Transmission and storage of quantum information are the fundamental building blocks for large-scale quantum communication networks. Reliable certification of quantum communication channels and quantum memories requires the estimation of their capacities to transmit and store quantum information. This problem is challenging for continuous variable systems, such as the radiation field, for which a complete characterization of processes via quantum tomography is practically unfeasible. Here we develop protocols for detecting lower bounds to the quantum capacity of continuous variable communication channels and memories. Our protocols work in the general scenario where the devices are used a finite number of times, can exhibit correlations across multiple uses, and can be under the control of an adversary. Our protocols are experimentally friendly and can be implemented using Gaussian input states (single-mode squeezed or coherent) and Gaussian quantum measurements (homodyne or heterodyne). These schemes can be used to certify the transmission and storage of continuous variable quantum information, and to detect communication paths in quantum networks.
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