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arXiv:2510.07563

Entanglement in von Neumann Algebraic Quantum Information Theory

Lauritz van Luijk

Published Jan 1, 2025• 1 citation
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

In quantum systems with infinitely many degrees of freedom, states can be infinitely entangled across a pair of subsystems. But are there different forms of infinite entanglement? To answer this, we provide a rigorous framework for studying information-theoretic properties in infinite systems, formulated in terms of von Neumann algebras. In this framework, we show that there are operational tasks that can distinguish between different forms of infinite entanglement. We find that the type classification of von Neumann algebras (types I, II, III, and their respective subtypes) is in one-to-one correspondence with operational entanglement properties. For instance, the Connes classification of type III factors corresponds to the system’s capability at the operational task of “embezzling” entanglement. Our findings promote the type classification from algebraic bookkeeping to a classification of infinite quantum systems based on their operational entanglement properties.

DOI
10.15488/19655

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In quantum systems with infinitely many degrees of freedom, states can be infinitely entangled across a pair of subsystems. But are there different forms of infinite entanglement? To answer this, we provide a rigorous framework for studying information-theoretic properties in infinite systems, formulated in terms of von Neumann algebras. In this framework, we show that there are operational tasks that can distinguish between different forms of infinite entanglement. We find that the type classification of von Neumann algebras (types I, II, III, and their respective subtypes) is in one-to-one correspondence with operational entanglement properties. For instance, the Connes classification of type III factors corresponds to the system’s capability at the operational task of “embezzling” entanglement. Our findings promote the type classification from algebraic bookkeeping to a classification of infinite quantum systems based on their operational entanglement properties.
We study the quantum information theoretic task of embezzlement of entanglement in the setting of von Neumann algebras. Given a shared entangled resource state, this task asks to produce arbitrary entangled states using local operations without communication while perturbing the resource arbitrarily little. We quantify the performance of a given resource state by the worst-case error. States for which the latter vanishes are 'embezzling states' as they allow to embezzle arbitrary entangled states with arbitrarily small error. The best and worst performance among all states defines two algebraic invariants for von Neumann algebras. The first invariant takes only two values. Either it vanishes and embezzling states exist, which can only happen in type III, or no state allows for nontrivial embezzlement. In the case of factors not of finite type I, the second invariant equals the diameter of the state space. This provides a quantitative operational interpretation of Connes' classification of type III factors within quantum information theory. Type III1_11​ factors are 'universal embezzlers' where every state is embezzling. Our findings have implications for relativistic quantum field theory, where type III algebras naturally appear. For instance, they explain the maximal violation of Bell inequalities in the vacuum. Our results follow from a one-to-one correspondence between embezzling states and invariant probability measures on the flow of weights. We also establish that universally embezzling ITPFI factors are of type III1_11​ by elementary arguments.
Abstract We develop the theory of local operations and classical communication (LOCC) for bipartite quantum systems represented by commuting von Neumann algebras. Our central result is the extension of Nielsen’s Theorem, stating that the LOCC ordering of bipartite pure states is equivalent to the majorization of their restrictions to arbitrary factors. As a consequence, we find that in bipartite system modeled by commuting factors in Haag duality, (a) all states have infinite single-shot entanglement if and only if the local factors are not of type I, (b) type III factors are characterized by LOCC transitions of arbitrary precision between any two pure states, and c) the latter holds even without classical communication for type III1\hbox {III}_{1}III1​ III 1 factors. In the case of semifinite factors, the usual construction of pure state entanglement monotones carries over. Together with recent work on embezzlement of entanglement, this gives a one-to-one correspondence between the classification of factors into types and subtypes and operational entanglement properties. In the appendix, we provide a self-contained treatment of majorization on semifinite von Neumann algebras and σ\sigma σ σ -finite measure spaces.
This paper provides an explanation of the type classification of von Neumann algebras, which has made many appearances in the recent work on entanglement in quantum field theory and quantum gravity. The goal is to bridge a gap in the literature between resources that are too technical for the non-expert reader, and resources that seek to explain the broad intuition of the theory without giving precise definitions. Reading this paper will provide you with: (i) an argument for why “factors” are the fundamental von Neumann algebras that one needs to study; (ii) an intuitive explanation of the type classification of factors in terms of renormalization schemes that turn unnormalizable positive operators into “effective density matrices”; (iii) a mathematical explanation of the different types of renormalization schemes in terms of the allowed traces on a factor; (iv) an intuitive characterization of type I and type II factors in terms of their “standard forms”; and (v) a list of some interesting connections between type classification and modular theory, including the argument for why type III 1 factors are believed to be the relevant ones in quantum field theory. None of the material is new, but the pedagogy is different from other sources the author has read; it is most similar in spirit to the recent work on gravity and the crossed product by Chandrasekaran, Longo, Penington, and Witten.
Employing mutually-commuting von Neumann algebras to represent the algebra of observables on quantum systems provides a framework for studying quantum information theory in systems with infinite degrees of freedom and quantum field theory, yielding many profound results that differ from non-relativistic quantum systems. In this paper, we establish a mutually-commuting von Neumann algebra model of quantum networks with arbitrary structures. We derive Bell-type inequalities on this model, and determine various bounds for Bell-type inequalities based on the structure of underline von Neumann algebras, and identify the algebraic structural conditions required for their violation. The conditions on the algebraic structure of observables for maximal violation of Bell-type inequalities, which we discovered in the context of von Neumann algebra models, can in turn guide the search for measurements in the non-relativistic setting.
Embezzlement of entanglement refers to the counterintuitive possibility of extracting entangled quantum states from a reference state of an auxiliary system (the "embezzler") via local quantum operations while hardly perturbing the latter. We uncover a deep connection between the operational task of embezzling entanglement and the mathematical classification of von Neumann algebras. Our result implies that relativistic quantum fields are universal embezzlers: any entangled state of any dimension can be embezzled from them with arbitrary precision. This provides an operational characterization of the infinite amount of entanglement present in the vacuum state of relativistic quantum field theories.
This paper explores the intricate connections between various algebraic structures—Banach algebras, C*-algebras, and von Neumann algebras—and their profound implications for the theory of quantum entanglement and quantum information. We establish a comprehensive framework that bridges the abstract concepts of functional analysis with the concrete demands of quantum mechanics. Beginning with the foundational properties of Banach algebras, we progressively introduce C*-algebras as a natural setting for quantum observables and states, followed by von Neumann algebras, which are essential for describing quantum measurement and infinite-dimensional quantum systems. A central focus is to delineate how quantum entanglement, a cornerstone resource in quantum information science, can be rigorously characterized and quantified within this hierarchical algebraic framework. We integrate recent game-theoretic approaches to quantum information, providing new perspectives on quantum relative entropy, mutual information, and channel capacity. By demonstrating how the rich structure of C*-algebras acts as a pivotal bridge, we illuminate the mathematical coherence underlying the transition from general algebraic concepts to the specialized domain of quantum information processing, offering a unified view of quantum phenomena. The work also delves into the operational justifications for these algebraic descriptions, particularly in the context of infinite quantum systems.