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Spatial Path Superposition: A No-Cloning Perspective on MIMO-Inspired Spatial Diversity

Angela Sara Cacciapuoti, Claudio Pellitteri, Marcello Caleffi

Published Sep 28, 2026• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Spatial diversity is a key mechanism in classical Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) communications, where multiple propagation alternatives provide redundant observations that improve reliability in noisy environments. A direct translation of this principle to quantum communications is forbidden by the no-cloning theorem, since an unknown quantum state cannot be copied and transmitted through independent links. In this Perspective article, we argue that spatial path superposition provides a no-cloning-compatible analogue of the spatial-diversity principle of MIMO. Rather than duplicating the transmitted quantum state, a quantum carrier is coherently delocalized over multiple communication links, so that alternative spatial evolutions are experienced in quantum superposition. In this framework, classical redundancy is replaced by spatial coherence, and the communication link itself becomes part of the quantum dynamics. Indeed, spatial coherence can enhance the fidelity of the received quantum state, providing the quantum counterpart of the classical diversity gain, and can be converted into bipartite and multipartite entanglement during propagation. This implies that, under suitable coherent path control, noisy channel evolutions can contribute constructively to entanglement generation. This Perspective identifies spatial path superposition as a quantum-native primitive for the Quantum Internet, linking no-cloning-compatible spatial diversity, fidelity enhancement, entanglement generation, and coherent path control

DOI
10.5281/zenodo.23019143

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Spatial diversity is a key mechanism in classical Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) communications, where multiple propagation alternatives provide redundant observations that improve reliability in noisy environments. A direct translation of this principle to quantum communications is forbidden by the no-cloning theorem, since an unknown quantum state cannot be copied and transmitted through independent links. In this Perspective article, we argue that spatial path superposition provides a no-cloning-compatible analogue of the spatial-diversity principle of MIMO. Rather than duplicating the transmitted quantum state, a quantum carrier is coherently delocalized over multiple communication links, so that alternative spatial evolutions are experienced in quantum superposition. In this framework, classical redundancy is replaced by spatial coherence, and the communication link itself becomes part of the quantum dynamics. Indeed, spatial coherence can enhance the fidelity of the received quantum state, providing the quantum counterpart of the classical diversity gain, and can be converted into bipartite and multipartite entanglement during propagation. This implies that, under suitable coherent path control, noisy channel evolutions can contribute constructively to entanglement generation. This Perspective identifies spatial path superposition as a quantum-native primitive for the Quantum Internet, linking no-cloning-compatible spatial diversity, fidelity enhancement, entanglement generation, and coherent path control
Reliable transmission of high-quality video over wireless channels is challenged by fading and noise, which degrade visual quality and disrupt temporal continuity. To address these issues, this paper proposes a quantum communication framework that integrates quantum superposition with multi-input multi-output (MIMO) spatial diversity techniques to enhance robustness and efficiency in dynamic video transmission. The proposed method converts compressed videos into classical bitstreams, which are then channel-encoded and quantum-encoded into qubit superposition states. These states are transmitted over a 2×2 MIMO system employing varied diversity schemes to mitigate the effects of multipath fading and noise. At the receiver, a quantum decoder reconstructs the classical information, followed by channel decoding to retrieve the video data, and the source decoder reconstructs the final video. Simulation results demonstrate that the quantum MIMO system significantly outperforms equivalent-bandwidth classical MIMO frameworks across diverse signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) conditions, achieving a peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) up to 39.12 dB, structural similarity index (SSIM) up to 0.9471, and video multi-method assessment fusion (VMAF) up to 92.47, with improved error resilience across various group of picture (GOP) formats, highlighting the potential of quantum MIMO communication for enhancing the reliability and quality of video delivery in next-generation wireless networks.
Characterization and exploitation of multiple channels between the transmitter and the receiver in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications brought a paradigm shift in classical communication systems. The techniques developed around MIMO communication systems not only brought unprecedented advancements in communication rates but also substantially improved the reliability of communication, measured by low error rates. We develop a framework for MIMO quantum communications with discrete-variable quantum systems. We propose a general model of MIMO quantum channels incorporating noise, losses, and crosstalk among multiple channels. We leverage the approximate quantum cloning to transmit imperfect clones of the input state over this channel setup. We demonstrate that transmitting multiple imperfect clones achieves better communication fidelity as compared to transmitting a single perfect copy of the state due to the diversity of the MIMO setup. We also demonstrate a practical tradeoff between fidelity and rate of communication and call it quantum diversity multiplexing tradeoff (DMT) due to its similarity with the well-known DMT in classical MIMO setups.
Free-space optical (FSO) links carry quantum states without fiber, but diffraction, pointing error, and atmospheric turbulence couple spatial modes and reduce end-to-end fidelity. Classical multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) uses spatial channels for multiplexing or diversity. For unknown quantum states, however, the no-cloning theorem prevents classical replication. We therefore formulate an FSO quantum multiple-input multiple-output (QuMIMO) link for an unknown polarization qubit as a single completely positive and trace-preserving (CPTP) map. It combines passive field transfer, bosonic pure loss lifted to Fock space, a receiver map to erasure-augmented polarization qubits, and effective per-port polarization noise. The plane-wave Rytov variance parameterizes turbulence, while an internal-state Gram matrix captures partial photon distinguishability and its effects on path coherence and multiphoton interference. Using Haar-averaged state fidelity, we compare direct transmission, fixed quantum error correction (QEC), approximate quantum cloning, coherent path superposition, and channel-adapted encoder and recovery maps, while distinguishing channel state information (CSI) from endpoint availability. With Full CSI on the two-rail channel, asymmetric cloning and coherent path superposition exceed the fixed single-input single-output (SISO) baseline in average fidelity. Adding rails and their admitted photon-number sectors enlarges the attained general-CPTP gain over the fixed SISO baseline, with the widest margin at moderate turbulence. Fixed stabilizer encoders perform poorly as turbulence makes rail survival unequal and produces errors unlike erasures at known code positions. Thus, QuMIMO realizes channel-adapted spatial diversity without requiring multiple copies of the logical qubit.
Entanglement generation and distribution is a core functionality of quantum networks. Traditional approaches to this functionality rely on chains of quantum repeaters or on manipulation of multipartite states. In this work, we explore an alternative paradigm that explores quantum coherence at propagation level, by enabling genuine quantum instantiations of communication channels, existing in superposed configurations. We demonstrate that this mechanism can be harnessed to generate both bipartite and multipartite entangled states from separable inputs. Specifically, we show that Bell states can be obtained from initially separable two-qubit states, through the superposition of two unitary quantum channels. The proposed approach is further extended to multipartite systems, by generating n-qubit GHZ and W states and thereby revealing the constructive role of superposed quantum operations in entanglement creation. Moreover, we analyze the robustness of the proposed scheme against noise, showing that the resulting states retain high fidelity and concurrence even under realistic imperfections. Our results suggest that, under appropriate quantum control, noisy superposed paths can be effectively harnessed to engineer entanglement generation and distribution in quantum networks.
The exploitation of quantum coherence at the level of propagation represents a powerful paradigm for quantum communication networks. In this work, we show that the coherent superposition of spatially distinct communication links enables entanglement generation inherently during distribution. Specifically, separable quantum states can be deterministically transformed into entangled states, when the noisy communication links they traverse are coherently superposed. Contrary to the conventional view of noise as a detrimental effect, we demonstrate that quantum noise itself can be transformed into a constructive resource for entanglement generation for both bipartite and multipartite entanglement. Given the practical feasibility of implementing spatial superposition in interferometric setups, our approach provides a feasible method for distributed entanglement engineering, opening new directions for quantum communication and networked quantum technologies.
Entanglement generation and distribution is a core functionality of quantum networks. Traditional approaches to this functionality rely on chains of quantum repeaters or on manipulation of multipartite states. In this work, we explore an alternative paradigm that explores quantum coherence at propagation level, by enabling genuine quantum instantiations of communication channels, existing in superposed configurations. We demonstrate that this mechanism can be harnessed to generate both bipartite and multipartite entangled states from separable inputs. Specifically, we show that Bell states can be obtained from initially separable two-qubit states, through the superposition of two unitary quantum channels. The proposed approach is further extended to multipartite systems, by generating n-qubit GHZ and W states and thereby revealing the constructive role of superposed quantum operations in entanglement creation. Moreover, we analyze the robustness of the proposed scheme against noise, showing that the resulting states retain high fidelity and concurrence even under realistic imperfections. Our results suggest that, under appropriate quantum control, noisy superposed paths can be effectively harnessed to engineer entanglement generation and distribution in quantum networks.