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arXiv:2103.14126 · Comptes Rendus Mathématique

Orthogonalization of Positive Operator Valued Measures

Mikael DE LA SALLE

Published May 23, 2022• 3 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We show that a partition of the unity (or POVM) on a Hilbert space that is almost orthogonal is close to an orthogonal POVM in the same von Neumann algebra. This generalizes to infinite dimension previous results in matrix algebras by Kempe–Vidick and Ji–Natarajan–Vidick–Wright–Yuen. Quantitatively, our result are also finer, as we obtain a linear dependance, which is optimal. We also generalize to infinite dimension a duality result between POVMs and minimal majorants of finite subsets in the predual of a von Neumann algebra.

DOI
10.5802/crmath.326

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We show that a partition of the unity (or POVM) on a Hilbert space that is almost orthogonal is close to an orthogonal POVM in the same von Neumann algebra. This generalizes to infinite dimension previous results in matrix algebras by Kempe–Vidick and Ji–Natarajan–Vidick–Wright–Yuen. Quantitatively, our result are also finer, as we obtain a linear dependance, which is optimal. We also generalize to infinite dimension a duality result between POVMs and minimal majorants of finite subsets in the predual of a von Neumann algebra.
The most general type of measurement in quantum physics is modeled by a positive operator-valued measure (POVM). Mathematically, a POVM is a generalization of a measure, whose values are not real numbers, but positive operators on a Hilbert space. POVMs can equivalently be viewed as maps between effect algebras or as maps between algebras for the Giry monad. We will show that this equivalence is an instance of a duality between two categories. In the special case of continuous POVMs, we obtain two equivalent representations in terms of morphisms between von Neumann algebras.
We address the problem of constructing positive operator-valued measures (POVMs) in finite dimension n consisting of n2 operators of rank one which have an inner product close to uniform. This is motivated by the related question of constructing symmetric informationally complete POVMs (SIC-POVMs) for which the inner products are perfectly uniform. However, SIC-POVMs are notoriously hard to construct and, despite some success of constructing them numerically, there is no analytic construction known. We present two constructions of approximate versions of SIC-POVMs, where a small deviation from uniformity of the inner products is allowed. The first construction is based on selecting vectors from a maximal collection of mutually unbiased bases and works whenever the dimension of the system is a prime power. The second construction is based on perturbing the matrix elements of a subset of mutually unbiased bases. Moreover, we construct vector systems in Cn which are almost orthogonal and which might turn out to be useful for quantum computation. Our constructions are based on results of analytic number theory.
We construct integrals of uniformly bounded ultraweakly measurable functions against positive operator-valued measures (POVMs) in von Neumann algebras, assuming that the integrand algebra has separable predual. The integral lies in the spatial tensor product and is uniquely characterized by its evaluations on product normal states. Integration is unital and completely positive and descends faithfully to the quotient by POVM-null functions. When both preduals are separable, this quotient is a von Neumann algebra and integration is normal, agreeing with the amplification of scalar POVM integration. We establish a dilation factorization, a Leibniz rule and a Fubini theorem, and specify the additional joint-normality hypothesis needed for realization in an ambient algebra. As an application, under the stated separability and joint-normality assumptions, we extend operational quantum reference frame relativization to covariant POVMs on arbitrary measurable spaces carrying a group action. Its domain is the fixed-point von Neumann algebra of system-valued functions modulo null equality. For homogeneous spaces of second countable locally compact Hausdorff groups with closed stabilizers, this domain is identified with the stabilizer-fixed system algebra. For sharp frames, relativization is a normal unital ∗*∗-homomorphism, faithful when ambient multiplication is injective. For localizable frames on metrizable spaces, restriction recovers continuous integrands at supported configurations. On trivial principal bundles, the domain is identified with system-valued fields on the base. These results provide integration machinery for forthcoming applications to relativistic gauge theories.
Abstract In the literature, there is a version of ‘quantum set theory’ studied under the name ortho-sets (also known as orthogonality spaces). An ortho-set is a set X equipped with a so-called q-distinctness relation ≠ q . In this article, we will introduce and study a version of ‘non-commutative probability measures’ (called q-states) and two versions of ‘non-commutative function algebras’ on ortho-sets. More precisely, given a Hilbert space H , a B ( H ) + -valued q-state on an ortho-set ( X , ≠ q ) is a map α : X → B ( H ) + such that for every ‘maximal pairwise q-distinct subset’ D ⊆ X , the weak ∗ -sum ∑ x ∈ D α ( x ) converges to the identity operator on H . Furthermore, we define an ortho-representation of ( X , ≠ q ) to be a map µ from X to the ortho-lattice of projections on H such that the images of two q-distinct elements of X are orthogonal, and the supremum ⋁ x ∈ E μ ( x ) for every ‘ortho-dense subset’ E ⊆ X is the identity operator on H <
Abstract We study extreme points of the set of finite-outcome positive-operator-valued measures (POVMs) on finite-dimensional Hilbert spaces and particularly the possible ranks of the effects of an extreme POVM. We give results discussing ways of deducing new rank combinations of extreme POVMs from rank combinations of known extreme POVMs and, using these results, show ways to characterize rank combinations of extreme POVMs in low dimensions. We show that, when a rank combination together with a given dimension of the Hilbert space solve a particular packing problem, there is an extreme POVM on the Hilbert space with the given ranks. This geometric method is particularly effective for constructing extreme POVMs with desired rank combinations.