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Reviews in Mathematical Physics

ON UNCERTAINTY, BRAIDING AND ENTANGLEMENT IN GEOMETRIC QUANTUM MECHANICS

Alberto Benvegnù, Mauro Spera

Published Nov 1, 2006• 12 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Acting within the framework of geometric quantum mechanics, an interpretation of quantum uncertainty is discussed in terms of Jacobi fields, and a connection with the theory of elliptic curves is outlined, via classical integrability of Schrödinger's dynamics and the cross-ratio interpretation of quantum transition probabilities. Furthermore, a thoroughly geometrical construction of all special unitary representations of the 3-strand braid group on the quantum 1-qubit space is given, and the connection of one of them with elliptic curves admitting complex multiplication automorphisms — the physically relevant one corresponding to the anharmonic ratio — is shown. Also, contact is made with the Temperley–Lieb algebra theoretic constructions of Kauffman and Lomonaco, and it is shown that the standard trace relative to one of the above representations computes the Jones polynomial for particular values of the parameter, for knots arising as closures of 3-strand braids. Subsequently, a geometric entanglement criterion (in terms of Segre embeddings) is discussed, together with a projective geometrical portrait for quantum 2-gates. Finally, Aravind's idea of describing quantum states via knot theory is critically analyzed, and a geometrical picture — involving a blend of SU(2)-representation theory, classical projective geometry, binary trees and Brunnian and Hopf links — is set up in order to describe successive measurements made upon generalized GHZ states, close in spirit to the quantum knot picture again devised by Kauffman and Lomonaco.

DOI
10.1142/s0129055x06002863

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Acting within the framework of geometric quantum mechanics, an interpretation of quantum uncertainty is discussed in terms of Jacobi fields, and a connection with the theory of elliptic curves is outlined, via classical integrability of Schrödinger's dynamics and the cross-ratio interpretation of quantum transition probabilities. Furthermore, a thoroughly geometrical construction of all special unitary representations of the 3-strand braid group on the quantum 1-qubit space is given, and the connection of one of them with elliptic curves admitting complex multiplication automorphisms — the physically relevant one corresponding to the anharmonic ratio — is shown. Also, contact is made with the Temperley–Lieb algebra theoretic constructions of Kauffman and Lomonaco, and it is shown that the standard trace relative to one of the above representations computes the Jones polynomial for particular values of the parameter, for knots arising as closures of 3-strand braids. Subsequently, a geometric entanglement criterion (in terms of Segre embeddings) is discussed, together with a projective geometrical portrait for quantum 2-gates. Finally, Aravind's idea of describing quantum states via knot theory is critically analyzed, and a geometrical picture — involving a blend of SU(2)-representation theory, classical projective geometry, binary trees and Brunnian and Hopf links — is set up in order to describe successive measurements made upon generalized GHZ states, close in spirit to the quantum knot picture again devised by Kauffman and Lomonaco.
Kauffman and Lomonaco (New J Phys 4:73.1–73.18, 2002. arXiv:quant-ph/0401090 , New J Phys 6:134.1–134.40, 2004) explored the idea of understanding quantum entanglement (the non-local correlation of certain properties of particles) topologically by viewing unitary entangling operators as braiding operators. In Alagic et al. (Yang–Baxter operators need quantum entanglement to distinguish knots, 2015. arXiv:1507.05979v1 ), it is shown that entanglement is a necessary condition for forming non-trivial invariants of knots from braid closures via solutions to the Yang–Baxter equation. We show that the arguments used by Alagic et al. (2015) generalize to essentially the same results for quantum invariant state summation models of knots. In one case (the unoriented swap case) we give an example of a Yang–Baxter operator, and associated quantum invariant, that can detect the Hopf link. Again this is analogous to the results of Alagic et al. (2015). We also give a class of R matrices that are entangling and are weak invariants of classical knots and links yet strong invariants of virtual knots and links. We also give an example of an SU(2) representation of the three-strand braid group that models the Jones polynomial for closures of three-strand braids. This invariant is a quantum model for the Jones polynomial restricted to three-strand braids, and it does not involve quantum entanglement. These relationships between topological braiding and quantum entanglement can be used as a framework for future work in understanding the properties of entangling gates in topological quantum computing. The paper ends with a discussion of the Aravind hypothesis about the direct relationship of knots and quantum entanglement and the ER=EPRER = EPRER=EPR E R = E P R hypothesis about the relationship of quantum entanglement with the connectivity of space. We describe how, given a background space and a quantum tensor network, to construct a new topological space that welds the network and the background space together. This construction embodies the principle that quantum entanglement and topological connectivity are intimately related.
A geometric framework for quantum mechanics arose during the mid 1970s when authors such as Cantoni explored the notion of generalized transition probabilities, and Kibble promoted the idea that the space of pure quantum states provides a natural quantum mechanical analogue for classical phase space. This central idea can be seen easily since the projection of Schrödinger's equation from a Hilbert space into the space of pure spaces is a set of Hamilton's equations. Over the intervening years considerable work has been carried out by a variety of authors and a mature description of quantum mechanics in geometric terms has emerged with many applications. This current offering would seem ideally placed to review the last thirty years of progress and relate this to the most recent work in quantum entanglement. Bengtsson and Zyczkowski's beautifully illustrated volume, Geometry of Quantum States (referred to as GQS from now on) attempts to cover considerable ground in its 466 pages. Its topics range from colour theory in Chapter 1 to quantum entanglement in Chapter 15—to say that this is a whirlwind tour is, perhaps, no understatement. The use of the work 'introduction' in the subtitle of GQS , might suggest to the reader that this work be viewed as a textbook and I think that this interpretation would be incorrect. The authors have chosen to present a survey of different topics with the specific aim to introduce entanglement in geometric terms—the book is not intended as a pedagogical introduction to the geometric approach to quantum mechanics. Each of the fifteen chapters is a short, and mostly self-contained, essay on a particular aspect or application of geometry in the context of quantum mechanics with entanglement being addressed specifically in the final chapter. The chapters fall into three classifications: those concerned with the mathematical background, those which discuss quantum theory and the foundational aspects of the geometric framework, and applications of the geometric approach. The first four chapters contain the standard mathematics required to understand the rest of the material presented: specific areas in colour theory, set theory, probability theory, differential geometry and projective geometry are all covered with an eye to the material that follows. Chapter 5 starts the first real discussion of quantum theory in GQS and serves as an elegant, succinct introduction to the geometry which underlies quantum theory. This may be the most worthwhile chapter for the casual reader who wants to understand the key ideas in this field. Chapter 6 builds on the discussion in Chapter 5, introducing a group theoretic approach to understand coherent states and Chapter 7 describes a geometric tool in the form of an approach to complex projective geometry called 'the stellar representation'. Chapter 8 returns to a more purely quantum mechanical discussion as the authors turn to study the space of density matrices. This chapter completes the discussion which started in Chapter 5. Chapter 9 begins the part of the book concerned with applications of the geometric approach. From this point on the book aims, specifically, to prepare the reader for the material in Chapter 15 beginning with a discussion on the purification of mixed quantum states. In the succeeding chapters a definite choice has been made to present a geometric approach to certain quantum information problems. For example, Chapter 10 contains an extremely well formulated discussion of measurement and positive operator-valued measures with several well illustrated examples and Chapter 11 reopens the discussion of density matrices. Entropy and majorization are again revisited in Chapter 12 in much greater detail than in previous chapters. Chapters 13 and 14 concern themselves with a discussion of various metrics and their relation to the problem of distinguishing between probability distributions and their suitability as probability measures.
Abstract This paper is an introduction to relationships between quantum topology and quantum computing. We discuss unitary solutions to the YangBaxter equation that are universal quantum gates, quantum entanglement and topological entanglement, and we give an exposition of knot-theoretic recoupling theory, its relationship with topological quantum field theory and apply these methods to produce unitary representations of the braid groups that are dense in the unitary groups. Our methods are rooted in the bracket state sum model for the Jones polynomial. We give our results for a large class of representations based on values for the bracket polynomial that are roots of unity. We make a separate and self-contained study of the quantum universal Fibonacci model in this framework. We apply our results to give quantum algorithms for the computation of the colored Jones polynomials for knots and links, and the Witten-Reshetikhin-Turaev invariant of three manifolds.
Braiding operators corresponding to the third Reidemeister move in the theory of knots and links are realized in terms of parametrized unitary matrices for all dimensions. Two distinct classes are considered. Their (non-local) unitary actions on separable pure product states of three identical subsystems (say, the spin projections of three particles) are explicitly evaluated for all dimensions. This, for our classes, is shown to generate entangled superposition of four terms in the base space. The 3-body and 2-body entanglements (in three 2-body subsystems), the 3-tangles and 2-tangles are explicitly evaluated for each class. For our matrices, these are parametrized. Varying parameters they can be made to sweep over the domain (0,1).Thus braiding operators corresponding to over- and under-crossings of three braids and, on closing ends, to topologically entangled Borromean rings are shown, in another context, to generate quantum entanglements. For higher dimensions, starting with different initial triplets one can entangle by turns, each state with all the rest. A specific coupling of three angular momenta is briefly discussed to throw more light on three body entanglements.
Using the natural connection equivalent to the SU(2) Yang-Mills instanton on the quaternionic Hopf fibration of S7S^7S7 over the quaternionic projective space HP1≃S4{\bf HP}^1\simeq S^4HP1≃S4 with an SU(2)≃S3SU(2)\simeq S^3SU(2)≃S3 fiber the geometry of entanglement for two qubits is investigated. The relationship between base and fiber i.e. the twisting of the bundle corresponds to the entanglement of the qubits. The measure of entanglement can be related to the length of the shortest geodesic with respect to the Mannoury-Fubini-Study metric on HP1{\bf HP}^1HP1 between an arbitrary entangled state, and the separable state nearest to it. Using this result an interpretation of the standard Schmidt decomposition in geometric terms is given. Schmidt states are the nearest and furthest separable ones lying on, or the ones obtained by parallel transport along the geodesic passing through the entangled state. Some examples showing the correspondence between the anolonomy of the connection and entanglement via the geometric phase is shown. Connections with important notions like the Bures-metric, Uhlmann's connection, the hyperbolic structure for density matrices and anholonomic quantum computation are also pointed out.
We analyze the connections between the mathematical theory of knots and quantum physics by addressing a number of algorithmic questions related to both knots and braid groups. Knots can be distinguished by means of “knot invariants,” among which the Jones polynomial plays a prominent role, since it can be associated with observables in topological quantum field theory. Although the problem of computing the Jones polynomial is intractable in the framework of classical complexity theory, it has been recently recognized that a quantum computer is capable of approximating it in an efficient way. The quantum algorithms discussed here represent a breakthrough for quantum computation, since approximating the Jones polynomial is actually a “universal problem,” namely, the hardest problem that a quantum computer can efficiently handle.