Quantum supermaps are a higher-order genera- lization of quantum maps, taking quantum maps to quantum maps. It is known that any completely positive and trace non-increasing (CPTNI) map can be performed as part of a quantum measurement. By providing an explicit counterexample we show that, instead, not every quantum supermap sending a quantum channel to a CPTNI map can be realized in a measurement on quantum channels. We find that the supermaps that can be implemented in this way are exactly those transforming quantum channels into CPTNI maps even when tensored with the identity supermap. We link this result to the fact that the principle of causality fails in the theory of quantum supermaps.
Quantum supermaps are a higher-order genera- lization of quantum maps, taking quantum maps to quantum maps. It is known that any completely positive and trace non-increasing (CPTNI) map can be performed as part of a quantum measurement. By providing an explicit counterexample we show that, instead, not every quantum supermap sending a quantum channel to a CPTNI map can be realized in a measurement on quantum channels. We find that the supermaps that can be implemented in this way are exactly those transforming quantum channels into CPTNI maps even when tensored with the identity supermap. We link this result to the fact that the principle of causality fails in the theory of quantum supermaps.
Quantum supermaps are higher-order maps transforming quantum operations into quantum operations and satisfying suitable requirements of normality and complete positivity. Here we present the extension of the theory of quantum supermaps, originally formulated in the finite dimensional setting, to the case of higher-order maps transforming quantum operations on generic von Neumann algebras. In this setting, we provide two dilation theorems for quantum supermaps that are the analogues of the Stinespring and Radon-Nikodym theorems for quantum operations. A structure theorem for probability measures with values in the set of quantum supermaps is also illustrated. Finally, some applications are given, and in particular it is shown that all the supermaps defined in this paper can be implemented by connecting quantum devices in quantum circuits.
Quantum supermaps are higher-order maps transforming quantum operations into quantum operations. Here we extend the theory of quantum supermaps, originally formulated in the finite dimensional setting, to the case of higher-order maps transforming quantum operations with input in a separable von Neumann algebra and output in the algebra of the bounded operators on a given separable Hilbert space. In this setting we prove two dilation theorems for quantum supermaps that are the analogues of the Stinespring and Radon-Nikodym theorems for quantum operations. Finally, we consider the case of quantum superinstruments, namely measures with values in the set of quantum supermaps, and derive a dilation theorem for them that is analogue to Ozawa's theorem for quantum instruments. The three dilation theorems presented here show that all the supermaps defined in this paper can be implemented by connecting devices in quantum circuits.
By certifying quantum operations from measurement statistics directly, without any assumption on the internal workings of the devices involved, self-testing enables a uniquely reliable identification of quantum objects. While such device-independent characterization has been shown to be possible for states, measurements and channels, it has so far not been extended to quantum supermaps -- operations that act on quantum channels themselves and can combine them in either a well-defined causal order or also, remarkably, in an indefinite causal order. Here we show that quantum supermaps can be identified device-independently. Specifically, we obtain two levels of certification, depending on the network structure of the experiment: when each slot of the supermap accepts a single uncharacterized black box, identification up to local embedding combs is obtained; when several black boxes are inserted within each slot, identification up to local extracting and injecting maps is achieved. We illustrate our approach on four examples -- the identity comb, a bit-flip error-correcting comb, the comb describing Grover's algorithm, and the quantum switch -- providing in particular the first self-test of both a quantum algorithmic comb and a causally indefinite quantum process. Notably, in the latter case, this provides a new way to certify causal indefiniteness in a device-independent manner.
Quantum supermaps are higher-order maps transforming quantum operations into quantum operations. Here we extend the theory of quantum supermaps, originally formulated in the finite-dimensional setting, to the case of higher-order maps transforming quantum operations with input in a separable von Neumann algebra and output in the algebra of the bounded operators on a given separable Hilbert space. In this setting we prove two dilation theorems for quantum supermaps that are the analogues of the Stinespring and Radon-Nikodym theorems for quantum operations. Finally, we consider the case of quantum superinstruments, namely measures with values in the set of quantum supermaps, and derive a dilation theorem for them that is analogue to Ozawa's theorem for quantum instruments. The three dilation theorems presented here show that all the supermaps defined in this paper can be implemented by connecting devices in quantum circuits.
We present a complete characterization of diagonal unitary covariant (DU-covariant) superchannels, i.e. higher-order transformations transforming quantum channels into themselves. Necessary and sufficient conditions for complete positivity and trace preservation are derived and the canonical decomposition describing DU-covariant superchannels is provided. The presented framework unifies and extends known families of covariant quantum channels and enables explicit analysis of their action on physically relevant examples, including amplitude-damping, bit-flip, and Pauli channels. Our results provide a practical toolbox for symmetry-restricted higher-order quantum processes and offer a setting for exploring open problems such as the celebrated positive partial transpose (PPT)-squared conjecture.
Completely positive (CP) matrices are ubiquitous in modern science and technology with applications in optimization, graph theory, and quantum entanglement. Recently, Johnston \emph{et al.} [Linear Algebra and its Applications, 2022] have cast CP matrices into the framework of quantum resource theories, where CP states serve as free states and CP-preserving channels act as free operations. This work addresses several questions raised in their work. Specifically, we provide the necessary and sufficient conditions of CP-preserving channels in small dimensions, which are necessary in higher dimensions, and discuss the resource quantification via the trace distance of non-negativity. By constructing an explicit counterexample, we demonstrate that the trace-distance measure of non-negativity violates strong monotonicity. We also provide an alternative proof that every CPDNN channel $Φ:\MM_n\to \MM_2$ is CPCP. Additionally, we show that any unital CPDNN map $Φ:\MM_2\to \MM_n$ is also CPCP.