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arXiv:quant-ph/0308089 · Physical Review A

Unital quantum operations on the Bloch ball and Bloch region

Paul Bourdon, H. T. Williams

Published Feb 23, 2004• 19 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

For one-qubit systems, we present a short, elementary argument characterizing unital quantum operators in terms of their action on Bloch vectors. We then show how our approach generalizes to multiqubit systems, obtaining inequalities that govern when a ``diagonal'' superoperator on the Bloch region is a quantum operator. These inequalities are the n-qubit analog of the Algoet-Fujiwara conditions. Our work is facilitated by an analysis of operator-sum decompositions in which negative summands are allowed.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.69.022314

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Abstract A class of unital qubit maps displaying diagonal unitary and orthogonal symmetries is analyzed. Such maps have already found a lot applications in quantum information theory. We provide a complete characterization of this class of maps showing intricate relation between positivity, operator Schwarz inequality, and complete positivity. Finally, it is shown how to generalize the entire picture beyond unital case (so called generalized Schwarz maps). Interestingly, the first example of Schwarz but not completely positive map found by Choi belongs to our class. As a case study we provide a full characterization of Pauli maps. Our analysis leads to generalization of seminal Fujiwara–Algoet conditions for Pauli quantum channels.
We represent a two-qubit density matrix in the basis of Pauli matrix tensor products, with the coefficients constituting a Bloch matrix, analogous to the single qubit Bloch vector. We find the quantum state positivity requirements on the Bloch matrix components, leading to three important inequalities, allowing us to parametrize and visualize the two-qubit state space. Applying the singular value decomposition naturally separates the degrees of freedom to local and nonlocal, and simplifies the positivity inequalities. It also allows us to geometrically represent a state as two entangled Bloch spheres with superimposed correlation axes. It is shown that unitary transformations, local or nonlocal, have simple interpretations as axis rotations or mixing of certain degrees of freedom. The nonlocal unitary invariants of the state are then derived in terms of local unitary invariants. The positive partial transpose criterion for entanglement is generalized, and interpreted as a reflection, or a change of a single sign. The formalism is used to characterize maximally entangled states, and generalize two qubit isotropic and Werner states.
Although the conditions for performing arbitrary unitary operations to simulate the dynamics of a closed quantum system are well understood, the same is not true of the more general class of quantum operations (also known as superoperators) corresponding to the dynamics of open quantum systems. We propose a framework for the generation of Markovian quantum dynamics and study the resources needed for universality. For the case of a single qubit, we show that a single nonunitary process is necessary and sufficient to generate all unital Markovian quantum dynamics, whereas a set of processes parametrized by one continuous parameter is needed in general. We also obtain preliminary results for the unital case in higher dimensions.