Search arXiv⌕ Search
Home/Archive/arXiv

arXiv · 1103.0766

Symmetric extension of bipartite quantum states and its use in quantum key distribution with two-way postprocessing

Geir Ove Myhr
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

We investigate which bipartite quantum states admit a symmetric extension and apply the results in the analysis of noise thresholds in quantum key distribution protocols with two-way postprocessing. We find that states that admit a symmetric extension can be decomposed into a convex combination of states that admit a_pure_ symmetric extension. For a state to have a pure symmetric extension, its nonzero eigenvalues must be equal to the nonzero eigenvalues of one of the subsystems. While this does not fully characterize the set of states with a pure symmetric extension in all dimensions, it is a full characterization for two qubits. A conjectured formula characterizing two-qubit states with a (mixed or pure) symmetric extension is presented. Proofs are given for some special classes. For multi-qubit Bell-diagonal states, the symmetric extension is simplified using the symmetries of the states and formulated as a semidefinite program. Quantum key distribution with two-way advantage distillation steps is then analyzed. For the commonly used repetition code advantage distillation, the failure to distill a secret key beyond the currently known noise thresholds is explained by a failure to break a symmetric extension. More general linear advantage distillation schemes are analyzed, but for those schemes analyzed, we find that they tolerate strictly less noise than repetition code advantage distillation before they fail to break a symmetric extension. The results suggest that no other linear advantage distillation scheme can reach the noise threshold of 27.6 % for the six-state protocol which is achieved by repetition code advantage distillation.

Explore related subjects

quant-ph

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Geir Ove Myhr. 2011-03-03. Symmetric extension of bipartite quantum states and its use in quantum key distribution with two-way postprocessing. https://arxiv.org/abs/1103.0766

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

arXiv2026

Quantum Authenticated Key Expansion with Key Recycling

Data privacy and authentication are two main security requirements for remote access and cloud services. While QKD has been explored to address data privacy concerns, oftentimes its use is separate from the client authentication protocol despite implicitly providing authentication. Here, we present a quantum authentication key expansion (QAKE) protocol that (1) integrates both authentication and key expansion within a single protocol, and (2) provides key recycling property - allowing all authentication keys to be reused. We analyse the security of the protocol in a QAKE framework adapted from a classical authentication key exchange (AKE) framework, providing separate security conditions for authentication and data privacy. We experimentally implemented the protocol with appropriate post-selection. Additional results on the security of pseudorandom basis generation in QAKE and decoy state BB84 are provided.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2026

Entanglement as Difference: Reduction-induced Minimal Partial Entropy Difference

Bipartite mixed-state quantum entanglement (QE) and its measures play a crucial role in both theoretical research and practical quantum applications. Its internal structure is far more complex and less well understood compared with bipartite pure-state QE. Some existing measures involve inherently intractable global optimizations, while others are only applicable to highly limited-dimensional quantum systems. Here based on the inherent feature that bipartite QE systems nonseparable necessarily implies that local reduced density matrix differs from its \textquotedblleft native\textquotedblright density matrix, we propose a more physical and intuitive measure termed Reduction-induced Minimal Partial Entropy Difference to quantify arbitrary bipartite mixed-state QE. Partial Von Neumann Entropy is only a pure-state special case of this method. This measure offers intrinsic structural %perspective insights into bipartite QE characterization, thereby establishing itself as a valuable complementary measure. Its intuitive and clear physical picture, combined with relatively low computational complexity and wide applicability, facilitates exploring its potential quantum information applications, hence its conceptual framework and line of thought deserve to be further developed to describe and quantify multipartite QE in the future.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2026

Non-local mass superpositions and optical clock interferometry in atomic ensemble quantum networks

Quantum networks are emerging as powerful platforms for sensing, communication, and fundamental tests of physics. We propose a programmable quantum sensing network based on entangled atomic ensembles, where optical clock qubits realize mass superpositions arising via mass-energy equivalence, as in atom and atom-clock interferometry. Our approach uniquely combines scalability to large atom numbers with minimal control requirements, relying only on collective addressing of internal atomic states. This enables the creation of both non-local and local superpositions with spatial separations beyond those achievable in conventional matter-wave interferometry with single atoms. Starting from Bell-type seed states distributed via photonic channels, collective operations within atomic ensembles coherently build many-body mass superpositions sensitive to gravitational redshift. The resulting architecture implements a non-local Ramsey interferometer, where gravitationally induced phase shifts are imprinted on non-local entangled states and are read out through local measurements at the network nodes. Beyond extending the spatial reach of mass superpositions, our scheme establishes a scalable, programmable platform to probe the interface of quantum mechanics and gravity, and offers a new experimental pathway to test atom and atom-clock interferometer proposals, e.g. for probing gravitational dephasing, in a network-based quantum laboratory.

quant-ph↗