Abstract
The search for schemes that minimize the energy associated with the transmission of information is a
longstanding fundamental issue in communication theory. In this paper we extend fundamental limits to the energy
consumption per unit of information, as given by Shannon’s theory, to the quantum domain. Unlike previous
studies, we address a scenario where the signal may be manipulated in an arbitrary way while propagating from the
transmitter to the receiver. This situation characterizes many realistic scenarios, such as multi-span fiber-optic
communication systems. We obtain the ultimate quantum limit on the energy consumption in this scenario and propose a
simple binary energy modulation scheme that approaches this limit within one order of magnitude for practically
relevant values of spectral efficiency. Under the same conditions, the quantum energy consumption limit of the
standard optically amplified coherent communication scheme is three orders of magnitude above the ultimate identified
limit. Throughout the paper we consider transmission of classical information over a quantum channel.
© 2014 IEEE
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