Unconditionally secure one-way quantum key distribution using decoy pulses

We report here a complete experimental realization of one-way decoy-pulse quantum key distribution, demonstrating an unconditionally secure key rate of 5.51 kbps for a 25.3 km fibre length. This is two orders of magnitudes higher than the value that can be obtained with a non-decoy system. We introduce also a simple test for detecting the photon number splitting attack and highlight that it is essential for the security of the technique to fully characterize the source and detectors used.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

Physical Results from Unphysical Simulations

We calculate various properties of pseudoscalar mesons in partially quenched QCD using chiral perturbation theory through next-to-leading order. Our results can be used to extrapolate to QCD from partially quenched simulations, as long as the latter use three light dynamical quarks. In other words, one can use unphysical simulations to extract physical quantities - in this case the quark masses, meson decay constants, and the Gasser-Leutwyler parameters L_4-L_8. Our proposal for determining L_7 makes explicit use of an unphysical (yet measurable) effect of partially quenched theories, namely the double-pole that appears in certain two-point correlation functions. Most of our calculations are done for sea quarks having up to three different masses, except for our result for L_7, which is derived for degenerate sea quarks.Comment: 26 pages, 12 figures (discussion on discretization errors at end of sec. IV clarified; minor improvements in presentation; results unchanged

Evidence for quenched chiral logs

Using the pole shifting procedure of the modified quenched approximation (MQA) to cure the exceptional configuration problem, accurate hadron hadron spectrum calculations can be obtained at very light quark mass. Here we use the MQA to extend and improve our previous investigation of chiral logs in the pion mass. At beta=5.7 for Wilson fermion, we see clear evidence for quenched chiral logarithms in the pion mass as a function of quark mass. The size of the observed chiral log exponent delta is in good agreement with the value obtained from a direct calculation of the eta' hairpin diagram.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figures, Lattice 98 tal

Applications of Partially Quenched Chiral Perturbation Theory

Partially quenched theories are theories in which the valence- and sea-quark masses are different. In this paper we calculate the nonanalytic one-loop corrections of some physical quantities: the chiral condensate, weak decay constants, Goldstone boson masses, B_K and the K+ to pi+ pi0 decay amplitude, using partially quenched chiral perturbation theory. Our results for weak decay constants and masses agree with, and generalize, results of previous work by Sharpe. We compare B_K and the K+ decay amplitude with their real-world values in some examples. For the latter quantity, two other systematic effects that plague lattice computations, namely, finite-volume effects and unphysical values of the quark masses and pion external momenta are also considered. We find that typical one-loop corrections can be substantial.Comment: 22 pages, TeX, refs. added, minor other changes, version to appear in Phys. Rev.

Some symmetry classifications of hyperbolic vector evolution equations

Motivated by recent work on integrable flows of curves and 1+1 dimensional sigma models, several O(N)-invariant classes of hyperbolic equations $u_{tx} =f(u,u_t,u_x)$ for an $N$-component vector $u(t,x)$ are considered. In each class we find all scaling-homogeneous equations admitting a higher symmetry of least possible scaling weight. Sigma model interpretations of these equations are presented.Comment: Revision of published version, incorporating errata on geometric aspects of the sigma model interpretations in the case of homogeneous space

Partially quenched chiral perturbation theory without Φ0\Phi_0

This paper completes the argument that lattice simulations of partially quenched QCD can provide quantitative information about QCD itself, with the aid of partially quenched chiral perturbation theory. A barrier to doing this has been the inclusion of $\Phi_0$, the partially quenched generalization of the $\eta'$, in previous calculations in the partially quenched effective theory. This invalidates the low energy perturbative expansion, gives rise to many new unknown parameters, and makes it impossible to reliably calculate the relation between the partially quenched theory and low energy QCD. We show that it is straightforward and natural to formulate partially quenched chiral perturbation theory without $\Phi_0$, and that the resulting theory contains the effective theory for QCD without the $\eta'$. We also show that previous results, obtained including $\Phi_0$, can be reinterpreted as applying to the theory without $\Phi_0$. We contrast the situation with that in the quenched effective theory, where we explain why it is necessary to include $\Phi_0$. We also compare the derivation of chiral perturbation theory in partially quenched QCD with the standard derivation in unquenched QCD. We find that the former cannot be justified as rigorously as the latter, because of the absence of a physical Hilbert space. Finally, we present an encouraging result: unphysical double poles in certain correlation functions in partially quenched chiral perturbation theory can be shown to be a property of the underlying theory, given only the symmetries and some plausible assumptions.Comment: 45 pages, no figure

Topologically Massive Gauge Theory: A Lorentzian Solution

We obtain a lorentzian solution for the topologically massive non-abelian gauge theory on AdS space by means of a SU(1, 1) gauge transformation of the previously found abelian solution. There exists a natural scale of length which is determined by the inverse topological mass. The topological mass is proportional to the square of the gauge coupling constant. In the topologically massive electrodynamics the field strength locally determines the gauge potential up to a closed 1-form via the (anti-)self-duality equation. We introduce a transformation of the gauge potential using the dual field strength which can be identified with an abelian gauge transformation. Then we present the map from the AdS space to the pseudo-sphere including the topological mass. This is the lorentzian analog of the Hopf map. This map yields a global decomposition of the AdS space as a trivial circle bundle over the upper portion of the pseudo-sphere which is the Hyperboloid model for the Lobachevski geometry. This leads to a reduction of the abelian field equation onto the pseudo-sphere using a global section of the solution on the AdS space. Then we discuss the integration of the field equation using the Archimedes map from the pseudo-sphere to the cylinder over the ideal Poincare circle. We also present a brief discussion of the holonomy of the gauge potential and the dual-field strength on the upper portion of the pseudo-sphere.Comment: 23 pages, 1 postscript figur

Perturbative matching of staggered four-fermion operators with hypercubic fat links

We calculate the one-loop matching coefficients between continuum and lattice four-fermion operators for lattice operators constructed using staggered fermions and improved by the use of fattened links. In particular, we consider hypercubic fat links and SU(3) projected Fat-7 links, and their mean-field improved versions. We calculate only current-current diagrams, so that our results apply for operators whose flavor structure does not allow ``eye-diagrams''. We present general formulae, based on two independent approaches, and give numerical results for the cases in which the operators have the taste (staggered flavor) of the pseudo-Goldstone pion. We find that the one-loop corrections are reduced down to the 10-20% level, resolving the problem of large perturbative corrections for staggered fermion calculations of matrix elements.Comment: 37 pages, no figure, 20 table

Gigahertz quantum key distribution with InGaAs avalanche photodiodes

We report a demonstration of quantum key distribution (QKD) at GHz clock rates with InGaAs avalanche photodiodes (APDs) operating in a self-differencing mode. Such a mode of operation allows detection of extremely weak avalanches so that the detector afterpulse noise is sufficiently suppressed. The system is characterized by a secure bit rate of 2.37 Mbps at 5.6 km and 27.9 kbps at 65.5 km when the fiber dispersion is not compensated. After compensating the fiber dispersion, the QKD distance is extended to 101 km, resulting in a secure key rate of 2.88 kbps. Our results suggest that InGaAs APDs are very well suited to GHz QKD applications.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure