# Worst-case Quantum Hypothesis Testing with Separable Measurements

Le Phuc Thinh1,2, Michele Dall'Arno1,3,4, and Valerio Scarani1,5

1Centre for Quantum Technologies, National University of Singapore, Singapore
2Institut für Theoretische Physik, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Appelstr. 2, 30167 Hannover, Germany
3Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho, Sakyoku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
4Faculty of Education and Integrated Arts and Sciences, Waseda University, 1-6-1 Nishiwaseda, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8050, Japan
5Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore

### Abstract

For any pair of quantum states (the hypotheses), the task of binary quantum hypotheses testing is to derive the tradeoff relation between the probability $p_{01}$ of rejecting the null hypothesis and $p_{10}$ of accepting the alternative hypothesis. The case when both hypotheses are explicitly given was solved in the pioneering work by Helstrom. Here, instead, for any given null hypothesis as a pure state, we consider the worst-case alternative hypothesis that maximizes $p_{10}$ under a constraint on the distinguishability of such hypotheses. Additionally, we restrict the optimization to separable measurements, in order to describe tests that are performed locally. The case $p_{01}=0$ has been recently studied under the name of quantum state verification''. We show that the problem can be cast as a semi-definite program (SDP). Then we study in detail the two-qubit case. A comprehensive study in parameter space is done by solving the SDP numerically. We also obtain analytical solutions in the case of commuting hypotheses, and in the case where the two hypotheses can be orthogonal (in the latter case, we prove that the restriction to separable measurements generically prevents perfect distinguishability). In regards to quantum state verification, our work shows the existence of more efficient strategies for noisy measurement scenarios.

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