arXiv subjects

Travis J. Baker

Publications and source records attributed to Travis J. Baker.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Detection-loophole-free nonlocality in the simplest scenario

Loophole-free quantum nonlocality often demands experiments with high complexity (defined by all parties' settings and outcomes) and multiple efficient detectors. Here, we identify the fundamental efficiency and complexity thresholds for quantum steering using two-qubit entangled states. Remarkably, it requires only one photon detector on the untrusted side, with efficiency $\epsilon > 1/X$, where $X \geq 2$ is the number of settings on that side. This threshold applies to all pure entangled states, in contrast to analogous Bell-nonlocality tests, which require almost unentangled states to be loss-tolerant. We confirm these predictions in a minimal-complexity ($X = 2$ for the untrusted party and a single three-outcome measurement for the trusted party), detection-loophole-free photonic experiment with $\epsilon = (51.6 \pm 0.4)\% $.

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arXiv2025

Quantum Assemblage Tomography

A central requirement in asymmetric quantum nonlocality protocols, such as quantum steering, is the precise reconstruction of state assemblages -- statistical ensembles of quantum states correlated with remote classical signals. Here we introduce a generalized loss model for assemblage tomography that uses conical optimization techniques combined with maximum likelihood estimation. Using an evidence-based framework based on Akaike's Information Criterion, we demonstrate that our approach excels in the accuracy of reconstructions while accounting for model complexity. In comparison, standard tomographic methods fall short when applied to experimentally relevant data.

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arXiv2025

Analytical results for laser models producing a beam with sub-Poissonian photon statistics and coherence scaling as the Heisenberg limit

Recent advances in laser theory have demonstrated that a quantum enhancement is possible for the production of coherence $\mathfrak{C}$ by a continuous-wave laser device. Curiously, natural families of laser models that achieve Heisenberg-limited scaling for coherence produce the most coherence when the beam exhibits sub-Poissonian photon statistics. In this work, we provide an analytical treatment of those novel families of laser models by specializing to a parameter regime that permits a linearization. We characterize the dynamics of each laser system, and find that some of the intuitions from standard laser theory may be applied here. Specifically, the intracavity number dynamics are well-described as an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process, while the intracavity phase dynamics are well-described in terms of a physically realizable ensemble of pure states, which evolve according to pure phase diffusion. Unlike a standard laser, however, we find that the pure states comprising the ensemble in the Heisenberg-limited lasers are substantially phase squeezed. From our dynamical analysis, we deduce various quantities of the beam for each laser family, including the first- and second-order Glauber coherence functions, intensity noise spectrum, Mandel-Q parameter and coherence $\mathfrak{C}$. In addition, inspired from these phase diffusion dynamics, we derive an upper bound on laser coherence $\mathfrak{C} \lesssim 1.1156 \mu^4$ -- which is tighter by a factor of $3/8$ when compared to that derived in [Baker et al., Nat. Phys. 17 179 (2021)] -- by making one of the assumptions of that paper slightly stronger.

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arXiv2024

On the power of one pure steered state for EPR-steering with a pair of qubits

As originally introduced, the EPR phenomenon was the ability of one party (Alice) to steer, by her choice between two measurement settings, the quantum system of another party (Bob) into two distinct ensembles of pure states. As later formalized as a quantum information task, EPR-steering can be shown even when the distinct ensembles comprise mixed states. Consider the scenario where Alice and Bob each have a qubit and Alice performs dichotomic projective measurements. In this case, the states in the ensembles to which she can steer form the surface of an ellipsoid ${\cal E}$ in Bob's Bloch ball. Further, let the steering ellipsoid ${\cal E}$ have nonzero volume. It has previously been shown that if Alice's first measurement setting yields an ensemble comprising two pure states, then this, plus any one other measurement setting, will demonstrate EPR-steering. Here we consider what one can say if the ensemble from Alice's first setting contains only one pure state $\mathsf{p}\in{\cal E}$, occurring with probability $p_\mathsf{p}$. Using projective geometry, we derive the necessary and sufficient condition analytically for Alice to be able to demonstrate EPR-steering of Bob's state using this and some second setting, when the two ensembles from these lie in a given plane. Based on this, we show that, for a given ${\cal E}$, if $p_\mathsf{p}$ is high enough [$p_{\sf p} > p_{\rm max}^{\cal E} \in [0,1)$] then any distinct second setting by Alice is sufficient to demonstrate EPR-steering. Similarly we derive a $p_{\rm min}^{\cal E}$ such that $p_\mathsf{p}>p_{\rm min}^{\cal E}$ is necessary for Alice to demonstrate EPR-steering using only the first setting and some other setting. Moreover, the expressions we derive are tight; for spherical steering ellipsoids, the bounds coincide: $p_{\rm max}^{\cal E} = p_{\rm min}^{\cal E}$.

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arXiv2024

Shareability of steering in 2-producible states

Quantum steering is the phenomenon whereby one party (Alice) proves entanglement by "steering'' the system of another party (Bob) into distinct ensembles of states, by performing different measurements on her subsystem. Here, we investigate steering in a network scenario involving $n$ parties, who each perform local measurements on part of a global quantum state, that is produced using only two-party entangled states, and mixing with ancillary separable states. We introduce three scenarios which can be straightforwardly implemented in standard quantum optics architecture, which we call random $\frac{n}{2}$-pair entanglement, random pair entanglement and semi-random pair entanglement. We study steerability of the states across two-party marginals which arise in the three scenarios, and derive analytically the necessary and sufficient steering criteria for different sets of measurement settings. Strikingly, using the semi-random pair entanglement construction, one party can steer every one of the $n-1$ other parties, for arbitrarily large $n$, using only two measurements. Finally, exploiting symmetry, we study various small network configurations (three or four parties) in the three scenarios, under different measurements and produced by different two-party entangled states.

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arXiv2022

Recycling qubits for the generation of Bell nonlocality between independent sequential observers

There is currently much interest in the recycling of entangled systems, for use in quantum information protocols by sequential observers. In this work, we study the sequential generation of Bell nonlocality via recycling one or both components of two-qubit states. We first give a description of two-valued qubit measurements in terms of measurement bias, strength, and reversibility, and derive useful tradeoff relations between them. Then, we derive one-sided monogamy relations for unbiased observables, that strengthen the recent Conjecture in [S. Cheng {\it et al.}, Phys. Rev. A \textbf{104}, L060201 (2021) ] that if the first pair of observers violate Bell nonlocality then a subsequent independent pair cannot, and give semi-analytic results for the best possible monogamy relation. We also extend the construction in [P. J. Brown and R. Colbeck, Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{125}, 090401 (2020)] to obtain (i)~a broader class of two-qubit states that allow the recycling of one qubit by a given number of observers on one side, and (ii)~a scheme for generating Bell nonlocality between arbitrarily many independent observers on each side, via the two-sided recycling of multiqubit states. Our results are based on a formalism that is applicable to more general problems in recycling entanglement, and hence is expected to aid progress in this field.

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arXiv2021

Limitations on sharing Bell nonlocality between sequential pairs of observers

We give strong analytic and numerical evidence that, under mild measurement assumptions, two qubits cannot both be recycled to generate Bell nonlocality between multiple independent observers on each side. This is surprising, as under the same assumptions it is possible to recycle just one of the qubits an arbitrarily large number of times [P. J. Brown and R. Colbeck, Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 090401 (2020)]. We derive corresponding 'one-sided monogamy relations' that rule out two-sided recycling for a wide range of parameters, based on a general tradeoff relation between the strengths and maximum reversibilities of qubit measurements. We also show if the assumptions are relaxed to allow sufficiently biased measurement selections, then there is a narrow range of measurement strengths that allows two-sided recycling for two observers on each side, and propose an experimental test. Our methods may be readily applied to other types of quantum correlations, such as steering and entanglement, and hence to general information protocols involving sequential measurements.

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arXiv2020

The Heisenberg limit for laser coherence

To quantify quantum optical coherence requires both the particle- and wave-natures of light. For an ideal laser beam [1,2,3], it can be thought of roughly as the number of photons emitted consecutively into the beam with the same phase. This number, $\mathfrak{C}$, can be much larger than $μ$, the number of photons in the laser itself. The limit on $\mathfrak{C}$ for an ideal laser was thought to be of order $μ^2$ [4,5]. Here, assuming nothing about the laser operation, only that it produces a beam with certain properties close to those of an ideal laser beam, and that it does not have external sources of coherence, we derive an upper bound: $\mathfrak{C} = O(μ^4)$. Moreover, using the matrix product states (MPSs) method [6,7,8,9], we find a model that achieves this scaling, and show that it could in principle be realised using circuit quantum electrodynamics (QED) [10]. Thus $\mathfrak{C} = O(μ^2)$ is only a standard quantum limit (SQL); the ultimate quantum limit, or Heisenberg limit, is quadratically better.

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arXiv2019

Necessary conditions for steerability of two qubits, from consideration of local operations

EPR-steering refers to the ability of one observer to convince a distant observer that they share entanglement by making local measurements. Determining which states allow a demonstration of EPR-steering remains an open problem in general. Here, we outline and demonstrate a method of analytically constructing new classes of two-qubit states which are non-steerable by arbitrary projective measurements, from consideration of local operations performed by the steering party on states known to be non-steerable.

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arXiv2018

Conclusive experimental demonstration of one-way Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering

Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering is a quantum phenomenon wherein one party influences, or steers, the state of a distant party's particle beyond what could be achieved with a separable state, by making measurements on one half of an entangled state. This type of quantum nonlocality stands out through its asymmetric setting, and even allows for cases where one party can steer the other, but where the reverse is not true. A series of experiments have demonstrated one-way steering in the past, but all were based on significant limiting assumptions. These consisted either of restrictions on the type of allowed measurements, or of assumptions about the quantum state at hand, by mapping to a specific family of states and analysing the ideal target state rather than the real experimental state. Here, we present the first experimental demonstration of one-way steering free of such assumptions. We achieve this using a new sufficient condition for non-steerability, and, although not required by our analysis, using a novel source of extremely high-quality photonic Werner states.

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arXiv2017

Necessary Condition for Steerability of Arbitrary Two-Qubit States with Loss

Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering refers to the quantum phenomenon whereby the state of a system held by one party can be "steered" into different states at the will of another, distant, party by performing different local measurements. Although steering has been demonstrated in a number of experiments involving qubits, the question of which two-qubit states are steerable remains an open theoretical problem. Here, we derive a necessary condition for any two-qubit state to be steerable when the steering party suffers from a given probability of qubit loss. Our main result finds application in one-way steering demonstrations that rely upon loss. Specifically, we apply it to a recent experiment on one-way steering with projective measurements and POVMs, reported by Wollmann et. al. [Phys. Rev. Lett., 116, 160403 (2016)].

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