1,330 research outputs found
Unambiguous state discrimination in quantum cryptography with weak coherent states
The use of linearly independent signal states in realistic implementations of
quantum key distribution (QKD) enables an eavesdropper to perform unambiguous
state discrimination. We explore quantitatively the limits for secure QKD
imposed by this fact taking into account that the receiver can monitor to some
extend the photon number statistics of the signals even with todays standard
detection schemes. We compare our attack to the beamsplitting attack and show
that security against beamsplitting attack does not necessarily imply security
against the attack considered here.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, updated version with added discussion of
beamsplitting attac
From stem and progenitor cells to neurons in the developing neocortex: Key differences among hominids
Comparing the biology of humans to that of other primates, and notably other hominids, is a useful path to learn more about what makes us human. Some of the most interesting differences among hominids are closely related to brain development and function, for example behaviour and cognition. This makes it particularly interesting to compare the hominid neural cells of the neocortex, a part of the brain that plays central roles in those processes. However, well-preserved tissue from great apes is usually extremely difficult to obtain. A variety of new alternative tools, for example brain organoids, are now beginning to make it possible to search for such differences and analyse their potential biological and biomedical meaning. Here, we present an overview of recent findings from comparisons of the neural stem and progenitor cells (NSPCs) and neurons of hominids. In addition to differences in proliferation and differentiation of NSPCs, and maturation of neurons, we highlight that the regulation of the timing of these processes is emerging as a general foundational difference in the development of the neocortex of hominids
Periodic and Quasi-Periodic Compensation Strategies of Extreme Outages caused by Polarization Mode Dispersion and Amplifier Noise
Effect of birefringent disorder on the Bit Error Rate (BER) in an optical
fiber telecommunication system subject to amplifier noise may lead to extreme
outages, related to anomalously large values of BER. We analyze the Probability
Distribution Function (PDF) of BER for various strategies of Polarization Mode
Dispersion (PMD) compensation. A compensation method is proposed that is
capable of more efficient extreme outages suppression, which leads to
substantial improvement of the fiber system performance.Comment: 3 pages, 1 figure, Submitted to IEEE Photonics Letter
Unambiguous State Discrimination of Coherent States with Linear Optics: Application to Quantum Cryptography
We discuss several methods for unambiguous state discrimination of N
symmetric coherent states using linear optics and photodetectors. One type of
measurements is shown to be optimal in the limit of small photon numbers for
any N. For the special case of N=4 this measurement can be fruitfully used by
the receiving end (Bob) in an implementation of the BB84 quantum key
distribution protocol using faint laser pulses. In particular, if Bob detects
only a single photon the procedure is equivalent to the standard measurement
that he would have to perform in a single-photon implementation of BB84, if he
detects two photons Bob will unambiguously know the bit sent to him in 50% of
the cases without having to exchange basis information, and if three photons
are detected, Bob will know unambiguously which quantum state was sent.Comment: 5 RevTeX pages, 2 eps figure
Estimates for practical quantum cryptography
In this article I present a protocol for quantum cryptography which is secure
against attacks on individual signals. It is based on the Bennett-Brassard
protocol of 1984 (BB84). The security proof is complete as far as the use of
single photons as signal states is concerned. Emphasis is given to the
practicability of the resulting protocol. For each run of the quantum key
distribution the security statement gives the probability of a successful key
generation and the probability for an eavesdropper's knowledge, measured as
change in Shannon entropy, to be below a specified maximal value.Comment: Authentication scheme corrected. Other improvements of presentatio
Oscillator model for dissipative QED in an inhomogeneous dielectric
The Ullersma model for the damped harmonic oscillator is coupled to the
quantised electromagnetic field. All material parameters and interaction
strengths are allowed to depend on position. The ensuing Hamiltonian is
expressed in terms of canonical fields, and diagonalised by performing a
normal-mode expansion. The commutation relations of the diagonalising operators
are in agreement with the canonical commutation relations. For the proof we
replace all sums of normal modes by complex integrals with the help of the
residue theorem. The same technique helps us to explicitly calculate the
quantum evolution of all canonical and electromagnetic fields. We identify the
dielectric constant and the Green function of the wave equation for the
electric field. Both functions are meromorphic in the complex frequency plane.
The solution of the extended Ullersma model is in keeping with well-known
phenomenological rules for setting up quantum electrodynamics in an absorptive
and spatially inhomogeneous dielectric. To establish this fundamental
justification, we subject the reservoir of independent harmonic oscillators to
a continuum limit. The resonant frequencies of the reservoir are smeared out
over the real axis. Consequently, the poles of both the dielectric constant and
the Green function unite to form a branch cut. Performing an analytic
continuation beyond this branch cut, we find that the long-time behaviour of
the quantised electric field is completely determined by the sources of the
reservoir. Through a Riemann-Lebesgue argument we demonstrate that the field
itself tends to zero, whereas its quantum fluctuations stay alive. We argue
that the last feature may have important consequences for application of
entanglement and related processes in quantum devices.Comment: 24 pages, 1 figur
Nitrofurantoin revisited: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials
The available evidence supports first-line treatment of lower urinary tract infections with nitrofurantoin as clinical efficacy is similar to that seen for trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin and amoxicillin, rates of microbiological cure are good, short- term toxicity is generally mild and acquired resistance is still relatively rar
Coherent pulse implementations of quantum cryptography protocols resistant to photon number splitting attacks
A new class of quantum cryptography (QC) protocols that are robust against
the most general photon number splitting attacks in a weak coherent pulse
implementation has been recently proposed. In this article we give a quite
exhaustive analysis of several eavesdropping attacks on these schemes. The
eavesdropper (Eve) is supposed to have unlimited technological power while the
honest parties (Alice and Bob) use present day technology, in particular an
attenuated laser as an approximation of a single-photon source. They exploit
the nonorthogonality of quantum states for decreasing the information
accessible to Eve in the multi-photon pulses accidentally produced by the
imperfect source. An implementation of some of these protocols using present
day technology allow for a secure key distribution up to distances of
150 km. We also show that strong-pulse implementations, where a strong pulse is
included as a reference, allow for key distribution robust against photon
number splitting attacks.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figure
Security against eavesdropping in quantum cryptography
In this article we deal with the security of the BB84 quantum cryptography
protocol over noisy channels using generalized privacy amplification. For this
we estimate the fraction of bits needed to be discarded during the privacy
amplification step. This estimate is given for two scenarios, both of which
assume the eavesdropper to access each of the signals independently and take
error correction into account. One scenario does not allow a delay of the
eavesdropper's measurement of a measurement probe until he receives additional
classical information. In this scenario we achieve a sharp bound. The other
scenario allows a measurement delay, so that the general attack of an
eavesdropper on individual signals is covered. This bound is not sharp but
allows a practical implementation of the protocol.Comment: 11 pages including 3 figures, contains new results not contained in
my Phys. Rev. A pape
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