Abstract In this paper, we consider the convex structure of the set of unital quantum channels. To do this, we introduce a novel framework to construct and characterise different families of low-rank unital quantum maps. In this framework, unital quantum maps are represented as a set of complex parameters on which we impose a set of constraints. The different families of unital maps are obtained by mapping those parameters into the operator representation of a quantum map. For these families, we also introduce a scalar measuring their distance to the set of mixed-unitary maps. We consider the particular case of qutrit channels which is the smallest set of maps for which the existence of non-unitary extremal maps is known. In this setting, we show how our framework generalises the description of well-known maps such as the antisymmetric Werner–Holevo map but also novel families of qutrit maps.
Abstract In this paper, we consider the convex structure of the set of unital quantum channels. To do this, we introduce a novel framework to construct and characterise different families of low-rank unital quantum maps. In this framework, unital quantum maps are represented as a set of complex parameters on which we impose a set of constraints. The different families of unital maps are obtained by mapping those parameters into the operator representation of a quantum map. For these families, we also introduce a scalar measuring their distance to the set of mixed-unitary maps. We consider the particular case of qutrit channels which is the smallest set of maps for which the existence of non-unitary extremal maps is known. In this setting, we show how our framework generalises the description of well-known maps such as the antisymmetric Werner–Holevo map but also novel families of qutrit maps.
In this thesis, quantum channels are studied from the point of view of Mathematics. We studied the CPTP (completely positive trace preserving) and UCPTP channels, the latter being the unital channels. In both cases, the sets are compact convex, so they are the closure of their extreme points. We constructed extreme CPTP maps for every possible rank. We also constructed extreme UCPTP maps with rank 2 for each possible dimension. For ranks of at least 3, we constructed extreme UCPTP maps for many dimensions and ranks. We also proved that the tensor product of extreme CPTP maps is an extreme CPTP map. For UCPTP maps, we proved that the same is not always true, with many counterexamples. It is known that the category of CPTP maps is semicartesian. We add to this a classification of binary products. We proved that products only exist in trivial cases. For binary coproducts, we obtained the dimensions they should have, if they exist. In both cases, topological techniques were used. For this reason, we also investigated the topology of the closure of the set of extreme points of the CPTP maps. Topological invariants can be computed from decompositions of a space such as CW structures. These are a type of decomposition in which the space is expressed as a gluing of balls. In the search for a CW structure for the closure of the set of extreme CPTP maps, we obtained a partial decomposition that resembles a CW structure of the complex projective space.
Convex sets of quantum states and processes play a central role in quantum theory and quantum information. Many important examples of convex sets in quantum theory are spectrahedra, that is, sets of positive operators subject to affine constraints. These examples include sets of quantum states with given expectation values of some observables of interest, sets of multipartite quantum states with given marginals, sets of quantum measurements, channels, and multitime quantum processes, as well as sets of higher-order quantum maps and quantum causal structures. This contribution provides a characterisation of the extreme points of general spectrahedra, and bounds on the ranks of the corresponding operators. The general results are applied to several special cases, and are used to retrieve classic results such as Choi's characterisation of the extreme quantum channels, Parhasarathy's characterisation of the extreme quantum states with given marginals, and the quantum version of Birkhoff's theorem for qubit unital channels. Finally, we propose a notion of positive operator valued measures (POVMs) with general affine constraints for their normalisation, and we characterise the extremal POVMs.
Convex sets of quantum states and processes play a central role in quantum theory and quantum information. Many important examples of convex sets in quantum theory are spectrahedra, that is, sets of positive operators satisfying affine constraints. These examples include sets of quantum states with given expectation values of a set of observables, sets of multipartite quantum states with given marginals, sets of quantum measurements, channels and multitime quantum processes, as well as sets of higher-order quantum maps and quantum causal structures. This contribution provides a characterization of the extreme points of general spectrahedra, and bounds on the ranks of the corresponding operators. The general results are applied to several special cases, and then used to retrieve classic results such as Choi’s characterization of the extreme quantum channels, Parthasarathy’s characterization of the extreme quantum states with given marginals and the quantum version of Birkhoff’s theorem for qubit unital channels. Finally, we propose a notion of positive operator valued measures (POVMs) with general affine constraints for their normalization, and we characterize the extremal POVMs.
In this paper, we study the [Formula: see text]-convex set of unital entanglement breaking (EB-)maps on matrix algebras. General properties and an abstract characterization of [Formula: see text]-extreme points are discussed. By establishing a Radon–Nikodym-type theorem for a class of EB-maps we give a complete description of the [Formula: see text]-extreme points. It is shown that a unital EB-map [Formula: see text] is [Formula: see text]-extreme if and only if it has Choi-rank equal to [Formula: see text]. Finally, as a direct consequence of the Holevo form of EB-maps, we derive a non-commutative analog of the Krein–Milman theorem for [Formula: see text]-convexity of the set of unital EB-maps.
Optimal convex approximation of quantum channels based on α-affinity
Determining the minimal distance between a target channel and a convex hull of predefined set of implementable channels is a fundamental problem in quantum resource theory, and provides key guidance for experimental implementations. In this work, we develop a unified analytical framework for optimal convex approximation of quantum channels based on the quantum α-affinity measure. We construct a channel distance metric induced by the α-affinity and the ChoiJamiolkowski isomorphism, which satisfies the required properties of a well-defined channel distance. Subsequently, we present an optimization framework for the convex approximation of quantum channels, and derive analytical solutions for the optimal convex approximation of single-qubit unitary channels over both the SU(2)-covariant and Pauli channel families, obtaining closed-form expressions for the optimal parameters and the minimal approximation distance. This framework is further applied to the amplitude-damping channel, yielding the explicit form of its optimal approximation and the associated minimal α-affinity distance. In contrast to conventional approaches based on the diamond norm, our framework provides a systematic and analytically tractable approach to quantum channel approximation under realistic constraints.
It is established that both discrete and continuous semigroups of unital quantum channels are eventually mixed unitary. This result is novel even for the subclass of Schur maps and stands in sharp contrast to the resolution of the asymptotic quantum Birkhoff conjecture by Haagerup and Musat, who demonstrated that tensor powers of some unital quantum channels maintain a persistent positive distance from the set of mixed unitary channels. Remarkably, our results show that this gap vanishes in finite time when considering ordinary powers within a semigroup. Building on this, we define the mixed unitary index of a unital quantum channel as the minimum time (or power) beyond which all subsequent maps become mixed unitary. We demonstrate that for any fixed dimension d≥3, there is no universal upper bound for this index. Furthermore, we observe that if a continuous semigroup is not mixed unitary at some t>0, it remains non-mixed unitary for all t sufficiently close to the origin. Finally, we investigate quantum dynamical semigroups where mixed unitarity is restricted to specific families, such as Weyl or diagonal unitaries. We show that Schur semigroups of correlation matrices eventually become mixtures of rank-one correlation matrices, and we characterize the generators of Schur semigroups that remain within this set for all t≥0.