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arXiv:quant-ph/0412113 · Physical Review A

Qubit channels that achieve capacity with two states

Dominic William Berry

Published Mar 22, 2005• 15 citations
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Abstract

This paper considers a class of qubit channels for which three states are always sufficient to achieve the Holevo capacity. For these channels, it is known that there are cases where two orthogonal states are sufficient, two nonorthogonal states are required, or three states are necessary. Here a systematic theory is given which provides criteria to distinguish cases where two states are sufficient, and determine whether these two states should be orthogonal or nonorthogonal. In addition, we prove a theorem on the form of the optimal ensemble when three states are required, and present efficient methods of calculating the Holevo capacity.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.71.032334

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Qubit channels that achieve capacity with two states

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Four signalling states are sufficient to achieve the Holevo capacity for qubit channels, but in many cases are not necessary. There are examples known where the capacity is achieved for two orthogonal input states, two nonorthogonal states, and examples where three states are necessary and sufficient. Many previous results were obtained for a class of channel for which three states are sufficient. In this study, a systematic theory for this class of channel was developed. Simple criteria are presented that, when satisfied, mean that two states are sufficient for the ensemble. When these criteria are satisfied, there is a simple method to determine whether the states in the ensemble should be orthogonal or nonorthogonal. When the criteria are not satisfied, it is still possible that two states are sufficient, though it is possible that three states are necessary. In the case where three states are necessary, the form of the optimal ensemble is predicted. These results provide an efficient method for calculating the Holevo capacity for all channels in this class.

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This paper considers a class of qubit channels for which three states are always sufficient to achieve the Holevo capacity. For these channels, it is known that there are cases where two orthogonal states are sufficient, two nonorthogonal states are required, or three states are necessary. Here a systematic theory is given which provides criteria to distinguish cases where two states are sufficient, and determine whether these two states should be orthogonal or nonorthogonal. In addition, we prove a theorem on the form of the optimal ensemble when three states are required, and present efficient methods of calculating the Holevo capacity.
Four signalling states are sufficient to achieve the Holevo capacity for qubit channels, but in many cases are not necessary. There are examples known where the capacity is achieved for two orthogonal input states, two nonorthogonal states, and examples where three states are necessary and sufficient. Many previous results were obtained for a class of channel for which three states are sufficient. In this study, a systematic theory for this class of channel was developed. Simple criteria are presented that, when satisfied, mean that two states are sufficient for the ensemble. When these criteria are satisfied, there is a simple method to determine whether the states in the ensemble should be orthogonal or nonorthogonal. When the criteria are not satisfied, it is still possible that two states are sufficient, though it is possible that three states are necessary. In the case where three states are necessary, the form of the optimal ensemble is predicted. These results provide an efficient method for calculating the Holevo capacity for all channels in this class.
The notion of the Holevo capacity for arbitrarily constrained infinite dimensional quantum channels is introduced. It is shown that despite nonexistence of an optimal ensemble in this case it is possible to define the notion of the output optimal average state for such a channel. The characterization of the output optimal average state and a minimax expression for the Holevo capacity are obtained. This makes it possible to prove equivalence of several additivity properties for infinite dimensional quantum channels. The notion of the χ\chiχ-function for an infinite dimensional channel is considered, its strong concavity and lower semicontinuity are shown. The problem of continuity of the Holevo capacity is also discussed. It is shown that the Holevo capacity is continuous function of a channel in the finite dimensional case while in general it is only lower semicontinuous. This conclusion is confirmed by the example. The main result of this note is the statement that additivity of the Holevo capacity for all finite dimensional channels implies additivity of the Holevo capacity for all infinite dimensional channels with arbitrary constraints. The subadditivity of the χ\chiχ-function for two infinite dimensional channels with one of them noiseless or entanglement breaking is also proved.
In this thesis we analyse the type of states and ensembles which achieve the capacity for certain quantum channels carrying classical information. We first concentrate on the product-state capacity of a particular quantum channel, that is, the capacity which is achieved by encoding the output states from a source into codewords comprised of states taken from ensembles of non-entangled states and sending them over copies of the quantum channel. Using the "single-letter" formula proved independently by Holevo and by Schumacher and Westmoreland we obtain the product-state capacity of the qubit quantum amplitude-damping channel, which is determined by a transcendental equation in a single real variable and can be solved numerically. We demonstrate that the product-state capacity of this channel can be achieved using a minimal ensemble of non-orthogonal pure states. Next we consider the classical capacity of two quantum channels with memory, namely a periodic channel with quantum depolarising channel branches and a convex combination of quantum channels. We prove that the classical capacity for each of the classical memory channels mentioned above is, in fact, equal to the respective product-state capacities. For those channels this means that the classical capacity is achieved without the use of entangled input-states. Next we introduce the channel coding theorem for memoryless quantum channels, providing a known proof by Winter for the strong converse of the theorem. We then consider the strong converse to the channel coding theorem for a periodic quantum channel.
Special sets of states, called optimal, which are related to the Holevo capacity and to the minimal output entropy of a quantum channel, are considered. By methods of convex analysis and operator theory, structural properties of optimal sets and conditions of their coincidence are explored for an arbitrary channel. It is shown that strong additivity of the Holevo capacity for two given channels provides projective relations between optimal sets for the tensor product of these channels and optimal sets for the individual channels.