Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:0811.4003 · Physical Review A

Signatures of nonclassicality in mixed-state quantum computation

Animesh Datta, Sevag Gharibian

Published Apr 17, 2009• 166 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We investigate signatures of nonclassicality in quantum states, in particular, those involved in the DQC1 model of mixed-state quantum computation [E. Knill and R. Laflamme, Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 5672 (1998)]. To do so, we consider two known nonclassicality criteria. The first quantifies disturbance of a quantum state under locally noneffective unitary operations (LNUs), which are local unitaries acting invariantly on a subsystem. The second quantifies measurement-induced disturbance (MID) in the eigenbasis of the reduced density matrices. We study the role of both figures of nonclassicality in the exponential speedup of the deterministic quantum computation with one qubit (DQC1) model and compare them vis-\`a-vis the interpretation provided in terms of quantum discord. In particular, we prove that a nonzero quantum discord implies a nonzero shift under LNUs. We also use the MID measure to study the locking of classical correlations [D. P. DiVincenzo et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 067902 (2004)] using two mutually unbiased bases (MUBs). We find the MID measure to exactly correspond to the number of locked bits of correlation. For three or more MUBs, it predicts the possibility of superior locking effects.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.79.042325

Related papers

Quantum Discord and the Power of One Qubit

Animesh Datta, Anil Shaji, Carlton M. Caves

We use quantum discord to characterize the correlations present in the model called deterministic quantum computation with one quantum bit (DQC1), introduced by Knill and Laflamme [Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 5672 (1998)10.1103/PhysRevLett.81.5672]. The model involves a collection of qubits in the completely mixed state coupled to a single control qubit that has nonzero purity. The initial state, operations, and measurements in the model all point to a natural bipartite split between the control qubit and the mixed ones. Although there is no entanglement between these two parts, we show that the quantum discord across this split is nonzero for typical instances of the DQC1 ciruit. Nonzero values of discord indicate the presence of nonclassical correlations. We propose quantum discord as figure of merit for characterizing the resources present in this computational model.

arXiv:0709.0548•Physical Review Letters•Feb 5, 2008•1,257 citations

Nonclassical correlations in subsystems of globally entangled quantum states

Chandan Mahto, Vijay Pathak, K. S. Ardra +1 more

The relation between genuine multipartite entanglement in the pure state of a collection of $N$ qubits and the nonclassical correlations in its two-qubit subsystems is studied. Quantum discord is used as the quantifier of nonclassical correlations in the subsystem while the generalized geometric measure [A. Sen(De) and U. Sen, Phys. Rev. A 81, 012308 (2010)] is used to quantify global entanglement in the $N$-qubit state. While no definite discernible dependence between the two can be found for randomly generated global states, for those with additional structure like weighted graph states we find that local discord is indicative of global multipartite entanglement. Global states that admit efficient classical descriptions like stabilizer states furnish an exception in which, despite multipartite entanglement, nonclassical correlation is absent in two-qubit subsystems. We discuss these results in the context of mixed state quantum computation where nonclassical correlation is considered a candidate resource that enables exponential speedup over classical computers.

arXiv:2112.15373•Physical Review A•Jul 20, 2022•4 citations

Faithful nonclassicality indicators and extremal quantum correlations in two-qubit states

Davide Girolami, Mauro Paternostro, Gerardo Adesso

The state disturbance induced by locally measuring a quantum system yields a signature of nonclassical correlations beyond entanglement. Here, we present a detailed study of such correlations for two-qubit mixed states. To overcome the asymmetry of quantum discord and the unfaithfulness of measurement-induced disturbance (severely overestimating quantum correlations), we propose an ameliorated measurement-induced disturbance as nonclassicality indicator, optimized over joint local measurements, and we derive its closed expression for relevant two-qubit states. We study its analytical relation with discord, and characterize the maximally quantum-correlated mixed states, that simultaneously extremize both quantifiers at given von Neumann entropy: among all two-qubit states, these states possess the most robust quantum correlations against noise.

arXiv:1008.4136•Journal of Physics A Mathematical and Theoretical•Aug 15, 2011•82 citations

Role of entanglement and correlations in mixed-state quantum computation

Animesh Datta, Guifré Vidal

In a quantum computation with pure states, the generation of large amounts of entanglement is known to be necessary for a speedup with respect to classical computations. However, examples of quantum computations with mixed states are known, such as the deterministic computation with one quantum qubit (DQC1) model [Knill and Laflamme, Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 5672 (1998)], in which entanglement is at most marginally present, and yet a computational speedup is believed to occur. Correlations, and not entanglement, have been identified as a necessary ingredient for mixed-state quantum computation speedups. Here we show that correlations, as measured through the operator Schmidt rank, are indeed present in large amounts in the DQC1 circuit. This provides evidence for the preclusion of efficient classical simulation of DQC1 by means of a whole class of classical simulation algorithms, thereby reinforcing the conjecture that DQC1 leads to a genuine quantum computational speedup.

arXiv:quant-ph/0611157•Physical Review A•Apr 11, 2007•259 citations

Experimental detection of nonclassical correlations in mixed-state quantum computation

Gina Passante, Osama Moussa, Denis‐Alexandre Trottier +1 more

We report on an experiment to detect nonclassical correlations in a highly mixed state. The correlations are characterized by the quantum discord and are observed using four qubits in a liquid-state nuclear magnetic resonance quantum information processor. The state analyzed is the output of a DQC1 computation, whose input is a single quantum bit accompanied by $n$ maximally mixed qubits. This model of computation outperforms the best known classical algorithms and, although it contains vanishing entanglement, it is known to have quantum correlations characterized by the quantum discord. This experiment detects nonvanishing quantum discord, ensuring the existence of nonclassical correlations as measured by the quantum discord.

arXiv:1105.2262•Physical Review A•Oct 10, 2011•106 citations

Quantifying nonclassicality with local unitary operations

Sevag Gharibian

We propose a measure of nonclassical correlations in bipartite quantum states based on local unitary operations. We prove that the measure is nonzero if and only if the quantum discord is nonzero; this is achieved via a new characterization of zero discord states in terms of the state's correlation matrix. Moreover, our scheme can be extended to ensure that the same relationship holds even with a generalized version of quantum discord in which higher-rank projective measurements are allowed. We next derive a closed-form expression for our scheme in the cases of Werner states and $(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}N)$-dimensional systems. The latter reveals that for $(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}N)$-dimensional states, our measure reduces to the geometric discord [Daki\ifmmode \acute{c}\else \'{c}\fi{} et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 190502 (2010)]. A connection to the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality is shown. We close with a characterization of all maximally nonclassical, yet separable, $(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}N)$-dimensional states of rank at most 2 (with respect to our measure).

arXiv:1202.1598•Physical Review A•Oct 8, 2012•46 citations
We investigate signatures of nonclassicality in quantum states, in particular, those involved in the DQC1 model of mixed-state quantum computation [E. Knill and R. Laflamme, Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 5672 (1998)]. To do so, we consider two known nonclassicality criteria. The first quantifies disturbance of a quantum state under locally noneffective unitary operations (LNUs), which are local unitaries acting invariantly on a subsystem. The second quantifies measurement-induced disturbance (MID) in the eigenbasis of the reduced density matrices. We study the role of both figures of nonclassicality in the exponential speedup of the deterministic quantum computation with one qubit (DQC1) model and compare them vis-`a-vis the interpretation provided in terms of quantum discord. In particular, we prove that a nonzero quantum discord implies a nonzero shift under LNUs. We also use the MID measure to study the locking of classical correlations [D. P. DiVincenzo et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 067902 (2004)] using two mutually unbiased bases (MUBs). We find the MID measure to exactly correspond to the number of locked bits of correlation. For three or more MUBs, it predicts the possibility of superior locking effects.
We use quantum discord to characterize the correlations present in the model called deterministic quantum computation with one quantum bit (DQC1), introduced by Knill and Laflamme [Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 5672 (1998)10.1103/PhysRevLett.81.5672]. The model involves a collection of qubits in the completely mixed state coupled to a single control qubit that has nonzero purity. The initial state, operations, and measurements in the model all point to a natural bipartite split between the control qubit and the mixed ones. Although there is no entanglement between these two parts, we show that the quantum discord across this split is nonzero for typical instances of the DQC1 ciruit. Nonzero values of discord indicate the presence of nonclassical correlations. We propose quantum discord as figure of merit for characterizing the resources present in this computational model.
The relation between genuine multipartite entanglement in the pure state of a collection of NNN qubits and the nonclassical correlations in its two-qubit subsystems is studied. Quantum discord is used as the quantifier of nonclassical correlations in the subsystem while the generalized geometric measure [A. Sen(De) and U. Sen, Phys. Rev. A 81, 012308 (2010)] is used to quantify global entanglement in the NNN-qubit state. While no definite discernible dependence between the two can be found for randomly generated global states, for those with additional structure like weighted graph states we find that local discord is indicative of global multipartite entanglement. Global states that admit efficient classical descriptions like stabilizer states furnish an exception in which, despite multipartite entanglement, nonclassical correlation is absent in two-qubit subsystems. We discuss these results in the context of mixed state quantum computation where nonclassical correlation is considered a candidate resource that enables exponential speedup over classical computers.
The state disturbance induced by locally measuring a quantum system yields a signature of nonclassical correlations beyond entanglement. Here, we present a detailed study of such correlations for two-qubit mixed states. To overcome the asymmetry of quantum discord and the unfaithfulness of measurement-induced disturbance (severely overestimating quantum correlations), we propose an ameliorated measurement-induced disturbance as nonclassicality indicator, optimized over joint local measurements, and we derive its closed expression for relevant two-qubit states. We study its analytical relation with discord, and characterize the maximally quantum-correlated mixed states, that simultaneously extremize both quantifiers at given von Neumann entropy: among all two-qubit states, these states possess the most robust quantum correlations against noise.
In a quantum computation with pure states, the generation of large amounts of entanglement is known to be necessary for a speedup with respect to classical computations. However, examples of quantum computations with mixed states are known, such as the deterministic computation with one quantum qubit (DQC1) model [Knill and Laflamme, Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 5672 (1998)], in which entanglement is at most marginally present, and yet a computational speedup is believed to occur. Correlations, and not entanglement, have been identified as a necessary ingredient for mixed-state quantum computation speedups. Here we show that correlations, as measured through the operator Schmidt rank, are indeed present in large amounts in the DQC1 circuit. This provides evidence for the preclusion of efficient classical simulation of DQC1 by means of a whole class of classical simulation algorithms, thereby reinforcing the conjecture that DQC1 leads to a genuine quantum computational speedup.
We report on an experiment to detect nonclassical correlations in a highly mixed state. The correlations are characterized by the quantum discord and are observed using four qubits in a liquid-state nuclear magnetic resonance quantum information processor. The state analyzed is the output of a DQC1 computation, whose input is a single quantum bit accompanied by nnn maximally mixed qubits. This model of computation outperforms the best known classical algorithms and, although it contains vanishing entanglement, it is known to have quantum correlations characterized by the quantum discord. This experiment detects nonvanishing quantum discord, ensuring the existence of nonclassical correlations as measured by the quantum discord.
We propose a measure of nonclassical correlations in bipartite quantum states based on local unitary operations. We prove that the measure is nonzero if and only if the quantum discord is nonzero; this is achieved via a new characterization of zero discord states in terms of the state's correlation matrix. Moreover, our scheme can be extended to ensure that the same relationship holds even with a generalized version of quantum discord in which higher-rank projective measurements are allowed. We next derive a closed-form expression for our scheme in the cases of Werner states and $(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}N)$-dimensional systems. The latter reveals that for $(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}N)$-dimensional states, our measure reduces to the geometric discord [Daki\ifmmode \acute{c}\else \'{c}\fi{} et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 190502 (2010)]. A connection to the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality is shown. We close with a characterization of all maximally nonclassical, yet separable, $(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}N)$-dimensional states of rank at most 2 (with respect to our measure).