© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

Terms Privacy Legal Notice

arXiv:2603.13946

Generalized Inverses of Quantum Channels: a categorical perspective

Robin Cockett, Jean-Simon Pacaud Lemay, Priyaa Varshinee Srinivasan

quant-phmath.CTSubmitted Mar 14, 2026• Announced Mar 17, 2026• 0 citations

Abstract

A quantum channel is defined as being completely positive (CP) and trace preserving (TP). While not every quantum channel is invertible or reversible, every quantum channel admits various kinds of generalized inverses such as the Moore-Penrose inverse and the Drazin inverse. A generalized inverse of a quantum channel may not itself be a quantum channel: it often fails to be CP. However, generalized inverses still play an important role in quantum error mitigation. Here, because it is often desirable for the generalized inverse of a quantum channel to be at least TP, the Drazin inverse, which is TP, is favoured over the Moore-Penrose inverse, which is not in general TP. In this paper, we take a categorical perspective on generalized inverses of quantum channels. This allows us to give a simple proof of the fact that the Drazin inverse of a quantum channel is always TP. It also allows us to show that for unital quantum channels, the Drazin inverse is also unital. We then generalize this result to dagger Drazin inverses, which allows us to show that for unital quantum channels, the Moore-Penrose inverse is both TP and unital as well. This opens the door to new applications of both the Drazin inverse and Moore-Penrose inverse in quantum information theory and, in particular, in quantum error mitigation.

Related papers

Quasi-inversion of qubit channels

Vahid Karimipour, Fabio Benatti, Roberto Floreanini B

In general quantum operations, or quantum channels cannot be inverted by physical operations, i.e., by completely positive trace-preserving maps. An arbitrary state passing through a quantum channel loses its fidelity with the input. Given a quantum channel $\mathcal{E}$, we discuss the concept of its quasi-inverse as a completely positive trace-preserving map ${\mathcal{E}}^{qi}$ which when composed with $\mathcal{E}$ increases its average input-output fidelity in an optimal way. The channel ${\mathcal{E}}^{qi}$ comes as close as possible to the inverse of a quantum channel. We give a complete classification of such maps for qubit channels and provide quite a few illustrative examples.

arXiv:1909.06118•Physical Review A•Mar 16, 2020•12 citations

CP-preserving channels

Indu Bala, Sourav Das, Swapan Rana

Completely positive (CP) matrices are ubiquitous in modern science and technology with applications in optimization, graph theory, and quantum entanglement. Recently, Johnston \emph{et al.} [Linear Algebra and its Applications, 2022] have cast CP matrices into the framework of quantum resource theories, where CP states serve as free states and CP-preserving channels act as free operations. This work addresses several questions raised in their work. Specifically, we provide the necessary and sufficient conditions of CP-preserving channels in small dimensions, which are necessary in higher dimensions, and discuss the resource quantification via the trace distance of non-negativity. By constructing an explicit counterexample, we demonstrate that the trace-distance measure of non-negativity violates strong monotonicity. We also provide an alternative proof that every CPDNN channel $Φ:\MM_n\to \MM_2$ is CPCP. Additionally, we show that any unital CPDNN map $Φ:\MM_2\to \MM_n$ is also CPCP.

quant-pharXiv:2607.24682•Jul 28, 2026•0 citations

Generalized multiplicative domains and quantum error correction

Nathaniel Johnston, David W. Kribs

Given a completely positive map, we introduce a set of algebras that we refer to as its generalized multiplicative domains. These algebras are generalizations of the traditional multiplicative domain of a completely positive map, and we derive a characterization of them in the unital, trace-preserving case, in other words the case of unital quantum channels, that extends Choi’s characterization of the multiplicative domains of unital maps. We also derive a characterization that is in the same flavour as a well-known characterization of bimodules, and we use these algebras to provide a new representation-theoretic description of quantum error-correcting codes that extends previous results for unitarily-correctable codes, noiseless subsystems and decoherence-free subspaces.

arXiv:1004.5112•Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society•Oct 27, 2010•12 citations

Multiplicative properties of quantum channels

Mizanur Rahaman

Abstract In this paper, we study the multiplicative behaviour of quantum channels, mathematically described by trace preserving, completely positive maps on matrix algebras. It turns out that the multiplicative domain of a unital quantum channel has a close connection to its spectral properties. A structure theorem (theorem 2.5), which reveals the automorphic property of an arbitrary unital quantum channel on a subalgebra, is presented. Various classes of quantum channels (irreducible, primitive, etc) are then analysed in terms of this stabilising subalgebra. The notion of the multiplicative index of a unital quantum channel is introduced, which measures the number of times a unital channel needs to be composed with itself for the multiplicative algebra to stabilise. We show that the maps that have trivial multiplicative domains are dense in completely bounded norm topology in the set of all unital completely positive maps. Some applications in quantum information theory are discussed.

arXiv:1701.06205•Journal of Physics A Mathematical and Theoretical•Jun 23, 2017•20 citations

Twenty-one characterizations of reversible quantum channels

Nan Li, Yuan Li, Hanyu Yang +1 more

Reversible quantum channels play a fundamental role in quantum dynamics and quantum information processing. A quantum channel is reversible if there exists another quantum channel acting as its left inverse. Due to their intrinsic significance and wide applications, it is desirable to characterize reversible quantum channels from diverse perspectives. In this work, we study reversible quantum channels on finite-dimensional Hilbert spaces, with particular emphasis on the case of different input and output dimensions. We systematically present twenty-one equivalent characterizations of reversible quantum channels from algebraic, geometrical, and information-theoretical perspectives. Among these characterizations, some are well known, while others, implicit in the literature or formulated in other contexts, are clarified here; the Choi-state characterization is derived in this work. Specifically, we prove that the Choi states of reversible quantum channels admit three equivalent forms: the spectral, direct-sum, and tensor-product representations. These twenty-one equivalent characterizations establish a comprehensive framework for reversible quantum channels, provide diverse insights into the structural and information-theoretic properties of quantum channels, and facilitate applications of reversibility in quantum information processing such as quantum error correction, quantum teleportation, and quantum thermodynamics.

quant-pharXiv:2608.01088•Communications in Theoretical Physics•Aug 4, 2026•0 citations

Quasi-inverse of qubit channels for mixed states

Muhammad Faizan, Muhammad Faryad

We found the quasi inverse of qubit channels as a unitary map, $\mathcal{E}^i$, by minimizing the average trace distance between the input state to the channel and the output of the quasi inverse channel for arbitrary qubit channel $\mathcal{E}$ and for arbitrary input states. The channel $\mathcal{E}$ was assumed completely positive and trace-preserving. To find the quasi inverse for mixed states, we proposed an alternative definition of the quasi inverse based on the mean square of the trace distance (MSTD) of a channel. The definition based on the trace distance allowed easy generalization of the quasi inverse to mixed input states. The quasi inverse of the Pauli, generalized amplitude damping, mixed unitary, and tetrahedron channels calculated based on the MSTD agreed with the one computed using average fidelity in the special case of input states being pure.

arXiv:2410.02414•Physical Review A•Jun 24, 2025•0 citations

A quantum channel is defined as being completely positive (CP) and trace preserving (TP). While not every quantum channel is invertible or reversible, every quantum channel admits various kinds of generalized inverses such as the Moore-Penrose inverse and the Drazin inverse. A generalized inverse of a quantum channel may not itself be a quantum channel: it often fails to be CP. However, generalized inverses still play an important role in quantum error mitigation. Here, because it is often desirable for the generalized inverse of a quantum channel to be at least TP, the Drazin inverse, which is TP, is favoured over the Moore-Penrose inverse, which is not in general TP.

In this paper, we take a categorical perspective on generalized inverses of quantum channels. This allows us to give a simple proof of the fact that the Drazin inverse of a quantum channel is always TP. It also allows us to show that for unital quantum channels, the Drazin inverse is also unital. We then generalize this result to dagger Drazin inverses, which allows us to show that for unital quantum channels, the Moore-Penrose inverse is both TP and unital as well. This opens the door to new applications of both the Drazin inverse and Moore-Penrose inverse in quantum information theory and, in particular, in quantum error mitigation.

In general quantum operations, or quantum channels cannot be inverted by physical operations, i.e., by completely positive trace-preserving maps. An arbitrary state passing through a quantum channel loses its fidelity with the input. Given a quantum channel

\mathcal{E}

, we discuss the concept of its quasi-inverse as a completely positive trace-preserving map

{\mathcal{E}}^{qi}

which when composed with

\mathcal{E}

increases its average input-output fidelity in an optimal way. The channel

{\mathcal{E}}^{qi}

comes as close as possible to the inverse of a quantum channel. We give a complete classification of such maps for qubit channels and provide quite a few illustrative examples.

Completely positive (CP) matrices are ubiquitous in modern science and technology with applications in optimization, graph theory, and quantum entanglement. Recently, Johnston \emph{et al.} [Linear Algebra and its Applications, 2022] have cast CP matrices into the framework of quantum resource theories, where CP states serve as free states and CP-preserving channels act as free operations. This work addresses several questions raised in their work. Specifically, we provide the necessary and sufficient conditions of CP-preserving channels in small dimensions, which are necessary in higher dimensions, and discuss the resource quantification via the trace distance of non-negativity. By constructing an explicit counterexample, we demonstrate that the trace-distance measure of non-negativity violates strong monotonicity. We also provide an alternative proof that every CPDNN channel $Φ:\MM_n\to \MM_2$ is CPCP. Additionally, we show that any unital CPDNN map $Φ:\MM_2\to \MM_n$ is also CPCP.

Given a completely positive map, we introduce a set of algebras that we refer to as its generalized multiplicative domains. These algebras are generalizations of the traditional multiplicative domain of a completely positive map, and we derive a characterization of them in the unital, trace-preserving case, in other words the case of unital quantum channels, that extends Choi’s characterization of the multiplicative domains of unital maps. We also derive a characterization that is in the same flavour as a well-known characterization of bimodules, and we use these algebras to provide a new representation-theoretic description of quantum error-correcting codes that extends previous results for unitarily-correctable codes, noiseless subsystems and decoherence-free subspaces.

Abstract In this paper, we study the multiplicative behaviour of quantum channels, mathematically described by trace preserving, completely positive maps on matrix algebras. It turns out that the multiplicative domain of a unital quantum channel has a close connection to its spectral properties. A structure theorem (theorem 2.5), which reveals the automorphic property of an arbitrary unital quantum channel on a subalgebra, is presented. Various classes of quantum channels (irreducible, primitive, etc) are then analysed in terms of this stabilising subalgebra. The notion of the multiplicative index of a unital quantum channel is introduced, which measures the number of times a unital channel needs to be composed with itself for the multiplicative algebra to stabilise. We show that the maps that have trivial multiplicative domains are dense in completely bounded norm topology in the set of all unital completely positive maps. Some applications in quantum information theory are discussed.

Reversible quantum channels play a fundamental role in quantum dynamics and quantum information processing. A quantum channel is reversible if there exists another quantum channel acting as its left inverse. Due to their intrinsic significance and wide applications, it is desirable to characterize reversible quantum channels from diverse perspectives. In this work, we study reversible quantum channels on finite-dimensional Hilbert spaces, with particular emphasis on the case of different input and output dimensions. We systematically present twenty-one equivalent characterizations of reversible quantum channels from algebraic, geometrical, and information-theoretical perspectives. Among these characterizations, some are well known, while others, implicit in the literature or formulated in other contexts, are clarified here; the Choi-state characterization is derived in this work. Specifically, we prove that the Choi states of reversible quantum channels admit three equivalent forms: the spectral, direct-sum, and tensor-product representations. These twenty-one equivalent characterizations establish a comprehensive framework for reversible quantum channels, provide diverse insights into the structural and information-theoretic properties of quantum channels, and facilitate applications of reversibility in quantum information processing such as quantum error correction, quantum teleportation, and quantum thermodynamics.

We found the quasi inverse of qubit channels as a unitary map,

\mathcal{E}^i

, by minimizing the average trace distance between the input state to the channel and the output of the quasi inverse channel for arbitrary qubit channel

\mathcal{E}

and for arbitrary input states. The channel

\mathcal{E}

was assumed completely positive and trace-preserving. To find the quasi inverse for mixed states, we proposed an alternative definition of the quasi inverse based on the mean square of the trace distance (MSTD) of a channel. The definition based on the trace distance allowed easy generalization of the quasi inverse to mixed input states. The quasi inverse of the Pauli, generalized amplitude damping, mixed unitary, and tetrahedron channels calculated based on the MSTD agreed with the one computed using average fidelity in the special case of input states being pure.