Quantum Shannon theory with superpositions of trajectories

Giulio Chiribella; Hlér Kristjánsson

doi:10.1098/rspa.2018.0903

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arXiv · 1812.05292

Quantum Shannon theory with superpositions of trajectories

Giulio Chiribella·Hlér Kristjánsson

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Abstract

Shannon's theory of information was built on the assumption that the information carriers were classical systems. Its quantum counterpart, quantum Shannon theory, explores the new possibilities arising when the information carriers are quantum systems. Traditionally, quantum Shannon theory has focussed on scenarios where the internal state of the information carriers is quantum, while their trajectory is classical. Here we propose a second level of quantisation where both the information and its propagation in spacetime is treated quantum mechanically. The framework is illustrated with a number of examples, showcasing some of the counterintuitive phenomena taking place when information travels simultaneously through multiple transmission lines.

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Giulio Chiribella, Hlér Kristjánsson. 2019-05-29. Quantum Shannon theory with superpositions of trajectories. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.2018.0903

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