Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2301.12492 · Entropy

On Constructing Informationally Complete Covariant Positive Operator-Valued Measures

Grigori Gennadievich Amosov

Published May 11, 2023• 3 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We study a projective unitary representation of the product G=G˜×G, where G is a locally compact Abelian group and G^ is its dual consisting of characters on G. It is proven that the representation is irreducible, which allows us to define a covariant positive operator-valued measure (covariant POVM) generated by orbits of projective unitary representations of G. The quantum tomography associated with the representation is discussed. It is shown that the integration over such a covariant POVM defines a family of contractions which are multiples of unitary operators from the representation. Using this fact, it is proven that the measure is informationally complete. The obtained results are illustrated by optical tomography on groups and by a measure with a density that has a value in the set of coherent states.

DOI
10.3390/e25050783

Related papers

Operational Symmetric Informationally Complete Positive Operator-Valued Measures

Jake Lyons

In this work, we generalise an object that has proved interesting to both the pure and applied mathematician alike. Specifically, symmetric informationally complete positive operator valued measures (SIC-POVMs) were first encountered in the study finite tight frames, where they provide examples of complex equiangular tight frames. Then, the quantum information theory community discovered their own utility for these objects, for they provided a particularly useful example of a generalised measurement of a quantum system, a type of positive operator valued measure. In particular, they have proven useful to quantum state tomography and for probing quantum foundations. SIC-POVMs are collections of rank-one orthogonal projections acting on finite-dimensional Hilbert spaces and operational SIC-POVMs are their arbitrary rank counterparts. In this thesis, we cover necessary background on the standard quantum formalism, define SIC-POVMs and outline how they have been constructed up until this point via the orbit of the Weyl-Heisenberg group, which motivates Zauner’s conjecture. We go on to discuss generalised operational SIC-POVMs and give some new theorems that classify them. We then show that an infinite family of operational SIC-POVMs can be obtained via the representation theory of the symmetric group. Possibly shedding light on the unproven Zauner’s conjecture, we prove that an element of this infinite family cannot be generated via an orbit of the Weyl-Heisenberg group. We finish by describing the relation between these operational SIC-POVMs and Bell inequalities.

•Jul 14, 2026•0 citations

On Construction of Positive Operator-valued Measures from Frames in a Hilbert Space

Grigori Gennadievich Amosov

Abstract The task of finding POVMs including informationally complete POVMs from frames in a Hilbert space is investigated. The case in which frames are obtained from projective unitary representations of groups is considered.

Lobachevskii Journal of Mathematics•Jun 1, 2026•0 citations

Two-qubit symmetric informationally complete positive-operator-valued measures

Huangjun Zhu, Yong Siah Teo, Berthold‐Georg Englert

In the four-dimensional Hilbert space, there exist 16 Heisenberg-Weyl (HW) covariant symmetric informationally complete positive-operator-valued measures (SIC POVMs) consisting of 256 fiducial states on a single orbit of the Clifford group. We explore the structure of these SIC POVMs by studying the symmetry transformations within a given SIC POVM and among different SIC POVMs. Furthermore, we find 16 additional SIC POVMs by a suitable regrouping of the 256 fiducial states, and show that they are unitarily equivalent to the original 16 SIC POVMs by establishing an explicit unitary transformation. We then reveal the additional structure of these SIC POVMs when the four-dimensional Hilbert space is taken as the tensor product of two-qubit Hilbert spaces. In particular, when either the standard product basis or the Bell basis are chosen as the defining basis of the HW group, in eight of the 16 HW covariant SIC POVMs, all fiducial states have the same concurrence of $\sqrt{2/5}$. These SIC POVMs are particularly appealing for an experimental implementation, since all fiducial states can be connected to each other with just local unitary transformations. In addition, we introduce a concise representation of the fiducial states with the aid of a suitable tabular arrangement of their parameters.

arXiv:1008.1138•Physical Review A•Oct 11, 2010•26 citations

POVM construction: A simple recipe with applications to symmetric states

Swarnamala Sirsi, Karthik Bharath, S. P. Shilpashree +1 more

We propose a simple method for constructing positive operator-valued measures (POVMs) using any set of matrices which form an orthonormal basis for the space of complex matrices. Considering the orthonormal set of irreducible spherical tensors, we examine the properties of the construction on the [Formula: see text]-dimensional subspace of the [Formula: see text]-dimensional Hilbert space of [Formula: see text] qubits comprising the permutationally symmetric states. Using the notion of vectorization, the constructed POVMs are interpretable as projection operators in a higher-dimensional space. We then describe a method to physically realize the constructed POVMs for symmetric states using the Clebsch–Gordan decomposition of the tensor product of irreducible representations of the rotation group. We illustrate the proposed construction on a spin-1 system, and show that it is possible to generate entangled states from separable ones.

arXiv:1505.00123•International Journal of Quantum Information•Sep 1, 2017•0 citations

Two new constructions of approximately symmetric informationally complete positive operator-valued measures

Wang Gang, Min-Yao Niu, Fang‐Wei Fu

A symmetric informationally complete positive operator-valued measure (SIC-POVM) is a POVM in [Formula: see text] consisting of [Formula: see text] positive operators of rank one such that all of whose Hermite inner products are equal. SIC-POVMs are important in quantum information theory, which have many applications in quantum state tomography, quantum cryptography and basic research in quantum mechanics. However, it is very difficult to construct SIC-POVMs. Therefore, many scholars have focused on approximately symmetric informationally complete positive operator-valued measures (ASIC-POVMs) for which the Hermite inner products are close to equal. In this paper, two new constructions of ASIC-POVMs are provided by using character sums and some special functions over finite fields.

International Journal of Quantum Information•Apr 1, 2019•1 citation

Extreme covariant quantum observables in the case of an Abelian symmetry group and a transitive value space

Erkka Haapasalo, Juha-Pekka Pellonpää

We represent quantum observables as normalized positive operator valued measures and consider convex sets of observables which are covariant with respect to a unitary representation of a locally compact Abelian symmetry group G. The value space of such observables is a transitive G-space. We characterize the extreme points of covariant observables and also determine the covariant extreme points of the larger set of all quantum observables. The results are applied to position, position difference, and time observables.

arXiv:1105.1084•Journal of Mathematical Physics•Dec 1, 2011•6 citations
We study a projective unitary representation of the product G=G˜×G, where G is a locally compact Abelian group and G^ is its dual consisting of characters on G. It is proven that the representation is irreducible, which allows us to define a covariant positive operator-valued measure (covariant POVM) generated by orbits of projective unitary representations of G. The quantum tomography associated with the representation is discussed. It is shown that the integration over such a covariant POVM defines a family of contractions which are multiples of unitary operators from the representation. Using this fact, it is proven that the measure is informationally complete. The obtained results are illustrated by optical tomography on groups and by a measure with a density that has a value in the set of coherent states.
In this work, we generalise an object that has proved interesting to both the pure and applied mathematician alike. Specifically, symmetric informationally complete positive operator valued measures (SIC-POVMs) were first encountered in the study finite tight frames, where they provide examples of complex equiangular tight frames. Then, the quantum information theory community discovered their own utility for these objects, for they provided a particularly useful example of a generalised measurement of a quantum system, a type of positive operator valued measure. In particular, they have proven useful to quantum state tomography and for probing quantum foundations. SIC-POVMs are collections of rank-one orthogonal projections acting on finite-dimensional Hilbert spaces and operational SIC-POVMs are their arbitrary rank counterparts. In this thesis, we cover necessary background on the standard quantum formalism, define SIC-POVMs and outline how they have been constructed up until this point via the orbit of the Weyl-Heisenberg group, which motivates Zauner’s conjecture. We go on to discuss generalised operational SIC-POVMs and give some new theorems that classify them. We then show that an infinite family of operational SIC-POVMs can be obtained via the representation theory of the symmetric group. Possibly shedding light on the unproven Zauner’s conjecture, we prove that an element of this infinite family cannot be generated via an orbit of the Weyl-Heisenberg group. We finish by describing the relation between these operational SIC-POVMs and Bell inequalities.
In the four-dimensional Hilbert space, there exist 16 Heisenberg-Weyl (HW) covariant symmetric informationally complete positive-operator-valued measures (SIC POVMs) consisting of 256 fiducial states on a single orbit of the Clifford group. We explore the structure of these SIC POVMs by studying the symmetry transformations within a given SIC POVM and among different SIC POVMs. Furthermore, we find 16 additional SIC POVMs by a suitable regrouping of the 256 fiducial states, and show that they are unitarily equivalent to the original 16 SIC POVMs by establishing an explicit unitary transformation. We then reveal the additional structure of these SIC POVMs when the four-dimensional Hilbert space is taken as the tensor product of two-qubit Hilbert spaces. In particular, when either the standard product basis or the Bell basis are chosen as the defining basis of the HW group, in eight of the 16 HW covariant SIC POVMs, all fiducial states have the same concurrence of 2/5\sqrt{2/5}2/5​. These SIC POVMs are particularly appealing for an experimental implementation, since all fiducial states can be connected to each other with just local unitary transformations. In addition, we introduce a concise representation of the fiducial states with the aid of a suitable tabular arrangement of their parameters.
We propose a simple method for constructing positive operator-valued measures (POVMs) using any set of matrices which form an orthonormal basis for the space of complex matrices. Considering the orthonormal set of irreducible spherical tensors, we examine the properties of the construction on the [Formula: see text]-dimensional subspace of the [Formula: see text]-dimensional Hilbert space of [Formula: see text] qubits comprising the permutationally symmetric states. Using the notion of vectorization, the constructed POVMs are interpretable as projection operators in a higher-dimensional space. We then describe a method to physically realize the constructed POVMs for symmetric states using the Clebsch–Gordan decomposition of the tensor product of irreducible representations of the rotation group. We illustrate the proposed construction on a spin-1 system, and show that it is possible to generate entangled states from separable ones.
A symmetric informationally complete positive operator-valued measure (SIC-POVM) is a POVM in [Formula: see text] consisting of [Formula: see text] positive operators of rank one such that all of whose Hermite inner products are equal. SIC-POVMs are important in quantum information theory, which have many applications in quantum state tomography, quantum cryptography and basic research in quantum mechanics. However, it is very difficult to construct SIC-POVMs. Therefore, many scholars have focused on approximately symmetric informationally complete positive operator-valued measures (ASIC-POVMs) for which the Hermite inner products are close to equal. In this paper, two new constructions of ASIC-POVMs are provided by using character sums and some special functions over finite fields.
We represent quantum observables as normalized positive operator valued measures and consider convex sets of observables which are covariant with respect to a unitary representation of a locally compact Abelian symmetry group G. The value space of such observables is a transitive G-space. We characterize the extreme points of covariant observables and also determine the covariant extreme points of the larger set of all quantum observables. The results are applied to position, position difference, and time observables.