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:1408.3840 · Physical Review A

Necessary and sufficient conditions for local unitary equivalence of multiqubit states

Ana María Guerra Martins

Published Apr 8, 2015• 17 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We derive the necessary and sufficient conditions for the local unitary (LU) equivalence of two general (pure or mixed) $n$-qubit states and determine the local unitary operators connecting them. Almost all relevant information is contained in the one-qubit reduced matrices of the multiqubit states under investigation. Our technique relies on identifying ab initio all local symmetries and the corresponding local cyclic unitary operators. To derive the above conditions we use the reference forms of the multiqubit states whose definition requires the diagonalization of the one-qubit reduced matrices. Based on those conditions, we propose a straightforward protocol to decide whether or not two $n$-qubit states are LU equivalent.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.91.042308

Related papers

Local Unitary Equivalence of Multipartite Pure States

Barbara Kraus

Necessary and sufficient conditions for the equivalence of arbitrary n-qubit pure quantum states under local unitary (LU) operations are derived. First, an easily computable standard form for multipartite states is introduced. Two generic states are shown to be LU equivalent iff their standard forms coincide. The LU-equivalence problem for nongeneric states is solved by presenting a systematic method to determine the LU operators (if they exist) which interconvert the two states.

arXiv:0909.5152•Physical Review Letters•Jan 14, 2010•134 citations

Local unitary equivalence and entanglement of multipartite pure states

Barbara Kraus

The necessary and sufficient conditions for the equivalence of arbitrary $n$-qubit pure quantum states under local unitary (LU) operations derived in [B. Kraus, Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 020504 (2010)] are used to determine the different LU-equivalence classes of up to five-qubit states. Due to this classification new parameters characterizing multipartite entanglement are found and their physical interpretation is given. Moreover, the method is used to derive examples of two $n$-qubit states (with $n>2$ arbitrary) which have the properties that all the entropies of any subsystem coincide; however, the states are neither LU equivalent nor can be mapped into each other by general local operations and classical communication.

arXiv:1005.5295•Physical Review A•Sep 30, 2010•85 citations

On Local Unitary Equivalence of Two and Three-qubit States

Bao-Zhi Sun, Shao-Ming Fei, Zhi‐Xi Wang

We study the local unitary equivalence for two and three-qubit mixed states by investigating the invariants under local unitary transformations. For two-qubit system, we prove that the determination of the local unitary equivalence of 2-qubits states only needs 14 or less invariants for arbitrary two-qubit states. Using the same method, we construct invariants for three-qubit mixed states. We prove that these invariants are sufficient to guarantee the LU equivalence of certain kind of three-qubit states. Also, we make a comparison with earlier works.

arXiv:1707.03934•Scientific Reports•Jul 3, 2017•15 citations

Local Unitary Equivalence of Quantum States Based on the Tensor Decompositions of Unitary Matrices

Jing Wang, Xiaoqi Liu, Li Xu +3 more

Since two quantum states that are local unitary (LU) equivalent have the same amount of entanglement, it is meaningful to find a practical method to determine the LU equivalence of given quantum states. In this paper, we present a valid process to find the unitary tensor product decomposition for an arbitrary unitary matrix. Then, by using this process, the conditions for determining the local unitary equivalence of quantum states are obtained. A numerical verification is carried out, which shows the practicability of our protocol. We also present a property of LU invariants by using the universality of quantum gates which can be used to construct the complete set of LU invariants.

Entropy•Jul 29, 2023•4 citations

Characterizing local unitary equivalence of multipartite states by local unitary Bargmann invariants

Yi Shen, Lin Chen, Shao-Ming Fei

Local unitary (LU) equivalent states are crucial for understanding the structure of quantum entanglement. We investigate the LU equivalence based on the LU Bargmann invariants (LUBIs). We consider for which states the LUBIs are sufficient to ensure the LU equivalence. We focus on a class of multipartite states with complete local commutativity, called CLC states. We first show that for multipartite CLC states, all the LUBIs are sufficient to ensure the local permutation equivalence, if their single-party marginals are diagonal and non-degenerate. By virtue of the fact that the CLC property remains unchanged under local operations, we verify that the LUBIs are also sufficient to ensure the LU equivalence of multipartite CLC states whose single-party marginals are non-degenerate. Furthermore, when the single-party marginals are degenerate, we propose concrete examples of two-qudit and three-qubit systems, showing that there are states which share all the LUBIs but are not LU equivalent.

quant-pharXiv:2609.22902•Sep 22, 2026•0 citations

Decidabilities of local unitary equivalence for entanglement witnesses and states

Yi Shen, Lin Chen

The problem of determining whether two states are equivalent by local unitary (LU) operations is important for quantum information processing. In this paper, we propose an alternative perspective to study this problem by comparing the decidabilities of LU equivalence (also known as LU decidabilities for short) between entanglement witnesses and states. We introduce a relation between sets of Hermitian operators in terms of the LU decidability. Then, we compare the LU decidability for the set of entanglement witnesses to the LU decidabilities for several sets of states. By comparison, we establish a hierarchy of these sets in terms of LU decidabilities. Moreover, we realize that the simultaneous LU (SLU) equivalence between tuples of mutually orthogonal projectors is crucial to LU equivalent operators. We reveal by examples that for two tuples of projectors, the partial SLU equivalence cannot ensure the overall SLU equivalence. Generally, we present a necessary and sufficient condition such that two tuples of states are SLU equivalent.

arXiv:2504.02212•Physical Review Research•Aug 29, 2025•0 citations
We derive the necessary and sufficient conditions for the local unitary (LU) equivalence of two general (pure or mixed) nnn-qubit states and determine the local unitary operators connecting them. Almost all relevant information is contained in the one-qubit reduced matrices of the multiqubit states under investigation. Our technique relies on identifying ab initio all local symmetries and the corresponding local cyclic unitary operators. To derive the above conditions we use the reference forms of the multiqubit states whose definition requires the diagonalization of the one-qubit reduced matrices. Based on those conditions, we propose a straightforward protocol to decide whether or not two nnn-qubit states are LU equivalent.
The necessary and sufficient conditions for the equivalence of arbitrary nnn-qubit pure quantum states under local unitary (LU) operations derived in [B. Kraus, Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 020504 (2010)] are used to determine the different LU-equivalence classes of up to five-qubit states. Due to this classification new parameters characterizing multipartite entanglement are found and their physical interpretation is given. Moreover, the method is used to derive examples of two nnn-qubit states (with n>2n>2n>2 arbitrary) which have the properties that all the entropies of any subsystem coincide; however, the states are neither LU equivalent nor can be mapped into each other by general local operations and classical communication.
We study the local unitary equivalence for two and three-qubit mixed states by investigating the invariants under local unitary transformations. For two-qubit system, we prove that the determination of the local unitary equivalence of 2-qubits states only needs 14 or less invariants for arbitrary two-qubit states. Using the same method, we construct invariants for three-qubit mixed states. We prove that these invariants are sufficient to guarantee the LU equivalence of certain kind of three-qubit states. Also, we make a comparison with earlier works.
Since two quantum states that are local unitary (LU) equivalent have the same amount of entanglement, it is meaningful to find a practical method to determine the LU equivalence of given quantum states. In this paper, we present a valid process to find the unitary tensor product decomposition for an arbitrary unitary matrix. Then, by using this process, the conditions for determining the local unitary equivalence of quantum states are obtained. A numerical verification is carried out, which shows the practicability of our protocol. We also present a property of LU invariants by using the universality of quantum gates which can be used to construct the complete set of LU invariants.
Local unitary (LU) equivalent states are crucial for understanding the structure of quantum entanglement. We investigate the LU equivalence based on the LU Bargmann invariants (LUBIs). We consider for which states the LUBIs are sufficient to ensure the LU equivalence. We focus on a class of multipartite states with complete local commutativity, called CLC states. We first show that for multipartite CLC states, all the LUBIs are sufficient to ensure the local permutation equivalence, if their single-party marginals are diagonal and non-degenerate. By virtue of the fact that the CLC property remains unchanged under local operations, we verify that the LUBIs are also sufficient to ensure the LU equivalence of multipartite CLC states whose single-party marginals are non-degenerate. Furthermore, when the single-party marginals are degenerate, we propose concrete examples of two-qudit and three-qubit systems, showing that there are states which share all the LUBIs but are not LU equivalent.
The problem of determining whether two states are equivalent by local unitary (LU) operations is important for quantum information processing. In this paper, we propose an alternative perspective to study this problem by comparing the decidabilities of LU equivalence (also known as LU decidabilities for short) between entanglement witnesses and states. We introduce a relation between sets of Hermitian operators in terms of the LU decidability. Then, we compare the LU decidability for the set of entanglement witnesses to the LU decidabilities for several sets of states. By comparison, we establish a hierarchy of these sets in terms of LU decidabilities. Moreover, we realize that the simultaneous LU (SLU) equivalence between tuples of mutually orthogonal projectors is crucial to LU equivalent operators. We reveal by examples that for two tuples of projectors, the partial SLU equivalence cannot ensure the overall SLU equivalence. Generally, we present a necessary and sufficient condition such that two tuples of states are SLU equivalent.