Since the uncertainty about an observable of a system prepared in a quantum state is usually described by its variance, when the state is mixed, the variance is a hybrid of quantum and classical uncertainties. Besides that, complementarity relations are saturated only for pure, single-quanton, quantum states. For mixed states, the wave-particle quantifiers never saturate the complementarity relation and can even reach zero for a maximally mixed state. So, to fully characterize a quanton it is not sufficient to consider its wave-particle aspect; one has also to regard its correlations with other systems. In this paper, we discuss the relation between quantum correlations and local classical uncertainty measures, as well as the relation between quantum coherence and quantum uncertainty quantifiers. We obtain a complete complementarity relation for quantum uncertainty, classical uncertainty, and predictability. The total quantum uncertainty of a d-paths interferometer is shown to be equivalent to the Wigner-Yanase coherence and the corresponding classical uncertainty is shown to be a quantum correlation quantifier. The duality between complementarity and uncertainty is used to derive quantum correlations measures that complete the complementarity relations for $l_1$-norm and $l_2$-norm coherences. Besides, we show that Brukner-Zeilinger's invariant information quantifies both the wave and particle characters of a quanton and we obtain a sum uncertainty relation for the generalized Gell Mann's matrices.
For any ideal two-path interferometer it is shown that the wave-particle duality of quantum mechanics implies Heisenberg's uncertainty relation and vice versa. It is conjectured that complementarity and uncertainty are two aspects of the same general principle.
We present a scheme in which we investigate the two-slit experiment and we show that the principle of complementarity is more fundamental then the uncertainty principle.
Generalized uncertainty relations may depend not only on the commutator relation of two observables considered, but also on mutual correlations, in particular, on entanglement. The equivalence between the uncertainty relation and Bohr's complementarity thus holds in a much broader sense than anticipated.
We formulate a general complementarity relation starting from any Hermitian operator with discrete non-degenerate eigenvalues. We then elucidate the relationship between quantum complementarity and the Heisenberg-Robertson's uncertainty relation. We show that they are intimately connected. Finally we exemplify the general theory with some specific suggested experiments.
Uncertainty relations and complementarity relations are core issues in quantum mechanics and quantum information theory. By use of the generalized Wigner-Yanase-Dyson (GWYD) skew information, we derive several uncertainty and complementarity relations with respect to mutually unbiased measurements (MUMs), and general symmetric informationally complete positive operator valued measurements (SIC-POVMs), respectively. Our results include some existing ones as particular cases. We also exemplify our results by providing a detailed example.
We propose an uncertainty-complementarity balance relation and build quantitative connections among non-locality, complementarity, and uncertainty. Our balance relation, which is formulated in a theory-independent manner, states that for two measurements performed sequentially, the complementarity demonstrated in the first measurement in terms of disturbance is no greater than the uncertainty of the first measurement. Quantum theory respects our balance relation, from which the Tsirelson bound can be derived, up to an inessential assumption. In the simplest Bell scenario, we show that the boun…
The so-called preparation uncertainty can be understood in purely operational terms. Namely, it occurs when for some pair of observables, there is no preparation, for which they both exhibit deterministic statistics. However, the right-hand side of uncertainty relation is generally not operational as it depends on the quantum formalism. Also, while joint non-measurability of observables is an operational notion, the complementarity in Bohr sense (i.e. excess of information needed to describe the system) has not yet been expressed in purely operational terms. In this paper we propose a solution…
Reality of quantum observables, a feature of long-standing interest within foundations of quantum mechanics, has recently been quantified and deeply studied by means of entropic measures [Phys. Rev. A 97, 022107 (2018)]. However, there is no state-independent "reality trade-off" between noncommuting observables, as in certain systems all observables are real [Europhys. Lett. 112, 40005 (2015)]. We show that the entropic uncertainty relation in the presence of quantum memory [Nature Phys. 6, 659 (2010)] perfectly supplements the discussed notion of reality, rendering trade-offs between reality …
We establish a rigorous quantitative connection between (i) the interferometric duality relation for which-way information and fringe visibility and (ii) Heisenberg's uncertainty relation for position and modular momentum. We apply our theory to atom interferometry, wherein spontaneously emitted photons provide which way information, and unambiguously resolve the challenge posed by the metamaterial `perfect lens' to complementarity and to the Heisenberg-Bohr interpretation of the Heisenberg microscope thought experiment.
The two-slit experiment with quantum particles provides many insights into the behaviour of quantum mechanics, including Bohr's complementarity principle. Here we analyze Einstein's recoiling slit version of the experiment and show how the inevitable entanglement between the particle and the recoiling slit as a which-way detector is responsible for complementarity. We derive the Englert-Greenberger-Yasin duality from this entanglement, which can also be thought of as a consequence of sum-uncertainty relations between certain complementary observables of the recoiling slit. Thus, entanglement i…
A coherent account of the connections and contrasts between the principles of com- plementarity and uncertainty is developed starting from a survey of the various formalizations of these principles. The conceptual analysis is illustrated by means of a set of experimental schemes based on Mach-Zehnder interferometry. In particu- lar, path detection via entanglement with a probe system and (quantitative) quan- tum erasure are exhibited to constitute instances of joint unsharp measurements of complementary pairs of physical quantities, path and interference observables. The analysis uses the repr…
The fundamental principles of complementarity and uncertainty are shown to be related to the possibility of joint unsharp measurements of pairs of noncommuting quantum observables. A new joint measurement scheme for complementary observables is proposed. The measured observables are represented as positive operator valued measures (POVMs), whose intrinsic fuzziness parameters are found to satisfy an intriguing pay-off relation reflecting the complementarity. At the same time, this relation represents an instance of a Heisenberg uncertainty relation for measurement imprecisions. A model-indepen…
The overarching goal of this thesis is to demonstrate that complementarity is at the heart of quantum information theory, that it allows us to make (some) sense of just what information "quantum information" refers to, and that it is useful in understanding and constructing quantum information processing protocols. The detailed research results which form the basis of these claims are to be found in the included papers, and the aim here is to present an overview comprehensible to a more general audience.
We discuss complementarity and uncertainty in a gedanken Which-Way (Welcher-Weg) experiment in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. Although a Welcher-Weg measurement can be performed with only a negligible amount of momentum change in the detector itself, the change in the interference pattern must correspond to a change in the momentum distribution of the particle. Entanglement between the Mach-Zehnder interferometer and the Welcher-Weg measurement introduces orthogonality that disables the interference of the particle, but simultaneously, it also generates a momentum transfer between the particle…
A model of the Einstein-Bohr double-slit experiment is formulated in a fully quantum theoretical setting. In this model, the state and dynamics of a movable wall that has the double slits in it, as well as the state of a particle incoming to the double slits, are described by quantum mechanics. Using this model, we analyzed complementarity between exhibiting the interference pattern and distinguishing the particle path. Comparing the Kennard-Robertson type and the Ozawa-type uncertainty relations, we conclude that the uncertainty relation involved in the double-slit experiment is not the Ozawa…
We revisit, in the framework of Mach-Zehnder interferometry, the connection between the complementarity and uncertainty principles of quantum mechanics. Specifically, we show that, for a pair of suitably chosen observables, the trade-off relation between the complementary path information and fringe visibility is equivalent to the uncertainty relation given by Schr\"odinger and Robertson, and to the one provided by Landau and Pollak as well. We also employ entropic uncertainty relations (based on Rényi entropic measures) and study their meaning for different values of the entropic parameter. …
The products of weak values of quantum observables are shown to be of value in deriving quantum uncertainty and complementarity relations, for both weak and strong measurement statistics. First, a 'product representation formula' allows the standard Heisenberg uncertainty relation to be derived from a classical uncertainty relation for complex random variables. We show this formula also leads to strong uncertainty relations for unitary operators, and underlies an interpretation of weak values as optimal (complex) estimates of quantum observables. Furthermore, we show that two incompatible obse…
We analyze Einstein's recoiling slit experiment and point out that the inevitable entanglement between the particle and the recoiling-slit was not part of Bohr's reply. We show that if this entanglement is taken into account, one can provided a simpler answer to Einstein. We also derive the Englert-Greenberger-Yasin duality relation from this entanglement. In addition, we show that the Englert-Greenberger-Yasin duality relation can also be thought of as a consequence of the sum uncertainty relation for certain observables of the recoiling slit. Thus, the uncertainty relations and entanglement …
A which-way measurement in Young's double-slit will destroy the interference pattern. Bohr claimed this complementarity between wave- and particle behaviour is enforced by Heisenberg's uncertainty principle: distinguishing two positions a distance s apart transfers a random momentum q \sim \hbar/s to the particle. This claim has been subject to debate: Scully et al. asserted that in some situations interference can be destroyed with no momentum transfer, while Storey et al. asserted that Bohr's stance is always valid. We address this issue using the experimental technique of weak measurement. …
We prove uncertainty relations that quantitatively express the impossibility of jointly sharp preparation of pre- and post-selected quantum states for measuring incompatible observables during the weak measurement. By defining a suitable operator whose average in the pre-selected quantum state gives the weak value, we show that one can have new uncertainty relations for variances of two such operators corresponding to two non-commuting observables. These generalize the recent stronger uncertainty relations that give non-trivial lower bounds for the sum of variances of two observables which ful…
Consideration of the von Neumann measurement process underlying interference experiments shows that the uncertainty in the incoming wave, responsible for its interference, translates during measurement into an uncertainty at the measuring apparatus. However, subsequent measurement on the apparatus does not reveal any new information about the interfering wave. This observation, in the context of recent advances in quantum information, suggests an argument for an information theoretic interpretation of quantum mechanics.
We present a unified view of the Berry phase of a quantum system and its entanglement with surroundings. The former reflects the nonseparability between a system and a classical environment as the latter for a quantum environment, and the concept of geometric time-energy uncertainty can be adopted as a signature of the nonseparability. Based on this viewpoint, we study their relationship in the quantum-classical transition of the environment, with the aid of a spin-half particle (qubit) model exposed to a quantum-classical hybrid field. In the quantum-classical transition, the Berry phase has …
In terms of operator, the two complementary quantities, the predictability and visibility, are reinvestigated in a two-way interferometer. One Hermitian operator and one non-Hermitian operator (composed of two Hermitian operators) are introduced for the predictability and visibility, respectively. The predictability and visibility can not be measured exactly simultaneously, due to the non-commutation between the two operators. The sum of the variances of the predictability and visibility (the total variance), is used to measure the uncertainty, which is linked to the complementarity relation t…
The complementarity of two observables is often captured in uncertainty relations, which quantify an inevitable tradeoff in knowledge. Here we study complementarity in the context of an information processing task: we link the complementarity of two observables to their usefulness for superdense coding (SDC). In SDC, Alice sends two classical dits of information to Bob by sending a single qudit. However, we show that encoding with commuting unitaries prevents Alice from sending more than one dit per qudit, implying that complementarity is necessary for SDC to be advantagous over a classical st…
We develop an information theoretic interpretation of the number-phase complementarity in atomic systems, where phase is treated as a continuous positive operator valued measure (POVM). The relevant uncertainty principle is obtained as an upper bound on a sum of knowledge of these two observables for the case of two-level systems. A tighter bound characterizing the uncertainty relation is obtained numerically in terms of a weighted knowledge sum involving these variables. We point out that complementarity in these systems departs from mutual unbiasededness in two signalificant ways: first, the…
The Einstein-Rupp experiments have been unduly neglected in the history of quantum mechanics. While this is to be explained by the fact that Emil Rupp was later exposed as a fraud and had fabricated the results, it is not justified, due to the importance attached to the experiments at the time. This paper discusses Rupp's fraud, the relation between Albert Einstein and Rupp, and the Einstein-Rupp experiments, and argues that these experiments were an influence on Niels Bohr's development of complementarity and Werner Heisenberg's formulation of the uncertainty relations.
The Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) paradox plays a fundamental role in our understanding of quantum mechanics, and is associated with the possibility of predicting the results of non-commuting measurements with a precision that seems to violate the uncertainty principle. This apparent contradiction to complementarity is made possible by nonclassical correlations stronger than entanglement, called steering. Quantum information recognises steering as an essential resource for a number of tasks but, contrary to entanglement, its role for metrology has so far remained unclear. Here, we formulate th…
Complementarity restricts the accuracy with which incompatible quantum observables can be jointly measured. Despite popular conception, the Heisenberg uncertainty relation does not quantify this principle. We report the experimental verification of universally valid complementarity relations, including an improved relation derived here. We exploit Einstein-Poldolsky-Rosen correlations between two photonic qubits, to jointly measure incompatible observables of one. The product of our measurement inaccuracies is low enough to violate the widely used, but not universally valid, Arthurs-Kelly rela…
In the Copenhagen interpretation the Heisenberg uncertainty relation is interpreted as the mathematical expression of the concept of complementarity, quantifying the mutual disturbance necessarily taking place in a simultaneous or joint measurement of incompatible observables. This interpretation has already been criticized by Ballentine a long time ago, and has recently been challenged in an experimental way. These criticisms can be substantiated by using the generalized formalism of positive operator-valued measures, from which a new inequality can be derived, precisely illustrating the Cope…
We derive two complementarity relations that constrain the individual and bipartite properties that may simultaneously exist in a multi-qubit system. The first expression, valid for an arbitrary pure state of n qubits, demonstrates that the degree to which single particle properties are possessed by an individual member of the system is limited by the bipartite entanglement that exists between that qubit and the remainder of the system. This result implies that the phenomenon of entanglement sharing is one specific consequence of complementarity. The second expression, which holds for an arbit…
We establish two complementarity relations for the relative entropy of coherence in quantum information processing, i.e., quantum dense coding and teleportation. We first give an uncertaintylike expression relating local quantum coherence to the capacity of optimal dense coding for bipartite system. The relation can also be applied to the case of dense coding by using unital memoryless noisy quantum channels. Further, the relation between local quantum coherence and teleportation fidelity for two-qubit system is given.
Building on Peres's idea of "Delayed-choice for extanglement swapping" we show that even the degree to which quantum systems were entangled can be defined after they have been registered and may even not exist any more. This does not arise as a paradox if the quantum state is viewed as just a representative of information. Moreover such a view gives a natural quantification of the complementarity between the measure of information about the input state for teleportation and the amount of entanglement of the resulting swapped entangled state.
Process Philosophy endeavours to replace the classical ontology of substances by a process ontology centered on notions of changes and transitions. We argue, that the substantial and processual approach are mutually complementary. Here, complementarity is to be understood in the sense of a "Generalized Quantum Theory", which is not restricted to physical phenomena. From this point of view, restricting oneself to either substance or process ontology would be as ill-advised as exclusively relying on position or momentum observables in physics. A new view on Zeno's paradox lends itself. The meani…
Two complementary observables can be measured simultaneously so that the exact individual distributions can be recovered by a proper data inversion. We apply this program to the paradigmatic example of the Young interferometer from the classical and quantum points of view. We show complete parallelism between complementarity in the quantum and classical theories. In both domains, complementarity manifests in a pathological behavior for the inferred joint distribution.
We study number-phase uncertainty in a laser-driven, effectively four-level atomic system under electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) and coherent population trapping (CPT). Uncertainty is described using (entropic) knowledge of the two complementary variables, namely, number and phase, where knowledge is defined as the relative entropy with respect to a uniform distribution. In the regime where the coupling and probe lasers are approximately of equal strength, and the atom exists in a CPT state, there is coherence between the ground states, and correspondingly large phase knowledge a…
The uncertainty relation for continuous variables due to Byalinicki-Birula and Mycielski expresses the complementarity between two $n$-uples of canonically conjugate variables $(x_1,x_2,\cdots x_n)$ and $(p_1,p_2,\cdots p_n)$ in terms of Shannon differential entropy. Here, we consider the generalization to variables that are not canonically conjugate and derive an entropic uncertainty relation expressing the balance between any two $n$-variable Gaussian projective measurements. The bound on entropies is expressed in terms of the determinant of a matrix of commutators between the measured varia…
Bohr placed complementary bases at the mathematical centre point of his view of quantum mechanics. On the technical side then my question translates into that of classifying complex Hadamard matrices. Recent work (with Barros e Sa) shows that the answer depends heavily on the prime number decomposition of the Hilbert space. By implication so does the geometry of quantum state space.
The existence of observables that are incompatible or not jointly measurable is a characteristic feature of quantum mechanics, which lies at the root of a number of nonclassical phenomena, such as uncertainty relations, wave--particle dual behavior, Bell-inequality violation, and contextuality. However, no intuitive criterion is available for determining the compatibility of even two (generalized) observables, despite the overarching importance of this problem and intensive efforts of many researchers. Here we introduce an information theoretic paradigm together with an intuitive geometric pic…
Quantum correlations have fundamental and technological interest, and hence many measures have been introduced to quantify them. Some hierarchical orderings of these measures have been established, e.g., discord is bigger than entanglement, and we present a class of bipartite states, called premeasurement states, for which several of these hierarchies collapse to a single value. Because premeasurement states are the kind of states produced when a system interacts with a measurement device, the hierarchy collapse implies that the uncertainty of an observable is quantitatively connected to the q…
Physical systems contain information which can be divided between classical and quantum information. Classical information is locally accessible and allows one to perform tasks such as physical work, while quantum information allows one to perform tasks such as teleportation. It is shown that these two kinds of information are complementarity in the sense that two parties can either gain access to the quantum information, or to the classical information but not both. This complementarity has a form very similar to the complementarities usually encountered in quantum mechanics. For pure states,…
We introduce a complete set of complementary quantities in bipartite, two-dimensional systems. Complementarity then relates the quantitative entanglement measure concurrence which is a bipartite property to the single-particle quantum properties predictability and visibility, for the most general quantum state of two qubits. Consequently, from an interferometric point of view, the usual wave-particle duality relation must be extended to a ``triality'' relation containing, in addition, the quantitative entanglement measure concurrence, which has no classical counterpart and manifests a genuine …
We establish operator structure identities for quantum channels and their error-correcting and private codes, emphasizing the complementarity relationship between the two perspectives. Relevant structures include correctable and private operator algebras, and operator spaces such as multiplicative domains and nullspaces of quantum channels and their complementary maps. For the case of privatizing to quantum states, we also derive related dimension inequalities that may be viewed as operator algebra uncertainty relations.
In the present contribution we discuss the role of experimental limitations in the classical limit problem. We studied some simple models and found that Quantum Mechanics does not re-produce classical mechanical predictions, unless we consider the experimental limitations ruled by uncertainty principle. We have shown that the discrete nature of energy levels of integrable systems can be accessed by classical measurements. We have defined a precise limit for this procedure. It may be used as a tool to define the classical limit as far as the discrete spectra of integrable systems are concerned.…
We develop a unified, information theoretic interpretation of the number-phase complementarity that is applicable both to finite-dimensional (atomic) and infinite-dimensional (oscillator) systems, with number treated as a discrete Hermitian observable and phase as a continuous positive operator valued measure (POVM). The relevant uncertainty principle is obtained as a lower bound on {\it entropy excess}, $X$, the difference between the entropy of one variable, typically the number, and the knowledge of its complementary variable, typically the phase, where knowledge of a variable is defined as…
We report on the simultaneous determination of complementary wave and particle aspects of light in a double-slit type "welcher-weg" experiment beyond the limitations set by Bohr's Principle of Complementarity. Applying classical logic, we verify the presence of sharp interference in the single photon regime, while reliably maintaining the information about the particular pinhole through which each individual photon had passed. This experiment poses interesting questions on the validity of Complementarity in cases where measurements techniques that avoid Heisenberg's uncertainty principle and q…
The uncertainty principle bounds the uncertainties about incompatible measurements, clearly setting quantum theory apart from the classical world. Its mathematical formulation via uncertainty relations, plays an irreplaceable role in quantum technologies. However, neither the uncertainty principle nor uncertainty relations can fully describe the complementarity between quantum measurements. As an attempt to advance the efforts of complementarity in quantum theories, we formally propose a complementary information principle, significantly extending the one introduced by Heisenberg. First, we bu…
The uncertainty principle can be expressed in entropic terms, also taking into account the role of entanglement in reducing uncertainty. The information exclusion principle bounds instead the correlations that can exist between the outcomes of incompatible measurements on one physical system, and a second reference system. We provide a more stringent formulation of both the uncertainty principle and the information exclusion principle, with direct applications for, e.g., the security analysis of quantum key distribution, entanglement estimation, and quantum communication. We also highlight a f…
Various measures have been suggested recently for quantifying the coherence of a quantum state with respect to a given basis. We first use two of these, the l_1-norm and relative entropy measures, to investigate tradeoffs between the coherences of mutually unbiased bases. Results include relations between coherence, uncertainty and purity; tight general bounds restricting the coherences of mutually unbiased bases; and an exact complementarity relation for qubit coherences. We further define the average coherence of a quantum state. For the l_1-norm measure this is related to a natural 'coheren…
We investigate the system-environment information flow from the point of view ofcomplete complementarity relations. We consider some commonly used noisy quantum channels:Amplitude damping, phase damping, bit flip, bit-phase flip, phase flip, depolarizing, and correlatedamplitude damping. By starting with an entangled bipartite pure quantum state, with the linearentropy being the quantifier of entanglement, we study how entanglement is redistributed and turnedinto general correlations between the degrees of freedom of the whole system. For instance, it ispossible to express the entanglement ent…
