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Robust device-independent characterization of sharpness and incompatibility of unsharp instruments

Qian Zhang1, Kai-Yu Yuan2, Yan-Xin Rong1, Zhen Shang1, Yong-Jian Gu1,3,4,*, and Ya Xiao1,3,4,†

  • 1College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
  • 2China Mobile (Suzhou) Software Technology Company Limited, Suzhou 215163, China
  • 3Engineering Research Center of Advanced Marine Physical Instruments and Equipment (Ministry of Education), Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
  • 4Qingdao Key Laboratory of Advanced Optoelectronics, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China

  • *Contact author: yjgu@ouc.edu.cn
  • †Contact author: xiaoya@ouc.edu.cn

Phys. Rev. A 114, 022411 – Published 6 August, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/yxq6-n2nr

Abstract

Unsharp measurements are key resources for tasks that balance information gain and disturbance, but certifying them without device assumptions remains a challenge. We propose a fully device-independent protocol for characterizing unsharp instruments, based on an entanglement-assisted sequential quantum random access code, where the first decoder is allowed to communicate her measurement setting to the second. This communication-enhanced scheme creates a decoding regime in which both decoders surpass classical bounds, enabling tight quantification of sharpness and direct quantification of measurement incompatibility beyond noncommunicating protocols. Experimentally, we implement tunable unsharp measurements using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, observing the predicted sequential enhancement in decoding probability. Additionally, we achieve significantly narrower sharpness intervals and incompatibility quantification across multiple target sharpness values. Our results show that communication is a powerful operational resource for certifying precisely unsharp instruments and advancing device-independent quantum information protocols.

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