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Gaussian entanglement revisited

Ludovico Lami, Alessio Serafini, Gerardo Adesso

Published Feb 1, 2018• 48 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

We present a novel approach to the separability problem for Gaussian quantum states of bosonic continuous variable systems. We derive a simplified necessary and sufficient separability criterion for arbitrary Gaussian states of m versus n modes, which relies on convex optimisation over marginal covariance matrices on one subsystem only. We further revisit the currently known results stating the equivalence between separability and positive partial transposition (PPT) for specific classes of Gaussian states. Using techniques based on matrix analysis, such as Schur complements and matrix means, we then provide a unified treatment and compact proofs of all these results. In particular, we recover the PPT-separability equivalence for: (i) Gaussian states of 1 versus n modes; and (ii) isotropic Gaussian states. In passing, we also retrieve (iii) the recently established equivalence between separability of a Gaussian state and and its complete Gaussian extendability. Our techniques are then applied to progress beyond the state of the art. We prove that: (iv) Gaussian states that are invariant under partial transposition are necessarily separable; (v) the PPT criterion is necessary and sufficient for separability for Gaussian states of m versus n modes that are symmetric under the exchange of any two modes belonging to one of the parties; and (vi) Gaussian states which remain PPT under passive optical operations can not be entangled by them either. This is not a foregone conclusion per se (since Gaussian bound entangled states do exist) and settles a question that had been left unanswered in the existing literature on the subject. This paper, enjoyable by both the quantum optics and the matrix analysis communities, overall delivers technical and conceptual advances which are likely to be useful for further applications in continuous variable quantum information theory, beyond the separability problem.

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Gaussian entanglement revisited

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We present a novel approach to the separability problem for Gaussian quantum states of bosonic continuous variable systems. We derive a simplified necessary and sufficient separability criterion for arbitrary Gaussian states of m versus n modes, which relies on convex optimisation over marginal covariance matrices on one subsystem only. We further revisit the currently known results stating the equivalence between separability and positive partial transposition (PPT) for specific classes of Gaussian states. Using techniques based on matrix analysis, such as Schur complements and matrix means, we then provide a unified treatment and compact proofs of all these results. In particular, we recover the PPT-separability equivalence for: (i) Gaussian states of 1 versus n modes; and (ii) isotropic Gaussian states. In passing, we also retrieve (iii) the recently established equivalence between separability of a Gaussian state and and its complete Gaussian extendability. Our techniques are then applied to progress beyond the state of the art. We prove that: (iv) Gaussian states that are invariant under partial transposition are necessarily separable; (v) the PPT criterion is necessary and sufficient for separability for Gaussian states of m versus n modes that are symmetric under the exchange of any two modes belonging to one of the parties; and (vi) Gaussian states which remain PPT under passive optical operations can not be entangled by them either. This is not a foregone conclusion per se (since Gaussian bound entangled states do exist) and settles a question that had been left unanswered in the existing literature on the subject. This paper, enjoyable by both the quantum optics and the matrix analysis communities, overall delivers technical and conceptual advances which are likely to be useful for further applications in continuous variable quantum information theory, beyond the separability problem.

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The notion of partial trace of a density operator is essential for the understanding of the entanglement and separability properties of quantum states. In this paper, we investigate these notions putting an emphasis on the geometrical properties of the covariance ellipsoids of the reduced states. We thereafter focus on Gaussian states and we give new and easily numerically implementable sufficient conditions for the separability of all Gaussian states. Unlike the positive partial transposition criterion, none of these conditions is however necessary.

arXiv:2003.13190•Reviews in Mathematical Physics•Nov 9, 2021•4 citations
We present a novel approach to the separability problem for Gaussian quantum states of bosonic continuous variable systems. We derive a simplified necessary and sufficient separability criterion for arbitrary Gaussian states of m versus n modes, which relies on convex optimisation over marginal covariance matrices on one subsystem only. We further revisit the currently known results stating the equivalence between separability and positive partial transposition (PPT) for specific classes of Gaussian states. Using techniques based on matrix analysis, such as Schur complements and matrix means, we then provide a unified treatment and compact proofs of all these results. In particular, we recover the PPT-separability equivalence for: (i) Gaussian states of 1 versus n modes; and (ii) isotropic Gaussian states. In passing, we also retrieve (iii) the recently established equivalence between separability of a Gaussian state and and its complete Gaussian extendability. Our techniques are then applied to progress beyond the state of the art. We prove that: (iv) Gaussian states that are invariant under partial transposition are necessarily separable; (v) the PPT criterion is necessary and sufficient for separability for Gaussian states of m versus n modes that are symmetric under the exchange of any two modes belonging to one of the parties; and (vi) Gaussian states which remain PPT under passive optical operations can not be entangled by them either. This is not a foregone conclusion per se (since Gaussian bound entangled states do exist) and settles a question that had been left unanswered in the existing literature on the subject. This paper, enjoyable by both the quantum optics and the matrix analysis communities, overall delivers technical and conceptual advances which are likely to be useful for further applications in continuous variable quantum information theory, beyond the separability problem.
We present a novel approach to the separability problem for Gaussian quantum states of bosonic continuous variable systems. We derive a simplified necessary and sufficient separability criterion for arbitrary Gaussian states of m versus n modes, which relies on convex optimisation over marginal covariance matrices on one subsystem only. We further revisit the currently known results stating the equivalence between separability and positive partial transposition (PPT) for specific classes of Gaussian states. Using techniques based on matrix analysis, such as Schur complements and matrix means, we then provide a unified treatment and compact proofs of all these results. In particular, we recover the PPT-separability equivalence for: (i) Gaussian states of 1 versus n modes; and (ii) isotropic Gaussian states. In passing, we also retrieve (iii) the recently established equivalence between separability of a Gaussian state and and its complete Gaussian extendability. Our techniques are then applied to progress beyond the state of the art. We prove that: (iv) Gaussian states that are invariant under partial transposition are necessarily separable; (v) the PPT criterion is necessary and sufficient for separability for Gaussian states of m versus n modes that are symmetric under the exchange of any two modes belonging to one of the parties; and (vi) Gaussian states which remain PPT under passive optical operations can not be entangled by them either. This is not a foregone conclusion per se (since Gaussian bound entangled states do exist) and settles a question that had been left unanswered in the existing literature on the subject. This paper, enjoyable by both the quantum optics and the matrix analysis communities, overall delivers technical and conceptual advances which are likely to be useful for further applications in continuous variable quantum information theory, beyond the separability problem.
We use quantum entanglement witnesses derived from Gaussian operators to study the separable criteria of continuous variable states. For bipartite system, we transform the validity of a Gaussian witness to a bosonic Gaussian channel problem. It follows that the maximal means of two-mode and some four-mode Gaussian operators over product pure states are achieved by vacuum (or coherent states and squeezed states) according to the properties of bosonic Gaussian channels. We demonstrate necessary and sufficient criteria of separability for two-mode and some four-mode Gaussian quantum states. We also propose multipartite Gaussian witnesses based on numeric evidence. The entanglement and multipartite entanglement detecting powers of the Gaussian witness criteria are illustrated by the mixture of two Gaussian states. We apply the Gaussian witness criterion to a Gaussian Fock state, which is prepared by passing a product Fock state through bosonic Gaussian channel. We show that the necessary criterion of separability for a Gaussian Fock state does not rely on the initial product Fock state, it relies on the channel.
Entanglement plays a key role in quantum information. The separability problem arises: how to prove that a given quantum state is entangled? Covariance-matrix-based entanglement criteria are the most important and widely used approach to this problem in continuous variable systems. Here, the separability problem is systematically studied in the more experimentally realistic setting that the questioned state is only partly known. A simple general formalism is proposed for this variant of the separability problem. It builds relations between certain classes of criteria and bounds the power of these criteria. In particular, it shows the equivalence of many seemingly different covariance-matrix-based criteria; it offers guidance on the study of and reveals the inherent limitations of covariance-matrix-based criteria. Also, a Shannon entropic criterion is proposed for m ⊕ n-mode states. It unifies and improves many known covariance-matrix-based criteria and Shannon entropic criteria; it is necessary and sufficient for 1 ⊕ n-mode Gaussian states and m ⊕ n-mode bisymmetric Gaussian states.
We consider generic $(m\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}n)$-mode bipartitions of continuous-variable systems, and study the associated bisymmetric multimode Gaussian states. They are defined as (m+n)(m+n)(m+n)-mode Gaussian states invariant under local mode permutations on the mmm-mode and nnn-mode subsystems. We prove that such states are equivalent, under local unitary transformations, to the tensor product of a two-mode state and of $m+n\ensuremath{-}2$ uncorrelated single-mode states. The entanglement between the mmm-mode and the nnn-mode blocks can then be completely concentrated on a single pair of modes by means of local unitary operations alone. This result allows us to prove that the PPT (positivity of the partial transpose) condition is necessary and sufficient for the separability of (m+n)(m+n)(m+n)-mode bisymmetric Gaussian states. We determine exactly their negativity and identify a subset of bisymmetric states whose multimode entanglement of formation can be computed analytically. We consider explicit examples of pure and mixed bisymmetric states and study their entanglement scaling with the number of modes.
We use quantum entanglement witnesses derived from Gaussian operators to study the separable criteria of continuous variable states. We transform the validity of a Gaussian witness to a Bosonic Gaussian channel problem. It follows that the maximal means of two-mode and some four-mode Gaussian operators over product pure states are achieved by vacuum (or coherent states and squeezed states) according to the properties of Bosonic Gaussian channels. Then we have necessary and sufficient criteria of separability not only for Gaussian quantum states, but also for non-Gaussian states prepared by photon adding to or/and subtracting from Gaussian states. The criterion can be further explicitly expressed with covariance matrix of the Gaussian state or covariance matrix of Gaussian kernel of the non-Gaussian state. This opens a way for precise detection of non-Gaussian entanglement.
The notion of partial trace of a density operator is essential for the understanding of the entanglement and separability properties of quantum states. In this paper, we investigate these notions putting an emphasis on the geometrical properties of the covariance ellipsoids of the reduced states. We thereafter focus on Gaussian states and we give new and easily numerically implementable sufficient conditions for the separability of all Gaussian states. Unlike the positive partial transposition criterion, none of these conditions is however necessary.