We show that the particle-number distribution of diamond modes, modes that are localized in a finite space-time region, are thermal for the Minkowski vacuum state of a massless scalar field, an analogue to the Unruh effect. The temperature of the dia
mond is inversely proportional to its size. An inertial observer can detect this thermal radiation by coupling to the diamond modes using an appropriate energy-scaled detector. We further investigate the correlations between various diamonds and find that entanglement between adjacent diamonds dominates.
Based on homodyne detection, we discuss how the presence of an event horizon affects quantum communication between an inertial partner, Alice, and a uniformly accelerated partner, Rob. We show that there exists a low frequency cutoff for Robs homodyn
e detector that maximizes the signal to noise ratio and it approximately corresponds to the Unruh frequency. In addition, the low frequency cutoff which minimizes the conditional variance between Alices input state and Robs output state is also approximately equal to the Unruh frequency. Thus the Unruh frequency provides a natural low frequency cutoff in order to optimize quantum communication of both classical and quantum information between Alice and Rob.
Quantum Key Distribution is a quantum communication technique in which random numbers are encoded on quantum systems, usually photons, and sent from one party, Alice, to another, Bob. Using the data sent via the quantum signals, supplemented by class
ical communication, it is possible for Alice and Bob to share an unconditionally secure secret key. This is not possible if only classical signals are sent. Whilst this last statement is a long standing result from quantum information theory it turns out only to be true in a non-relativistic setting. If relativistic quantum field theory is considered we show it is possible to distribute an unconditionally secure secret key without sending a quantum signal, instead harnessing the intrinsic entanglement between different regions of space time. The protocol is practical in free space given horizon technology and might be testable in principle in the near term using microwave technology.
Traditional continuous variable teleportation can only approach unit fidelity in the limit of an infinite (and unphysical) amount of squeezing. We describe a new method for continuous variable teleportation that approaches unit fidelity with finite r
esources. The protocol is not based on squeezed states as in traditional teleportation but on an ensemble of single photon entangled states. We characterize the teleportation scheme with coherent states, Schrodinger cat states and two-mode squeezed state and we find several situations in which near-unity teleportation fidelity can be obtained with modest resources.
Toy models for quantum evolution in the presence of closed timelike curves (CTCs) have gained attention in the recent literature due to the strange effects they predict. The circuits that give rise to these effects appear quite abstract and contrived
, as they require non-trivial interactions between the future and past which lead to infinitely recursive equations. We consider the special case in which there is no interaction inside the CTC, referred to as an open timelike curve (OTC), for which the only local effect is to increase the time elapsed by a clock carried by the system. Remarkably, circuits with access to OTCs are shown to violate Heisenbergs uncertainty principle, allowing perfect state discrimination and perfect cloning of coherent states. The model is extended to wave-packets and smoothly recovers standard quantum mechanics in an appropriate physical limit. The analogy with general relativistic time-dilation suggests that OTCs provide a novel alternative to existing proposals for the behaviour of quantum systems under gravity.
We present results illustrating the construction of 3D topological cluster states with coherent state logic. Such a construction would be ideally suited to wave-guide implementations of quantum optical processing. We investigate the use of a ballisti
c CSign gate, showing that given large enough initial cat states, it is possible to build large 3D cluster states. We model X and Z basis measurements by displaced photon number detections and x-quadrature homodyne detections, respectively. We investigate whether teleportation can aid cluster state construction and whether the introduction of located loss errors fits within the topological cluster state framework.
We construct a qubit algebra from field creation and annihilation operators acting on a global vacuum state. Particles to be used as qubits are created from the vacuum by a near-deterministic single particle source. Our formulation makes the space-ti
me dependence of the qubits explicit, preparing the way for quantum computation within a field framework. The method can be generalized to deal with interacting qubits whose wavepackets are not perfectly matched to each other. We give an example of how to calculate the Heisenberg evolution of a simple two-qubit circuit, taking expectation values in the field vacuum state.
Recently, the quantum information processing power of closed timelike curves have been discussed. Because the most widely accepted model for quantum closed timelike curve interactions contains ambiguities, different authors have been able to reach ra
dically different conclusions as to the power of such interactions. By tracing the information flow through such systems we are able to derive equivalent circuits with unique solutions, thus allowing an objective decision between the alternatives to be made. We conclude that closed timelike curves, if they exist and are well described by these simple models, would be a powerful resource for quantum information processing.
According to idealized models, a strong Kerr non-linearity may be used to build optical quantum gates for optical quantum information processing by inducing conditional phase shifts on quantum states. Recently, Shapiro (PRA 73, 062305 (2006)) argued
that for a Kerr medium with non-instantaneous but fast response, essentially no phase shift is induced on two-single-photon input states, and thus a quantum gate build from such a medium cannot work. Here we show that a fast response Kerr medium induces some but very little phase shifts on a two-single-photon input state, and it is insufficient for high fidelity quantum computation. We point out that this is caused by the medium imparting spectral entanglement to the input photons. We further show that a way to circumvent this problem and achieve a high fidelity gate, is to engineer the dispersion properties of the medium to give a dominant spectral effect over the non-instantaneous response, in addition to satisfying a phase matching condition.
