Virtual Cloning of Quantum States

Abstract: The inherent limitations of physical processes prevent the copying of arbitrary quantum states. Furthermore, even if we only aim to clone two distinct quantum states, it remains impossible unless they are mutually orthogonal. To overcome this limitation, we propose a virtual-cloning protocol that bypasses the restrictions imposed by the quantum no-cloning theorem. Specifically, we begin by outlining the general framework for virtual cloning and deriving a necessary and sufficient criterion for the existence of a virtual operation capable of simultaneously cloning a set of states. Subsequently, through an analysis of the simulation cost of the virtual-cloning process, we demonstrate that the problem of identifying an optimal virtual-cloning protocol can be cast as a semidefinite programming problem. Finally, we establish a connection between virtual cloning and state discrimination, from which universal bounds on the optimal cloning cost are derived.