Quantum dense coding using three qubits

Abstract

We consider a situation in which two parties, Alice and Bob, share a 3-qubit system coupled in an initial maximally entangled, GHZ state. By manipulating locally two of the qubits, Alice can prepare any one of the eight 3-qubit GHZ states. Thus the sending of Alice's two qubits to Bob, entails 3 bits of classical information which can be recovered by Bob by means of a measurement distinguishing the eight (orthonormal) GHZ states. This contrasts with the 2-qubit case, in which Alice can prepare any of the four Bell states by acting locally only on one of the qubits.