|0>|1>+|1>|0>

I give a simple argument that demonstrates that the state |0>|1>+|1>|0>, with |0> denoting a state with 0 particles and |1> a 1-particle state, is entangled in spite of recent claims to the contrary. I also discuss new viewpoints on the old controversy about whether the above state can be said to display single-particle or single-photon nonlocality.Comment: A more serious version, almost 2.36 pages, but still an unnormalized titl

The Quantum State of an Ideal Propagating Laser Field

We give a quantum information-theoretic description of an ideal propagating CW laser field and reinterpret typical quantum-optical experiments in light of this. In particular we show that contrary to recent claims [T. Rudolph and B. C. Sanders, Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 077903 (2001)], a conventional laser can be used for quantum teleportation with continuous variables and for generating continuous-variable entanglement. Optical coherence is not required, but phase coherence is. We also show that coherent states play a priveleged role in the description of laser light.Comment: 4 pages RevTeX, to appear in PRL. For an extended version see quant-ph/011115

Error free quantum communication through noisy channels

We suggest a method to perform a quantum logic gate between distant qubits by off-resonant field-atom dispersive interactions. The scheme we present is shown to work ideally even in the presence of errors in the photon channels used for communication. The stability against errors arises from the paradoxical situation that the transmitted photons carry no information about the state of the qubits. In contrast to a previous proposal for ideal communication [Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 4293 (1997)] our proposal only involves single atoms in the sending and receiving devices.Comment: 6 pages, including 2 figure

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

Maximal Entanglement of Two-qubit States Constructed by Linearly Independent Coherent States

In this paper, we find the necessary and sufficient condition for the maximal entanglement of the state, $|\psi>=\mu|\alpha>|\beta>+\lambda|\alpha>|\delta>+ \rho|\gamma>|\beta>+\nu|\gamma>|\delta>,$ constructed by linearly independent coherent states with \emph{real parameters} when $=$. This is a further generalization of the classified nonorthogonal states discussed in Ref. Physics Letters A {\bf{291}}, 73-76 (2001).Comment: some examples added; Int J Theor Phys 201

Reference frames, superselection rules, and quantum information

Recently, there has been much interest in a new kind of ``unspeakable'' quantum information that stands to regular quantum information in the same way that a direction in space or a moment in time stands to a classical bit string: the former can only be encoded using particular degrees of freedom while the latter are indifferent to the physical nature of the information carriers. The problem of correlating distant reference frames, of which aligning Cartesian axes and synchronizing clocks are important instances, is an example of a task that requires the exchange of unspeakable information and for which it is interesting to determine the fundamental quantum limit of efficiency. There have also been many investigations into the information theory that is appropriate for parties that lack reference frames or that lack correlation between their reference frames, restrictions that result in global and local superselection rules. In the presence of these, quantum unspeakable information becomes a new kind of resource that can be manipulated, depleted, quantified, etcetera. Methods have also been developed to contend with these restrictions using relational encodings, particularly in the context of computation, cryptography, communication, and the manipulation of entanglement. This article reviews the role of reference frames and superselection rules in the theory of quantum information processing.Comment: 55 pages, published versio

Photons in polychromatic rotating modes

We propose a quantum theory of rotating light beams and study some of its properties. Such beams are polychromatic and have either a slowly rotating polarization or a slowly rotating transverse mode pattern. We show there are, for both cases, three different natural types of modes that qualify as rotating, one of which is a new type not previously considered. We discuss differences between these three types of rotating modes on the one hand and non-rotating modes as viewed from a rotating frame of reference on the other. We present various examples illustrating the possible use of rotating photons, mostly for quantum information processing purposes. We introduce in this context a rotating version of the two-photon singlet state.Comment: enormously expanded: 12 pages, 3 figures; a new, more informative, but less elegant title, especially designed for Phys. Rev.

There is no unmet requirement of optical coherence for continuous-variable quantum teleportation

It has been argued [T. Rudolph and B.C. Sanders, Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 077903 (2001)] that continuous-variable quantum teleportation at optical frequencies has not been achieved because the source used (a laser) was not `truly coherent'. Here I show that `true coherence' is always illusory, as the concept of absolute time on a scale beyond direct human experience is meaningless. A laser is as good a clock as any other, even in principle, and this objection to teleportation experiments is baseless.Comment: 6 pages, no figures, no equations, to be published in Journal of Modern Optics. This is a long version of quant-ph/0104004. I have not replaced that paper with this one because some authors have referenced that one approvingly who may feel differently about doing so to this versio

Quantum state transfer between motion and light

We describe schemes for transferring quantum states between light fields and the motion of a trapped atom. Coupling between the motion and the light is achieved via Raman transitions driven by a laser field and the quantized field of a high-finesse microscopic cavity mode. By cascading two such systems and tailoring laser field pulses, we show that it is possible to transfer an arbitrary motional state of one atom to a second atom at a spatially distant site.Comment: 10 pages, RevTex, 6 figures, to appear in Journal of Optics B: Quantum and Semiclassical Optic