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The Journal of Chemical Physics

Distance and entropy for density matrices

John E. Harriman

Published Nov 22, 2001• 2 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Density matrices for systems with a finite number of states are considered as elements in a vector space. A density matrix that is a convex combination of density matrices that are unitary transformations of some initial density matrix will be closer to, or possibly at the same distance from, the density matrix for the ensemble in which all states are equally occupied, compared with the initial density matrix. This distance is correlated, for few-state systems, with a function simply related to the entropy. This function increases (entropy decreases) with distance from the equal-occupancy density matrix. Other properties of the function are also established.

DOI
10.1063/1.1412877

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Density matrices for systems with a finite number of states are considered as elements in a vector space. A density matrix that is a convex combination of density matrices that are unitary transformations of some initial density matrix will be closer to, or possibly at the same distance from, the density matrix for the ensemble in which all states are equally occupied, compared with the initial density matrix. This distance is correlated, for few-state systems, with a function simply related to the entropy. This function increases (entropy decreases) with distance from the equal-occupancy density matrix. Other properties of the function are also established.
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We present the modified relative entropy of entanglement for multi-party systems by a given relative density matrix which is spanned by a linear combination of the direct products of so-called basis of relative density matrices and reduced density matrices for every party. For three qubit system in a pure state we derive out the explicit and closed expression of our relative density matrix which is a function of the components of the state vector of three qubits. Through computing the modified relative entropy of entanglement of some important and interesting examples, we display the main behaviors and elementary properties of the modified relative entropy of entanglement and compare it with the generalized entanglement of formation. Moreover, we also propose an assistant, as the upper bound, of the modified relative entropy of entanglement.
A transition matrix can be constructed through the partial contraction of two given quantum states. We analyze and compare four different definitions of entropy for transition matrices, including (modified) pseudo entropy, SVD entropy, and ABB entropy. We examine the probabilistic interpretation of each entropy measure and show that only the distillation interpretation of ABB entropy corresponds to the joint success probability of distilling entanglement between the two quantum states used to construct the transition matrix. Combining the transition matrix with preceding measurements and subsequent non-unitary operations, the ABB entropy either decreases or remains unchanged, whereas the (modified) pseudo entropy and SVD entropy may increase or decrease. We further apply these entropy measures to transition matrices constructed from several ensembles: (i) pairs of independent Haar-random states; (ii) bi-orthogonal eigenstates of non-Hermitian random systems; and (iii) bi-orthogonal states in PT P T -symmetric systems near their exceptional points. Across all cases considered, the SVD and ABB entropies of the transition matrix closely mirror the behavior of the subsystem entanglement entropy of a single random state, in contrast to the (modified) pseudo entropy, which can exceed the bound of subsystem size, fail to scale with system size, or even take complex values.
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Given the algebra of observables of a quantum system subject to selection rules, a state can be represented by different density matrices. As a result, different von Neumann entropies can be associated with the same state. Motivated by a minimality property of the von Neumann entropy of a density matrix with respect to its possible decompositions into pure states, we give a purely algebraic definition of entropy for states of an algebra of observables, thus solving the above ambiguity. The entropy so-defined satisfies all the desirable thermodynamic properties and reduces to the von Neumann entropy in the quantum mechanical case. Moreover, it can be shown to be equal to the von Neumann entropy of the unique representative density matrix belonging to the operator algebra of a multiplicity-free Hilbert-space representation.