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Contravariant Densities, Operational Distances and Quantum Channel Fidelities

V. P. Belavkin

Published Aug 24, 2004• 1 citation
OpenAlex

Abstract

Introducing contravariant trace-densities for quantum states, we restore one to one correspondence between quantum operations described by normal CP maps and their trace densities as Hermitian positive operator-valued contravariant kernels. The CB-norm distance between two quantum operations with type one input algebras is explicitly expressed in terms of these densities, and this formula is also extended to a generalized CB-distances between quantum operations with type two inputs. A larger C-distance is given as the natural norm-distance for the channel densities, and another, Helinger type distance, related to minimax mean square optimization problem for purification of quantum channels, is also introduced and evaluated in terms of their contravariant trace-densities. It is proved that the Helinger type complete fidelity distance between two channels is equivalent to the CB distance at least for type one inputs, and this equivalence is also extended to type two for the generalized CB distance. An operational meaning for these distances and relative complete fidelity for quantum channels is given in terms of quantum encodings as generalized entanglements of quantum states opposite to the inputs and the output states.

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Introducing contravariant trace-densities for quantum states, we restore one to one correspondence between quantum operations described by normal CP maps and their trace densities as Hermitian positive operator-valued contravariant kernels. The CB-norm distance between two quantum operations with type one input algebras is explicitly expressed in terms of these densities, and this formula is also extended to a generalized CB-distances between quantum operations with type two inputs. A larger C-distance is given as the natural norm-distance for the channel densities, and another, Helinger type distance, related to minimax mean square optimization problem for purification of quantum channels, is also introduced and evaluated in terms of their contravariant trace-densities. It is proved that the Helinger type complete fidelity distance between two channels is equivalent to the CB distance at least for type one inputs, and this equivalence is also extended to type two for the generalized CB distance. An operational meaning for these distances and relative complete fidelity for quantum channels is given in terms of quantum encodings as generalized entanglements of quantum states opposite to the inputs and the output states.
We define and study a fidelity criterion for quantum channels, which we term the minimax fidelity, through a noncommutative generalization of maximal Hellinger distance between two positive kernels in classical probability theory. Like other known fidelities for quantum channels, the minimax fidelity is well defined for channels between finite-dimensional algebras, but it also applies to a certain class of channels between infinite-dimensional algebras (explicitly, those channels that possess an operator-valued Radon-Nikodym density with respect to the trace in the sense of Belavkin-Staszewski) and induces a metric on the set of quantum channels that is topologically equivalent to the CB-norm distance between channels, precisely in the same way as the Bures metric on the density operators associated with statistical states of quantum-mechanical systems, derived from the well-known fidelity (“generalized transition probability”) of Uhlmann, is topologically equivalent to the trace-norm distance.
Entanglement fidelity quantifies how well a quantum channel preserves the correlations between a transmitted system and an inaccessible reference system. We derive closed-form expressions for the entanglement fidelity associated with several standard quantum noise models, including the random Pauli-X, dephasing, depolarizing, Werner-Holevo, generalized Pauli (Weyl), and amplitude-damping channels. For each model, we express the entanglement fidelity in terms of a general input density operator ρρρ, using Schumacher's Kraus-operator approach, which provides a channel-agnostic recipe applicable to any completely positive trace-preserving (CPTP) map with a finite Kraus representation. We then specialize to a communication scenario in which the source emits a two-letter parametric alphabet, thereby making explicit the dependence of entanglement preservation on both channel and source parameters. The resulting expressions enable direct comparisons of channel performance and rankings for representative families of input states, including common qubit states.
Entanglement fidelity quantifies how well a quantum channel preserves the correlations between a transmitted system and an inaccessible reference system. We derive closed-form expressions for the entanglement fidelity of several standard quantum noise models, including the random Pauli-XXX, dephasing, depolarizing, Werner-Holevo, generalized Pauli (Weyl), and amplitude-damping channels. For each model, we express the entanglement fidelity in terms of a general input density operatorρ{\rho}ρ, using Schumacher's Kraus-operator approach, which provides a channel-agnostic recipe for any completely positive trace-preserving map with a finite Kraus representation. We then specialize to a communication scenario in which the source emits a two-letter parametric alphabet, thereby making explicit the dependence of entanglement preservation on both channel and source parameters. The resulting expressions enable direct comparisons of channel performance and rankings for representative families of input states.
A quantum ensemble ${({p}_{x},{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{x})}$ is a set of quantum states each occurring randomly with a given probability. Quantum ensembles are necessary to describe situations with incomplete a priori information, such as the output of a stochastic quantum channel (generalized measurement), and play a central role in quantum communication. In this paper, we propose measures of distance and fidelity between two quantum ensembles. We consider two approaches: the first one is based on the ability to mimic one ensemble given the other one as a resource and is closely related to the Monge-Kantorovich optimal transportation problem, while the second one uses the idea of extended-Hilbert-space (EHS) representations which introduce auxiliary pointer (or flag) states. Both types of measures enjoy a number of desirable properties. The Kantorovich measures, albeit monotonic under deterministic quantum operations, are not monotonic under generalized measurements. In contrast, the EHS measures are. This property can be regarded as a generalization of the monotonicity under deterministic maps of the trace distance and the fidelity between states. The EHS measures are equivalent to convex optimization problems and are bounded by the Kantorovich measures which are equivalent to linear programs. We present operational interpretations for both types of measures. We also show that the EHS fidelity between ensembles provides an interpretation of the fidelity between mixed states as the fidelity between all pure-state ensembles whose averages are equal to the mixed states being compared. We finally use the measures to define distance and fidelity for stochastic quantum channels and positive operator-valued measures. These quantities may be useful in the context of tomography of stochastic quantum channels and quantum detectors.
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 E\mathcal{E}E, we discuss the concept of its quasi-inverse as a completely positive trace-preserving map Eqi{\mathcal{E}}^{qi}Eqi which when composed with E\mathcal{E}E increases its average input-output fidelity in an optimal way. The channel Eqi{\mathcal{E}}^{qi}Eqi 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.
There are various notions of positivity for matrices and linear matrix-valued maps that play important roles in quantum information theory. The cones of positive semidefinite matrices and completely positive linear maps, which represent quantum states and quantum channels respectively, are the most ubiquitous positive cones. There are also many natural cones that can been regarded as "more" or "less" positive than these standard examples. In particular, entanglement theory deals with the cones of separable operators and entanglement witnesses, which satisfy very strong and weak positivity properties respectively. Rather complementary to the various cones that arise in entanglement theory are norms. The trace and operator norms for operators and the diamond and completely bounded norms for superoperators are the typical norms that are seen throughout quantum information theory. In this work our main goal is to develop a family of norms that play a role analogous to the cone of entanglement witnesses. We investigate the basic mathematical properties of these norms, including their relationships with other well-known norms, their isometry groups, and their dual norms. We also make the place of these norms in entanglement theory rigorous by showing that entanglement witnesses arise from minimal operator systems, and analogously our norms arise from minimal operator spaces. Finally, we connect the various cones and norms considered here to several seemingly unrelated problems from other areas. We characterize the problem of whether or not non-positive partial transpose bound entangled states exist in terms of one of our norms, and provide evidence in favour of their existence. We also characterize the minimum gate fidelity of a quantum channel, the maximum output purity and its completely bounded counterpart, and the geometric measure of entanglement in terms of these norms.