The ultimate goal of the classicality programme is to quantify the amount of quantumness of certain processes. Here, classicality is studied for a restricted type of process: quantum information processing (QIP). Under special conditions, one can force some qubits of a quantum computer into a classical state without affecting the outcome of the computation. The minimal set of conditions is described and its structure is studied. Some implications of this formalism are the increase of noise robustness, a proof of the quantumness of mixed state quantum computing and a step forward in understanding the very foundation of QIP.
Entanglement is one of the pillars of quantum mechanics and quantum information processing, and as a result the quantumness of nonentangled states has typically been overlooked and unrecognized. We give a robust definition for the classicality versus quantumness of a single multipartite quantum state, a set of states, and a protocol using quantum states. We show a variety of nonentangled (separable) states that exhibit interesting quantum properties, and we explore the ``zoo'' of separable states; several interesting subclasses are defined based on their diagonalizing bases, and their non-clas…
Quantum information resources quantified by non-zero discord are ubiquitous for the continuous-variables bipartite systems. Complementary to this, we formally construct a model characterized by zero two-way discord for arbitrarily long time interval. The model is classical in the sense it does not support quantum information processing. We point out some interesting physical features of the model.
Classical and quantum world views differ in peculiar ways. Understanding decisive quantum features -- for which no classical explanation exist -- and their interrelations is of foundational interest. Moreover, recognizing non-classical features carries practical significance in information processing tasks as it offers insights as to why quantum protocols work better than their classical counterparts. We focus here on two celebrated notions of non-classicality viz., negativity of P phase-space representation and entanglement in symmetric multiqubit systems. We prove that they imply each other.
We propose a general argument to show that if a physical system can mediate locally the generation of entanglement between two quantum systems, then it itself must be non-classical. Remarkably, we do not assume any classical or quantum formalism to describe the mediating physical system: our result follows from general information-theoretic principles, drawn from the recently proposed constructor theory of information. This argument provides the indispensable theoretical basis for recently proposed tests of non-classicality in gravity, based on witnessing gravitationally-induced entanglement i…
We study information measures in quantu mechanics, with particular emphasis on providing a quantification of the notions of classicality and predictability. Our primary tool is the Shannon - Wehrl entropy I. We give a precise criterion for phase space classicality and argue that in view of this a) I provides a measure of the degree of deviation from classicality for closed system b) I - S (S the von Neumann entropy) plays the same role in open systems We examine particular examples in non-relativistic quantum mechanics. Finally, (this being one of our main motivations) we comment on field clas…
We consider two celebrated criteria for defining the non-classicality of bipartite bosonic quantum systems, the first stemming from information theoretic concepts and the second from physical constraints on the quantum phase-space. Consequently, two sets of allegedly classical states are singled out: i) the set C composed of the so called classical-classical (CC) states---separable states that are locally distinguishable and do not possess quantum discord; ii) the set P of states endowed with a positive P-representation (P-classical states)---mixture of Glauber coherent states that, e.g., fail…
Mixing and decoherence are both manifestations of classicality within quantum theory, each of which admit a very general category-theoretic construction. We show under which conditions these two 'roads to classicality' coincide. This is indeed the case for (finite-dimensional) quantum theory, where each construction yields the category of C*-algebras and completely positive maps. We present counterexamples where the property fails which includes relational and modal theories. Finally, we provide a new interpretation for our category-theoretic generalisation of decoherence in terms of 'leaking …
Recently, Vedral and one of us proposed an entanglement-based witness of non-classicality in systems that need not obey quantum theory, based on constructor-information-theoretic ideas, which offers a robust foundation for recently proposed table-top tests of non-classicality in gravity. The witness asserts that if a mediator can entangle locally two quantum systems, then it has to be non-classical. Hall and Reginatto claimed that there are classical systems that can entangle two quantum systems, thus violating our proposed witness. Here we refute that claim, explaining that the counterexample…
States that strongly violate Bell's inequalities are required in many quantum informational protocols as, for example, in cryptography, secret sharing and the reduction of communication complexity. We investigate families of such states with a numerical method which allows to reveal non-classicality even without direct knowledge of Bell's inequalities for the given problem. An extensive set of numerical results is presented and discussed.
We lay a comprehensive foundation for the study of redundant information storage in decoherence processes. Redundancy has been proposed as a prerequisite for objectivity, the defining property of classical objects. We consider two ensembles of states for a model universe consisting of one system and many environments: the first consisting of arbitrary states, and the second consisting of ``singly-branching'' states consistent with a simple decoherence model. Typical states from the random ensemble do not store information about the system redundantly, but information stored in branching states…
Correlations between spacelike separated measurements on entangled quantum systems are stronger than any classical correlations and are at the heart of numerous quantum technologies. In practice, however, spacelike separation is often not guaranteed and we typically face situations where measurements have an underlying time order. Here we aim to provide a fair comparison of classical and quantum models of temporal correlations on a single particle, as well as timelike-separated correlations on multiple particles. We use a causal modeling approach to show, in theory and experiment, that quantum…
The notion of classicality of quantum evolution of light is an object of both conceptual and practical importance. The main goal of this work is to derive the exact conditions for the classicality of quantum Gaussian evolution, i.e. the evolution of Gaussian states of light and their convex combinations, a model which is of great significance in quantum optics and information. Several examples, ranging from Gaussian thermal operations to entanglement-maximizing dissipative engineering, are discussed. Our results are obtained using the recently introduced mesoscopic theory of the reduced state …
Mixtures of coherent states are commonly regarded as classical. Here we show that there is a quantum advantage in discriminating between coherent states in a mixture, implying the presence of quantum properties in the mixture, which are however not captured by commonly used non-classicality measures. We identify a set of desired properties for any non-classicality measure that aims to capture these quantum features, and define the discord potential CD, which we show to satisfy all those properties. We compare the discord potential with recently proposed coherence monotones, and prove that the …
A master equation has been constructed for a global system-bath interaction both in the absence as well as presence of non-Markovian noise. For the memoryless case, it has been exactly solved for a paradigmatic class of two qubit states in high and zero temperature thermal environment. For the non-Markovian model, it has been solved for zero temperature bath. The evolution of quantum coherence and entanglement has been observed in presence of the above mentioned interactions. We show that the global part of the system-bath interaction compensates for the decoherence, resulting in slow down of …
We investigate the implications of quantum Darwinism in a composite quantum system with interacting constituents exhibiting a decoherence-free subspace. We consider a two-qubit system coupled to an $N$-qubit environment via a dephasing interaction. For excitation preserving interactions between the system qubits, an analytical expression for the dynamics is obtained. It demonstrates that part of the system Hilbert space redundantly proliferates its information to the environment, while the remaining subspace is decoupled and preserves clear non-classical signatures. For measurements performed …
In nonrelativistic quantum mechanics, Hudsons theorem states that a Gaussian wavefunction is the only pure state corresponding to a positive Wigner function (WF). We explicitly construct non Gaussian Dirac spinors with positive relativistic WF. These pure states are coherent superpositions of particles and antiparticles, while the existence of positive WF exclusive composed of particles is conjectured. These observations challenge a common belief that states with positive WF are classical or have classical analogues, and may open new venues in relativistic quantum information.
According to the so-called ``Quantum Darwinist'' approach, the emergence of ``classical islands'' from a quantum background is assumed to obey a (selection) principle of maximal information. We illustrate this idea by considering the coupling of two particles that interact through a position-dependent potential. This approach sheds a new light on the emergence of classical logics and of our classical preconceptions about the world. The distinction between internal and external world, the Cartesian prejudice according to which the whole can be reduced to the sum of its parts and the appearance …
A fluid analog of the information flux in the phase-space associated to purity and von Neumann entropy are identified in the Weyl-Wigner formalism of quantum mechanics. Once constrained by symmetry and positiveness, the encountered continuity equations provide novel quantifiers for non-classicality (non-Liouvillian fluidity) given in terms of quantum decoherence, purity and von Neumann entropy fluxes. Through definitions in the Weyl-Wigner formalism, one can identify the quantum fluctuations that distort the classical-quantum coincidence regime, and the corresponding quantum information profil…
The origin of classical reality in our quantum world is a long-standing mystery. Here, we examine a nitrogen vacancy center evolving naturally in the presence of its environment to study quantum Darwinism - the proliferation of information about preferred quantum states throughout the world via the environment. This redundantly imprinted information accounts for the perception of objective reality, as it is independently accessible by many without perturbing the system of interest. To observe the emergence of redundant information, we implement a novel dynamical decoupling scheme that enables …
We show the transition from a fully quantized interaction to a semiclassical one in entangled small number quantum systems using the quantum trajectories approach. In particular, we simulate the microwave Ramsey zones used in Rydberg atom interferometry, filling in the gap between the strongly entangling Jaynes Cummings evolution and the semiclassical rotation of the atomic internal states. We also correlate the information flowing with leaking photons to the entanglement generation between cavity field and flying atom and detail the roles played by the strong dissipation and the external driv…
We introduce the quantum-house effect, a non-local phenomenon which apparently does not require quantum discord to be present. It suffices for the effect if neither subsystem of a bipartite system is in a pure state. This way, the quantum-house effect completely fills the gap between trivial correlations and quantum discord. However, we discuss why the situation is more subtle than that, by showing that in a concrete cryptographic setting called "the quantum-house game", the ability to produce quantum discord is in fact necessary for the quantum-house effect to work. Then, we suggest a princip…
The "classical-quantum" ($\mathit{cq}$) discord of a bipartite state $ρ^{AB}$ is the smallest difference between the mutual information $S(ρ^{A:B})$ of $ρ$ and that of $ρ$ after a measurement channel is applied on the $A$ system. Relating zero discord to the strong subadditivity of the Von Neumann entropy, Datta proved that a state has zero $\mathit{cq}$ discord iff and only if it can be written in the form $\sum_i p_i\, |i\rangle\langle i|\otimes ρ^B_i$ for $p_i$ a probability distribution, $|i\rangle$ a basis of the $A$ system and $ρ^B_i$ states of the $B$ system. We provide a simple proof o…
Modern quantum information theory provides new tools for investigating the decoherence-induced "classicality" of open quantum systems. Recent observation that almost all quantum states bear non-classical correlations [A. Ferraro {\it et al}, Phys. Rev. A {\bf 81}, 052318 (2010)] distinguishes the zero-discord classicality essentially as a pathology of the Markovian bipartite-systems realm. Nevertheless, we formally construct such a classical model and its variant that represents a matter-of-principle formal proof, i.e. a sufficient condition for the, otherwise not obvious, existence of the Mar…
We consider the information flow on a system's observable $X$ corresponding to a positive-operator valued measure under a quantum measurement process $Y$ described by a completely positive instrument from the viewpoint of the relative entropy. We establish a sufficient condition for the relative-entropy conservation law which states that the averaged decrease in the relative entropy of the system's observable $X$ equals the relative entropy of the measurement outcome of $Y$, i.e. the information gain due to measurement. This sufficient condition is interpreted as an assumption of classicality …
Phase-space features of the Wigner flow for an anharmonic quantum system driven by the harmonic oscillator potential modified by the addition of an inverse square (one-dimension Coulomb-like) contribution are analytically described in terms of Wigner functions and Wigner currents. Reporting about three correlated continuity equations which quantify the flux of quantum information in the phase-space, the non-classicality profile of such an anharmonic system can be consistently obtained in terms of the fluxes of {\em probability}, {\em purity} and {\em von Neumann-like entropy}. Considering that…
The results of space-like separated measurements are independent of distant measurement settings, a property one might call two-way no-signalling. In contrast, time-like separated measurements are only one-way no-signalling since the past is independent of the future but not vice-versa. For this reason temporal correlations that are formally identical to non-classical spatial correlations can still be modelled classically. We define non-classical temporal correlations as the ones which cannot be simulated by propagating in time a classical information content of a quantum system. We first show…
We study a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) in a double-well potential subject to an unsharp continuous measurement of the atom number in one of the two wells. We investigate the back action of the measurement on the quantum dynamics and the viability to monitor the ensuing time evolution. For vanishing inter-atomic interactions, mainly the expectation values of the measured local observable can be inferred from the measurement record. Conversely, in the presence of moderate inter-atomic interactions, the entire many-body state --modified by the measurement-- is monitored with unit fidelity and,…
Non-classical correlations in quantum optics as resources for quantum computation are important in the quest for highly-specialized quantum devices. The standard way to investigate such effects relies on either the characterization of the inherent features of sources and circuits or the study of the output radiation of a given optical setup. The latter approach demands an extensive description of the output fields, but often overlooks the dynamics of the sources. Conversely, the former discards most of the information about the single trajectories, which are observed in experimental measuremen…
Metrological approach to the emergence of classical objectivity
University College Dublin（都柏林大学学院）；University College Cork（科克大学学院）；Università degli Studi di Palermo（巴勒莫大学）；Los Alamos National Laboratory（洛斯阿拉莫斯国家实验室）；University of Maryland, Baltimore County（马里兰大学巴尔的摩分校）；National Quantum Laboratory（国家量子实验室）；University of Rochester（罗切斯特大学）
The non-classical nature of quantum states, often illustrated using entanglement measures or quantum discord, constitutes a resource for quantum information protocols. However, the non-classicality of a quantum system cannot be encapsulated as a property of the state alone, as the set of available measurements used to extract information on the system is typically restricted. In this work we study how the non-classicality of quantum measurements, quantified via their incompatibility, is influenced by quantum noise and, further, how a non-Markovian environment may help us in maintaining the mea…
Contextuality is considered as an intrinsic signature of non-classicality, and a crucial resource for achieving unique advantages of quantum information processing. However, recently there have been debates on whether classical fields may also demonstrate contextuality. Here we experimentally configure a contextuality test for optical fields, adopting various definitions of measurement events, and analyse how the definitions affect the emergence of non-classical correlations. The heralded single photon state, a typical non-classical light field, manifests contextuality in our setup, while cont…
We propose and demonstrate an effective mode-filtering technique of non-Gaussian states generated by photon-subtraction. More robust non-Gaussian states have been obtained by removing noisy low frequencies from the original mode spectrum. We show that non-Gaussian states preserve their non-classicality after quantum teleportation to a higher degree, when they have been mode-filtered. This is indicated by a stronger negativity $-0.033 \pm 0.005$ of the Wigner function at the origin, compared to $-0.018 \pm 0.007$ for states that have not been mode-filtered. This technique can be straightforward…
In a quantum measurement process, classical information about the measured system spreads throughout the environment. Meanwhile, quantum information about the system becomes inaccessible to local observers. Here we prove a result about quantum channels indicating that an aspect of this phenomenon is completely general. We show that for any evolution of the system and environment, for everywhere in the environment excluding an $O(1)$-sized region we call the "quantum Markov blanket," any locally accessible information about the system must be approximately classical, i.e. obtainable from some f…
Quantum Darwinism posits that the emergence of a classical reality relies on the spreading of classical information from a quantum system to many parts of its environment. But what are the essential physical principles of quantum theory that make this mechanism possible? We address this question by formulating the simplest instance of Darwinism - CNOT-like fan-out interactions - in a class of probabilistic theories that contain classical and quantum theory as special cases. We determine necessary and sufficient conditions for any theory to admit such interactions. We find that every theory wit…
Recent observation that almost all quantum states bear non-classical correlations [A. Ferraro et al, Phys. Rev. A 81, 052328 (2010)] may seem to imply that the Markovian bipartite systems are practically deprived of zero discord states. Nevertheless, complementary to the result of Ferraro et al, we construct a model of a Markovian bipartite system providing zero discord for arbitrary long time interval, that we term 'Markovian classicality'. Our model represents a matter-of-principle formal proof, i.e. a sufficient condition for the, otherwise not obvious, existence of Markovian classicality. …
In this note, we consider the question of classicality for the theory which is known to be the effective description of two-dimensional black holes - the Morse quantum mechanics. We calculate the Wigner function and the Fisher information characterizing classicality/quantumness of single-particle systems and briefly discuss further directions to study.
Effective classicality of a property of a quantum system can be defined using redundancy of its record in the environment. This allows quantum physics to approximate the situation encountered in the classical world: The information about a classical system can exist independently from its state. In quantum theory this is no longer possible: In an isolated quantum system the state and the information about it are inextricably linked, and any measurement may -- and usually will -- reset that state. However, when the information about the state of a quantum system is spread throughout the environ…
Two classically identical expressions for the mutual information generally differ when the two systems involved are quantum. We investigate this difference -- quantum discord -- and show that it can be used as a criterion for the classicality of the correlations. We also show that quantum discord can be used for describing the selection of the preferred, effectively classical, pointer states.
Decoherence transforms a ballistic quantum walk into a diffusive classical random walk. After each step the environment measures the particle's path and the outside world gets to know the which-way information. The relation between the which-way information and the classicality of the spatial distribution is clearly visible in the multi-coin quantum walk in which the information about particle's path is encoded in the multi-coin degree of freedom. The more information is stored on the coins, the more classical and diffusive the spatial distribution is. Here, we propose a generalized version of…
We shall show that the abstract and formal rules which govern the quantum kinematic and dynamics can be derived from a law of change of the information content or the degree of uncertainty that the system has a certain configuration in a microscopic time scale, which is singled out uniquely, up to a free parameter, by imposing the condition of Macroscopic Classicality and the principle of Locality. Unlike standard quantum mechanics, however, the system always has a definite configuration all the time as in classical mechanics, following a continuous trajectory fluctuating randomly in time.
Operations that are trivial in the classical world, like accessing information without introducing any change or disturbance, or like copying information, become non-trivial in the quantum world. In this note we discuss several limitations in the local redistributing correlations, when it comes to dealing with bipartite quantum states. In particular, we focus on the task of local broadcasting, by discussing relevant no-go theorems, and by quantifying the non-classicality of correlations in terms of the degree to which local broadcasting is possible in an approximate fashion.
Recent work has demonstrated that quantum Fisher information (QFI), a witness of multipartite entanglement, and magnetic Van Hove correlations $G(r,t)$, a probe of local real-space real-time spin dynamics, can be successfully extracted from inelastic neutron scattering on spin systems through accurate measurements of the dynamical spin structure factor $S(k,ω)$. Here we apply theoretically these ideas to the half-filled Hubbard chain with nearest-neighbor hopping, away from the strong-coupling limit. This model has nontrivial redistribution of spectral weight in $S(k,ω)$ going from the non-int…
Recently, the emergence of classical objectivity as a property of a quantum state has been explicitly derived for a small object embedded in a photonic environment in terms of a spectrum broadcast form---a specific classically correlated state, redundantly encoding information about the preferred states of the object in the environment. However, the environment was in a pure state and the fundamental problem was how generic and robust is the conclusion. Here we prove that despite of the initial environmental noise the emergence of the broadcast structure still holds, leading to the perceived o…
