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Physical Review A

Minimum-Bayes-cost discrimination for symmetric quantum states

Kenji Nakahira, Tsuyoshi Sasaki Usuda

Published Dec 6, 2012• 5 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We derive the measurement strategy that optimizes the Bayes criterion, not necessarily the strategy minimizing the error probability, for distinguishing between collections of quantum states. We present a sufficient condition concerning the rank of each detection operator of an optimal measurement for the Bayes criterion. We also derive an analytical expression for an optimal measurement for the Bayes criterion for an Abelian geometrically uniform state set or for a cyclic state set under a certain constraint.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.86.062305

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We derive the measurement strategy that optimizes the Bayes criterion, not necessarily the strategy minimizing the error probability, for distinguishing between collections of quantum states. We present a sufficient condition concerning the rank of each detection operator of an optimal measurement for the Bayes criterion. We also derive an analytical expression for an optimal measurement for the Bayes criterion for an Abelian geometrically uniform state set or for a cyclic state set under a certain constraint.
We address a broad class of optimization problems of finding quantum measurements, which includes the problems of finding an optimal measurement in the Bayes criterion and a measurement maximizing the average correct probability with a fixed rate of inconclusive results. Our approach can deal with any problem in which each of the objective and constraint functions is formulated by the sum of the traces of the multiplication of a Hermitian operator and a detection operator. We first derive dual problems and necessary and sufficient conditions for an optimal measurement. We also consider the minimax version of these problems and provide necessary and sufficient conditions for a minimax solution. Finally, for optimization problem having a certain symmetry, there exists an optimal solution with the same symmetry. Examples are shown to illustrate how our results can be used.
Distinguishing different quantum states is a fundamental task having practical applications in information processing. Despite the effort devoted so far, however, strategies for optimal discrimination are known only for specific examples. In this paper we consider the problem of minimum-error quantum state discrimination where one attempts to minimize the average error. We show the general structure of minimum-error state discrimination as well as useful properties to derive analytic solutions. Based on the general structure, we present a geometric formulation of the problem, which can be applied to cases where quantum state geometry is clear. We also introduce equivalent classes of sets of quantum states in terms of minimum-error discrimination: sets of quantum states in an equivalent class that share the same guessing probability. In particular, for qubit states where the state geometry is found with the Bloch sphere, we illustrate that for an arbitrary set of qubit states, the minimum-error state discrimination with equal prior probabilities can be analytically solved, that is, optimal measurement and the guessing probability are explicitly obtained.
We consider the problem of discrimination between a set of quantum states with the maximum probability of correct detection for a fixed rate of inconclusive results. We show that this type of measurement can be decomposed into two steps. The first step is the discrimination of whether the measurement result is inconclusive. The second step, which is performed in the case in which a conclusive result was obtained, is minimum error discrimination of output states of the first step. Using this result, we derive a closed-form analytical expression for an optimal measurement for both a geometrically uniform pure-state set and a set of binary doubly symmetric mixed states for any probability of an inconclusive result.
We derive some properties of minimum-error measurements for mixed quantum state signals where a density operator itself has a certain symmetry. In the first case, we show that if there exists a regular normal operator that commutes with each density operator of mixed state signals, then there exists an optimal measurement that consists of detection operators expressed as the direct sum of positive operators with supports in the eigenspaces of the regular normal operator. In the second case, we show that for abelian geometrically uniform state signals, if a matrix which represents one of the signals in a certain basis has all real elements, then the matrix which represents the corresponding detection operator of an optimal measurement in that basis also has all real elements. In addition, we discuss some examples of applications of these properties and derive analytical solutions of optimal measurements for special cases.
This paper introduces a novel class of upper and lower bounds for a set of Hermitian operators with KKK elements. These bounds, derived from the L\"owner partial ordering, represent the maximal lower and minimal upper bounds for a pair of Hermitian operators. Additionally, the paper redefines the minimum Bayes cost and minimum error quantum state discrimination problems by identifying the maximal lower and minimal upper bounds for quantum density operators. These proposed bounds are then utilized to establish a tight bound for the error probability of quantum state discrimination problem. Furthermore, the paper provides a geometric interpretation of these bounds, offering valuable insights into the quantum state discrimination problem and aiding in the understanding of the optimal measurement strategy, especially for qubits.
We study an optimum measurement for quantum state discrimination, which maximizes the probability of correct results when the probability of inconclusive results is fixed at a given value. The measurement describes minimum-error discrimination if this value is zero, while under certain conditions it corresponds to optimized maximum-confidence discrimination, or to optimum unambiguous discrimination, respectively, when the fixed value reaches a definite minimum. Using operator conditions that determine the optimum measurement, we derive analytical solutions for the discrimination of two mixed qubit states, including the case of two pure states occurring with arbitrary prior probabilities, and for the discrimination of NNN symmetric states, both pure and mixed. We also consider a case where the given density operators resolve the identity operator, and we specify the optimality conditions for partially symmetric states. Moreover, we show that from the complete solution for arbitrary values of the fixed rate of inconclusive results one can always obtain the optimum measurement in another strategy where the error rate is fixed, and vice versa.