Properties of the Quantum Channel

TL;DR

This paper reviews the fundamental properties and capacity measures of quantum communication channels, highlighting their unique capabilities in transmitting classical and quantum information compared to classical channels.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of quantum channel properties, capacity definitions, and fundamental differences from classical communication channels.

Findings

Quantum channels can transmit both classical and quantum information.

New capacity measures are developed for quantum communication.

Fundamental differences exist between classical and quantum channels.

Abstract

Quantum information processing exploits the quantum nature of information. It offers fundamentally new solutions in the field of computer science and extends the possibilities to a level that cannot be imagined in classical communication systems. For quantum communication channels, many new capacity definitions were developed in comparison to classical counterparts. A quantum channel can be used to realize classical information transmission or to deliver quantum information, such as quantum entanglement. In this paper we overview the properties of the quantum communication channel, the various capacity measures and the fundamental differences between the classical and quantum channels.