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arXiv:1911.13137 · Journal of Physics A Mathematical and Theoretical

Positive maps from irreducibly covariant operators

Piotr Kopszak, Marek Mozrzymas, Michał Studziński

Published Aug 25, 2020• 10 citations

Abstract

Abstract In this paper, we discuss positive maps induced by (irreducibly) covariant linear operators for finite groups. The application of group theory methods allows deriving some new results of a different kind. In particular, a family of necessary conditions for positivity, for such objects is derived, stemming either from the definition of a positive map or the novel method inspired by the inverse reduction map. In the low-dimensional cases, for the permutation group S(3) and the quaternion group Q, the necessary and sufficient conditions are given, together with the discussion on their decomposability. In higher dimensions, we present positive maps induced by a three-dimensional irreducible representation of the permutation group S(4) and d-dimensional representation of the monomial unitary group MU(d). In the latter case, we deliver if and only if condition for the positivity and compare the results with the method inspired by the inverse reduction. We show that the generalised Choi map can be obtained by considered covariant maps induced by the monomial unitary group. As an additional result, a novel interpretation of the Fujiwara–Algolet conditions for positivity and complete positivity is presented. Finally, in the end, a new form of an irreducible representation of the symmetric group S(n) is constructed, allowing us to simplify the form of certain Choi–Jamiołkowski images derived for irreducible representations of the symmetric group.

DOI: 10.1088/1751-8121/abaa04

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Abstract In this paper, we discuss positive maps induced by (irreducibly) covariant linear operators for finite groups. The application of group theory methods allows deriving some new results of a different kind. In particular, a family of necessary conditions for positivity, for such objects is derived, stemming either from the definition of a positive map or the novel method inspired by the inverse reduction map. In the low-dimensional cases, for the permutation group S(3) and the quaternion group Q, the necessary and sufficient conditions are given, together with the discussion on their decomposability. In higher dimensions, we present positive maps induced by a three-dimensional irreducible representation of the permutation group S(4) and d-dimensional representation of the monomial unitary group MU(d). In the latter case, we deliver if and only if condition for the positivity and compare the results with the method inspired by the inverse reduction. We show that the generalised Choi map can be obtained by considered covariant maps induced by the monomial unitary group. As an additional result, a novel interpretation of the Fujiwara–Algolet conditions for positivity and complete positivity is presented. Finally, in the end, a new form of an irreducible representation of the symmetric group S(n) is constructed, allowing us to simplify the form of certain Choi–Jamiołkowski images derived for irreducible representations of the symmetric group.

We obtain an explicit characterization of linear maps, in particular, quantum channels, which are covariant with respect to an irreducible representation (U) of a finite group (G), whenever U⊗Uc is simply reducible (with Uc being the contragradient representation). Using the theory of group representations, we obtain the spectral decomposition of any such linear map. The eigenvalues and orthogonal projections arising in this decomposition are expressed entirely in terms of representation characteristics of the group G. This in turn yields necessary and sufficient conditions on the eigenvalues of any such linear map for it to be a quantum channel. We also obtain a wide class of quantum channels which are irreducibly covariant by construction. For two-dimensional irrreducible representations of the symmetric group S(3), and the quaternion group Q, we also characterize quantum channels which are both irreducibly covariant and entanglement breaking.

A generalization of the Choi-Jamiolkowski isomorphism for completely positive maps between operator algebras is introduced. Particular emphasis is placed on the case of normal unital completely positive maps defined between von Neumann algebras. This generalization is applied especially to the study of maps which are covariant under actions of a symmetry group. We highlight with the example of, e.g., phase-shift-covariant quantum channels the ease of this method in particular in the case of a compact symmetry group. We also discuss the case of channels which are covariant under actions of the Euclidean group of rigid motions in 3 dimensions.

We analyze bipartite matrices and linear maps between matrix algebras, which are respectively, invariant and covariant, under the diagonal unitary and orthogonal groups' actions. By presenting an expansive list of examples from the literature, which includes notable entries like the Diagonal Symmetric states and the Choi-type maps, we show that this class of matrices (and maps) encompasses a wide variety of scenarios, thereby unifying their study. We examine their linear algebraic structure and investigate different notions of positivity through their convex conic manifestations. In particular, we generalize the well-known cone of completely positive matrices to that of triplewise completely positive matrices and connect it to the separability of the relevant invariant states (or the entanglement breaking property of the corresponding quantum channels). For linear maps, we provide explicit characterizations of the stated covariance in terms of their Kraus, Stinespring, and Choi representations, and systematically analyze the usual properties of positivity, decomposability, complete positivity, and the like. We also describe the invariant subspaces of these maps and use their structure to provide necessary and sufficient conditions for separability of the associated invariant bipartite states.

In matrix algebras, we introduce a class of linear maps that are irreducibly covariant with respect to the finite group generated by the Weyl operators. In particular, we analyze the irreducibly covariant quantum channels, that is, the completely positive and trace-preserving linear maps. Interestingly, imposing additional symmetries leads to the so-called generalized Pauli channels, which were recently considered in the context of the non-Markovian quantum evolution. Finally, we provide examples of irreducibly covariant positive but not necessarily completely positive maps.

Given a topological group

G

and a unitary representation

U

of

G

, we consider the problem of classifying the positive operator measures which are based on a

G

-homogeneous space

X

and covariant with respect to the representation

U

. We completely solve the problem in two cases: 1) when

G

is abelian; 2) when

G

is not abelian,

X

has compact stbiliser in

G

and the representation

U

is irreducible. We then give an application of the above results to the characterisation of covariant position and momentum observables in quantum mechanics, and to the determination of those covariant position and momentum observables that are jointly measurable.

Sufficient conditions for the Kadison--Schwarz property of unital positive maps on

M_3

Kadison--Schwarz (KS) maps form a natural class of positive linear maps lying strictly between positivity and complete positivity. Despite their relevance in operator algebras and quantum dynamics, explicit analytic sufficient conditions for the KS property remain scarce beyond low-dimensional or highly symmetric settings. In this work we analyze unital positive linear maps on

M_3

within the Bloch--Gell--Mann representation and derive explicit analytic sufficient conditions ensuring the Kadison--Schwarz property. The approach exploits unitary equivalence together with structural properties of the Lie algebra

\mathfrak{su}(3)

and does not rely on numerical optimization or semidefinite-programming methods. A key mechanism is the cancellation of contributions associated with antisymmetric structure constants, which reduces the problem to estimates governed solely by the symmetric tensor

d_{ijk}

. The results clarify how the Kadison--Schwarz property can hold under assumptions substantially weaker than complete positivity and yield a structural criterion for the KS property on

M_3

in terms of Bloch parameters.