Work

Experimental investigation of maximum-confidence measurements and their contextual advantages

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Nonorthogonal quantum states cannot be perfectly distinguished; seeking the optimal discrimination strategy is a critical task in quantum information processing. Maximum-confidence measurements provide the highest confidence that represents the conditional probability of the prepared state being correct given an observed outcome. In this work, we experimentally investigate maximum-confidence measurements by discrete-time quantum walks for geometrically uniform states and tetrahedron states, and our experimental results clearly show that the maximum-confidence measurements coincide with minimum-error discrimination in these cases. Meanwhile, we also provide experimental evidence for the contextual advantage of maximum-confidence measurements in quantum theory over classical theory, using two quantum pure states as an example. Our work provides a unified experimental approach to quantum state discrimination that highlights the practical value of maximum-confidence measurements in quantum information processing.

Source: Optics Express

DOI: 10.1364/oe.581548

Authors: Qin Fan, Yong-Nan Sun, Jie Yang, Dong Wang, Liu Ye

Institution: Hangzhou Normal University

Language: English

Topic: Quantum Information and Cryptography

Subfield: Artificial Intelligence

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,270

Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China