Composable security proof for continuous-variable quantum key distribution with coherent states

We give the first composable security proof for continuous-variable quantum key distribution with coherent states against collective attacks. Crucially, in the limit of large blocks the secret key rate converges to the usual value computed from the Holevo bound. Combining our proof with either the de Finetti theorem or the Postselection technique then shows the security of the protocol against general attacks, thereby confirming the long-standing conjecture that Gaussian attacks are optimal asymptotically in the composable security framework. We expect that our parameter estimation procedure, which does not rely on any assumption, will find applications elsewhere, for instance for the reliable quantification of continuous-variable entanglement in finite-size settings.Comment: 27 pages, 1 figure. v2: added a version of the AEP valid for conditional state

SU(p,q)SU(p,q) coherent states and a Gaussian de Finetti theorem

We prove a generalization of the quantum de Finetti theorem when the local space is an infinite-dimensional Fock space. In particular, instead of considering the action of the permutation group on $n$ copies of that space, we consider the action of the unitary group $U(n)$ on the creation operators of the $n$ modes and define a natural generalization of the symmetric subspace as the space of states invariant under unitaries in $U(n)$. Our first result is a complete characterization of this subspace, which turns out to be spanned by a family of generalized coherent states related to the special unitary group $SU(p,q)$ of signature $(p,q)$. More precisely, this construction yields a unitary representation of the noncompact simple real Lie group $SU(p,q)$. We therefore find a dual unitary representation of the pair of groups $U(n)$ and $SU(p,q)$ on an $n(p+q)$-mode Fock space. The (Gaussian) $SU(p,q)$ coherent states resolve the identity on the symmetric subspace, which implies a Gaussian de Finetti theorem stating that tracing over a few modes of a unitary-invariant state yields a state close to a mixture of Gaussian states. As an application of this de Finetti theorem, we show that the $n\times n$ upper-left submatrix of an $n\times n$ Haar-invariant unitary matrix is close in total variation distance to a matrix of independent normal variables if $n^3 =O(m)$.Comment: v2: 39 pages, including new application to truncations of Haar random matrices. Comments are welcom

Probabilistic models on contextuality scenarios

We introduce a framework to describe probabilistic models in Bell experiments, and more generally in contextuality scenarios. Such a scenario is a hypergraph whose vertices represent elementary events and hyperedges correspond to measurements. A probabilistic model on such a scenario associates to each event a probability, in such a way that events in a given measurement have a total probability equal to one. We discuss the advantages of this framework, like the unification of the notions of contexuality and nonlocality, and give a short overview of results obtained elsewhere.Comment: In Proceedings QPL 2013, arXiv:1412.791

Efficient reconciliation protocol for discrete-variable quantum key distribution

Reconciliation is an essential part of any secret-key agreement protocol and hence of a Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) protocol, where two legitimate parties are given correlated data and want to agree on a common string in the presence of an adversary, while revealing a minimum amount of information. In this paper, we show that for discrete-variable QKD protocols, this problem can be advantageously solved with Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codes optimized for the BSC. In particular, we demonstrate that our method leads to a significant improvement of the achievable secret key rate, with respect to earlier interactive reconciliation methods used in QKD

Distributing Secret Keys with Quantum Continuous Variables: Principle, Security and Implementations

The ability to distribute secret keys between two parties with information-theoretic security, that is, regardless of the capacities of a malevolent eavesdropper, is one of the most celebrated results in the field of quantum information processing and communication. Indeed, quantum key distribution illustrates the power of encoding information on the quantum properties of light and has far reaching implications in high-security applications. Today, quantum key distribution systems operate in real-world conditions and are commercially available. As with most quantum information protocols, quantum key distribution was first designed for qubits, the individual quanta of information. However, the use of quantum continuous variables for this task presents important advantages with respect to qubit based protocols, in particular from a practical point of view, since it allows for simple implementations that require only standard telecommunication technology. In this review article, we describe the principle of continuous-variable quantum key distribution, focusing in particular on protocols based on coherent states. We discuss the security of these protocols and report on the state-of-the-art in experimental implementations, including the issue of side-channel attacks. We conclude with promising perspectives in this research field.Comment: 21 pages, 2 figures, 1 tabl

Analysis of circuit imperfections in BosonSampling

BosonSampling is a problem where a quantum computer offers a provable speedup over classical computers. Its main feature is that it can be solved with current linear optics technology, without the need for a full quantum computer. In this work, we investigate whether an experimentally realistic BosonSampler can really solve BosonSampling without any fault-tolerance mechanism. More precisely, we study how the unavoidable errors linked to an imperfect calibration of the optical elements affect the final result of the computation. We show that the fidelity of each optical element must be at least $1 - O(1/n^2)$, where $n$ refers to the number of single photons in the scheme. Such a requirement seems to be achievable with state-of-the-art equipment.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures, v2: new title, to appear in QI

Golden codes: quantum LDPC codes built from regular tessellations of hyperbolic 4-manifolds

We adapt a construction of Guth and Lubotzky [arXiv:1310.5555] to obtain a family of quantum LDPC codes with non-vanishing rate and minimum distance scaling like $n^{0.1}$ where $n$ is the number of physical qubits. Similarly as in [arXiv:1310.5555], our homological code family stems from hyperbolic 4-manifolds equipped with tessellations. The main novelty of this work is that we consider a regular tessellation consisting of hypercubes. We exploit this strong local structure to design and analyze an efficient decoding algorithm.Comment: 30 pages, 4 figure

Asymptotic security of continuous-variable quantum key distribution with a discrete modulation

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.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures; v2: added discussion of more general quadrature amplitude modulation schemes, v3: close to published versio

Bell tests for continuous variable systems using hybrid measurements and heralded amplifiers

We present Bell tests for optical continuous variable systems, combining both hybrid measurements (i.e. measuring both particle and wave aspects of light) and heralded amplifiers. We discuss two types of schemes, in which the amplifier is located either at the source, or at the parties' laboratories. The inclusion of amplifiers helps to reduce the detrimental effect of losses in the setup. In particular, we show that the requirements in terms of detection efficiency and transmission losses are significantly reduced, approaching the experimentally accessible regime.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure