Iterative Optimization of Quantum Error Correcting Codes

We introduce a convergent iterative algorithm for finding the optimal coding and decoding operations for an arbitrary noisy quantum channel. This algorithm does not require any error syndrome to be corrected completely, and hence also finds codes outside the usual Knill-Laflamme definition of error correcting codes. The iteration is shown to improve the figure of merit "channel fidelity" in every step.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, REVTeX 4; stability of algorithm include

Comment on "Optimum Quantum Error Recovery using Semidefinite Programming"

In a recent paper ([1]=quant-ph/0606035) it is shown how the optimal recovery operation in an error correction scheme can be considered as a semidefinite program. As a possible future improvement it is noted that still better error correction might be obtained by optimizing the encoding as well. In this note we present the result of such an improvement, specifically for the four-bit correction of an amplitude damping channel considered in [1]. We get a strict improvement for almost all values of the damping parameter. The method (and the computer code) is taken from our earlier study of such correction schemes (quant-ph/0307138).Comment: 2 pages, 1 figur

Estimating entanglement measures in experiments

We present a method to estimate entanglement measures in experiments. We show how a lower bound on a generic entanglement measure can be derived from the measured expectation values of any finite collection of entanglement witnesses. Hence witness measurements are given a quantitative meaning without the need of further experimental data. We apply our results to a recent multi-photon experiment [M. Bourennane et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 087902 (2004)], giving bounds on the entanglement of formation and the geometric measure of entanglement in this experiment.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, v2: final versio

Lower bounds on entanglement measures from incomplete information

How can we quantify the entanglement in a quantum state, if only the expectation value of a single observable is given? This question is of great interest for the analysis of entanglement in experiments, since in many multiparticle experiments the state is not completely known. We present several results concerning this problem by considering the estimation of entanglement measures via Legendre transforms. First, we present a simple algorithm for the estimation of the concurrence and extensions thereof. Second, we derive an analytical approach to estimate the geometric measure of entanglement, if the diagonal elements of the quantum state in a certain basis are known. Finally, we compare our bounds with exact values and other estimation methods for entanglement measures.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, v2: final versio

Fidelity of optimally controlled quantum gates with randomly coupled multiparticle environments

This work studies the feasibility of optimal control of high-fidelity quantum gates in a model of interacting two-level particles. One particle (the qubit) serves as the quantum information processor, whose evolution is controlled by a time-dependent external field. The other particles are not directly controlled and serve as an effective environment, coupling to which is the source of decoherence. The control objective is to generate target one-qubit gates in the presence of strong environmentally-induced decoherence and under physically motivated restrictions on the control field. It is found that interactions among the environmental particles have a negligible effect on the gate fidelity and require no additional adjustment of the control field. Another interesting result is that optimally controlled quantum gates are remarkably robust to random variations in qubit-environment and inter-environment coupling strengths. These findings demonstrate the utility of optimal control for management of quantum-information systems in a very precise and specific manner, especially when the dynamics complexity is exacerbated by inherently uncertain environmental coupling.Comment: tMOP LaTeX, 9 pages, 3 figures; Special issue of the Journal of Modern Optics: 37th Winter Colloquium on the Physics of Quantum Electronics, 2-6 January 200

Experimental entanglement verification and quantification via uncertainty relations

We report on experimental studies on entanglement quantification and verification based on uncertainty relations for systems consisting of two qubits. The new proposed measure is shown to be invariant under local unitary transformations, by which entanglement quantification is implemented for two-qubit pure states. The nonlocal uncertainty relations for two-qubit pure states are also used for entanglement verification which serves as a basic proposition and promise to be a good choice for verification of multipartite entanglement.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures and 2 table

Quantum Error Correction via Convex Optimization

We show that the problem of designing a quantum information error correcting procedure can be cast as a bi-convex optimization problem, iterating between encoding and recovery, each being a semidefinite program. For a given encoding operator the problem is convex in the recovery operator. For a given method of recovery, the problem is convex in the encoding scheme. This allows us to derive new codes that are locally optimal. We present examples of such codes that can handle errors which are too strong for codes derived by analogy to classical error correction techniques.Comment: 16 page

Tema Con Variazioni: Quantum Channel Capacity

Channel capacity describes the size of the nearly ideal channels, which can be obtained from many uses of a given channel, using an optimal error correcting code. In this paper we collect and compare minor and major variations in the mathematically precise statements of this idea which have been put forward in the literature. We show that all the variations considered lead to equivalent capacity definitions. In particular, it makes no difference whether one requires mean or maximal errors to go to zero, and it makes no difference whether errors are required to vanish for any sequence of block sizes compatible with the rate, or only for one infinite sequence.Comment: 32 pages, uses iopart.cl

Entanglement dynamics in chains of qubits with noise and disorder

Published versio

Permutationally invariant state reconstruction

Feasible tomography schemes for large particle numbers must possess, besides an appropriate data acquisition protocol, also an efficient way to reconstruct the density operator from the observed finite data set. Since state reconstruction typically requires the solution of a non-linear large-scale optimization problem, this is a major challenge in the design of scalable tomography schemes. Here we present an efficient state reconstruction scheme for permutationally invariant quantum state tomography. It works for all common state-of-the-art reconstruction principles, including, in particular, maximum likelihood and least squares methods, which are the preferred choices in today's experiments. This high efficiency is achieved by greatly reducing the dimensionality of the problem employing a particular representation of permutationally invariant states known from spin coupling combined with convex optimization, which has clear advantages regarding speed, control and accuracy in comparison to commonly employed numerical routines. First prototype implementations easily allow reconstruction of a state of 20 qubits in a few minutes on a standard computer.Comment: 25 pages, 4 figues, 2 table