arXiv subjects

Xiao Yuan

Publications and source records attributed to Xiao Yuan.

151 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

Source-independent quantum random number generation

Quantum random number generators can provide genuine randomness by appealing to the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics. In general, a physical generator contains two parts---a randomness source and its readout. The source is essential to the quality of the resulting random numbers; hence, it needs to be carefully calibrated and modeled to achieve information-theoretical provable randomness. However, in practice, the source is a complicated physical system, such as a light source or an atomic ensemble, and any deviations in the real-life implementation from the theoretical model may affect the randomness of the output. To close this gap, we propose a source-independent scheme for quantum random number generation in which output randomness can be certified, even when the source is uncharacterized and untrusted. In our randomness analysis, we make no assumptions about the dimension of the source. For instance, multiphoton emissions are allowed in optical implementations. Our analysis takes into account the finite-key effect with the composable security definition. In the limit of large data size, the length of the input random seed is exponentially small compared to that of the output random bit. In addition, by modifying a quantum key distribution system, we experimentally demonstrate our scheme and achieve a randomness generation rate of over $5\times 10^3$ bit/s.

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arXiv2015

Reliable and robust entanglement witness

Entanglement, a critical resource for quantum information processing, needs to be witnessed in many practical scenarios. Theoretically, witnessing entanglement is by measuring a special Hermitian observable, called entanglement witness (EW), which has non-negative expected outcomes for all separable states but can have negative expectations for certain entangled states. In practice, an EW implementation may suffer from two problems. The first one is \emph{reliability}. Due to unreliable realization devices, a separable state could be falsely identified as an entangled one. The second problem relates to \emph{robustness}. A witness may not to optimal for a target state and fail to identify its entanglement. To overcome the reliability problem, we employ a recently proposed measurement-device-independent entanglement witness, in which the correctness of the conclusion is independent of the implemented measurement devices. In order to overcome the robustness problem, we optimize the EW to draw a better conclusion given certain experimental data. With the proposed EW scheme, where only data postprocessing needs to be modified comparing to the original measurement-device-independent scheme, one can efficiently take advantage of the measurement results to maximally draw reliable conclusions.

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arXiv2015

Clauser-Horne Bell test with imperfect random inputs

Bell test is one of the most important tools in quantum information science. On the one hand, it enables fundamental test for the physics laws of nature, and on the other hand, it can be also applied in varieties of device independent tasks such as quantum key distribution and random number generation. In practice, loopholes existing in experimental demonstrations of Bell tests may affect the validity of the conclusions. In this work, we focus on the randomness (freewill) loophole and investigate the randomness requirement in a well-known Bell test, the Clauser-Horne test, under various conditions. With partially random inputs, we explicitly bound the Bell value for all local hidden variable models by optimizing the classical strategy. Our result thus puts input randomness requirement on the Clauser-Horne test under varieties of practical scenarios. The employed analysis technique can be generalized to other Bell's inequalities.

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arXiv2015

Randomness generation based on spontaneous emissions of lasers

Random number plays a key role in information science, especially in cryptography. Based on the probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics, quantum random number generators can produce genuine randomness. In particular, random numbers can be produced from laser phase fluctuations with a very high speed, typically in the Gbps regime. In this work, by developing a physical model, we investigate the origin of the randomness in quantum random number generators based on laser phase fluctuations. We show how the randomness essentially stems from spontaneous emissions. The laser phase fluctuation can be quantitatively evaluated from basic principles and also qualitatively explained by the Brownian motion model. After taking account of practical device precision, we show that the randomness generation speed is limited by the finite resolution of detection devices. Our result also provides the optimal experiment design in order to achieve the maximum generation speed.

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arXiv2014

Replicating the benefits of closed timelike curves without breaking causality

In general relativity, closed timelike curves can break causality with remarkable and unsettling consequences. At the classical level, they induce causal paradoxes disturbing enough to motivate conjectures that explicitly prevent their existence. At the quantum level, resolving such paradoxes induce radical benefits - from cloning unknown quantum states to solving problems intractable to quantum computers. Instinctively, one expects these benefits to vanish if causality is respected. Here we show that in harnessing entanglement, we can efficiently solve NP-complete problems and clone arbitrary quantum states - even when all time-travelling systems are completely isolated from the past. Thus, the many defining benefits of closed timelike curves can still be harnessed, even when causality is preserved. Our results unveil the subtle interplay between entanglement and general relativity, and significantly improve the potential of probing the radical effects that may exist at the interface between relativity and quantum theory.

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arXiv2014

Randomness Requirement on CHSH Bell Test in the Multiple Run Scenario

The Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality test is widely used as a mean of invalidating the local deterministic theories and a tool of device independent quantum cryptographic tasks. There exists a randomness (freewill) loophole in the test, which is widely believed impossible to be closed perfectly. That is, certain random inputs are required for the test. Following a randomness quantification method used in literature, we investigate the randomness required in the test under various assumptions. By comparing the results, one can conclude that the key to make the test result reliable is to rule out correlations between multiple runs.

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arXiv2014

Implementation of a Measurement-Device-Independent Entanglement Witness

Entanglement, the essential resource in quantum information processing, should be witnessed in many tasks such as quantum computing and quantum communication. The conventional entanglement witness method, relying on an idealized implementation of measurements, could wrongly conclude a separable state to be entangled due to imperfect detections. Inspired by the idea of a time-shift attack, we construct an attack on the conventional entanglement witness process and demonstrate that a separable state can be falsely identified to be entangled. To close such detection loopholes, based on a recently proposed measurement-device-independent entanglement witness method, we design and experimentally demonstrate a measurement-device-independent entanglement witness for a variety of two-qubit states. By the new scheme, we show that an entanglement witness can be realized without detection loopholes.

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