Zero-error communication under discrete-time Markovian dynamics

Satvik Singh1,2, Mizanur Rahaman3,4,5, and Nilanjana Datta2

1Department of Mathematics, Technical University of Munich
2DAMTP, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge
3UNIV LYON, INRIA, ENS LYON, UCBL, LIP, F-69342, LYON CEDEX 07, FRANCE
4Wallenberg Centre for Quantum Technology, Chalmers University of Technology
5Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology

Find this paper interesting or want to discuss? Scite or leave a comment on SciRate.

Abstract

Consider an open quantum system with (discrete-time) Markovian dynamics. Our task is to store information in the system in such a way that it can be retrieved perfectly, even after the system is left to evolve for an arbitrarily long time. We show that this is impossible for classical (resp. quantum) information precisely when the dynamics is mixing (resp. asymptotically entanglement breaking). Furthermore, we provide tight universal upper bounds on the minimum time after which any such dynamics 'scrambles' the encoded information beyond the point of perfect retrieval. On the other hand, for dynamics that are not of this kind, we show that information must be encoded inside the peripheral space associated with the dynamics in order for it to be perfectly recoverable at any time in the future. This allows us to derive explicit formulas for the maximum amount of information that can be protected from noise in terms of the structure of the peripheral space of the dynamics.

► BibTeX data

► References

[1] Mahmud Akelbek and Steve Kirkland. Coefficients of ergodicity and the scrambling index. Linear Algebra and its Applications, 430(4):1111–1130, February 2009. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1016/​j.laa.2008.10.007, doi:10.1016/​j.laa.2008.10.007.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1016/​j.laa.2008.10.007

[2] R. Alicki. Invitation to Quantum Dynamical Semigroups, page 239–264. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2002. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1007/​3-540-46122-1_10, doi:10.1007/​3-540-46122-1_10.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1007/​3-540-46122-1_10

[3] Robert Alicki and Karl Lendi. Quantum Dynamical Semigroups and Applications. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2007. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1007/​3-540-70861-8, doi:10.1007/​3-540-70861-8.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1007/​3-540-70861-8

[4] Stéphane Attal and Yan Pautrat. From repeated to continuous quantum interactions. Annales Henri Poincaré, 7(1):59–104, January 2006. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1007/​s00023-005-0242-8, doi:10.1007/​s00023-005-0242-8.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1007/​s00023-005-0242-8

[5] Heinz-Peter Breuer and Francesco Petruccione. The Theory of Open Quantum Systems. Oxford University PressOxford, January 2007. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1093/​acprof:oso/​9780199213900.001.0001, doi:10.1093/​acprof:oso/​9780199213900.001.0001.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1093/​acprof:oso/​9780199213900.001.0001

[6] D Burgarth, G Chiribella, V Giovannetti, P Perinotti, and K Yuasa. Ergodic and mixing quantum channels in finite dimensions. New Journal of Physics, 15(7), July 2013. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1088/​1367-2630/​15/​7/​073045, doi:10.1088/​1367-2630/​15/​7/​073045.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1088/​1367-2630/​15/​7/​073045

[7] Man-Duen Choi, Nathaniel Johnston, and David W Kribs. The multiplicative domain in quantum error correction. Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical, 42(24):245303, May 2009. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1088/​1751-8113/​42/​24/​245303, doi:10.1088/​1751-8113/​42/​24/​245303.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1088/​1751-8113/​42/​24/​245303

[8] Francesco Ciccarello, Salvatore Lorenzo, Vittorio Giovannetti, and G. Massimo Palma. Quantum collision models: Open system dynamics from repeated interactions. Physics Reports, 954:1–70, April 2022. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1016/​j.physrep.2022.01.001, doi:10.1016/​j.physrep.2022.01.001.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1016/​j.physrep.2022.01.001

[9] Toby S. Cubitt, Debbie Leung, William Matthews, and Andreas Winter. Improving zero-error classical communication with entanglement. Phys. Rev. Lett., 104:230503, Jun 2010. URL: https:/​/​link.aps.org/​doi/​10.1103/​PhysRevLett.104.230503, doi:10.1103/​PhysRevLett.104.230503.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1103/​PhysRevLett.104.230503

[10] Toby S. Cubitt, Debbie Leung, William Matthews, and Andreas Winter. Zero-error channel capacity and simulation assisted by non-local correlations. IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, 57(8):5509–5523, August 2011. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1109/​TIT.2011.2159047, doi:10.1109/​tit.2011.2159047.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1109/​tit.2011.2159047

[11] K.R. Davidson. C*-Algebras by Example. Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences Toronto: Fields Institute monographs. American Mathematical Society, 1996. URL: https:/​/​books.google.co.uk/​books?id=PjpgCgAAQBAJ.
https:/​/​books.google.co.uk/​books?id=PjpgCgAAQBAJ

[12] Runyao Duan. Super-activation of zero-error capacity of noisy quantum channels. preprint arXiv:0906.2527, 2009. URL: https:/​/​arxiv.org/​abs/​0906.2527.
arXiv:0906.2527

[13] Runyao Duan, Simone Severini, and Andreas Winter. Zero-error communication via quantum channels, noncommutative graphs, and a quantum Lovász Number. IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, 59(2):1164–1174, 2013. doi:10.1109/​TIT.2012.2221677.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1109/​TIT.2012.2221677

[14] Runyao Duan and Andreas Winter. No-signalling-assisted zero-error capacity of quantum channels and an information theoretic interpretation of the lovász number. IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, 62(2):891–914, February 2016. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1109/​TIT.2015.2507979, doi:10.1109/​tit.2015.2507979.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1109/​tit.2015.2507979

[15] David E. Evans and Raphael Høegh-Krohn. Spectral properties of positive maps on c* -algebras. Journal of the London Mathematical Society, s2-17(2):345–355, April 1978. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1112/​jlms/​s2-17.2.345, doi:10.1112/​jlms/​s2-17.2.345.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1112/​jlms/​s2-17.2.345

[16] Franco Fagnola. Quantum markov semigroups. Proyecciones (Antofagasta), 18(3):29–74, 1999. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.22199/​S07160917.1999.0003.00004, doi:10.22199/​s07160917.1999.0003.00004.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.22199/​s07160917.1999.0003.00004

[17] Omar Fawzi, Mizanur Rahaman, and Mostafa Taheri. Capacities of quantum markovian noise for large times. preprint arXiv:2408.00116, 2024. URL: https:/​/​arxiv.org/​abs/​2408.00116.
arXiv:2408.00116

[18] Vittorio Gorini, Andrzej Kossakowski, and E. C. G. Sudarshan. Completely positive dynamical semigroups of n-level systems. Journal of Mathematical Physics, 17(5):821–825, May 1976. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1063/​1.522979, doi:10.1063/​1.522979.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1063/​1.522979

[19] Daniel Grimmer, David Layden, Robert B. Mann, and Eduardo Martín-Martínez. Open dynamics under rapid repeated interaction. Physical Review A, 94(3), September 2016. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1103/​PhysRevA.94.032126, doi:10.1103/​physreva.94.032126.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1103/​physreva.94.032126

[20] A. E. Guterman and A. M. Maksaev. Upper bounds on scrambling index for non-primitive digraphs. Linear and Multilinear Algebra, 69(11):2143–2168, September 2019. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1080/​03081087.2019.1663139, doi:10.1080/​03081087.2019.1663139.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1080/​03081087.2019.1663139

[21] Eric P. Hanson, Cambyse Rouzé, and Daniel Stilck França. Eventually entanglement breaking markovian dynamics: Structure and characteristic times. Annales Henri Poincaré, 21(5):1517–1571, March 2020. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1007/​s00023-020-00906-4, doi:10.1007/​s00023-020-00906-4.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1007/​s00023-020-00906-4

[22] Fumio Hiai, Milán Mosonyi, Dénez Petz, and Cédric Bény. Quantum f-divergences and error correction. Reviews in Mathematical Physics, 23(07):691–747, August 2011. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1142/​S0129055X11004412, doi:10.1142/​s0129055x11004412.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1142/​s0129055x11004412

[23] Fumio Hiai and Mary Beth Ruskai. Contraction coefficients for noisy quantum channels. Journal of Mathematical Physics, 57(1), December 2015. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1063/​1.4936215, doi:10.1063/​1.4936215.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1063/​1.4936215

[24] Martin Idel. On the structure of positive maps. Master’s thesis, Technische Universitat Munchen, 2013.

[25] Samuel Jaques and Mizanur Rahaman. Spectral properties of tensor products of channels. Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Applications, 465(2):1134–1158, September 2018. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1016/​j.jmaa.2018.05.052, doi:10.1016/​j.jmaa.2018.05.052.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1016/​j.jmaa.2018.05.052

[26] Anna Jenčová and Dénes Petz. Sufficiency in quantum statistical inference. Communications in Mathematical Physics, 263(1):259–276, January 2006. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1007/​s00220-005-1510-7, doi:10.1007/​s00220-005-1510-7.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1007/​s00220-005-1510-7

[27] Anna Jenčová and Dénes Petz. Sufficiency in quantum statistical inference: A survey with examples. Infinite Dimensional Analysis, Quantum Probability and Related Topics, 09(03):331–351, September 2006. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1142/​S0219025706002408, doi:10.1142/​s0219025706002408.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1142/​s0219025706002408

[28] Yifan Jia and Angela Capel. A generic quantum Wielandt inequality. Quantum, 8:1331, May 2024. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.22331/​q-2024-05-02-1331, doi:10.22331/​q-2024-05-02-1331.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.22331/​q-2024-05-02-1331

[29] Sumeet Khatri and Mark M. Wilde. Principles of quantum communication theory: A modern approach, 2024. URL: https:/​/​arxiv.org/​abs/​2011.04672, arXiv:2011.04672.
arXiv:2011.04672

[30] Emanuel Knill and Raymond Laflamme. Theory of quantum error-correcting codes. Phys. Rev. A, 55:900–911, Feb 1997. URL: https:/​/​link.aps.org/​doi/​10.1103/​PhysRevA.55.900, doi:10.1103/​PhysRevA.55.900.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1103/​PhysRevA.55.900

[31] Dennis Kretschmann, David W. Kribs, and Robert W. Spekkens. Complementarity of private and correctable subsystems in quantum cryptography and error correction. Physical Review A, 78(3), September 2008. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1103/​PhysRevA.78.032330, doi:10.1103/​physreva.78.032330.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1103/​physreva.78.032330

[32] Dennis Kretschmann, Dirk Schlingemann, and Reinhard F. Werner. The information-disturbance tradeoff and the continuity of Stinespring's representation. IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, 54(4):1708–1717, 2008. doi:10.1109/​TIT.2008.917696.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1109/​TIT.2008.917696

[33] David W. Kribs. Quantum Channels, Wavelets, Dilations and Representations of $O_n$. Proc. Edinburgh Math. Soc. 46 (2003), 421-433, sep 2003. arXiv:math/​0309390, doi:doi:10.1017/​S0013091501000980.
arXiv:math/0309390

[34] David W. Kribs, Raymond Laflamme, David Poulin, and Maia Lesosky. Operator quantum error correction. Quantum Inf. Comput., 6(4):382–399, 2006. doi:10.26421/​QIC6.4-5-6.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.26421/​QIC6.4-5-6

[35] L. Lami and V. Giovannetti. Entanglement-saving channels. Journal of Mathematical Physics, 57(3), March 2016. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1063/​1.4942495, doi:10.1063/​1.4942495.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1063/​1.4942495

[36] Debbie Leung, Laura Mancinska, William Matthews, Maris Ozols, and Aidan Roy. Entanglement can increase asymptotic rates of zero-error classical communication over classical channels. Communications in Mathematical Physics, 311(1):97–111, March 2012. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1007/​s00220-012-1451-x, doi:10.1007/​s00220-012-1451-x.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1007/​s00220-012-1451-x

[37] G. Lindblad. On the generators of quantum dynamical semigroups. Communications in Mathematical Physics, 48(2):119–130, June 1976. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1007/​BF01608499, doi:10.1007/​bf01608499.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1007/​bf01608499

[38] Mateusz Michałek and Yaroslav Shitov. Quantum version of Wielandt’s inequality revisited. IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, 65(8):5239–5242, 2019. doi:10.1109/​TIT.2019.2897772.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1109/​TIT.2019.2897772

[39] Vern Paulsen. Completely Bounded Maps and Operator Algebras. Cambridge University Press, February 2003. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1017/​CBO9780511546631, doi:10.1017/​cbo9780511546631.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1017/​cbo9780511546631

[40] Dénes Petz. Sufficiency of channels over von neumann algebras. The Quarterly Journal of Mathematics, 39(1):97–108, 1988. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1093/​qmath/​39.1.97, doi:10.1093/​qmath/​39.1.97.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1093/​qmath/​39.1.97

[41] John Preskill. Quantum computing in the nisq era and beyond. Quantum, 2:79, August 2018. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.22331/​q-2018-08-06-79, doi:10.22331/​q-2018-08-06-79.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.22331/​q-2018-08-06-79

[42] Mizanur Rahaman. Multiplicative properties of quantum channels. Journal of Physics A Mathematical General, 50(34):345302, August 2017. arXiv:1701.06205, doi:10.1088/​1751-8121/​aa7b57.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1088/​1751-8121/​aa7b57
arXiv:1701.06205

[43] Mizanur Rahaman. A new bound on quantum Wielandt inequality. IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, 66(1):147–154, 2020. doi:10.1109/​TIT.2019.2945776.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1109/​TIT.2019.2945776

[44] Mary Beth Ruskai. Beyond strong subadditivity? improved bounds on the contraction of generalized relative entropy. Reviews in Mathematical Physics, 06(05a):1147–1161, January 1994. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1142/​S0129055X94000407, doi:10.1142/​s0129055x94000407.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1142/​s0129055x94000407

[45] Mikel Sanz, David Pérez-García, Michael M. Wolf, and Juan I. Cirac. A quantum version of Wielandt's inequality. IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, 56(9):4668–4673, 2010. doi:10.1109/​TIT.2010.2054552.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1109/​TIT.2010.2054552

[46] C. Shannon. The zero error capacity of a noisy channel. IRE Transactions on Information Theory, 2(3):8–19, 1956. doi:10.1109/​TIT.1956.1056798.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1109/​TIT.1956.1056798

[47] C. E. Shannon. A mathematical theory of communication. Bell System Technical Journal, 27(3):379–423, July 1948. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1002/​j.1538-7305.1948.tb01338.x, doi:10.1002/​j.1538-7305.1948.tb01338.x.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1002/​j.1538-7305.1948.tb01338.x

[48] Maksim Shirokov and Tatiana Shulman. On superactivation of zero-error capacities and reversibility of a quantum channel. Commun. Math. Phys. V.335, pages 1159–1179, September 2015. doi:10.1007/​s00220-015-2345-5.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1007/​s00220-015-2345-5

[49] Maksim Evgenievich Shirokov. Convergence criterion for the quantum relative entropy and its use. Matematicheskii Sbornik, 213(12):137–174, 2022. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.4213/​sm9794, doi:10.4213/​sm9794.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.4213/​sm9794

[50] Satvik Singh and Nilanjana Datta. Information transmission under markovian noise, 2024. URL: https:/​/​arxiv.org/​abs/​2409.17743, arXiv:2409.17743.
arXiv:2409.17743

[51] Satvik Singh and Nilanjana Datta. Information storage and transmission under markovian noise, 2025. URL: https:/​/​arxiv.org/​abs/​2504.10436, arXiv:2504.10436.
arXiv:2504.10436

[52] Satvik Singh, Nilanjana Datta, and Ion Nechita. Ergodic theory of diagonal orthogonal covariant quantum channels. Letters in Mathematical Physics, 114(5), October 2024. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1007/​s11005-024-01864-2, doi:10.1007/​s11005-024-01864-2.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1007/​s11005-024-01864-2

[53] Satvik Singh and Ion Nechita. Diagonal unitary and orthogonal symmetries in quantum theory. Quantum, 5:519, August 2021. doi:10.22331/​q-2021-08-09-519.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.22331/​q-2021-08-09-519

[54] John Watrous. The Theory of Quantum Information. Cambridge University Press, April 2018. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1017/​9781316848142, doi:10.1017/​9781316848142.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1017/​9781316848142

[55] H. Wielandt. Unzerlegbare, nicht negative Matrizen. Mathematische Zeitschrift, 52:642–648, 1950. doi:10.1007/​BF02230720.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1007/​BF02230720

[56] Mark M. Wilde. Quantum Information Theory. Cambridge University Press, April 2013. URL: http:/​/​dx.doi.org/​10.1017/​CBO9781139525343, doi:10.1017/​cbo9781139525343.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1017/​cbo9781139525343

[57] M. M. Wolf. Quantum channels and operations: Guided tour. (unpublished), 2012. URL: https:/​/​mediatum.ub.tum.de/​doc/​1701036/​1701036.pdf.
https:/​/​mediatum.ub.tum.de/​doc/​1701036/​1701036.pdf

Cited by

[1] Satvik Singh and Nilanjana Datta, "Information Storage and Transmission under Markovian Noise", PRX Quantum 7 2, 020312 (2026).

[2] Abdessatar Souissi, "Ergodic theory of inhomogeneous quantum processes", Quantum Information Processing 25 7, 220 (2026).

[3] Omar Fawzi, Mizanur Rahaman, and Mostafa Taheri, "Capacities of quantum Markovian noise for large times", arXiv:2408.00116, (2024).

[4] S. Aravinda, Shilpak Banerjee, and Ranjan Modak, "Ergodic and mixing quantum channels: From two-qubit to many-body quantum systems", Physical Review A 110 4, 042607 (2024).

[5] Owen Ekblad and Jeffrey Schenker, "Reducibility Theory and Ergodic Theorems for Ergodic Quantum Processes", arXiv:2406.10982, (2024).

[6] Idris Delsol, Omar Fawzi, Jan Kochanowski, and Akshay Ramachandran, "Computational aspects of the trace norm contraction coefficient", arXiv:2507.16737, (2025).

[7] Archishna Bhattacharyya, "Sequential transmission at short times", arXiv:2506.10285, (2025).

[8] Daniele Amato, Paolo Facchi, and Arturo Konderak, "Asymptotic Dynamics in the Heisenberg Picture: Attractor Subspace and Choi-Effros Product", Open Systems and Information Dynamics 32 3, 2550014 (2025).

[9] Satvik Singh and Bjarne Bergh, "Discriminating idempotent quantum channels", arXiv:2603.28582, (2026).

The above citations are from Crossref's cited-by service (last updated successfully 2026-08-17 20:29:15) and SAO/NASA ADS (last updated successfully 2026-08-17 20:29:16). The list may be incomplete as not all publishers provide suitable and complete citation data.