Quantum gloves: Physics and Information

TL;DR

This paper explores the relationship between physical implementations and information tasks, emphasizing that while information can be abstract, physical realization is crucial for certain tasks like communicating chirality.

Contribution

It clarifies the distinction between abstract information and physical realization, using chirality communication as a case study.

Findings

Abstract information can be separated from physical realization.

Physical tasks require specific physical implementations.

Communicating chirality illustrates the importance of physical realization.

Abstract

The slogan information is physical has been so successful that it led to some excess. Classical and quantum information can be thought of independently of any physical implementation. Pure information tasks can be realized using such abstract c- and qu-bits, but physical tasks require appropriate physical realizations of c- or qu-bits. As illustration we consider the problem of communicating chirality.