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Physical Review A

Logical reversibility in quantum measurement: General theory and specific examples

Masahito Ueda, Nobuyuki Imoto, Hiroshi Nagaoka

Published Jun 1, 1996• 45 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A measurement process is logically reversible if the premeasurement density operator of the measured system is uniquely determined from the postmeasurement density operator and the outcome of the measurement. This paper analyzes the necessary and sufficient condition for a measurement process to be logically reversible and discusses specific examples on quantum-nondemolition measurements, quantum counting, and measurement of spin systems. It is shown that for any sharp measurement we can construct a logically reversible measurement that continuously approaches the sharp measurement with a decrease in the measurement error. A general condition for a measurement process to be reversed by another with a nonzero probability of success is given, and the implications of such physical reversibility are discussed. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.53.3808

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A measurement process is logically reversible if the premeasurement density operator of the measured system is uniquely determined from the postmeasurement density operator and the outcome of the measurement. This paper analyzes the necessary and sufficient condition for a measurement process to be logically reversible and discusses specific examples on quantum-nondemolition measurements, quantum counting, and measurement of spin systems. It is shown that for any sharp measurement we can construct a logically reversible measurement that continuously approaches the sharp measurement with a decrease in the measurement error. A general condition for a measurement process to be reversed by another with a nonzero probability of success is given, and the implications of such physical reversibility are discussed. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
A quantum measurement is logically reversible if the premeasurement density operator of the measured system can be calculated from the postmeasurement density operator and from the outcome of the measurement. This paper analyzes why many quantum measurements are logically irreversible, shows how to make them logically reversible, and discusses reversing measurement that returns the postmeasurement state to the premeasurement state by another measurement (physical reversibility). Reversing measurement and unitarily reversible quantum operation are compared from the viewpoint of error correction in quantum computation.
A quantum measurement is logically reversible if the premeasurement density operator of the measured system can be calculated from the postmeasurement density operator and from the outcome of the measurement. This paper analyzes why many quantum measurements are logically irreversible, shows how to make them logically reversible, and discusses reversing measurement that returns the postmeasurement state to the premeasurement state by another measurement (physical reversibility). Reversing measurement and unitarily reversible quantum operation are compared from the viewpoint of error correction in quantum computation. 1.
A measurement procedure on a spin 1/2 system is described, whose effect on the (possibly unknown) state of the system can be reversed, by means of other similar measurements, with a sizable probability of success Prev{P}^{\mathrm{rev}}Prev (e.g., 12<Prev<1\frac{1}{2}<{P}^{\mathrm{rev}}<121​<Prev<1, depending on the state). Repeated such measurements followed by reversal, on a single system, allow us to determine its (a priori unknown) state operator with a probability of success which is nonzero, though extremely small (because Prev<1{P}^{\mathrm{rev}}<1Prev<1).
We show that any unitary transformation performed on the quantum state of a closed quantum system describes an inner, reversible, generalized quantum measurement. We also show that under some specific conditions it is possible to perform a unitary transformation on the state of the closed quantum system by means of a collection of generalized measurement operators. In particular, given a complete set of orthogonal projectors, it is possible to implement a reversible quantum measurement that preserves the probabilities. In this context, we introduce the concept of "Truth-Observable", which is the physical counterpart of an inner logical truth.