Analog Quantum Computation and Communication with Digitized Continuous Variables [an abstract of entire text]

浩介 福井

Andersen, Dong, Jezek +4 more

Shi Jin, Nana Liu

Abstract Quantum simulators were originally proposed for simulating one partial differential equation (PDE) in particular—Schrödinger’s equation. Can quantum simulators also efficiently simulate other PDEs? While most computational methods for PDEs—both classical and quantum—are digital (they must be discretised first), PDEs have continuous degrees of freedom. This suggests that an analog representation can be more natural. While digital quantum degrees of freedom are usually described by qubits, the analog or continuous quantum degrees of freedom can be captured by qumodes. Based on a method called Schrödingerisation, we show how to directly map D-dimensional linear PDEs onto a ( D + 1 ) -qumode quantum system where analog or continuous-variable (CV) Hamiltonian simulation on D + 1 qumodes can be used. This very simple methodology does not require one to discretise PDEs first, and it is not only applicable to linear PDEs but also to some nonlinear PDEs and systems of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. We show some examples using this method, including the Liouville equation, heat equation, Fokker–Planck equation, Black–Scholes equations, wave equation and Maxwell’s equations. We also devise new protocols for linear PDEs with random coefficients, important in uncertainty quantification, where it is clear how the analog or CV framework is most natural. This also raises the possibility that some PDEs may be simulated directly on analog quantum systems by using Hamiltonians natural for those quantum systems.

Seth Lloyd, Samuel L. Braunstein

Xu Liu, J Sun, Tong Wang +2 more

Abstract In the field of quantum communication, investigating the practical security of systems is conducive to their deployments in real-world scenarios. In this paper, we identify and experimentally demonstrate a side-channel vulnerability within continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CV-QKD) arising from the zero-order hold (ZOH) effect in digital-to-analog conversion. As digital-to-analog converters (DACs) are indispensable for modulation in CV-QKD transmitters, this leakage constitutes an intrinsic and widespread risk. We show that the ZOH-induced spectral side lobes allow an eavesdropper to extract secret information without disturbing the main signal band. Experimental validation on a CV-QKD platform reveals a leakage of 2.68 Mbit/s against a generated secret key rate of 4.73 Mbit/s. Crucially, we propose a defense strategy that completely eliminates this vulnerability, effectively restoring the system’s implementation security. By resolving this fundamental hardware limitation, our work bridges the gap between theoretical models and practical engineering, paving the way for robust, standardized quantum communication networks.

Wei Zhao, Ronghua Shi, Xinchao Ruan

Abstract A quantum digital signature (QDS) is guaranteed by the laws of quantum physics and can provide unconditional security to authenticate classical messages. Previous QDS protocols that shared secret keys could be realized using discrete-variable quantum key distribution (DV-QKD), for which the DV-QKD relied on extreme requirements like single-photon detection and extremely weak pulses of light. QDS protocols are mainly focused on how to sign a one-bit message rather than multi-bit messages. In this paper, we present a continuous-variable quantum digital signature (CV-QDS) protocol for signing multi-bit messages. The CV-QDS protocol has better compatibility with existing communication systems and the encoding strategy for multi-bit messages is simpler than before. We hope the continuous-variable protocol could further improve the performance of QDS.