Optimal multicopy asymmetric Gaussian cloning of coherent states

We investigate the asymmetric Gaussian cloning of coherent states which produces M copies from N input replicas, such that the fidelity of all copies may be different. We show that the optimal asymmetric Gaussian cloning can be performed with a single phase-insensitive amplifier and an array of beam splitters. We obtain a simple analytical expression characterizing the set of optimal asymmetric Gaussian cloning machines.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, RevTeX

Cloning a Qutrit

We investigate several classes of state-dependent quantum cloners for three-level systems. These cloners optimally duplicate some of the four maximally-conjugate bases with an equal fidelity, thereby extending the phase-covariant qubit cloner to qutrits. Three distinct classes of qutrit cloners can be distinguished, depending on two, three, or four maximally-conjugate bases are cloned as well (the latter case simply corresponds to the universal qutrit cloner). These results apply to symmetric as well as asymmetric cloners, so that the balance between the fidelity of the two clones can also be analyzed.Comment: 14 pages LaTex. To appear in the Journal of Modern Optics for the special issue on "Quantum Information: Theory, Experiment and Perspectives". Proceedings of the ESF Conference, Gdansk, July 10-18, 200

Cloning quantum entanglement in arbitrary dimensions

We have found a quantum cloning machine that optimally duplicates the entanglement of a pair of $d$-dimensional quantum systems. It maximizes the entanglement of formation contained in the two copies of any maximally-entangled input state, while preserving the separability of unentangled input states. Moreover, it cannot increase the entanglement of formation of all isotropic states. For large $d$, the entanglement of formation of each clone tends to one half the entanglement of the input state, which corresponds to a classical behavior. Finally, we investigate a local entanglement cloner, which yields entangled clones with one fourth the input entanglement in the large-$d$ limit.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

Monte Carlo computation of pair correlations in excited nuclei

We present a novel quantum Monte Carlo method based on a path integral in Fock space, which allows to compute finite-temperature properties of a many-body nuclear system with a monopole pairing interaction in the canonical ensemble. It enables an exact calculation of the thermodynamic variables such as the internal energy, the entropy, or the specific heat, from the measured moments of the number of hops in a path of nuclear configurations. Monte Carlo calculations for a single-shell $(h_{11/2})^6$ model are consistent with an exact calculation from the many-body spectrum in the seniority model.Comment: 5 pages uuencoded Postscrip

Reduced randomness in quantum cryptography with sequences of qubits encoded in the same basis

We consider the cloning of sequences of qubits prepared in the states used in the BB84 or 6-state quantum cryptography protocol, and show that the single-qubit fidelity is unaffected even if entire sequences of qubits are prepared in the same basis. This result is of great importance for practical quantum cryptosystems because it reduces the need for high-speed random number generation without impairing on the security against finite-size attacks.Comment: 8 pages, submitted to PR

Multipartite Asymmetric Quantum Cloning

We investigate the optimal distribution of quantum information over multipartite systems in asymmetric settings. We introduce cloning transformations that take $N$ identical replicas of a pure state in any dimension as input, and yield a collection of clones with non-identical fidelities. As an example, if the clones are partitioned into a set of $M_A$ clones with fidelity $F^A$ and another set of $M_B$ clones with fidelity $F^B$, the trade-off between these fidelities is analyzed, and particular cases of optimal $N \to M_A+M_B$ cloning machines are exhibited. We also present an optimal $1 \to 1+1+1$ cloning machine, which is the first known example of a tripartite fully asymmetric cloner. Finally, it is shown how these cloning machines can be optically realized.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

A No-Go Theorem for Gaussian Quantum Error Correction

It is proven that Gaussian operations are of no use for protecting Gaussian states against Gaussian errors in quantum communication protocols. Specifically, we introduce a new quantity characterizing any single-mode Gaussian channel, called entanglement degradation, and show that it cannot decrease via Gaussian encoding and decoding operations only. The strength of this no-go theorem is illustrated with some examples of Gaussian channels.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, REVTeX

Spatial multipartite entanglement and localization of entanglement

We present a simple model together with its physical implementation which allows one to generate multipartite entanglement between several spatial modes of the electromagnetic field. It is based on parametric down-conversion with N pairs of symmetrically-tilted plane waves serving as a pump. The characteristics of this spatial entanglement are investigated in the cases of zero as well as nonzero phase mismatch. Furthermore, the phenomenon of entanglement localization in just two spatial modes is studied in detail and results in an enhancement of the entanglement by a factor square root of N.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figure

Entropic Bell inequalities

We derive entropic Bell inequalities from considering entropy Venn diagrams. These entropic inequalities, akin to the Braunstein-Caves inequalities, are violated for a quantum-mechanical Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen pair, which implies that the conditional entropies of Bell variables must be negative in this case. This suggests that the satisfaction of entropic Bell inequalities is equivalent to the non-negativity of conditional entropies as a necessary condition for separability