We derive one-shot upper bounds for quantum noisy channel codes. We do so by regarding a channel code as a bipartite operation with an encoder belonging to the sender and a decoder belonging to the receiver, and imposing constraints on the bipartite operation. We investigate the power of codes whose bipartite operation is non-signalling from Alice to Bob, positive-partial transpose (PPT) preserving, or both, and derive a simple semidefinite program for the achievable entanglement fidelity. Using the semidefinite program, we show that the non-signalling assisted quantum capacity for memoryless channels is equal to the entanglement-assisted capacity. We also relate our PPT-preserving codes and the PPT-preserving entanglement distillation protocols studied by Rains. Applying these results to a concrete example, the 3-dimensional Werner-Holevo channel, we find that codes that are non-signalling and PPT-preserving can be strictly less powerful than codes satisfying either one of the constraints, and therefore provide a tighter bound for unassisted codes. Furthermore, PPT-preserving non-signalling codes can send one qubit perfectly over two uses of the channel, which has no quantum capacity. We discuss whether this can be interpreted as a form of superactivation of quantum capacity.
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