In this work we study metrics of quantum states, which are natural generalizations of the usual trace metric and Bures metric. Some useful properties of the metrics are proved, such as the joint convexity and contractivity under quantum operations. Our result has a potential application in studying the geometry of quantum states as well as the entanglement detection.
In this work we study metrics of quantum states, which are natural generalizations of the usual trace metric and Bures metric. Some useful properties of the metrics are proved, such as the joint convexity and contractivity under quantum operations. Our result has a potential application in studying the geometry of quantum states as well as the entanglement detection.
Fidelity plays an important role in quantum information theory. In this paper, two pairs of metrics of quantum states are introduced based on the Uhlmann-Jozsa fidelity and super-fidelity. They are proved to satisfy the axioms of metrics and return to the Sine metric and Bures metric for the qubit case. The CP expansive property and convex property of the metrics are studied. These metrics have deep connections with the known important metrics such as trace metric, Sine metric, Bures metric, and spectral metric, and are useful to quantify entanglement. I. Background, problem, and result Suppose one has two quantum states ρ and σ, then the Uhlmann-Jozsa fidelity [1] between ρ and σ is given by F(ρ, σ) = [Tr ρ 1 2 σρ 1 2] 2. Uhlmann-Jozsa fidelity plays an important role in quantum information theory and quantum computation [1], [2]. We know that for the case of qubit, Uhlmann-Jozsa fidelity has a simple form. From the Bloch sphere representation of quantum states, a qubit is described by a density matrix as([3]): ρ(u) = 1 (I + σ · u), 2 where I is the 2 × 2 unit matrix and σ = (σ1, σ2, σ3) are the Pauli matrices. Assume ρ(u) and ρ(v) are two states of one qubit, then they can represented by two vectors u and v in the Bloch sphere. The Uhlmann-Jozsa fidelity for qubits has an elegant form([4] and [5]): F(ρ(u), ρ(v)) = 1 2 [1 + u · v + √ 1 − |u | 2 √ 1 − |v | 2], where u · v is the inner product of two vectors u and v, and |u | is the magnitude of u. We know that for N × N quantum states, the Uhlmann-Jozsa fidelity has no simple form like the case of qubits. To use the simple form of fidelity, we note that in [6], the authors introduce a new fidelity, called super-fidelity, and proved that Uhlmann-Jozsa fidelity can be bounded above by the super-fidelity G(ρ1, ρ2): F(ρ1, ρ2) ≤ G(ρ1, ρ2)
We introduce and apply Hilbert's projective metric in the context of quantum information theory. The metric is induced by convex cones such as the sets of positive, separable or positive partial transpose operators. It provides bounds on measures for statistical distinguishability of quantum states and on the decrease of entanglement under protocols involving local quantum operations and classical communication or under other cone-preserving operations. The results are formulated in terms of general cones and base norms and lead to contractivity bounds for quantum channels, for instance, improving Ruskai's trace-norm contraction inequality. A new duality between distinguishability measures and base norms is provided. For two given pairs of quantum states we show that the contraction of Hilbert's projective metric is necessary and sufficient for the existence of a probabilistic quantum operation that maps one pair onto the other. Inequalities between Hilbert's projective metric and the Chernoff bound, the fidelity and various norms are proven.
We develop a comprehensive axiomatic framework for quantum-inspired distance metrics on projective Hilbert spaces, providing a unified foundation that organizes and generalizes existing measures in quantum information theory. Starting from five fundamental axioms, projective invariance, unitary covariance, superposition sensitivity, entanglement awareness, and measurement contextuality, we show that any admissible distance depends solely on state overlap and establish the uniqueness of the Fubini-Study metric as the canonical geodesic distance. Our framework further yields a hierarchy of comparison results relating the Fubini-Study metric, Bures distance, Euclidean distance, measurement-based pseudometrics, and entanglement-sensitive distances. Key contributions include an entanglement-geometry complementarity principle, high-dimensional concentration bounds, and operational interpretations connecting distances to state discrimination and quantum metrology. This work places the geometry of quantum state spaces on a rigorous axiomatic footing, bridging abstract metric theory, information geometry, and operational quantum principles.
Quantum monotone metric was introduced by Petz [Linear Algebra Appl. 244, 81–96 (1996)], and it was proved that quantum monotone metrics on the set of quantum states with trace one were characterized by operator monotone functions. Later, these were extended to monotone metrics on the set of positive operators whose traces are not always the one based on completely positive, trace preserving maps. It was shown that these extended monotone metrics were characterized by operator monotone functions continuously parameterized by traces of positive operators and did not have some ideal properties such as monotonicity and convexity with respect to the positive operators. In this paper, we introduce another extension of quantum monotone metrics that have monotonicity under completely positive, trace non-increasing maps and additive noise. We prove that our extended monotone metrics can be characterized only by static operator monotone functions from few assumptions without assuming continuities of metrics. We show that our monotone metrics have some natural properties such as additivity of direct sum, convexity, and monotonicity with respect to positive operators.
We define a local Riemannian metric tensor in the manifold of Gaussian channels and the distance that it induces. We adopt an information-geometric approach and define a metric derived from the Bures-Fisher metric for quantum states. The resulting metric inherits several desirable properties from the Bures-Fisher metric and is operationally motivated by distinguishability considerations: It serves as an upper bound to the attainable quantum Fisher information for the channel parameters using Gaussian states, under generic constraints on the physically available resources. Our approach naturally includes the use of entangled Gaussian probe states. We prove that the metric enjoys some desirable properties like stability and covariance. As a by-product, we also obtain some general results in Gaussian channel estimation that are the continuous-variable analogs of previously known results in finite dimensions. We prove that optimal probe states are always pure and bounded in the number of ancillary modes, even in the presence of constraints on the reduced state input in the channel. This has experimental and computational implications. It limits the complexity of optimal experimental setups for channel estimation and reduces the computational requirements for the evaluation of the metric: Indeed, we construct a converging algorithm for its computation. We provide explicit formulas for computing the multiparametric quantum Fisher information for dissipative channels probed with arbitrary Gaussian states and provide the optimal observables for the estimation of the channel parameters (e.g., bath couplings, squeezing, and temperature).