Volume 4, Issue 1

It has been proven that quantum adders are forbidden by the laws of quantum mechanics. We analyze theoretical proposals for the implementation of approximate quantum adders and optimize them by means of genetic algorithms, improving previous protocols in terms of efficiency and fidelity. Furthermore, we experimentally realize a suitable approximate quantum adder with the cloud quantum computing facilities provided by IBM Quantum Experience. The development of approximate quantum adders enhances the toolbox of quantum information protocols, paving the way for novel applications in quantum technologies.

We study very generally towhat extent the uncertainty with which a phase shift can be estimated in quantum metrology can be reduced by extending the Hamiltonian that generates the phase shift to an ancilla system with a Hilbert space of arbitrary dimension, and allowing arbitrary interactions between the original system and the ancilla. Such Hamiltonian extensions provide a general framework for open quantum systems, as well as for “non-linear metrology schemes” that have been investigated over the last few years. We prove that such Hamiltonian extensions cannot improve the sensitivity of the phase shift measurement when considering the quantum Fisher information optimized over input states.

The nonorthogonality of coherent states is a fundamental property which prevents them from being perfectly and deterministically discriminated. Here, we present an experimentally feasible protocol for the probabilistic orthogonalisation of a pair of coherent states, independent of their amplitude and phase. In contrast to unambiguous state discrimination, a successful operation of our protocol is heralded without measuring the states. As such, they remain suitable for further manipulation and the obtained orthogonal states serve as a discretevariable basis. Therefore, our protocol doubles as a simple continuous-to-discrete variable converter, which may find application in hybrid continuous-discrete quantum information processing protocols.

We demonstrate the reconstruction of theWigner function from marginal distributions of the motion of a single trapped particle using homodyne detection. We show that it is possible to generate quantum states of levitated optomechanical systems even under the efect of continuous measurement by the trapping laser light. We describe the opto-mechanical coupling for the case of the particle trapped by a free-space focused laser beam, explicitly for the case without an optical cavity. We use the scheme to reconstruct the Wigner function of experimental data in perfect agreement with the expected Gaussian distribution of a thermal state of motion. This opens a route for quantum state preparation in levitated optomechanics.

We report on a new classical light source useful for ghost-imaging applications. The light is obtained by frequency doubling a conventional speckle pattern having an overall multi-mode thermal distribution. The frequency-doubled light acquires a super-thermal distribution, which induces higher correlations at a beam splitter and, as a consequence, a higher visibility in ghost-imaging protocols.

The class of quantum states known as Werner states have several interesting properties, which often serve to illuminate unusual properties of quantum information. Closely related to these states are the Holevo- Werner channels whose Choi matrices are Werner states. Exploiting the fact that these channels are teleportation covariant, and therefore simulable by teleportation, we compute the ultimate precision in the adaptive estimation of their channel-defining parameter. Similarly, we bound the minimum error probability affecting the adaptive discrimination of any two of these channels. In this case, we prove an analytical formula for the quantum Chernoff bound which also has a direct counterpart for the class of depolarizing channels. Our work exploits previous methods established in [Pirandola and Lupo, PRL 118 , 100502 (2017)] to set the metrological limits associated with this interesting class of quantum channels at any finite dimension.

Quantum collision models (CMs) provide advantageous case studies for investigating major issues in open quantum systems theory, and especially quantum non-Markovianity. After reviewing their general definition and distinctive features, we illustrate the emergence of a CM in a familiar quantum optics scenario. This task is carried out by highlighting the close connection between the well-known input-output formalism and CMs. Within this quantum optics framework, usual assumptions in the CMs’ literature - such as considering a bath of noninteracting yet initially correlated ancillas - have a clear physical origin.

The physics that governs quantum monitoring may involve other degrees of freedom than the ones initialised and controlled for probing. In this context we address the simultaneous estimation of phase and dephasing characterizing a dispersive medium, and we explore the role of frequency correlations within a photon pair generated via parametric down-conversion, when used as a probe for the medium. We derive the ultimate quantum limits on the estimation of the two parameters, by calculating the corresponding quantum Cramér-Rao bound; we then consider a feasible estimation scheme, based on the measurement of Stokes operators, and address its absolute performances in terms of the correlation parameters, and, more fundamentally, of the role played by correlations in the simultaneous achievability of the quantum Cramér- Rao bounds for each of the two parameters.

Nonclassical states of light field have been exploited to provide marvellous results in quantum information science. Usefulness of nonclassical states in quantum information science depends on whether a physical parameter as a signal is continuous or discrete. Here we present an investigation of the potential of quasi Bell states of entangled coherent states in quantum reading of the classical digital memory which was pioneered by Pirandola (Phys.Rev.Lett.,106,090504,2011). This is a typical example of discrimination for discrete quantum parameters. We show that the quasi Bell state gives the error free performance in the quantum reading that cannot be obtained by any classical state.

We investigate the macroscopic quantumness of a set of stateswell approximating the important class of coherent state-encoded Schrödinger cat states. We do so by using two different quantifiers of macroscopic quantumness, finding consistency between the results arising from the two quantifiers, despite the different grounds upon which they are built.