Experimental masking of qubit states on arbitrary disks

Experimental masking of qubit states on arbitrary disks | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Experimental masking of qubit states on arbitrary disks An-Ning Zhang, Xiao-Xiao Chen, Jian Li, Zhe Meng, Qing-Yuan Wu This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7150114/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Quantum information masking (QIM) entails the transmission of quantum information from a single qubit to the entanglement within quantum system, demonstrating promise for utilization in quantum communication. However, the absence of a universal masker capable of masking all qubits restricts its utility in quantum communication and poses a threat to information security. Here we successfully implement the improved QIM method by designing a quantum masking machine capable of masking the set of states on arbitrary disks. The analysis of several sets of target-qubit states proves that our study extends the range of maskable sets in QIM. Through this approach, we devise a scheme for quantum secret sharing (QSS) and demonstrate its feasibility using a proof-of principle experiment. This research results not only provides new experimental evidence for QIM, but also lays a solid foundation for its application in quantum communication. 1. Introduction Throughout history, reliable and secure communication has been crucial for the development and even survival of individuals and nations. Classical cryptosystems rely on computational complexity for encryption, while quantum cryptography [ 1 , 2 ] leverages the principles of quantum information to offer enhanced levels of security [ 3 – 5 ]. Various no-go theorems are essential for improving the security and integrity of quantum communication [ 6 – 14 ]. These theorems imply that certain operations that cannot be performed on quantum states used for transmitting information, such as the no-cloning theorem [ 15 – 17 ], the no-broadcasting theorem [ 18 ], the no-deleting theorem [ 19 ] and the no-hiding theorem [ 20 , 21 ], etc. A new no-go theorem, known as the no-masking theorem [ 22 ], has recently been discovered and proven in relation to the quantum information masking (QIM) [ 23 – 30 ], a technique utilized for transferring information stored in a single qubit to the entanglement of a multi-qubit system. The no-masking theorem demonstrates that there is no universal masker capable of masking all states of a qubit in two-dimensional Hilbert space. For example, the analysis of the maskable sets shows that only quantum information stored strictly in phase can be masked by one masker. This limitation poses a potential security risk in quantum communication, as unmasked information (e.g., latitude of the Bloch sphere) could be exploited by eavesdroppers. In this paper, we proposes an improved QIM method to mask the set of qubit states on any Bloch sphere disk using a single masker and experimentally demonstrates a QSS scheme based on this approach. This approach can extends the range of maskable sets for QIM by utilizing an adapter to aid a single masker in building the improved quantum masking machine. In particular, we ingeniously apply these maskable sets to QSS to prevent hackers from inferring the transmission state solely from the single reduced qubit, while still allowing both parties to extract information from entanglement for secure communication. Our single-photon experiments have clearly demonstrated how QSS can be effectively implemented on an improved quantum information masking machine, enabling the transmission of a set of quantum states across an arbitrary disk. Our research extends the scope of maskable sets in QIM, proposes a QSS scheme based on these sets, and experimentally verifies its feasibility, thereby expanding the potential applications of QIM. Physical sciences/Physics/Quantum physics/Quantum information Physical sciences/Physics/Quantum physics/Single photons and quantum effects Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7150114","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":494261509,"identity":"fefffae0-0538-41dc-9cf5-4d7e86565852","order_by":0,"name":"An-Ning Zhang","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA8UlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYJCCA0CcAMSMjxkMGKBsIrUwGzMYGBCnBWYymzQDAxFa+Gf3Hjxc8Ksuj392+7XqgoI/DPzsOQYMP3fg1iJx51zC4Zl9bMUSd86U3Z4BdJhkzxsDxt4zeKy5kWNwmLeHJ7HhRk7abR6gFgOgCDNjG24d8hAtEonzgVqKQVrsCWkBmXmY54dB4oYb6ceYwbZIENBiCLalISFx440cZukZBsY8EmeeFRzsxaNF7kaO8WeeP3WJ826kP/xc8EdOjr89eeODn3i0gAHEGTzgqOcBEQcIaACCPyCC/QFhhaNgFIyCUTAiAQDhVFOPdeUNTgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7755-7072","institution":"Beijing Institute of technology","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"An-Ning","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhang","suffix":""},{"id":494261510,"identity":"9a4952ee-5852-47ef-81a5-5083f77b0255","order_by":1,"name":"Xiao-Xiao Chen","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Yancheng Teachers University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Xiao-Xiao","middleName":"","lastName":"Chen","suffix":""},{"id":494261511,"identity":"0f9bc030-1fb0-4caf-aa05-fe7006effa5e","order_by":2,"name":"Jian Li","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9274-8731","institution":"Beijing Institute of technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jian","middleName":"","lastName":"Li","suffix":""},{"id":494261512,"identity":"65889e66-8078-4bda-99ff-04dcfb978b39","order_by":3,"name":"Zhe Meng","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Beijing Institute of technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zhe","middleName":"","lastName":"Meng","suffix":""},{"id":494261513,"identity":"5ced3f40-b412-42ef-9cbf-7f3edb4ef933","order_by":4,"name":"Qing-Yuan Wu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Beijing Institute of technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Qing-Yuan","middleName":"","lastName":"Wu","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-07-17 14:35:22","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7150114/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7150114/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":96603599,"identity":"72ed6dd9-c1ca-4f6d-bdeb-8770e41f5858","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-24 09:10:33","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1576559,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7150114/v1_covered_909fa85b-1aa3-491f-94f6-6260d64177d8.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"There is \u003cb\u003eNO\u003c/b\u003e Competing Interest.","formattedTitle":"Experimental masking of qubit states on arbitrary disks","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7150114/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7150114/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eQuantum information masking (QIM) entails the transmission of quantum information from a single qubit to the entanglement within quantum system, demonstrating promise for utilization in quantum communication. However, the absence of a universal masker capable of masking all qubits restricts its utility in quantum communication and poses a threat to information security. Here we successfully implement the improved QIM method by designing a quantum masking machine capable of masking the set of states on arbitrary disks. The analysis of several sets of target-qubit states proves that our study extends the range of maskable sets in QIM. Through this approach, we devise a scheme for quantum secret sharing (QSS) and demonstrate its feasibility using a proof-of principle experiment. This research results not only provides new experimental evidence for QIM, but also lays a solid foundation for its application in quantum communication.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e1. Introduction\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThroughout history, reliable and secure communication has been crucial for the development and even survival of individuals and nations. Classical cryptosystems rely on computational complexity for encryption, while quantum cryptography [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e] leverages the principles of quantum information to offer enhanced levels of security [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR4\" citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVarious no-go theorems are essential for improving the security and integrity of quantum communication [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR7 CR8 CR9 CR10 CR11 CR12 CR13\" citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e]. These theorems imply that certain operations that cannot be performed on quantum states used for transmitting information, such as the no-cloning theorem [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR16\" citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e], the no-broadcasting theorem [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e], the no-deleting theorem [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e] and the no-hiding theorem [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e], etc. A new no-go theorem, known as the no-masking theorem [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e], has recently been discovered and proven in relation to the quantum information masking (QIM) [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR24 CR25 CR26 CR27 CR28 CR29\" citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e], a technique utilized for transferring information stored in a single qubit to the entanglement of a multi-qubit system. The no-masking theorem demonstrates that there is no universal masker capable of masking all states of a qubit in two-dimensional Hilbert space. For example, the analysis of the maskable sets shows that only quantum information stored strictly in phase can be masked by one masker. This limitation poses a potential security risk in quantum communication, as unmasked information (e.g., latitude of the Bloch sphere) could be exploited by eavesdroppers.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this paper, we proposes an improved QIM method to mask the set of qubit states on any Bloch sphere disk using a single masker and experimentally demonstrates a QSS scheme based on this approach. This approach can extends the range of maskable sets for QIM by utilizing an adapter to aid a single masker in building the improved quantum masking machine. In particular, we ingeniously apply these maskable sets to QSS to prevent hackers from inferring the transmission state solely from the single reduced qubit, while still allowing both parties to extract information from entanglement for secure communication. Our single-photon experiments have clearly demonstrated how QSS can be effectively implemented on an improved quantum information masking machine, enabling the transmission of a set of quantum states across an arbitrary disk. Our research extends the scope of maskable sets in QIM, proposes a QSS scheme based on these sets, and experimentally verifies its feasibility, thereby expanding the potential applications of QIM.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Experimental masking of qubit states on arbitrary disks","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-09-04 18:39:48","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7150114/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"d552b216-d769-4a76-9ed1-c0303b4e8a3c","owner":[],"postedDate":"September 4th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":52494142,"name":"Physical sciences/Physics/Quantum physics/Quantum information"},{"id":52494143,"name":"Physical sciences/Physics/Quantum physics/Single photons and quantum effects"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-11-21T16:01:33+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-09-04 18:39:48","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7150114","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7150114","identity":"rs-7150114","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}