Comment on 'Secure Communication using mesoscopic coherent states', Barbosa et al, Phys Rev Lett 90, 227901 (2003)

Barbosa et al. Reply to ``Comment on 'Secure Communication using mesoscopic coherent states', Barbosa et al, Phys Rev Lett 90, 227901", Yuan and Shields, Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 048901(2005)

Yuan and Shields claim that our data-encryption protocol is entirely equivalent to a classical stream cipher utilizing no quantum phenomena. Their claim is, indeed, false. Yuan and Shields also claim that schemes similar to the one presented in Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 227901 are not suitable for key generation. This claim is also refuted. In any event, we welcome the opportunity to clarify the situation for a wider audience.

Exposed-key weakness of $αη$

The $αη$ protocol given by Barbosa \emph{et al.}, PRL 90, 227901 (2003) claims to be a secure way of encrypting messages using mesoscopic coherent states. We show that transmission under $αη$ exposes information about the secret key to an eavesdropper, and we estimate the rate at which an eavesdropper can learn about the key. We also consider the consequences of using further randomization to protect the key and how our analysis applies to this case. We conclude that $αη$ is not informationally secure.

Mesoscopic dynamical differences from quantum state preparation in a Bose-Hubbard trimer

Conventional wisdom is that quantum effects will tend to disappear as the number of quanta in a system increases, and the evolution of a system will become closer to that described by mean field classical equations. In this letter we combine newly developed experimental techniques to propose and analyse an experiment using a Bose-Hubbard trimer where the opposite is the case. We find that differences in the preparation of a centrally evacuated trimer can lead to readily observable differences in the subsequent dynamics which increase with system size. Importantly, these differences can be dete…

Comment on ``Intensity correlations and mesoscopic fluctuations of diffusing photons in cold atoms''

In a recent Letter (Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{98}, 083601 (2007), arXiv:cond-mat/0610804), O. Assaf and E. Akkermans claim that the angular correlations of the light intensity scattered by a cloud of cold atoms with internal degeneracy (Zeeman sublevels) of the ground state overcome the usual Rayleigh law. More precisely, they found that they become exponentially large with the size of the sample. In what follows, we will explain why their results are wrong and, in contrary, why the internal degeneracy leads to lower intensity correlations.

用于介观尺度量子态与量子电路制备的里德堡原子量子控制

Quantum control of Rydberg atoms for mesoscopic-scale quantum state and circuit preparation

本文在五原子里德堡系统中利用量子控制生成全连通团簇态并模拟完美量子纠错编码电路，展示高保真度与噪声容忍度。

Strictly nonclassical behavior of a mesoscopic system

We experimentally demonstrate the strictly nonclassical behavior in a many-atom system using a recently derived criterion [E. Kot et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 233601 (2012)] that explicitly does not make use of quantum mechanics. We thereby show that the magnetic moment distribution measured by McConnell et al. [R. McConnell et al., Nature 519, 439 (2015)] in a system with a total mass of $2.6\times 10^5$ atomic mass units is inconsistent with classical physics. Notably, the strictly nonclassical behavior affects an area in phase space $10^3$ times larger than the Planck quantum $\hbar$.