Entanglement enhancement of a noisy classical communication channel

Abstract

We present a formal quantum mechanical analysis of the communication protocol of Prevedel {\it et al.}\ [Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{106}, 110505 (2011)], in which entanglement shared by sender and receiver is used to enhance, beyond that achievable via the optimal classical strategy, the probability of successful transmission of a bit through a particular noisy classical channel ${\cal N}$. We provide a full analysis of this protocol when the shared entanglement resides in a two-qubit system. Our analysis shows the measurement choices specified by the protocol yield the maximum possible enhancement of the probability of successful communication of the bit with one use of the channel ${\cal N}$. We determine that shared entanglement residing in a two-qudit system with $d > 2$ cannot provide enhancement beyond that produced by entangled qubits. Finally, we show how the protocol should be extended when probability parameters for the channel ${\cal N}$ are allowed to vary.