Quantum Information Theory – HS 2015

Lecturer: Prof. Renato Renner

Dr. Joseph M. Renes will replace Prof. Renner in the period from October 5 to October 28

Tuesday, 09:45-10:35, HIT F 31.2

Thursday, 13:45-15:30, HIT F 11.1

Lecture notes

The topics treated in the lecture can all be found in the existing scripts from previous years. There will not be a new script for this year's course.

The script from last year can be found here (lecture given by Dr. Renes) and the version from 2012 here (taught by Prof. Renner).

The additional chapter on quantum thermodynamics is now online and can be found here (latest version from January 20th 2016).

Mistakes and typos should be reported to Philipp.

List of topics

After numerous requests we here post a more detailed list of topics treated in the course and relevant for the exam.

• Probability theory with discrete random variables (conditional distributions, distance between distributions, etc.)
• Basics of classical information theory (entropy, mutual information, source coding, channel coding)
• Quantum states (density operators, partial trace, purifications, trace distance, fidelity)
• Basic features of quantum states and operations (entanglement, no cloning)
  
• Quantum measurements and quantum operations (including representations, e.g. the Kraus representation and the Stinespring dilation)
• Basic protocols (teleportation and dense coding)
• Entropy of quantum states, mutual information
• Quantum thermodynamics (see separate notes)
• Quantum cryptography (basic quantum key distribution protocol, structure of the proof)
• Bell inequalities (basic idea, use for device-independent quantum cryptography)

The exercises are an integral part of the lecture and therefore also relevant for the exam.

Literature

Classical Information Theory

• Thomas M. Cover and Joy A. Thomas, "Elements of Information Theory", Wiley Series in Telecommunications.
  Available electronically: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/book/10.1002/047174882X
  (accessible from within the ETH domain only)

Quantum Information Theory

• Michael A. Nielsen and Isaac L. Chuang, "Quantum Computation and Quantum Information", Cambridge University Press.  (available in the physics library)
• John Preskill's lecture notes on "Information for Physics".
  Available electronically: http://www.theory.caltech.edu/~preskill/ph229/#lecture

Exercises

Assistant: Philipp Kammerlander

Thursday, 15:45-16:30, HIT F 11.1

The exercises will usually be published online every Tuesday and collected in the Tuesday lecture the week after.