Strong converse for identification via quantum channels

In this paper, we present a simple proof of the strong converse for identification via discrete memoryless quantum channels, based on a novel covering lemma. The new method is a generalization to quantum communication channels of Ahlswede's recently discovered approach to classical channels. It involves a development of explicit large deviation estimates to the case of random variables taking values in self-adjoint operators on a Hilbert space. This theory is presented separately in an appendix, and we illustrate it by showing its application to quantum generalizations of classical hypergraph covering problems.