arXiv subjects

Thomas Beth

Publications and source records attributed to Thomas Beth.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2004

Cryptanalysis of a Practical Quantum Key Distribution With Polarization-Entangled Photons

Recently, a quantum key exchange protocol has been described, which served as basis for securing an actual bank transaction by means of quantum cryptography [quant-ph/0404115]. Here we show, that the authentication scheme applied is insecure in the sense that an attacker can provoke a situation where initiator and responder of a key exchange end up with different keys. Moreover, it may happen that an attacker can decrypt a part of the plaintext protected with the derived encryption key.

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arXiv2004

New Construction of Mutually Unbiased Bases in Square Dimensions

We show that k=w+2 mutually unbiased bases can be constructed in any square dimension d=s^2 provided that there are w mutually orthogonal Latin squares of order s. The construction combines the design-theoretic objects (k,s)-nets (which can be constructed from w mutually orthogonal Latin squares of order s and vice versa) and generalized Hadamard matrices of size s. Using known lower bounds on the asymptotic growth of the number of mutually orthogonal Latin squares (based on number theoretic sieving techniques), we obtain that the number of mutually unbiased bases in dimensions d=s^2 is greater than s^1/14.8 for all s but finitely many exceptions. Furthermore, our construction gives more mutually orthogonal bases in many non-prime-power dimensions than the construction that reduces the problem to prime power dimensions.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2004

Gate simulation and lower bounds on the simulation time

Unitary operations are the building blocks of quantum programs. Our task is to design effcient or optimal implementations of these unitary operations by employing the intrinsic physical resources of a given n-qubit system. The most common versions of this task are known as Hamiltonian simulation and gate simulation, where Hamiltonian simulation can be seen as an infinitesimal version of the general task of gate simulation. We present a Lie-theoretic approach to Hamiltonian simulation and gate simulation. From this, we derive lower bounds on the time complexity in the n-qubit case, generalizing known results to both even and odd n. To achieve this we develop a generalization of the so-called magic basis for two-qubits. As a corollary, we note a connection to entanglement measures of concurrence-type.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2003

On optimal quantum codes

We present families of quantum error-correcting codes which are optimal in the sense that the minimum distance is maximal. These maximum distance separable (MDS) codes are defined over q-dimensional quantum systems, where q is an arbitrary prime power. It is shown that codes with parameters [[n,n-2d+2,d]]_q exist for all 3 <= n <= q and 1 <= d <= n/2+1. We also present quantum MDS codes with parameters [[q^2,q^2-2d+2,d]]_q for 1 <= d <= q which additionally give rise to shortened codes [[q^2-s,q^2-2d+2-s,d]]_q for some s.

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arXiv2003

Quantum circuits for single-qubit measurements corresponding to platonic solids

Each platonic solid defines a single-qubit positive operator valued measure (POVM) by interpreting its vertices as points on the Bloch sphere. We construct simple circuits for implementing this kind of measurements and other simple types of symmetric POVMs on one qubit. Each implementation consists of a discrete Fourier transform and some elementary quantum operations followed by an orthogonal measurement in the computational basis.

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arXiv2003

Measuring 4-local n-qubit observables could probabilistically solve PSPACE

We consider a hypothetical apparatus that implements measurements for arbitrary 4-local quantum observables A on n qubits. The apparatus implements the ``measurement algorithm'' after receiving a classical description of A. We show that a few precise measurements, applied to a basis state would provide a probabilistic solution of PSPACE problems. The error probability decreases exponentially with the number of runs if the measurement accuracy is of the order of the spectral gaps of A. Moreover, every decision problem which can be solved on a quantum computer in T time steps can be encoded into a 4-local observable such that the solution requires only measurements of accuracy O(1/T). Provided that BQP<>PSPACE, our result shows that efficient algorithms for precise measurements of general 4-local observables cannot exist. We conjecture that the class of physically existing interactions is large enough to allow the conclusion that precise energy measurements for general many-particle systems require control algorithms with high complexity.

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arXiv2003

Synchronizing quantum clocks with classical one-way communication: Bounds on the generated entropy

We describe separable joint states on bipartite quantum systems that cannot be prepared by any thermodynamically reversible classical one-way communication protocol. We argue that the joint state of two synchronized microscopic clocks is always of this type when it is considered from the point of view of an ``ignorant'' observer who is not synchronized with the other two parties. We show that the entropy generation of a classical one-way synchronization protocol is at least ΔS = \hbar^2/(4ΔE Δt)^2 if Δt is the time accuracy of the synchronism and ΔE is the energy bandwidth of the clocks. This dissipation can only be avoided if the common time of the microscopic clocks is stored by an additional classical clock. Furthermore, we give a similar bound on the entropy cost for resetting synchronized clocks by a classical one-way protocol. The proof relies on observations of Zurek on the thermodynamic relevance of quantum discord. We leave it as an open question whether classical multi-step protocols may perform better. We discuss to what extent our results imply problems for classical concepts of reversible computation when the energy of timing signals is close to the Heisenberg limit.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2003

Two QCMA-complete problems

QMA and QCMA are possible quantum analogues of the complexity class NP. In QCMA the verifier is a quantum program and the proof is classical. In contrast, in QMA the proof is also a quantum state. We show that two known QMA-complete problems can be modified to QCMA-complete problems in a natural way: (1) Deciding whether a 3-local Hamiltonian has low energy states (with energy smaller than a given value) that can be prepared with at most k elementary gates is QCMA-complete, whereas it is QMA-complete when the restriction on the complexity of preparation is dropped. (2) Deciding whether a (classically described) quantum circuit acts almost as the identity on all basis states is QCMA-complete. It is QMA-complete to decide whether it acts on all states almost as the identity.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2003

Identity check is QMA-complete

We define the problem identity check: Given a classical description of a quantum circuit, determine whether it is almost equivalent to the identity. Explicitly, the task is to decide whether the corresponding unitary is close to a complex multiple of the identity matrix with respect to the operator norm. We show that this problem is QMA-complete. A generalization of this problem is equivalence check: Given two descriptions of quantum circuits and a description of a common invariant subspace, decide whether the restrictions of the circuits to this subspace almost coincide. We show that equivalence check is also in QMA and hence QMA-complete.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2003

Cooling and Low Energy State Preparation for 3-local Hamiltonians are FQMA-complete

We introduce the quantum complexity class FQMA. This class describes the complexity of generating a quantum state that serves as a witness for a given QMA problem. In a certain sense, FQMA is the quantum analogue of FNP (function problems associated with NP). The latter describes the complexity of finding a succinct proof for a NP decision problem. Whereas all FNP problems can be reduced to NP, there is no obvious reduction of FQMA to QMA since the solution of FQMA is a quantum state and the solution of QMA the answer yes or no. We consider quantum state generators that get classical descriptions of 3-local Hamiltonians on n qubits as input and prepare low energy states for these systems as output. We show that such state generators can be used to prepare witnesses for QMA problems. Hence low energy state preparation is FQMA-complete. Our proofs are extensions of the proofs by Kitaev et al. and Kempe and Regev for the QMA-completeness of k-local Hamiltonian problems. We show that FQMA can be solved by preparing thermal equilibrium states with an appropriate temperature decreasing as the reciprocal of a polynomial in n.

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arXiv2003

Treating the Independent Set Problem by 2D Ising Interactions with Adiabatic Quantum Computing

We construct a nearest-neighbor Hamiltonian whose ground states encode the solutions to the NP-complete problem INDEPENDENT SET in cubic planar graphs. The Hamiltonian can be easily simulated by Ising interactions between adjacent particles on a 2D rectangular lattice. We describe the required pulse sequences. Our methods could help to implement adiabatic quantum computing by physically reasonable Hamiltonians like short-range interactions.

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arXiv2003

Bounds on the entropy generated when timing information is extracted from microscopic systems

We consider Hamiltonian quantum systems with energy bandwidth ΔE and show that each measurement that determines the time up to an error Δt generates at least the entropy (\hbar/(Δt ΔE))^2/2. Our result describes quantitatively to what extent all timing information is quantum information in systems with limited energy. It provides a lower bound on the dissipated energy when timing information of microscopic systems is converted to classical information. This is relevant for low power computation since it shows the amount of heat generated whenever a band limited signal controls a classical bit switch. Our result provides a general bound on the information-disturbance trade-off for von-Neumann measurements that distinguish states on the orbits of continuous unitary one-parameter groups with bounded spectrum. In contrast, information gain without disturbance is possible for some completely positive semi-groups. This shows that readout of timing information can be possible without entropy generation if the autonomous dynamical evolution of the clock is dissipative itself.

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arXiv2003

The 2-local Hamiltonian problem encompasses NP

We show that the NP complete problems MAX CUT and INDEPENDENT SET can be formulated as the 2-local Hamiltonian problem as defined by Kitaev. He introduced the quantum complexity class BQNP as the quantum analog of NP, and showed that the 5-local Hamiltonian problem is BQNP-complete. It is not known whether the s-local Hamiltonian problem is BQNP-complete for s smaller than 5. Therefore it is interesting to determine what problems can be reduced to the s-local Hamiltonian problem. Kitaev showed that 3-SAT can be formulated as a 3-local Hamiltonian problem. We extend his result by showing that 2-locality is sufficient in order to encompass NP.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2002

Efficient Quantum Circuits for Non-Qubit Quantum Error-Correcting Codes

We present two methods for the construction of quantum circuits for quantum error-correcting codes (QECC). The underlying quantum systems are tensor products of subsystems (qudits) of equal dimension which is a prime power. For a QECC encoding k qudits into n qudits, the resulting quantum circuit has O(n(n-k)) gates. The running time of the classical algorithm to compute the quantum circuit is O(n(n-k)^2).

quant-ph↗

arXiv2002

Bounds on the number of time steps for simulating arbitrary interaction graphs

In previous papers we have considered mutual simulation of n-partite pair-interaction Hamiltonians. We have focussed on the running time overhead of general simulations, while considering the required number of time steps only for special cases (decoupling and time-reversal). These two complexity measures differ significantly. Here we derive lower bounds on the number of time steps for general simulations. In particular, the simulation of interaction graphs with irrational spectrum requires at least n steps. We discuss as examples graphs that correspond to graph codes and nearest neighbor interactions in 1- and 2-dimensional lattices. In the latter case the lower bounds are almost tight.

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arXiv2002

Quantum noise influencing human behaviour could fake effectiveness of drugs in clinical trials

To test the effectiveness of a drug one can advice two randomly selected groups of patients to take or not to take it, respectively. It is well-known that the causal effect cannot be identified if not all patients comply. This holds even when the non-compliers can be identified afterwards since latent factors like patient's personality can influence both his decision and his physical response. However, one can still give bounds on the effectiveness of the drug depending on the rate of compliance. Remarkably, the proofs of these bounds given in the literature rely on models that represent all relevant latent factors (including noise) by hidden classical variables. In strong analogy to the violation of Bell's inequality, some of these bounds fail if patient's behavior is influenced by latent quantum processes (e.g. in his nervous system). Quantum effects could fake an increase of the recovery rate by about 13% although the drug would hurt as many patients as it would help if everyone took it. The other bounds are true even in the quantum case. We do not present any realistic model showing this effect, we only point out that the physics of decision making could be relevant for the causal interpretation of every-day life statistical data.

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arXiv2002

Performing joint measurements and transformations on several qubits by operating on a single control qubit

An n-qubit quantum register can in principle be completely controlled by operating on a single qubit that interacts with the register via an appropriate fixed interaction. We consider a hypothetical system consisting of n spin-1/2 nuclei that interact with an electron spin via a magnetic interaction. We describe algorithms that measure non-trivial joint observables on the register by acting on the control spin only. For large n this is not an efficient model for universal quantum computation but it can be modified to an efficient one if one allows n possible positions of the control particle. This toy model of measurements illustrates in which way specific interactions between the register and a probe particle support specific types of joint measurements in the sense that some joint observables can be measured by simple sequences of operations on the probe particle.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2002

Required sample size for learning sparse Bayesian networks with many variables

Learning joint probability distributions on n random variables requires exponential sample size in the generic case. Here we consider the case that a temporal (or causal) order of the variables is known and that the (unknown) graph of causal dependencies has bounded in-degree Delta. Then the joint measure is uniquely determined by the probabilities of all (2 Delta+1)-tuples. Upper bounds on the sample size required for estimating their probabilities can be given in terms of the VC-dimension of the set of corresponding cylinder sets. The sample size grows less than linearly with n.

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