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Geometrical Construction of MUBS and SIC-POVMS for Spin-1 Systems

Tenzin Kalden

Published Apr 28, 2016• 0 citations
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Abstract

The objective of this thesis is to use the Majorana description of a spin-1 system to give a geometrical construction of a maximal set of Mutually Unbiased Bases (MUBs) and Symmetric Informationally Complete Positive Operator Valued Measures (SIC-POVMs) for this system. In the Majorana Approach, an arbitrary pure state of a spin-1 system is represented by a pair of points on the Reimann sphere, or a pair of unit vectors (known as Majorana vectors or M-vectors). Spin-1 states can be of three types: those whose vectors are parallel, those whose vectors are antiparallel and those whose vectors make an arbitrary angle. The types of bases possible for a spin-1 system are thus geometrically much more varied than for a spin-half system or qubit, which is the standard unit of information storage in most quantum protocols. Our derivation of the MUBs and SIC-POVMs proceeds from a recently derived expression for the squared overlap of two spin-1 states in terms of their M-vectors and the minimal additional set of assumptions that are needed. These assumptions include time-reversal invariance in the case of the MUBs and the requirement of three-fold symmetry in the case of the SIC-POVMs. The applications of these results to problems in quantum information are mentioned.

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MUBs and SIC-POVMs of a spin-1 system from the Majorana approach

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In the Majorana or stellar representation of quantum states, an arbitrary (pure) state of a spin-1 system is represented by a pair of points on the unit sphere or, equivalently, by a pair of unit vectors. This paper presents an expression for the squared modulus of the inner product of two spin-1 states in terms of their Majorana vectors and uses it to give a geometrical construction of the MUBs and SIC-POVMs of a spin-1 system. The results are not new and duplicate those obtained earlier by other methods, but the Majorana approach nevertheless illuminates them from an unusual point of view. In particular, it reveals the MUBs and SICs as symmetrical collections of vectors in ordinary three-dimensional space, rather than as rays in a projective Hilbert space. While it does not appear feasible to extend this treatment to higher spin systems, the spin-1 case exhibits sufficient subtlety and complexity to be worth spelling out for its pedagogical and historical interest.

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Majorana Treatment of Spin-1 System

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The objective of this project is to use the Majorana description of a spin-1 system to examine many of its properties. In the Majorana approach, an arbitrary pure state of a spin-1 system is represented by a pair of points on the unit sphere, or a pair of unit vectors. An expression is derived for the squared overlap of two states in terms of their Majorana (or M-) vectors and used to work out all the orthogonalities and bases that are possible for the three geometrically distinct types of spin-1 states. Finally, a geometrical construction is given of a set of mutually unbiased bases for a spin-1 system. The applications of this result to problems in quantum information are mentioned.

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SIC-POVMS and MUBS: Geometrical Relationships in Prime Dimension

D. M. Appleby, Luigi Accardi, Guillaume Adenier +5 more

The paper concerns Weyl-Heisenberg covariant SIC-POVMs (symmetric informationally complete positive operator valued measures) and full sets of MUBs (mutually unbiased bases) in prime dimension. When represented as vectors in generalized Bloch space a SIC-POVM forms a d^2-1 dimensional regular simplex (d being the Hilbert space dimension). By contrast, the generalized Bloch vectors representing a full set of MUBs form d+1 mutually orthogonal d-1 dimensional regular simplices. In this paper we show that, in the Weyl-Heisenberg case, there are some simple geometrical relationships between the single SIC-POVM simplex and the d+1 MUB simplices. We go on to give geometrical interpretations of the minimum uncertainty states introduced by Wootters and Sussman, and by Appleby, Dang and Fuchs, and of the fiduciality condition given by Appleby, Dang and Fuchs.

arXiv:0905.1428•AIP conference proceedings•Jan 1, 2009•24 citations

SIC-POVMS AND MUBS: GEOMETRICAL RELATIONSHIPS IN PRIME DIMENSION

D. M. Appleby

The paper concerns Weyl-Heisenberg covariant SIC-POVMs (symmetric informationally complete positive operator valued measures) and full sets of MUBs (mutually unbiased bases) in prime dimension. When represented as vectors in generalized Bloch space a SIC-POVM forms a d 2 − 1 dimensional regular simplex (d being the Hilbert space dimension). By contrast, the generalized Bloch vectors representing a full set of MUBs form d + 1 mutually orthogonal d − 1 dimensional regular simplices. In this paper we show that, in the Weyl-Heisenberg case, there are some simple geometrical relationships between the single SIC-POVM simplex and the d + 1 MUB simplices. We go on to give geometrical interpretations of the minimum uncertainty states introduced by Wootters and Sussman, and by Appleby, Dang and Fuchs, and of the fiduciality condition given by Appleby, Dang and Fuchs. 1

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Mutually unbiased bases, spherical designs, and frames

Andreas Klappenecker, Martin Roetteler

The principle of complementarity lies at the heart of quantum mechanics. In finite dimensional quantum systems this principle is captured by pairs of observables which are given by mutually unbiased bases (MUBs). Two orthonormal bases B and C of Cd are mutually unbiased if |<b|c>|2 = 1/d holds for all vectors b ∈ B and c ∈ C. This implies that whenever we are given a vector from one of these bases and perform a measurement with respect to any other of the bases, then there is no information gained from this measurement. A basic question about MUBs is how many of them can be found in a given dimension d. While constructions of maximal sets of d+1 such bases are known for system of prime power dimension d, it is unknown whether this bound can be achieved for any non-prime power dimension. We review the known constructions of MUBs and demonstrate that maximal sets of MUBs come with a rich combinatorial structure by showing that they actually are the same objects as the complex projective 2-designs with angle set {0,1/d}. Furthermore, we address the problem of constructing positive operator-valued measures (POVMs) in finite dimension d consisting of d2 operators of rank one which have an inner product equal to uniform or very close to uniform. This is motivated by the related question of constructing symmetric informationally complete POVMs (SIC-POVMs) for which the inner products are perfectly uniform. We also give a simple proof of the fact that symmetric informationally complete POVMs are complex projective 2-designs with angle set {1/(d+1)}. Moreover, we show that MUBs and SIC-POVMs form uniform tight frames in Cd.

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On approximately symmetric informationally complete positive operator-valued measures and related systems of quantum states

Andreas Klappenecker, Martin Rötteler, Igor E. Shparlinski +1 more

We address the problem of constructing positive operator-valued measures (POVMs) in finite dimension n consisting of n2 operators of rank one which have an inner product close to uniform. This is motivated by the related question of constructing symmetric informationally complete POVMs (SIC-POVMs) for which the inner products are perfectly uniform. However, SIC-POVMs are notoriously hard to construct and, despite some success of constructing them numerically, there is no analytic construction known. We present two constructions of approximate versions of SIC-POVMs, where a small deviation from uniformity of the inner products is allowed. The first construction is based on selecting vectors from a maximal collection of mutually unbiased bases and works whenever the dimension of the system is a prime power. The second construction is based on perturbing the matrix elements of a subset of mutually unbiased bases. Moreover, we construct vector systems in Cn which are almost orthogonal and which might turn out to be useful for quantum computation. Our constructions are based on results of analytic number theory.

arXiv:quant-ph/0503239•Journal of Mathematical Physics•Aug 1, 2005•62 citations
The objective of this thesis is to use the Majorana description of a spin-1 system to give a geometrical construction of a maximal set of Mutually Unbiased Bases (MUBs) and Symmetric Informationally Complete Positive Operator Valued Measures (SIC-POVMs) for this system. In the Majorana Approach, an arbitrary pure state of a spin-1 system is represented by a pair of points on the Reimann sphere, or a pair of unit vectors (known as Majorana vectors or M-vectors). Spin-1 states can be of three types: those whose vectors are parallel, those whose vectors are antiparallel and those whose vectors make an arbitrary angle. The types of bases possible for a spin-1 system are thus geometrically much more varied than for a spin-half system or qubit, which is the standard unit of information storage in most quantum protocols. Our derivation of the MUBs and SIC-POVMs proceeds from a recently derived expression for the squared overlap of two spin-1 states in terms of their M-vectors and the minimal additional set of assumptions that are needed. These assumptions include time-reversal invariance in the case of the MUBs and the requirement of three-fold symmetry in the case of the SIC-POVMs. The applications of these results to problems in quantum information are mentioned.
In the Majorana or stellar representation of quantum states, an arbitrary (pure) state of a spin-1 system is represented by a pair of points on the unit sphere or, equivalently, by a pair of unit vectors. This paper presents an expression for the squared modulus of the inner product of two spin-1 states in terms of their Majorana vectors and uses it to give a geometrical construction of the MUBs and SIC-POVMs of a spin-1 system. The results are not new and duplicate those obtained earlier by other methods, but the Majorana approach nevertheless illuminates them from an unusual point of view. In particular, it reveals the MUBs and SICs as symmetrical collections of vectors in ordinary three-dimensional space, rather than as rays in a projective Hilbert space. While it does not appear feasible to extend this treatment to higher spin systems, the spin-1 case exhibits sufficient subtlety and complexity to be worth spelling out for its pedagogical and historical interest.
The objective of this project is to use the Majorana description of a spin-1 system to examine many of its properties. In the Majorana approach, an arbitrary pure state of a spin-1 system is represented by a pair of points on the unit sphere, or a pair of unit vectors. An expression is derived for the squared overlap of two states in terms of their Majorana (or M-) vectors and used to work out all the orthogonalities and bases that are possible for the three geometrically distinct types of spin-1 states. Finally, a geometrical construction is given of a set of mutually unbiased bases for a spin-1 system. The applications of this result to problems in quantum information are mentioned.
The paper concerns Weyl-Heisenberg covariant SIC-POVMs (symmetric informationally complete positive operator valued measures) and full sets of MUBs (mutually unbiased bases) in prime dimension. When represented as vectors in generalized Bloch space a SIC-POVM forms a d^2-1 dimensional regular simplex (d being the Hilbert space dimension). By contrast, the generalized Bloch vectors representing a full set of MUBs form d+1 mutually orthogonal d-1 dimensional regular simplices. In this paper we show that, in the Weyl-Heisenberg case, there are some simple geometrical relationships between the single SIC-POVM simplex and the d+1 MUB simplices. We go on to give geometrical interpretations of the minimum uncertainty states introduced by Wootters and Sussman, and by Appleby, Dang and Fuchs, and of the fiduciality condition given by Appleby, Dang and Fuchs.
The paper concerns Weyl-Heisenberg covariant SIC-POVMs (symmetric informationally complete positive operator valued measures) and full sets of MUBs (mutually unbiased bases) in prime dimension. When represented as vectors in generalized Bloch space a SIC-POVM forms a d 2 − 1 dimensional regular simplex (d being the Hilbert space dimension). By contrast, the generalized Bloch vectors representing a full set of MUBs form d + 1 mutually orthogonal d − 1 dimensional regular simplices. In this paper we show that, in the Weyl-Heisenberg case, there are some simple geometrical relationships between the single SIC-POVM simplex and the d + 1 MUB simplices. We go on to give geometrical interpretations of the minimum uncertainty states introduced by Wootters and Sussman, and by Appleby, Dang and Fuchs, and of the fiduciality condition given by Appleby, Dang and Fuchs. 1
The principle of complementarity lies at the heart of quantum mechanics. In finite dimensional quantum systems this principle is captured by pairs of observables which are given by mutually unbiased bases (MUBs). Two orthonormal bases B and C of Cd are mutually unbiased if |<b|c>|2 = 1/d holds for all vectors b ∈ B and c ∈ C. This implies that whenever we are given a vector from one of these bases and perform a measurement with respect to any other of the bases, then there is no information gained from this measurement. A basic question about MUBs is how many of them can be found in a given dimension d. While constructions of maximal sets of d+1 such bases are known for system of prime power dimension d, it is unknown whether this bound can be achieved for any non-prime power dimension. We review the known constructions of MUBs and demonstrate that maximal sets of MUBs come with a rich combinatorial structure by showing that they actually are the same objects as the complex projective 2-designs with angle set {0,1/d}. Furthermore, we address the problem of constructing positive operator-valued measures (POVMs) in finite dimension d consisting of d2 operators of rank one which have an inner product equal to uniform or very close to uniform. This is motivated by the related question of constructing symmetric informationally complete POVMs (SIC-POVMs) for which the inner products are perfectly uniform. We also give a simple proof of the fact that symmetric informationally complete POVMs are complex projective 2-designs with angle set {1/(d+1)}. Moreover, we show that MUBs and SIC-POVMs form uniform tight frames in Cd.
We address the problem of constructing positive operator-valued measures (POVMs) in finite dimension n consisting of n2 operators of rank one which have an inner product close to uniform. This is motivated by the related question of constructing symmetric informationally complete POVMs (SIC-POVMs) for which the inner products are perfectly uniform. However, SIC-POVMs are notoriously hard to construct and, despite some success of constructing them numerically, there is no analytic construction known. We present two constructions of approximate versions of SIC-POVMs, where a small deviation from uniformity of the inner products is allowed. The first construction is based on selecting vectors from a maximal collection of mutually unbiased bases and works whenever the dimension of the system is a prime power. The second construction is based on perturbing the matrix elements of a subset of mutually unbiased bases. Moreover, we construct vector systems in Cn which are almost orthogonal and which might turn out to be useful for quantum computation. Our constructions are based on results of analytic number theory.