arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Philippe Grangier.
We demonstrate, for the first time to our knowledge, continuous-variable quantum key distribution using probabilistically-shaped 1024-QAM and true local oscillator, achieving 38.3Mb/s secret key rate over 9.5km, averaged over the transmission time of 100 blocks.
In a previous article [1] we presented an argument to obtain (or rather infer) Born's rule, based on a simple set of axioms named "Contexts, Systems and Modalities" (CSM). In this approach there is no "emergence", but the structure of quantum mechanics can be attributed to an interplay between the quantized number of modalities that are accessible to a quantum system, and the continuum of contexts that are required to define these modalities. The strong link of this derivation with Gleason's theorem was emphasized, with the argument that CSM provides a physical justification for Gleason's hypotheses. Here we extend this result by showing that an essential one among these hypotheses - the need of unitary transforms to relate different contexts - can be removed and is better seen as a necessary consequence of Uhlhorn's theorem.
A Robotic Mobile Fulfillment System is a robotised parts-to-picker system that is particularly well-suited for e-commerce warehousing. One distinguishing feature of this type of warehouse is its high storage modularity. Numerous robots are moving shelves simultaneously, and the shelves can be returned to any open location after the picking operation is completed. This work focuses on the real-time storage allocation problem to minimise the travel time of the robots. An efficient -- but computationally costly -- Monte Carlo Tree Search method is used offline to generate high-quality experience. This experience can be learned by a neural network with a proper coordinates-based features representation. The obtained neural network is used as an action predictor in several new storage policies, either as-is or in rollout and supervised tree search strategies. Resulting performance levels depend on the computing time available at a decision step and are consistently better compared to real-time decision rules from the literature.
E-commerce with major online retailers is changing the way people consume. The goal of increasing delivery speed while remaining cost-effective poses significant new challenges for supply chains as they race to satisfy the growing and fast-changing demand. In this paper, we consider a warehouse with a Robotic Mobile Fulfillment System (RMFS), in which a fleet of robots stores and retrieves shelves of items and brings them to human pickers. To adapt to changing demand, uncertainty, and differentiated service (e.g., prime vs. regular), one can dynamically modify the storage allocation of a shelf. The objective is to define a dynamic storage policy to minimise the average cycle time used by the robots to fulfil requests. We propose formulating this system as a Partially Observable Markov Decision Process, and using a Deep Q-learning agent from Reinforcement Learning, to learn an efficient real-time storage policy that leverages repeated experiences and insightful forecasts using simulations. Additionally, we develop a rollout strategy to enhance our method by leveraging more information available at a given time step. Using simulations to compare our method to traditional storage rules used in the industry showed preliminary results up to 14\% better in terms of travelling times.
In standard quantum mechanics (QM), a state vector $| ψ\rangle$ may belong to infinitely many different orthogonal bases, as soon as the dimension $N$ of the Hilbert space is at least three. On the other hand, a complete physical observable $A$ (with no degeneracy left) is associated with a $N$-dimensional orthogonal basis of eigenvectors. In an idealized case, measuring $A$ again and again will give repeatedly the same result, with the same eigenvalue. Let us call this repeatable result a modality $μ$, and the corresponding eigenstate $| ψ\rangle$. A question is then: does $| ψ\rangle$ give a complete description of $μ$ ? The answer is obviously no, since $| ψ\rangle$ does not specify the full observable $A$ that allowed us to obtain $μ$; hence the physical description given by $| ψ\rangle$ is incomplete, as claimed by Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen in their famous article in 1935. Here we want to spell out this provocative statement, and in particular to answer the questions: if $| ψ\rangle$ is an incomplete description of $μ$, what does it describe ? is it possible to obtain a complete description, maybe algebraic ? Our conclusion is that the incompleteness of standard QM is due to its attempt to describe systems without contexts, whereas both are always required, even if they can be separated outside the measurement periods.
This review covers recent theoretical and experimental efforts to extend the application of the continuous-variable quantum technology of light beyond "Gaussian" quantum states, such as coherent and squeezed states, into the domain of "non-Gaussian" states with negative Wigner functions. Starting with basic Gaussian nonclassicality associated with single- and two-mode vacuum states produced by means of parametric down-conversion and applying a set of standard tools, such as linear interferometry, coherent state injection, and conditional homodyne and photon number measurements, one can implement a large variety of optical states and processes that are relevant in fundamental quantum physics as well as quantum optical information processing. We present a systematic review of these methods, paying attention to both fundamental and practical aspects of their implementation, as well as a comprehensive overview of the results achieved therewith.
In previous articles we presented a simple set of axioms named Contexts, Systems and Modalities (CSM), where the structure of quantum mechanics appears as a result of the interplay between the quantized number of modalities accessible to a quantum system, and the continuum of contexts that are required to define these modalities. In the present article we discuss further how to obtain (or rather infer) Born's rule within this framework. Our approach is compared with other former and recent derivations, and its strong links with Gleason's theorem are particularly emphasized.
After reminding the main issues at stake in the famous Einstein-Bohr debate initiated in 1935, we tentatively propose a way to get them closer, thus shedding a new light on this historical discussion.
In previous articles we presented a derivation of Born's rule and unitary transforms in Quantum Mechanics (QM), from a simple set of axioms built upon a physical phenomenology of quantization. Physically, the structure of QM results of an interplay between the quantized number of "modalities" accessible to a quantum system, and the continuum of "contexts" required to define these modalities. In the present article we provide a unified picture of quantum measurements within our approach, and justify further the role of the system-context dichotomy, and of quantum interferences. We also discuss links with stochastic quantum thermodynamics, and with algebraic quantum theory.
We establish a lower bound on the asymptotic secret key rate of continuous-variable quantum key distribution with a discrete modulation of coherent states. The bound is valid against collective attacks and is obtained by formulating the problem as a semidefinite program. We illustrate our general approach with the quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) modulation scheme and show that distances over 100 km are achievable for realistic values of noise. We also discuss the application to more complex quadrature amplitude modulations (QAM) schemes. This work is a major step towards establishing the full security of continuous-variable protocols with a discrete modulation in the finite-size regime and opens the way to large-scale deployment of these protocols for quantum key distribution.
Contrary to the claims made in Ref. [1], the recent Bell tests by Giustina et al. and Shalm et al. do not suffer from a "photon identification loophole". The model discussed in Ref. [1] is exploiting the well-known detection loophole, that is precisely what was closed in the recent experiments.
We develop the point of view where Quantum Mechanics results from the interplay between the quantized number of "modalities" accessible to a quantum system, and the continuum of "contexts" that are required to define these modalities. We point out the specific roles of "extracontextuality" and "extravalence" of modalities, and relate them to the Kochen-Specker and Gleason theorems.
It is often said that quantum and classical randomness are of different nature, the former being ontological and the latter epistemological. However, so far the question of "What is quantum in quantum randomness", i.e. what is the impact of quantization and discreteness on the nature of randomness, remains to answer. In a first part, we explicit the differences between quantum and classical randomness within a recently proposed ontology for quantum mechanics based on contextual objectivity. In this view, quantum randomness is the result of contextuality and quantization. We show that this approach strongly impacts the purposes of quantum theory as well as its areas of application. In particular, it challenges current programs inspired by classical reductionism, aiming at the emergence of the classical world from a large number of quantum systems. In a second part, we analyze quantum physics and thermodynamics as theories of randomness, unveiling their mutual influences. We finally consider new technological applications of quantum randomness opened in the emerging field of quantum thermodynamics.
We present a heuristic derivation of Born's rule and unitary transforms in Quantum Mechanics, from a simple set of axioms built upon a physical phenomenology of quantization. This approach naturally leads to the usual quantum formalism, within a new realistic conceptual framework that is discussed in details. Physically, the structure of Quantum Mechanics appears as a result of the interplay between the quantized number of "modalities" accessible to a quantum system, and the continuum of "contexts" that are required to define these modalities. Mathematically, the Hilbert space structure appears as a consequence of a specific "extra-contextuality" of modalities, closely related to the hypothesis of Gleason's theorem, and consistent with its conclusions.
We discuss the recently observed "loophole free" violation of Bell's inequalities in the framework of a physically realist view of quantum mechanics, which requires that physical properties are attributed jointly to a system, and to the context in which it is embedded. This approach is clearly different from classical realism, but it does define a meaningful "quantum realism" from a general philosophical point of view. Consistently with Bell test experiments, this quantum realism embeds some form of non-locality, but does not contain any action at a distance, in agreement with quantum mechanics.
We experimentally characterize the optical nonlinear response of a cold atomic medium placed inside an optical cavity, and excited to Rydberg states. The excitation to S and D Rydberg levels is carried out via a two-photon transition in an EIT (electromagnetically induced transparency) configuration, with a weak (red) probe beam on the lower transition, and a strong (blue) coupling beam on the upper transition. The observed optical nonlinearities induced by S states for the probe beam can be explained using a semi-classical model with van der Waals' interactions. For the D states, it appears necessary to take into account a dynamical decay of Rydberg excitations into a long-lived dark state. We show that the measured nonlinearities can be explained by using a Rydberg bubble model with a dynamical decay.
Preparing highly entangled quantum states between remote parties is a major challenge for quantum communications [1-8]. Particularly promising in this context are the N00N states, which are entangled N-photon wavepackets delocalized between two different locations, providing measurement sensitivity limited only by the uncertainty principle [1, 10-15]. However, these states are notoriously vulnerable to losses, making it difficult both to share them between remote locations, and to recombine them to exploit interference effects. Here we address this challenge by utilizing the reverse version of the Hong-Ou-Mandel effect [16] to prepare a high-fidelity two-photon N00N state shared between two parties connected by a lossy optical channel. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the enhanced phase sensitivity can be directly exploited in the two distant locations, and we remotely prepare superpositions of coherent states, known as Schrödinger's cat states" [17, 18].
We propose a novel scheme for high fidelity photonic controlled phase gates using Rydberg blockade in an ensemble of atoms in an optical cavity. The gate operation is obtained by first storing a photonic pulse in the ensemble and then scattering a second pulse from the cavity, resulting in a phase change depending on whether the first pulse contained a single photon. We show that the combination of Rydberg blockade and optical cavities effectively enhances the optical non-linearity created by the strong Rydberg interaction and thereby reduces the requirements for photonic quantum gates. The resulting gate can be implemented with cavities of moderate finesse which allows for highly efficient processing of quantum information encoded in photons. As a particular example of this, we show how the gate can be employed to increase the communication rate of quantum repeaters based on atomic ensembles.