Non-negative Wigner functions in prime dimensions

Gross, D

We show that, on a Hilbert space of odd dimension, the only pure states to possess a non-negative Wigner function are stabilizer states. The Clifford group is identified as the set of unitary operations which preserve positivity. The result can be seen as a discrete version of Hudson's Theorem. Hudson established that for continuous variable systems, the Wigner function of a pure state has no negative values if and only if the state is Gaussian. Turning to mixed states, it might be surmised that only convex combinations of stabilizer states give rise to non-negative Wigner distributions. We refute this conjecture by means of a counter-example. Further, we give an axiomatic characterization which completely fixes the definition of the Wigner function and compare two approaches to stabilizer states for Hilbert spaces of prime-power dimensions. In the course of the discussion, we derive explicit formulas for the number of stabilizer codes defined on such systems.

Sibel Başkal, Young S Kim, Marilyn E. Noz

Ming‐Da Huang, Ya‐Fei Yu, Zhi‐Ming Zhang

Abstract The relation between discrete Wigner function and quantum contextuality based on graph theory has been studied, following the work in [Nature 510,351(2014)]. To do this, non‐stabilizer projectors have been introduced to a series of non‐contextuality graphs based on stabilizer projectors for a single qudit with odd prime dimension. It has been found that, for a phase space point defined by Wootters, there exists a given set of states for an odd‐prime qudit where the negative discrete Wigner function on the phase space point means its quantum contextuality under measurements on the graphs designed by a specific method. To implement this method, a subset of non‐stabilizer projectors has been found. In the union of the set of states for all phase space points, there exists a negativity‐to‐violation map between Wigner function and quantum contextuality inequality. The robustness of the equivalence under depolarizing noise has been analyzed and discussed. For demonstration purposes, the graphs with different independence numbers and the corresponding set of states have been established on a single qutrit. Different to the cited work, this method involves only a single qudit, then is experimentally feasible for a qutrit.

D. Gross

We show that, on a Hilbert space of odd dimension, the only pure states to possess a non-negative Wigner function are stabilizer states. The Clifford group is identified as the set of unitary operations which preserve positivity. The result can be seen as a discrete version of Hudson’s theorem. Hudson established that for continuous variable systems, the Wigner function of a pure state has no negative values if and only if the state is Gaussian. Turning to mixed states, it might be surmised that only convex combinations of stabilizer states give rise to non-negative Wigner distributions. We refute this conjecture by means of a counterexample. Further, we give an axiomatic characterization which completely fixes the definition of the Wigner function and compare two approaches to stabilizer states for Hilbert spaces of prime-power dimensions. In the course of the discussion, we derive explicit formulas for the number of stabilizer codes defined on such systems.

Anthony J. Bracken, Demosthenes Ellinas, James Gareth Wood