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arXiv:0809.4060 · Physical Review A

Convex trace functions on quantum channels and the additivity conjecture

Markus P. Müller

Published May 22, 2009• 0 citations
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Abstract

We study a natural generalization of the additivity problem in quantum information theory: given a pair of quantum channels, then what is the set of convex trace functions that attain their maximum on unentangled inputs if they are applied to the corresponding output state? We prove several results on the structure of the set of those convex functions that are ``additive'' in this more general sense. In particular, we show that all operator convex functions are additive for the Werner-Holevo channel in $3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}3$ dimensions, which contains the well-known additivity results for this channel as special cases.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.79.052332

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We study a natural generalization of the additivity problem in quantum information theory: given a pair of quantum channels, then what is the set of convex trace functions that attain their maximum on unentangled inputs if they are applied to the corresponding output state? We prove several results on the structure of the set of those convex functions that are ``additive'' in this more general sense. In particular, we show that all operator convex functions are additive for the Werner-Holevo channel in 3\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi33\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}33\ifmmode×\else\texttimes\fi3 dimensions, which contains the well-known additivity results for this channel as special cases.
One of the main recent achievements of quantum information theory [1] is the proof of the equivalence of several (sub-, super-) additivity conjectures for finite-dimensional quantum channels and systems [2] (see the survey in [3]). The main purpose of this paper is to give a generalization of this result to the infinite-dimensional case. Let H and H ′ be separable Hilbert spaces. A quantum channel is a linear completely positive trace-preserving map Φ: T(H ) 7→ T(H ′), where T(H ) is the ideal of all trace class operators on H . In particular, Φ generates an affine map of the convex set S(H ) of states (that is, density operators) on the space H to the set S(H ′) of states on the space H ′ [1]. Important characteristics of a quantum channel are the output entropy HΦ(ρ) = H(Φ(ρ)), a lower-semicontinuous concave function on the input state space with values in [0,+∞], and its convex closure (see [4]), denoted by b HΦ(ρ) and called the b H-function of the channel Φ. It was shown in [5] that the convex closure of the output entropy of an arbitrary quantum channel Φ is given by the expression b HΦ(ρ) = inf μ Z
One of the central problems of quantum information theory [1] is the additivity conjecture for the channel capacity of quantum communication channels [2]–[4]. Recently Shor showed [5] that the validity of this conjecture for all quantum channels was equivalent to a whole series of (super)additivity properties for other important characteristics such as minimal output entropy and entanglementof formation. The present paper introduces the new property of strong additivity (additivity for channels with input constraints) with several equivalent formulations, establishes that it is satisfied for some nontrivial classes of channels and notes that the validity of the additivity conjecture for all channels implies strong additivity. Let H, H′ be finite-dimensional unitary spaces. By a quantum channel we mean a completely positive trace-preserving linear map Φ: B(H) → B(H′), where B(H) is the algebra of all operators on H. In particular, Φ generates an affine map of the convex set S(H) of states (density operators) on the space H into the set S(H′) of states on H′ [1]. The quantum analogue of Shannon’s theorem, established in [4], gives the following expression for the classical channel capacity:
We develop an approximation approach to infinite dimensional quantum channels based on detailed investigation of the continuity properties of entropic characteristics of quantum channels and operations (trace-nonincreasing completely positive maps) as functions of a pair ``channel, input state''. The obtained results are then applied to the following problems: continuity of the χχχ-capacity as function of a channel; strong additivity of the χχχ-capacity for infinite dimensional channels; the analytical expression for the convex closure of the output entropy of arbitrary quantum channel.
Special sets of states, called optimal, which are related to the Holevo capacity and to the minimal output entropy of a quantum channel, are considered. By methods of convex analysis and operator theory, structural properties of optimal sets and conditions of their coincidence are explored for an arbitrary channel. It is shown that strong additivity of the Holevo capacity for two given channels provides projective relations between optimal sets for the tensor product of these channels and optimal sets for the individual channels.
Following the method introduced in quant-ph/0408004 and quant-ph/0605177 we prove that the additivity conjecture for the Holevo-Schumacher-Westmoreland bound of the output of a quantum channel holds for the channels of the form Phi(x)=sumlimitsm=02(rmWm,0xWm,0∗+p1Wm,1xWm,1∗+p2Wm,2xWm,2∗)\\Phi (x)=\\sum \\limits _{m=0}^{2}(r_{m}W_{m,0}xW_{m,0}^{*}+p_{1}W_{m,1}xW_{m,1}^{*}+p_{2}W_{m,2}x W_{m,2}^{*})Phi(x)=sumlimitsm=02​(rm​Wm,0​xWm,0∗​+p1​Wm,1​xWm,1∗​+p2​Wm,2​xWm,2∗​). Here xxx runs the set of states sigma(H)\\sigma (H)sigma(H) in the Hilbert space H,dimH=3,H, dimH=3,H,dimH=3, Wm,nW_{m,n}Wm,n​ are the Weyl operators satisfying the relation Wm,nWm′,n′=efrac2pii(m′n−mn′)3Wm+m′,n+n′,0lem,nle2,W_{m,n}W_{m',n'}=e^{\\frac {2\\pi i(m'n-mn')}{3}}W_{m+m',n+n'}, 0\\le m,n\\le 2,Wm,n​Wm′,n′​=efrac2pii(m′n−mn′)3Wm+m′,n+n′​,0lem,nle2, and 0lerm,p1,p2le1,sumlimitsm=02rm+3(p1+p2)=10\\le r_{m},p_{1},p_{2}\\le 1, \\sum \\limits _{m=0}^{2}r_{m}+3(p_{1}+p_{2})=10lerm​,p1​,p2​le1,sumlimitsm=02​rm​+3(p1​+p2​)=1. This class includes the quantum depolarizing channel as well as a number of the other channels being covariant with respect to the maximum commutative group of unitaries.
A class of problems in quantum information theory, having an elementary formulation but still resisting solution, concerns the additivity properties of various quantities characterizing quantum channels, notably the "classical capacity", and the "maximal output purity". All known results, including extensive numerical work, are consistent with the conjecture that these quantities are indeed additive (resp. multiplicative) with respect to tensor products of channels. A proof of this conjecture would have important consequences in quantum information theory. In particular, according to this conjecture, the classical capacity or the maximal purity of outputs cannot be increased by using entangled inputs of the channel. In this paper we state the additivity/multiplicativity problems, give some relations between them, and prove some new partial results, which also support the conjecture.