Improving continuous-variable quantum channels with unitary averaging

A significant hurdle for quantum information and processing using bosonic systems is stochastic phase errors which occur as the photons propagate through a channel. These errors will reduce the purity of states passing through the channel and therefore reduce the channels capacity. We present a scheme of passive linear optical unitary averaging for protecting unknown Gaussian states transmitted through an optical channel. The scheme reduces the effect of phase noise on purity, squeezing, and entanglement, thereby enhancing the channel via a probabilistic-error-correcting protocol. The scheme is robust to loss and typically succeeds with high probability. We provide both numerical simulations and analytical approximations tailored for relevant parameters with the improvement of practical and current technology. We also show the asymptotic nature of the protocol, highlighting both current and future relevance.