How to Maximize the Capacity of General Quantum Noisy Channels

Abstract

A general quantum noisy channel is analyzed, wherein the transmitted qubits may experience symmetry-breaking decoherence, along with memory effects. We find the optimal basis not to be fully entangled, but a combination of factorized and partially-entangled states in the presence of memory, asymmetry and the state-bias of the noise. Capacity-maximization is shown to be achievable by combining temporal shaping of the transmitted qubits and optimal basis selection.