Zero-Error Coding via Classical and Quantum Channels in Sensor Networks

Today’s sensor networks need robustness, security and efficiency with a high level of assurance. Error correction is an effective communicational technique that plays a critical role in maintaining robustness in informational transmission. The general way to tackle this problem is by using forward error correction (FEC) between two communication parties. However, by applying zero-error coding one can assure information fidelity while signals are transmitted in sensor networks. In this study, we investigate zero-error coding via both classical and quantum channels, which consist of n obfuscated symbols such as Shannon’s zero-error communication. As a contrast to the standard classical zero-error coding, which has a computational complexity of O(2n), a general approach is proposed herein to find zero-error codewords in the case of quantum channel. This method is based on a n-symbol obfuscation model and the matrix’s linear transformation, whose complexity dramatically decreases to O(n2). According to a comparison with classical zero-error coding, the quantum zero-error capacity of the proposed method has obvious advantages over its classical counterpart, as the zero-error capacity equals the rank of the quantum coefficient matrix. In particular, the channel capacity can reach n when the rank of coefficient matrix is full in the n-symbol multilateral obfuscation quantum channel, which cannot be reached in the classical case. Considering previous methods such as low density parity check code (LDPC), our work can provide a means of error-free communication through some typical channels. Especially in the quantum case, zero-error coding can reach both a high coding efficiency and large channel capacity, which can improve the robustness of communication in sensor networks.