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Practical Receiver for Optimal Discrimination of Binary Coherent Signals
Denis Sych1, Gerd Leuchs1,2
1Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Günther-Scharowsky-Straße 1/Bau 24, 91058 Erlangen, Germany.
Physical Review Letters
|November 26, 2016
Summary
We developed an optimal receiver to distinguish coherent states with minimal error. This practical design uses signal splitting and photon counting, approaching the theoretical Helstrom bound for high accuracy.
Area of Science:
- Quantum information science
- Quantum communication
Background:
- Distinguishing coherent states is crucial for quantum communication.
- Current methods face limitations in achieving the minimum error rate.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and analyze an optimum receiver for coherent state discrimination.
- To demonstrate a practical implementation using current technologies.
Main Methods:
- Multichannel signal splitting
- Feed-forward signal displacement
- Photon-counting detection
- Optimal control strategy for signal splitting
Main Results:
- The proposed receiver is implementable with current technologies.
- The error rate converges to the Helstrom bound with an optimal control strategy.
- Demonstrated a significant advancement in coherent state discrimination.
Conclusions:
- The developed receiver offers a practical solution for minimum-error coherent state discrimination.
- This work paves the way for more efficient quantum communication protocols.
