Why Quantum Bit Commitment And Ideal Quantum Coin Tossing Are Impossible

There had been well known claims of unconditionally secure quantum protocols for bit commitment. However, we, and independently Mayers, showed that all proposed quantum bit commitment schemes are, in principle, insecure because the sender, Alice, can almost always cheat successfully by using an Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) type of attack and delaying her measurements. One might wonder if secure quantum bit commitment protocols exist at all. We answer this question by showing that the same type of attack by Alice will, in principle, break any bit commitment scheme. The cheating strategy generally requires a quantum computer. We emphasize the generality of this ``no-go theorem'': Unconditionally secure bit commitment schemes based on quantum mechanics---fully quantum, classical or quantum but with measurements---are all ruled out by this result. Since bit commitment is a useful primitive for building up more sophisticated protocols such as zero-knowledge proofs, our results cast very serious doubt on the security of quantum cryptography in the so-called ``post-cold-war'' applications. We also show that ideal quantum coin tossing is impossible because of the EPR attack. This no-go theorem for ideal quantum coin tossing may help to shed some lights on the possibility of non-ideal protocols.Comment: We emphasize the generality of this "no-go theorem". All bit commitment schemes---fully quantum, classical and quantum but with measurements---are shown to be necessarily insecure. Accepted for publication in a special issue of Physica D. About 18 pages in elsart.sty. This is an extended version of an earlier manuscript (quant-ph/9605026) which has appeared in the proceedings of PHYSCOMP'9

Continuous variable teleportation of single photon states

The properties of continuous variable teleportation of single photon states are investigated. The output state is different from the input state due to the non-maximal entanglement in the EPR beams. The photon statistics of the teleportation output are determined and the correlation between the field information beta obtained in the teleportation process and the change in photon number is discussed. The results of the output photon statistics are applied to the transmission of a qbit encoded in the polarization of a single photon.Comment: 14 pages, including 6 figure

Continuous-Variable Quantum Teleportation with a Conventional Laser

We give a description of balanced homodyne detection (BHD) using a conventional laser as a local oscillator (LO), where the laser field outside the cavity is a mixed state whose phase is completely unknown. Our description is based on the standard interpretation of the quantum theory for measurement, and accords with the experimental result in the squeezed state generation scheme. We apply our description of BHD to continuous-variable quantum teleportation (CVQT) with a conventional laser to analyze the CVQT experiment [A. Furusawa et al., Science 282, 706 (1998)], whose validity has been questioned on the ground of intrinsic phase indeterminacy of the laser field [T. Rudolph and B.C. Sanders, Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 077903 (2001)]. We show that CVQT with a laser is valid only if the unknown phase of the laser field is shared among sender's LOs, the EPR state, and receiver's LO. The CVQT experiment is considered valid with the aid of an optical path other than the EPR channel and a classical channel, directly linking between a sender and a receiver. We also propose a method to probabilistically generate a strongly phase-correlated quantum state via continuous measurement of independent lasers, which is applicable to realizing CVQT without the additional optical path.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

Why do people buy dogs with potential welfare problems related to extreme conformation and inherited disease? A representative study of Danish owners of four small dog breeds

A number of dog breeds suffer from welfare problems due to extreme phenotypes and high levels of inherited diseases but the popularity of such breeds is not declining. Using a survey of owners of two popular breeds with extreme physical features (French Bulldog and Chihuahua), one with a high load of inherited diseases not directly related to conformation (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel), and one representing the same size range but without extreme conformation and with the same level of disease as the overall dog population (Cairn Terrier), we investigated this seeming paradox. We examined planning and motivational factors behind acquisition of the dogs, and whether levels of experienced health and behavior problems were associated with the quality of the owner-dog relationship and the intention to re-procure a dog of the same breed. Owners of each of the four breeds (750/breed) were randomly drawn from a nationwide Danish dog registry and invited to participate. Of these, 911 responded, giving a final sample of 846. There were clear differences between owners of the four breeds with respect to degree of planning prior to purchase, with owners of Chihuahuas exhibiting less. Motivations behind choice of dog were also different. Health and other breed attributes were more important to owners of Cairn Terriers, whereas the dog's personality was reported to be more important for owners of French Bulldogs and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels but less important for Chihuahua owners. Higher levels of health and behavior problems were positively associated with a closer owner-dog relationship for owners of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and Chihuahuas but, for owners of French Bulldogs, high levels of problems were negatively associated with an intention to procure the same breed again. In light of these findings, it appears less paradoxical that people continue to buy dogs with welfare problems

Causality in quantum teleportation: information extraction and noise effects in entanglement distribution

Quantum teleportation is possible because entanglement allows a definition of precise correlations between the non-commuting properties of a local system and corresponding non-commuting properties of a remote system. In this paper, the exact causality achieved by maximal entanglement is analyzed and the results are applied to the transfer of effects acting on the entanglement distribution channels to the teleported output state. In particular, it is shown how measurements performed on the entangled system distributed to the sender provide information on the teleported state while transferring the corresponding back-action to the teleported quantum state.Comment: 14 pages, including three figures, discussion of fidelity adde

Teleportation improvement by conditional measurements on the two-mode squeezed vacuum

We show that by making conditional measurements on the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) squeezed vacuum [T. Opatrny, G. Kurizki, and D.-G. Welsch, Phys. Rev. A 61, 032302 (2000)], one can improve the efficacy of teleportation for both the position-difference, momentum-sum, and number-difference, phase-sum continuous variable teleportation protocols. We investigate the relative abilities of the standard and conditional EPR states, and show that by conditioning we can improve the fidelity of teleportation of coherent states from below to above the (F) over bar =2/3 boundary, thereby achieving unambiguously quantum teleportation

Entanglement concentration of continuous variable quantum states

We propose two probabilistic entanglement concentration schemes for a single copy of two-mode squeezed vacuum state. The first scheme is based on the off-resonant interaction of a Rydberg atom with the cavity field while the second setup involves the cross Kerr interaction, auxiliary mode prepared in a strong coherent state and a homodyne detection. We show that the continuous-variable entanglement concentration allows us to improve the fidelity of teleportation of coherent states.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure

Producing the event ready two photon polarization EPR state with linear optics devices

We propose a scheme to produce the maximally two photon polarization entangled state(EPR state) with single photon sources and the linear optics devices. In particular, our scheme requires the photon detectors only to distinguish the vacuum and non-vacuum Fock number states. A sophisticated photon detector distinguishing one or two photon states is unnecessary.Comment: Published in Phys. Rev. A alread

Effect Size Analyses of Souvenaid in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease

Background: Souvenaid ® (uridine monophosphate, docosahexaenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, choline, phospholipids, folic acid, vitamins B12, B6, C, and E, and selenium), was developed to support the formation and function of neuronal membranes. Objective: To determine effect sizes observed in clinical trials of Souvenaid and to calculate the number needed to treat to show benefit or harm. Methods: Data from all three reported randomized controlled trials of Souvenaid in Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia (Souvenir I, Souvenir II, and S-Connect) and an open-label extension study were included in analyses of effect size for cognitive, functional, and behavioral outcomes. Effect size was determined by calculating Cohen's d statistic (or Cramér's V method for nominal data), number needed to treat and number needed to harm. Statistical calculations were performed for the intent-to-treat populations. Results: In patients with mild AD, effect sizes were 0.21 (95% confidence intervals: -0.06, 0.49) for the primary outcome in Souvenir II (neuropsychological test battery memory z-score) and 0.20 (0.10, 0.34) for the co-primary outcome of Souvenir I (Wechsler memory scale delayed recall). No effect was shown on cognition in patients with mild-to-moderate AD (S-Connect). The number needed to treat (6 and 21 for Souvenir I and II, respectively) and high number needed to harm values indicate a favorable harm:benefit ratio for Souvenaid versus control in patients with mild AD. Conclusions: The favorable safety profile and impact on outcome measures converge to corroborate the putative mode of action and demonstrate that Souvenaid can achieve clinically detectable effects in patients with early AD

Applications of electrified dust and dust devil electrodynamics to Martian atmospheric electricity

Atmospheric transport and suspension of dust frequently brings electrification, which may be substantial. Electric fields of 10 kVm-1 to 100 kVm-1 have been observed at the surface beneath suspended dust in the terrestrial atmosphere, and some electrification has been observed to persist in dust at levels to 5 km, as well as in volcanic plumes. The interaction between individual particles which causes the electrification is incompletely understood, and multiple processes are thought to be acting. A variation in particle charge with particle size, and the effect of gravitational separation explains to, some extent, the charge structures observed in terrestrial dust storms. More extensive flow-based modelling demonstrates that bulk electric fields in excess of 10 kV m-1 can be obtained rapidly (in less than 10 s) from rotating dust systems (dust devils) and that terrestrial breakdown fields can be obtained. Modelled profiles of electrical conductivity in the Martian atmosphere suggest the possibility of dust electrification, and dust devils have been suggested as a mechanism of charge separation able to maintain current flow between one region of the atmosphere and another, through a global circuit. Fundamental new understanding of Martian atmospheric electricity will result from the ExoMars mission, which carries the DREAMS (Dust characterization, Risk Assessment, and Environment Analyser on the Martian Surface)-MicroARES (Atmospheric Radiation and Electricity Sensor) instrumentation to Mars in 2016 for the first in situ measurements