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arXiv:quant-ph/0611282 · Physical Review Letters

Covariance Matrices and the Separability Problem

Otfried Gühne, P. Hyllus, Oleg Gittsovich, Jens Eisert

Published Sep 28, 2007• 168 citations
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Abstract

We propose a unifying approach to the separability problem using covariance matrices of locally measurable observables. From a practical point of view, our approach leads to strong entanglement criteria that allow us to detect the entanglement of many bound entangled states in higher dimensions and which are at the same time necessary and sufficient for two qubits. From a fundamental perspective, our approach leads to insights into the relations between several known entanglement criteria--such as the computable cross-norm and local uncertainty criteria--as well as their limitations.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.99.130504

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We propose a unifying approach to the separability problem using covariance matrices of locally measurable observables. From a practical point of view, our approach leads to strong entanglement criteria that allow us to detect the entanglement of many bound entangled states in higher dimensions and which are at the same time necessary and sufficient for two qubits. From a fundamental perspective, our approach leads to insights into the relations between several known entanglement criteria--such as the computable cross-norm and local uncertainty criteria--as well as their limitations.
We present a framework for deciding whether a quantum state is separable or entangled using covariance matrices of locally measurable observables. This leads to the covariance matrix criterion as a general separability criterion. We demonstrate that this criterion allows us to detect many states where the familiar criterion of the positivity of the partial transpose fails. It turns out that a large number of criteria that have been proposed to complement the positive partial transpose criterion---the computable cross norm or realignment criterion, the criterion based on local uncertainty relations, criteria derived from extensions of the realignment map, and others---are in fact a corollary of the covariance matrix criterion.
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.
Separability problem, to decide whether a given state is entangled or not, is a fundamental problem in quantum information theory. We propose a powerful and computationally simple separability criterion, which allows us to detect the entanglement of many bound entangled states. The criterion is strictly stronger than the criterion based on Bloch representations, the computable cross-norm or realignment criterion and its optimal nonlinear entanglement witnesses. Furthermore, this criterion can be generalized to an analog of permutation separability criteria in the even-partite systems.
We present a criterion for multiparticle entanglement based on covariance matrices. On the one hand, the criterion allows detection of bound entangled states which are not detected by other criteria; on the other hand, some strongly entangled pure states such as the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) states are not detected. We show, however, that this is a general phenomenon: No separability criterion based on two-particle correlations can recognize the entanglement in the family of graph states to which the GHZ states belong.