In this article, we develop an algebraic framework of axioms which abstracts various high-level properties of multi-qudit representations of generalized Clifford algebras. We further construct an explicit model and prove that it satisfies these axioms. Strengths of our algebraic framework include the minimality of its assumptions, and the readiness by which one may give an explicit construction satisfying these assumptions. In terms of applications, this algebraic framework provides a solid foundation which opens the way for developing a graphical calculus for multi-qudit representations of generalized Clifford algebras using purely algebraic methods, which is addressed in a follow-up paper.
In this article, we develop an algebraic framework of axioms which abstracts various high-level properties of multi-qudit representations of generalized Clifford algebras. We further construct an explicit model and prove that it satisfies these axioms. Strengths of our algebraic framework include the minimality of its assumptions, and the readiness by which one may give an explicit construction satisfying these assumptions. In terms of applications, this algebraic framework provides a solid foundation which opens the way for developing a graphical calculus for multi-qudit representations of generalized Clifford algebras using purely algebraic methods, which is addressed in a follow-up paper.
In this work, we develop a graphical calculus for multi-qudit computations with generalized Clifford algebras, building off the algebraic framework developed in our prior work. We build our graphical calculus out of a fixed set of graphical primitives defined by algebraic expressions constructed out of elements of a given generalized Clifford algebra, a graphical primitive corresponding to the ground state, and also graphical primitives corresponding to projections onto the ground state of each qudit. We establish many properties of the graphical calculus using purely algebraic methods, including a novel algebraic proof of a Yang-Baxter equation and a construction of a corresponding braid group representation. Our algebraic proof, which applies to arbitrary qudit dimension, also enables a resolution of an open problem of Cobanera and Ortiz on the construction of self-dual braid group representations for even qudit dimension. We also derive several new identities for the braid elements, which are key to our proofs. Furthermore, we demonstrate that in many cases, the verification of involved vector identities can be reduced to the combinatorial application of two basic vector identities. Additionally, in terms of quantum computation, we demonstrate that it is feasible to envision implementing the braid operators for quantum computation, by showing that they are 2-local operators. In fact, these braid elements are almost Clifford gates, for they normalize the generalized Pauli group up to an extra factor ζ , which is an appropriate square root of a primitive root of unity.
In this dissertation, we investigate algebraic structures in finite-dimensional Hilbert spaces, as concerns quantum computation and quantum information, as well as these structures' applications to lattices. On the quantum computation side, we develop an algebraic framework of axioms which abstracts various high-level properties of multi-qudit representations of generalized Clifford algebras. We further construct an explicit model and prove that it satisfies these axioms. Subsequently, we develop a graphical calculus for multi-qudit computations with generalized Clifford algebras, using the algebraic framework developed. We build our graphical calculus out of a fixed set of graphical primitives defined by algebraic expressions constructed out of elements of a given generalized Clifford algebra, a graphical primitive corresponding to the ground state, and also graphical primitives corresponding to projections onto the ground state of each qudit. We establish many algebraic identities, including a novel algebraic proof of a Yang-Baxter equation. We also derive a new identity for the braid elements, which is key to our proofs. We then use the Yang-Baxter equation proof to resolve an open question of Cobanera and Ortiz. We demonstrate that in many cases, the verification of involved vector identities can be reduced to the combinatorial application of two basic vector identities. In addition, we show how to explicitly compute various vector states in an efficient manner using algebraic methods. On the quantum information side, we introduce a new decomposition of quantum channels acting on group algebras, which we term Kraus-like operator decompositions (Kraus-like decompositions for short). An important motivation for this new decomposition is a general nonexistence result that we show for Kraus operator decompositions for quantum channels in this setting. We show that the notion of convex Kraus-like operator decompositions (in which the coefficients in the sum decomposition are nonnegative and satisfy a sum rule) that are induced by the irreducible characters of a finite group is equivalent to the notion of a conditionally negative-definite length when the length is a class function. For a general finite group G, we prove a stability condition which shows that if the semigroup associated with a length has a convex Kraus-like operator decomposition for all t>0 small enough, then it has a convex Kraus-like operator decomposition for all time t>0. Using the stability condition, we show that for a general finite group, conditional negativity of the length function is equivalent to a set of semidefinite linear constraints on the length function. By a result of Schoenberg, our result implies that in the group algebra setting, a semigroup P_t induced by a length function which is a class function is a quantum channel for all t greater than or equal to 0 if and only if it possesses a convex Kraus-like operator decomposition for all t>0. Finally, motivated by the importance of lattice problems in quantum cryptography, we extend the algebraic framework for multi-qudit representations of generalized Clifford algebras to d-dimensional lattices mod P. We show that under suitable number-theoretic conditions, the subalgebra induced by a lattice has trivial center. Under the trivial center constraint, we construct for pairs of lattice vectors satisfying an algebraic constraint a unitary operator based on the product of generalized Clifford algebra generators associated to each lattice vector.
The Clifford operators are an important and well-studied subset of quantum operations, in both the qubit and higher-dimensional qudit cases. While there are many ways to characterize this set, this paper aims to provide an ideal characterization, in the sense that it has the same characterization in every finite dimension, is characterized by a minimal set of gates, is constructive, and does not make any assumptions about non-Clifford operations or resources (such as the use of ancillas or the ability to make measurements). While most characterizations satisfy some of these properties, this appears to be the first characterization satisfying all of the above. As an application, we use these results to briefly analyze characterizations of Clifford embeddings, that is, the action of logical Clifford operations acting on qunits embedded in higher-dimensional qudits, inside the qudit Clifford framework.
The Clifford operators are an important and well-studied subset of quantum operations, in both the qubit and higher-dimensional qudit cases. While there are many ways to characterize this set, this paper aims to provide an ideal characterization, in the sense that it has the same characterization in every finite dimension, is characterized by a minimal set of gates, is constructive, and does not make any assumptions about non-Clifford operations or resources (such as the use of ancillas or the ability to make measurements). While most characterizations satisfy some of these properties, this appears to be the first characterization satisfying all of the above. As an application, we use these results to briefly analyze characterizations of Clifford embeddings, that is, the action of logical Clifford operations acting on qunits embedded in higher-dimensional qudits, inside the qudit Clifford framework.
This paper presents a unified algebraic framework for n-qubit quantum computation rooted in the complex Clifford algebra Cl(2n,C). We leverage the fundamental isomorphism Cl(2n,C)≅M(2n,C) to directly identify the algebra of all n-qubit quantum operators (including states, gates, and observables) with elements of Cl(2n,C). This operator-centric perspective treats quantum states, whether pure or mixed, as density multivectors ρ∈Cl(2n,C) satisfying standard physical constraints (ρ†=ρ, 2n⟨ρ⟩0=1, positivity), and unitary gates U as multivectors obeying U†U=I. Quantum evolution ρ′=UρU† and measurements p(m)=2n⟨Pmρ⟩0 are thus described by intrinsic Clifford algebraic operations. This contrasts with, yet encompasses, specific realizations like spinor representations based on Witt ideals (S=Cl(2n,C)∏jfjfj†), which are shown to be particular constructions within this universal algebra. By analyzing Deutsch's algorithm through these different lenses, we demonstrate the generality and unifying power of the operator-centric multivector approach. This formulation not only provides a comprehensive algebraic language that naturally handles mixed states and general quantum processes but also opens avenues for applying the rich geometric and structural tools of Clifford algebras—such as grade decomposition and invariant theory—to gain deeper insights into quantum information, entanglement, and dynamics.
The ZX-calculus is a graphical language for reasoning about quantum computing and quantum information theory.As a complete graphical language, it incorporates a set of axioms rich enough to derive any equation of the underlying formalism.While completeness of the ZX-calculus has been established for qubits and the Clifford fragment of prime-dimensional qudits, universal completeness beyond two-level systems has remained unproven until now.In this paper, we present a proof establishing the completeness of finite-dimensional ZX-calculus, incorporating only the mixeddimensional Z-spider and the qudit X-spider as generators.Our approach builds on the completeness of another graphical language, the finite-dimensional ZW-calculus, with direct translations between these two calculi.By proving its completeness, we lay a solid foundation for the ZX-calculus as a versatile tool not only for quantum computation but also for various fields within finite-dimensional quantum theory.