As a continuation of our previous work ( Havlicek and Saniga 2007 J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 40 F943–52 ( Preprint 0708.4333)) an algebraic geometrical study of a single d -dimensional qudit is made, with d being any positive integer. The study is based on an intricate relation between the symplectic module of the generalized Pauli group of the qudit and the fine structure of the projective line over the (modular) ring . Explicit formulae are given for both the number of generalized Pauli operators commuting with a given one and the number of points of the projective line containing the corresponding vector of . We find, remarkably, that a perp-set is not a set-theoretic union of the corresponding points of the associated projective line unless d is a product of distinct primes. The operators are also seen to be structured into disjoint ‘layers’ according to the degree of their representing vectors. A brief comparison with some multiple-qudit cases is made.
As a continuation of our previous work ( Havlicek and Saniga 2007 J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 40 F943–52 ( Preprint 0708.4333)) an algebraic geometrical study of a single d -dimensional qudit is made, with d being any positive integer. The study is based on an intricate relation between the symplectic module of the generalized Pauli group of the qudit and the fine structure of the projective line over the (modular) ring . Explicit formulae are given for both the number of generalized Pauli operators commuting with a given one and the number of points of the projective line containing the corresponding vector of . We find, remarkably, that a perp-set is not a set-theoretic union of the corresponding points of the associated projective line unless d is a product of distinct primes. The operators are also seen to be structured into disjoint ‘layers’ according to the degree of their representing vectors. A brief comparison with some multiple-qudit cases is made.
A very particular connection between the commutation relations of the elements of the generalized Pauli group of a d -dimensional qudit, d being a product of distinct primes, and the structure of the projective line over the (modular) ring is established, where the integer exponents of the generating shift ( X ) and clock ( Z ) operators are associated with submodules of . Under this correspondence, the set of operators commuting with a given one—a perp-set—represents a submodule of . A crucial novel feature here is that the operators are also represented by non -admissible pairs of . This additional degree of freedom makes it possible to view any perp-set as a set-theoretic union of the corresponding points of the associated projective line.
The d2 Pauli operators attached to a composite qudit in dimension d may be mapped to the vectors of the symplectic module Zd2 (Zd the modular ring). As a result, perpendicular vectors correspond to commuting operators, a free cyclic submodule to a maximal commuting set, and disjoint such sets to mutually unbiased bases. For dimensions d=6,10,15,12, and 18, the fine structure and the incidence between maximal commuting sets is found to reproduce the projective line over the rings Z6, Z10, Z15, Z6×F4 and Z6×Z3, respectively.
We study the commutation relations within the Pauli groups built on all decompositions of a given Hilbert space dimension q , containing a square, into its factors. Illustrative low dimensional examples are the quartit ( q = 4) and two-qubit ( q = 2 2 ) systems, the octit ( q = 8), qubit/quartit ( q = 2 × 4) and three-qubit ( q = 2 3 ) systems, and so on. In the single qudit case, e.g. q = 4, 8, 12,..., one defines a bijection between the σ ( q ) maximal commuting sets [with σ[ q )the sum of divisors of q ] of Pauli observables and the maximal submodules of the modular ring q 2 , that arrange into the projective line P 1 ( q ) and a independent set of size σ( q ) − ψ( q ) [with ψ( q ) the Dedekind psi function]. In the multiple qudit case, e.g. q = 2 2 , 2 3 , 3 2 ,..., the Pauli graphs rely on symplectic polar spaces such as the generalized quadrangles GQ (2,2) (if q = 2 2 ) and GQ (3,3) (if q = 3 2 ). More precisely, in dimension p n ( p a prime) of the Hilbert space, the observables of the Pauli group (modulo the center) are seen as the elements of the 2n-dimensional vector space over the field F p . In this space, one makes use of the commutator to define a symplectic polar space W 2 n −1 (p) of cardinality σ ( p 2 n −1 ), that encodes the maximal commuting sets of the Pauli group by its totally isotropic subspaces. Building blocks of W 2 n −1 ( p ) are punctured polar spaces (i.e. a observable and all maximum cliques passing to it are removed) of size given by the Dedekind psi function ψ ( p 2 N −1 ). For multiple qudit mixtures (e.g. qubit/quartit, qubit/octit and so on), one finds multiple copies of polar spaces, ponctured polar spaces, hypercube geometries and other intricate structures. Such structures play a role in the science of quantum information.
A comprehensive graph theoretical and finite geometrical study of the commutation relations between the generalized Pauli operators of N-qudits is performed in which vertices/points correspond to the operators and edges/lines join commuting pairs of them. As per two-qubits, all basic properties and partitionings of the corresponding Pauli graph are embodied in the geometry of the generalized quadrangle of order two. Here, one identifies the operators with the points of the quadrangle and groups of maximally commuting subsets of the operators with the lines of the quadrangle. The three basic partitionings are (a) a pencil of lines and a cube, (b) a Mermin's array and a bipartite-part and (c) a maximum independent set and the Petersen graph. These factorizations stem naturally from the existence of three distinct geometric hyperplanes of the quadrangle, namely a set of points collinear with a given point, a grid and an ovoid, which answer to three distinguished subsets of the Pauli graph, namely a set of six operators commuting with a given one, a Mermin's square, and set of five mutually non-commuting operators, respectively. The generalized Pauli graph for multiple qubits is found to follow from symplectic polar spaces of order two, where maximal totally isotropic subspaces stand for maximal subsets of mutually commuting operators. The substructure of the (strongly regular) N-qubit Pauli graph is shown to be pseudo-geometric, i. e., isomorphic to a graph of a partial geometry. Finally, the (not strongly regular) Pauli graph of a two-qutrit system is introduced; here it turns out more convenient to deal with its dual in order to see all the parallels with the two-qubit case and its surmised relation with the generalized quadrangle Q(4, 3), the dual ofW(3).
A comprehensive graph theoretical and finite geometrical study of the commutation relations between the generalized Pauli operators of N-qudits is performed in which vertices/points correspond to the operators and edges/lines join commuting pairs of them. As per two-qubits, all basic properties and partitionings of the corresponding {\it Pauli graph} are embodied in the geometry of the generalized quadrangle of order two. Here, one identifies the operators with the points of the quadrangle and groups of maximally commuting subsets of the operators with the lines of the quadrangle. The three basic partitionings are (a) a pencil of lines and a cube, (b) a Mermin's array and a bipartite-part and (c) a maximum independent set and the Petersen graph. These factorizations stem naturally from the existence of three distinct geometric hyperplanes of the quadrangle, namely a set of points collinear with a given point, a grid and an ovoid, which answer to three distinguished subsets of the Pauli graph, namely a set of six operators commuting with a given one, a Mermin's square, and set of five mutually non-commuting operators, respectively. The generalized Pauli graph for multiple qubits is found to follow from symplectic polar spaces of order two, where maximal totally isotropic subspaces stand for maximal subsets of mutually commuting operators. The substructure of the (strongly regular) N-qubit Pauli graph is shown to be pseudo-geometric, i.\,e., isomorphic to a graph of a partial geometry. Finally, the (not strongly regular) Pauli graph of a two-qutrit system is introduced; here it turns out more convenient to deal with its dual in order to see all the parallels with the two-qubit case and its surmised relation with the generalized quadrangle Q(4,3), the dual of W(3).