Given a unitary representation $U$ of an Abelian group $G$ and a subgroup $H$, we characterise the positive operator valued quotient group $G/H$ and covariant with respect to $U$.
Given an irreducible representation of a group G, we show that all the covariant positive operator valued measures based on G/Z, where Z is a central subgroup, are described by trace class, trace one positive operators.
We represent quantum observables as POVMs (normalized positive operator valued measures) and consider convex sets of observables which are covariant with respect to a unitary representation of a locally compact Abelian symmetry group $G$. The value space of such observables is a transitive $G$-space. We characterize the extreme points of covariant observables and also determine the covariant extreme points of the larger set of all quantum observables. The results are applied to position, position difference and time observables.
Given a unitary representation U of a compact group G and a transitive G-space $Ω$, we characterize the extremal elements of the convex set of all U-covariant positive operator valued measures.
We study the positive-operator-valued measures on the projective real line covariant with respect to the projective group, assuming that the energy is a positive operator. This problem is similar to the more complicated problem of finding the positive-operator-valued measures on the compactified Minkowski space-time covariant with respect to the conformal group. It also describes a time-of-arrival observable for a free particle covariant with respect to linear canonical transformations.
Motivated by the recent developments of gauge-covariant methods in the phase-space, a systematic method is presented aiming at the generalisation of the Moyal star-product to a non-Abelian gauge covariant one at any order. Such an expansion contains some dressing of the bare particle model by the gauge-fields explicitly, and might serve as a drastically simplifying tool for the elaborations of gauge-covariant quantum transport models. In addition, it might be of fundamental importance for the mathematical elaborations of gauge theory using the strict or deformation quantisation principles. A f…
We consider the convex set of positive operator valued measures (POVM) which are covariant under a finite dimensional unitary projective representation of a group. We derive a general characterization for the extremal points, and provide bounds for the ranks of the corresponding POVM densities, also relating extremality to uniqueness and stability of optimized measurements. Examples of applications are given.
We consider the convex sets of QO's (quantum operations) and POVM's (positive operator valued measures) which are covariant under a general finite-dimensional unitary representation of a group. We derive necessary and sufficient conditions for extremality, and give general bounds for ranks of the extremal POVM's and QO's. Results are illustrated on the basis of simple examples.
We introduce positive operator-valued measure (POVM) generated by the projective unitary representation of a direct product of locally compact Abelian group $G$ with its dual $\hat G$. The method is based upon the Pontryagin duality allowing to establish an isometrical isomorphism between the space of Hilbert-Schmidt operators in $L^2(G)$ and the Hilbert space $L^2(\hat G\times G)$. Any such a measure determines a pair of hybrid (containing classical and quantum parts) quantum channels consisting of the measurement channel and the channel transmitting an initial quantum state to the ensemble o…
We discuss symmetric quantum measurements and the associated covariant observables modelled, respectively, as instruments and positive-operator-valued measures. The emphasis of this work are the optimality properties of the measurements, namely, extremality, informational completeness, and the rank-1 property which contrast the complementary class of (rank-1) projection-valued measures. The first half of this work concentrates solely on finite-outcome measurements symmetric w.r.t. finite groups where we derive exhaustive characterizations for the pointwise Kraus-operators of covariant instrume…
We study various optimality criteria for quantum observables. Observables are represented as covariant positive operator valued measures and we consider the case when the symmetry group is compact. Phase observables are examined as an example.
We consider questions related to quantizing complex valued functions defined on a locally compact topological group. In the case of bounded functions, we generalize R. Werner's approach to prove the characterization of the associated normal covariant quantization maps.
We present an operationally motivated treatment of quantum reference frames in the setting that the frame is a covariant positive operator valued measure (POVM) on a finite homogeneous space, generalising the principal homogeneous spaces studied in previous work. We focus on the case that the reference observable is the canonical covariant projection valued measure on the given space, and show that this gives rise to a rank-one covariant POVM on the group, which can be seen as a system of coherent states, thereby making contact with recent work in the perspective-neutral approach to quantum re…
Lax pairs with operator valued coefficients, which are explicitly connected by means of an additional condition, are considered. This condition is proved to be covariant with respect to the Darboux transformation of a general form. Nonlinear equations arising from the compatibility condition of the Lax pairs in the matrix case include, in particular, Nahm equations, Volterra, Bogoyavlenskii and Toda lattices. The examples of another one-, two- and multi-field lattice equations are also presented.
Given a topological group $G$ and a unitary representation $U$ of $G$, we consider the problem of classifying the positive operator measures which are based on a $G$-homogeneous space $X$ and covariant with respect to the representation $U$. We completely solve the problem in two cases: 1) when $G$ is abelian; 2) when $G$ is not abelian, $X$ has compact stbiliser in $G$ and the representation $U$ is irreducible. We then give an application of the above results to the characterisation of covariant position and momentum observables in quantum mechanics, and to the determination of those covarian…
We present a correspondence between positive operator valued measures (POVMs) and sets of generalized coherent states. Positive operator valued measures describe quantum observables and, similarly to quantum states, also quantum observables can be mixed. We show how the formalism of generalized coherent states leads to a useful characterization of extremal POVMs. We prove that covariant phase space observables related to squeezed states are extremal, while the ones related to number states are not extremal.
We introduce a new class of nonlinear equations admitting a representation in terms of Darboux-covariant compatibility conditions. Their special cases are, in particular, (i) the "general" von Neumann equation $i\dotρ=[H,f(ρ)]$, with $[f(ρ),ρ]=0$, (ii) its generalization involving certain functions $f(ρ)$ which are non-Abelian in the sense that $[f(ρ),ρ]\neq0$, and (iii) the Nahm equations.
The utility of the U(1)$^3$ model as a test laboratory for quantum gravity has recently been emphasized in a recent series of papers due to Varadarajan et al. The simplification from SU(2) to U(1)$^3$ can be performed simply by hand within the Hamiltonian formulation by dropping all non-Abelian terms from the Gauss, spatial diffeomorphism and Hamiltonian constraints respectively. However, one may ask from which Lagrangian formulation this theory descends. For the SU(2) theory it is known that one can choose the Palatini action, Holst action or (anti-)selfdual action (Euclidian signature) as st…
The general construction of self-adjoint configuration space representations of the Heisenberg algebra over an arbitrary manifold is considered. All such inequivalent representations are parametrised in terms of the topology classes of flat U(1) bundles over the configuration space manifold. In the case of Riemannian manifolds, these representations are also manifestly diffeomorphic covariant. The general discussion, illustrated by some simple examples in non relativistic quantum mechanics, is of particular relevance to systems whose configuration space is parametrised by curvilinear coordinat…