Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:quant-ph/0112007 · Physical Review Letters

Distinguishing Separable and Entangled States

Andrew C. Doherty, Pablo A. Parrilo, Federico M. Spedalieri

Published Apr 23, 2002• 349 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We show how to design families of operational criteria that distinguish entangled from separable quantum states. The simplest of these tests corresponds to the well-known Peres-Horodecki positive partial transpose (PPT) criterion, and the more complicated tests are strictly stronger. The new criteria are tractable due to powerful computational and theoretical methods for the class of convex optimization problems known as semidefinite programs. We successfully applied the results to many low-dimensional states from the literature where the PPT test fails. As a by-product of the criteria, we provide an explicit construction of the corresponding entanglement witnesses.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.88.187904

Related papers

Entanglement witnesses and semidefinite programming

Pablo A. Parrilo, Andrew C. Doherty, Federico M. Spedalieri

We study the application of sums of squares decompositions and semidefinite programming in the formulation of computational criteria for distinguishing entangled from separable quantum states. A hierarchy of tests is obtained, the simplest of which corresponds to the well-known positive partial transpose (PPT) sufficient criterion, with the more complicated tests being strictly stronger. The duality structure of the problem allows us to provide an explicit construction of the entanglement witnesses corresponding to our tests.

IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (CDC)•Jan 23, 2004•2 citations

Complete family of separability criteria

Andrew C. Doherty, Pablo A. Parrilo, Federico M. Spedalieri

We introduce a family of separability criteria that are based on the existence of extensions of a bipartite quantum state \ensuremath{\rho} to a larger number of parties satisfying certain symmetry properties. It can be easily shown that all separable states have the required extensions, so the nonexistence of such an extension for a particular state implies that the state is entangled. One of the main advantages of this approach is that searching for the extension can be cast as a convex optimization problem known as a semidefinite program. Whenever an extension does not exist, the dual optimization constructs an explicit entanglement witness for the particular state. These separability tests can be ordered in a hierarchical structure whose first step corresponds to the well-known positive partial transpose (Peres-Horodecki) criterion, and each test in the hierarchy is at least as powerful as the preceding one. This hierarchy is complete, in the sense that any entangled state is guaranteed to fail a test at some finite point in the hierarchy, thus showing it is entangled. The entanglement witnesses corresponding to each step of the hierarchy have well-defined and very interesting algebraic properties that, in turn, allow for a characterization of the interior of the set of positive maps. Coupled with some recent results on the computational complexity of the separability problem, which has been shown to be NP hard, this hierarchy of tests gives a complete and also computationally and theoretically appealing characterization of mixed bipartite entangled states.

arXiv:quant-ph/0308032•Physical Review A•Feb 18, 2004•416 citations

Almost complete solution for the NP-hard separability problem of Bell diagonal qutrits

Christopher Popp, Beatrix C. Hiesmayr

With a probability of success of 95% we solve the separability problem for Bell diagonal qutrit states with positive partial transposition (PPT). The separability problem, i.e. distinguishing separable and entangled states, generally lacks an efficient solution due to the existence of bound entangled states. In contrast to free entangled states that can be used for entanglement distillation via local operations and classical communication, these states cannot be detected by the Peres-Horodecki criterion or PPT criterion. We analyze a large family of bipartite qutrit states that can be separable, free entangled or bound entangled. Leveraging a geometrical representation of these states in Euclidean space, novel methods are presented that allow the classification of separable and bound entangled Bell diagonal states in an efficient way. Moreover, the classification allows the precise determination of relative volumes of the classes of separable, free and bound entangled states. In detail, out of all Bell diagonal PPT states [Formula: see text] are determined to be separable while [Formula: see text] are bound entangled and only [Formula: see text] remain unclassified. Moreover, our applied criteria are compared for their effectiveness and relation as detectors of bound entanglement, which reveals that not a single criterion is capable to detect all bound entangled states.

arXiv:2205.11405•Scientific Reports•Jul 21, 2022•14 citations

Positive-partial-transpose-indistinguishable states via semidefinite programming

Alessandro Cosentino

We present a simple semidefinite program whose optimal value is equal to the maximum probability of perfectly distinguishing orthogonal maximally entangled states using any PPT measurement (a measurement whose operators are positive under partial transpose). When the states to be distinguished are given by the tensor product of Bell states, the semidefinite program simplifies to a linear program. In Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 020506 (2012), Yu, Duan, and Ying exhibit a set of four maximally entangled states in ${\mathbb{C}}^{4}\ensuremath{\bigotimes}{\mathbb{C}}^{4}$, which is distinguishable by any PPT measurement only with probability strictly less than 1. Using semidefinite programming, we show a tight bound of $7/8$ on this probability ($3/4$ for the case of unambiguous PPT measurements). We generalize this result by demonstrating a simple construction of a set of $k$ states in ${\mathbb{C}}^{k}\ensuremath{\bigotimes}{\mathbb{C}}^{k}$ with the same property, for any $k$ that is a power of 2. By running numerical experiments, we show the local indistinguishability of certain sets of generalized Bell states in ${\mathbb{C}}^{5}\ensuremath{\bigotimes}{\mathbb{C}}^{5}$ and ${\mathbb{C}}^{6}\ensuremath{\bigotimes}{\mathbb{C}}^{6}$ previously considered in the literature.

arXiv:1205.1031•Physical Review A•Jan 18, 2013•80 citations

Entangled States with Positive Partial Transpose in Any-Dimensional Quantum System

Yu-Chun Wu, Ping‐Xing Chen, Zheng-Wei Zhou +1 more

It is well known that the positive partial transpose (PPT) criterion for determining separability is an operational separability criterion. However, in a high-dimensional (>6) situation, this criterion is not sufficient. How can we judge whether an entangled state in any high-dimensional quantum system is PPT or not? Here we propose a linear algebra method for checking the positivity of the partial transpose of a state and present a set of entangled mixed states with non-positive partial transpose.

Chinese Physics Letters•Feb 24, 2005•2 citations

ENTANGLEMENT OF CONVEX LINEAR COMBINATION AND CONSTRUCTION OF PPT ENTANGLED STATES

Wei Cheng, Fang Xu, Hua Li +1 more

Given two bipartite quantum states and the convex linear combination of them, we discuss the relation between the entanglement of the convex linear combination state and the entanglement of states being combined. This is achieved by characterizing quantum states quantitatively via the positive partial transpose (PPT) criterion and the computable cross-norm or realignment (CCNR) criterion. Inspired by the Horodecki's 3 ⊗ 3 quantum states, we also give explicit examples to illustrate all possible cases of convex linear combination. Finally, as an application of this method, we show how to construct new bipartite PPT entangled states from known PPT entangled states by convex linear combination.

International Journal of Quantum Information•Feb 1, 2013•2 citations
We show how to design families of operational criteria that distinguish entangled from separable quantum states. The simplest of these tests corresponds to the well-known Peres-Horodecki positive partial transpose (PPT) criterion, and the more complicated tests are strictly stronger. The new criteria are tractable due to powerful computational and theoretical methods for the class of convex optimization problems known as semidefinite programs. We successfully applied the results to many low-dimensional states from the literature where the PPT test fails. As a by-product of the criteria, we provide an explicit construction of the corresponding entanglement witnesses.
We study the application of sums of squares decompositions and semidefinite programming in the formulation of computational criteria for distinguishing entangled from separable quantum states. A hierarchy of tests is obtained, the simplest of which corresponds to the well-known positive partial transpose (PPT) sufficient criterion, with the more complicated tests being strictly stronger. The duality structure of the problem allows us to provide an explicit construction of the entanglement witnesses corresponding to our tests.
We introduce a family of separability criteria that are based on the existence of extensions of a bipartite quantum state \ensuremath{\rho} to a larger number of parties satisfying certain symmetry properties. It can be easily shown that all separable states have the required extensions, so the nonexistence of such an extension for a particular state implies that the state is entangled. One of the main advantages of this approach is that searching for the extension can be cast as a convex optimization problem known as a semidefinite program. Whenever an extension does not exist, the dual optimization constructs an explicit entanglement witness for the particular state. These separability tests can be ordered in a hierarchical structure whose first step corresponds to the well-known positive partial transpose (Peres-Horodecki) criterion, and each test in the hierarchy is at least as powerful as the preceding one. This hierarchy is complete, in the sense that any entangled state is guaranteed to fail a test at some finite point in the hierarchy, thus showing it is entangled. The entanglement witnesses corresponding to each step of the hierarchy have well-defined and very interesting algebraic properties that, in turn, allow for a characterization of the interior of the set of positive maps. Coupled with some recent results on the computational complexity of the separability problem, which has been shown to be NP hard, this hierarchy of tests gives a complete and also computationally and theoretically appealing characterization of mixed bipartite entangled states.
With a probability of success of 95% we solve the separability problem for Bell diagonal qutrit states with positive partial transposition (PPT). The separability problem, i.e. distinguishing separable and entangled states, generally lacks an efficient solution due to the existence of bound entangled states. In contrast to free entangled states that can be used for entanglement distillation via local operations and classical communication, these states cannot be detected by the Peres-Horodecki criterion or PPT criterion. We analyze a large family of bipartite qutrit states that can be separable, free entangled or bound entangled. Leveraging a geometrical representation of these states in Euclidean space, novel methods are presented that allow the classification of separable and bound entangled Bell diagonal states in an efficient way. Moreover, the classification allows the precise determination of relative volumes of the classes of separable, free and bound entangled states. In detail, out of all Bell diagonal PPT states [Formula: see text] are determined to be separable while [Formula: see text] are bound entangled and only [Formula: see text] remain unclassified. Moreover, our applied criteria are compared for their effectiveness and relation as detectors of bound entanglement, which reveals that not a single criterion is capable to detect all bound entangled states.
We present a simple semidefinite program whose optimal value is equal to the maximum probability of perfectly distinguishing orthogonal maximally entangled states using any PPT measurement (a measurement whose operators are positive under partial transpose). When the states to be distinguished are given by the tensor product of Bell states, the semidefinite program simplifies to a linear program. In Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 020506 (2012), Yu, Duan, and Ying exhibit a set of four maximally entangled states in ${\mathbb{C}}^{4}\ensuremath{\bigotimes}{\mathbb{C}}^{4}$, which is distinguishable by any PPT measurement only with probability strictly less than 1. Using semidefinite programming, we show a tight bound of 7/87/87/8 on this probability (3/43/43/4 for the case of unambiguous PPT measurements). We generalize this result by demonstrating a simple construction of a set of kkk states in ${\mathbb{C}}^{k}\ensuremath{\bigotimes}{\mathbb{C}}^{k}$ with the same property, for any kkk that is a power of 2. By running numerical experiments, we show the local indistinguishability of certain sets of generalized Bell states in ${\mathbb{C}}^{5}\ensuremath{\bigotimes}{\mathbb{C}}^{5}$ and ${\mathbb{C}}^{6}\ensuremath{\bigotimes}{\mathbb{C}}^{6}$ previously considered in the literature.
It is well known that the positive partial transpose (PPT) criterion for determining separability is an operational separability criterion. However, in a high-dimensional (>6) situation, this criterion is not sufficient. How can we judge whether an entangled state in any high-dimensional quantum system is PPT or not? Here we propose a linear algebra method for checking the positivity of the partial transpose of a state and present a set of entangled mixed states with non-positive partial transpose.
Given two bipartite quantum states and the convex linear combination of them, we discuss the relation between the entanglement of the convex linear combination state and the entanglement of states being combined. This is achieved by characterizing quantum states quantitatively via the positive partial transpose (PPT) criterion and the computable cross-norm or realignment (CCNR) criterion. Inspired by the Horodecki's 3 ⊗ 3 quantum states, we also give explicit examples to illustrate all possible cases of convex linear combination. Finally, as an application of this method, we show how to construct new bipartite PPT entangled states from known PPT entangled states by convex linear combination.