1,025 research outputs found
Unambiguous state discrimination in quantum cryptography with weak coherent states
The use of linearly independent signal states in realistic implementations of
quantum key distribution (QKD) enables an eavesdropper to perform unambiguous
state discrimination. We explore quantitatively the limits for secure QKD
imposed by this fact taking into account that the receiver can monitor to some
extend the photon number statistics of the signals even with todays standard
detection schemes. We compare our attack to the beamsplitting attack and show
that security against beamsplitting attack does not necessarily imply security
against the attack considered here.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, updated version with added discussion of
beamsplitting attac
Security of quantum cryptography using balanced homodyne detection
In this paper we investigate the security of a quantum cryptographic scheme
which utilizes balanced homodyne detection and weak coherent pulse (WCP). The
performance of the system is mainly characterized by the intensity of the WCP
and postselected threshold. Two of the simplest intercept/resend eavesdropping
attacks are analyzed. The secure key gain for a given loss is also discussed in
terms of the pulse intensity and threshold.Comment: RevTeX4, 8pages, 7 figure
Coherent pulse implementations of quantum cryptography protocols resistant to photon number splitting attacks
A new class of quantum cryptography (QC) protocols that are robust against
the most general photon number splitting attacks in a weak coherent pulse
implementation has been recently proposed. In this article we give a quite
exhaustive analysis of several eavesdropping attacks on these schemes. The
eavesdropper (Eve) is supposed to have unlimited technological power while the
honest parties (Alice and Bob) use present day technology, in particular an
attenuated laser as an approximation of a single-photon source. They exploit
the nonorthogonality of quantum states for decreasing the information
accessible to Eve in the multi-photon pulses accidentally produced by the
imperfect source. An implementation of some of these protocols using present
day technology allow for a secure key distribution up to distances of
150 km. We also show that strong-pulse implementations, where a strong pulse is
included as a reference, allow for key distribution robust against photon
number splitting attacks.Comment: 16 pages, 11 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
miRNAs are essential for survival and differentiation of newborn neurons but not for expansion of neural progenitors during early neurogenesis in the mouse embryonic neocortex
Neurogenesis during the development of the mammalian cerebral cortex involves a switch of neural stem and progenitor cells from proliferation to differentiation. To explore the possible role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in this process, we conditionally ablated Dicer in the developing mouse neocortex using Emx1-Cre, which is specifically expressed in the dorsal telencephalon as early as embryonic day (E) 9.5. Dicer ablation in neuroepithelial cells, which are the primary neural stem and progenitor cells, and in the neurons derived from them, was evident from E10.5 onwards, as ascertained by the depletion of the normally abundant miRNAs miR-9 and miR-124. Dicer ablation resulted in massive hypotrophy of the postnatal cortex and death of the mice shortly after weaning. Analysis of the cytoarchitecture of the Dicer-ablated cortex revealed a marked reduction in radial thickness starting at E13.5, and defective cortical layering postnatally. Whereas the former was due to neuronal apoptosis starting at E12.5, which was the earliest detectable phenotype, the latter reflected dramatic impairment of neuronal differentiation. Remarkably, the primary target cells of Dicer ablation, the neuroepithelial cells, and the neurogenic progenitors derived from them, were unaffected by miRNA depletion with regard to cell cycle progression, cell division, differentiation and viability during the early stage of neurogenesis, and only underwent apoptosis starting at E14.5. Our results support the emerging concept that progenitors are less dependent on miRNAs than their differentiated progeny, and raise interesting perspectives as to the expansion of somatic stem cells
Security against individual attacks for realistic quantum key distribution
I prove the security of quantum key distribution against individual attacks
for realistic signals sources, including weak coherent pulses and
downconversion sources. The proof applies to the BB84 protocol with the
standard detection scheme (no strong reference pulse). I obtain a formula for
the secure bit rate per time slot of an experimental setup which can be used to
optimize the performance of existing schemes for the considered scenario.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure
Interference in dielectrics and pseudo-measurements
Inserting a lossy dielectric into one arm of an interference experiment acts
in many ways like a measurement. If two entangled photons are passed through
the interferometer, a certain amount of information is gained about which path
they took, and the interference pattern in a coincidence count measurement is
suppressed. However, by inserting a second dielectric into the other arm of the
interferometer, one can restore the interference pattern. Two of these
pseudo-measurements can thus cancel each other out. This is somewhat analogous
to the proposed quantum eraser experiments.Comment: 7 pages RevTeX 3.0 + 2 figures (postscript). Submitted to Phys. Rev.
Conditional beam splitting attack on quantum key distribution
We present a novel attack on quantum key distribution based on the idea of
adaptive absorption [calsam01]. The conditional beam splitting attack is shown
to be much more efficient than the conventional beam spitting attack, achieving
a performance similar to the, powerful but currently unfeasible, photon number
splitting attack. The implementation of the conditional beam splitting attack,
based solely on linear optical elements, is well within reach of current
technology.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev.
Singularities of -fold integrals of the Ising class and the theory of elliptic curves
We introduce some multiple integrals that are expected to have the same
singularities as the singularities of the -particle contributions
to the susceptibility of the square lattice Ising model. We find
the Fuchsian linear differential equation satisfied by these multiple integrals
for and only modulo some primes for and , thus
providing a large set of (possible) new singularities of the . We
discuss the singularity structure for these multiple integrals by solving the
Landau conditions. We find that the singularities of the associated ODEs
identify (up to ) with the leading pinch Landau singularities. The second
remarkable obtained feature is that the singularities of the ODEs associated
with the multiple integrals reduce to the singularities of the ODEs associated
with a {\em finite number of one dimensional integrals}. Among the
singularities found, we underline the fact that the quadratic polynomial
condition , that occurs in the linear differential equation
of , actually corresponds to a remarkable property of selected
elliptic curves, namely the occurrence of complex multiplication. The
interpretation of complex multiplication for elliptic curves as complex fixed
points of the selected generators of the renormalization group, namely
isogenies of elliptic curves, is sketched. Most of the other singularities
occurring in our multiple integrals are not related to complex multiplication
situations, suggesting an interpretation in terms of (motivic) mathematical
structures beyond the theory of elliptic curves.Comment: 39 pages, 7 figure
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