Programmable quantum state discriminator by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

Abstract

In this paper a programmable quantum state discriminator is implemented by using nuclear magnetic resonance. We use a two qubit spin-1/2 system, one for the data qubit and one for the ancilla (programme) qubit. This device does the unambiguous (error free) discrimination of pair of states of the data qubit that are symmetrically located about a fixed state. The device is used to discriminate both, linearly polarized states and elliptically polarized states. The maximum probability of the successful discrimination is achieved by suitably preparing the ancilla qubit. It is also shown that, the probability of discrimination depends on angle of unitary operator of the protocol and ellipticity of the data qubit state.