartmann wave-front sensor (SHWFS) and a continuous-face-sheet deformable mirror (DM). The effects of atmospheric turbulence, tracking, and higher-order AO on the photon capture efficiency are simulated using statistical representations of turbulence and a time-domain waveoptics hardware emulator. Secure key generation rates are then calculated for the decoy state QKD protocol as a function of the receiver field of view (FOV) for various pointing angles. The results show that at FOVs smaller than previously considered, AO technologies can enhance SKG rates in daylight and even enable SKG where it would otherwise be prohibited as a consequence of either background optical noise or signal loss due to turbulence effects.
Quantum communications rely on quantum tele-portation, which requires high-fidelity entangled pairs between remote nodes. In realistic conditions, however, noise affects both the quantum states to be transmitted and entangled pairs used for teleportation, reducing overall communication reliability. This work proposes an adaptive framework for quantum error correction that selects the most suitable quantum code based on parameters estimated from the entanglement distillation process. By analyzing the fidelity and asymmetry of noisy channel induced by imperfect Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) pairs, the scheme identifies how to adapt the quantum code for transmission. The proposed method can either reduce the number of required EPR pairs without compromising performance or enhance performance without increasing resource requirements.
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) promises a provably secure method to transmit information from one party to another. Free-space QKD allows for this information to be sent over great distances and in places where fibre-based communications cannot be implemented, such as ground-satellite. The primary limiting factor for free-space links is the effect of atmospheric turbulence, which can result in significant error rates and increased losses in QKD channels. Here, we employ the use of a high-speed Adaptive Optics (AO) system to make real-time corrections to the wavefront distortions on spatial modes that are used for high-dimensional QKD in our turbulent channel. First, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the AO system in improving the coupling efficiency of a Gaussian mode that has propagated through turbulence. Through process tomography, we show that our system is capable of significantly reducing the crosstalk of spatial modes in the channel. Finally, we show that employing AO reduces the quantum dit error rate for a high-dimensional orbital angular momentum-based QKD protocol, allowing for secure communication in a channel where it would otherwise be impossible. These results are promising for establishing long-distance free-space QKD systems. High-dimensional quantum key distribution will allow for higher information density and greater error tolerance in future quantum networks. This work experimentally demonstrates how implementing an adaptive optics system in a spatial-mode free-space optical link can allow for quantum communications where it would otherwise be impossible.