In the first part of this paper we generalize the result of Georgiou-Pavon that a positive square matrix can be scaled uniquely to a column stochastic matrix which maps a given positive probability vector to another given positive probability vector. In the second part of this paper we prove that a positive quantum channel can be scaled to another positive quantum channel which maps a given positive definite density matrix to another given positive definite density matrix using Brower's fixed point theorem. This result proves the Georgiou-Pavon conjecture for two positive definite density matrices in their recent paper. We show uniqueness of fixed points for certain two positive definite density matrices.
In the first part of this paper we generalize the result of Georgiou-Pavon that a positive square matrix can be scaled uniquely to a column stochastic matrix which maps a given positive probability vector to another given positive probability vector. In the second part of this paper we prove that a positive quantum channel can be scaled to another positive quantum channel which maps a given positive definite density matrix to another given positive definite density matrix using Brower's fixed point theorem. This result proves the Georgiou-Pavon conjecture for two positive definite density matrices in their recent paper. We show uniqueness of fixed points for certain two positive definite density matrices.
The classical Schrödinger bridge seeks the most likely probability law for a diffusion process, in path space, that matches marginals at two end points in time; the likelihood is quantified by the relative entropy between the sought law and a prior. Jamison proved that the new law is obtained through a multiplicative functional transformation of the prior. This transformation is characterised by an automorphism on the space of endpoints probability measures, which has been studied by Fortet, Beurling, and others. A similar question can be raised for processes evolving in a discrete time and space as well as for processes defined over non-commutative probability spaces. The present paper builds on earlier work by Pavon and Ticozzi and begins by establishing solutions to Schrödinger systems for Markov chains. Our approach is based on the Hilbert metric and shows that the solution to the Schrödinger bridge is provided by the fixed point of a contractive map. We approach, in a similar manner, the steering of a quantum system across a quantum channel. We are able to establish existence of quantum transitions that are multiplicative functional transformations of a given Kraus map for the cases where the marginals are either uniform or pure states. As in the Markov chain case, and for uniform density matrices, the solution of the quantum bridge can be constructed from the fixed point of a certain contractive map. For arbitrary marginal densities, extensive numerical simulations indicate that iteration of a similar map leads to fixed points from which we can construct a quantum bridge. For this general case, however, a proof of convergence remains elusive.
The classical Schrödinger bridge seeks the most likely probability law for a diffusion process, in path space, that matches marginals at two end points in time; the likelihood is quantified by the relative entropy between the sought law and a prior. Jamison proved that the new law is obtained through a multiplicative functional transformation of the prior. This transformation is characterised by an automorphism on the space of endpoints probability measures, which has been studied by Fortet, Beurling, and others. A similar question can be raised for processes evolving in a discrete time and space as well as for processes defined over non-commutative probability spaces. The present paper builds on earlier work by Pavon and Ticozzi and begins by establishing solutions to Schrödinger systems for Markov chains. Our approach is based on the Hilbert metric and shows that the solution to the Schrödinger bridge is provided by the fixed point of a contractive map. We approach, in a similar manner, the steering of a quantum system across a quantum channel. We are able to establish existence of quantum transitions that are multiplicative functional transformations of a given Kraus map for the cases where the marginals are either uniform or pure states. As in the Markov chain case, and for uniform density matrices, the solution of the quantum bridge can be constructed from the fixed point of a certain contractive map. For arbitrary marginal densities, extensive numerical simulations indicate that iteration of a similar map leads to fixed points from which we can construct a quantum bridge. For this general case, however, a proof of convergence remains elusive.
Completely positive trace-preserving maps S, also known as quantum channels, arise in quantum physics as a description of how the density operator ρ of a system changes in a given time interval, allowing not only for unitary evolution but arbitrary operations including measurements or other interaction with an environment. It is known that if the Hilbert space H that ρ acts on is finite-dimensional, then every S must have a fixed point, i.e., a density operator ρ0 with S(ρ0)=ρ0. In infinite dimension, S need not have a fixed point in general. However, we prove here the existence of a fixed point under a certain additional assumption which is, roughly speaking, that S leaves invariant a certain set of density operators with bounded ``cost'' of preparation. The proof is an application of the Schauder-Tychonoff fixed point theorem. Our motivation for this question comes from a proposal of Deutsch for how to define quantum theory in a space-time with closed timelike curves; our result supports the viability of Deutsch's proposal.
We present certain existence criteria and parameterisations for an interpolation problem for completely positive maps that take given matrices from a finite set into prescribed matrices. Our approach uses density matrices associated to linear functionals on *-subspaces of matrices, inspired by the Smith-Ward linear functional and Arveson's Hahn-Banach type Theorem. We perform a careful investigation on the intricate relation between the positivity of the density matrix and the positivity of the corresponding linear functional. A necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of solutions and a parametrisation of the set of all solutions of the interpolation problem in terms of a closed and convex set of an affine space are obtained. Other linear affine restrictions, like trace preserving, can be included as well, hence covering applications to quantum channels that yield certain quantum states at prescribed quantum states.
We present certain existence criteria and parameterizations for an interpolation problem for completely positive maps that take given matrices from a finite set into prescribed matrices. Our approach uses density matrices associated to linear functionals on -subspaces of matrices, inspired by the Smith-Ward linear functional and Arveson’s Hahn-Banach Type Theorem. A necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of solutions and a parametrization of the set of all solutions of the interpolation problem in terms of a closed and convex set of an affine space are obtained. Other linear affine restrictions, like trace preserving, can be included as well, hence covering applications to quantum channels that yield certain quantum states at prescribed quantum states. We also perform a careful investigation on the intricate relation between the positivity of the density matrix and the positivity of the corresponding linear functional.
The most general evolution of the density matrix of a quantum system with a finite-dimensional state space is by stochastic maps which take a density matrix linearly into the set of density matrices. These dynamical stochastic maps form a linear convex set that may be viewed as supermatrices. The property of Hermiticity of density matrices renders an associated supermatrix Hermitian and hence diagonalizable. The positivity of the density matrix does not make the associated supermatrix positive though. If the map itself is positive, it is called completely positive and it has a simple parametrization. This is extended to all positive (not completely positive) maps. A general dynamical map that does not preserve the norm of the density matrices it acts on can be thought of as the contraction of a norm-preserving map of an extended system. The reconstruction of such extended dynamics is also given.