\noindent In our contribution to this volume we deal with \emph{discrete} symmetries: these are symmetries based upon groups with a discrete set of elements (generally a set of elements that can be enumerated by the positive integers). In physics we find that discrete symmetries frequently arise as `internal', non-spacetime symmetries. Permutation symmetry is such a discrete symmetry arising as the mathematical basis underlying the statistical behaviour of ensembles of certain types of indistinguishable quantum particle (e.g., fermions and bosons). Roughly speaking, if such an ensemble is invariant under a permutation of its constituent particles (i.e., permutation symmetric) then one doesn't `count' those permutations which merely `exchange' indistinguishable particles; rather, the exchanged state is identified with the original state. This principle of invariance is generally called the `indistinguishability postulate' [IP], but we prefer to use the term `permutation invariance' [PI]. It is this symmetry principle that is typically taken to underpin and explain the nature of (fermionic and bosonic) quantum statistics (although, as we shall see, this characterisation is not uncontentious), and it is this principle that has important consequences regarding the metaphysics of identity and individuality for particles exhibiting such statistical behaviour.
It is well known that the allowed wavefunctions for an $N$-electron system should be antisymmetric with respect to the permutation of any pair of electron labels. On the other hand, the Hamiltonian for such system is invariant under any permutation of electron labels and, consequently, its eigenfunctions are basis for the irreducible representations of the symmetric group $S_N$.Here, we investigate which symmetry species of the $S_N$ group are compatible with the antisymmetry principle. We illustrate the conclusions by means of simple $N$-particle one-dimensional models with harmonic interacti…
Permutation symmetries of multipartite quantum states are defined only when the constituent subsystems are of equal dimensions. In this work we extend this notion of permutation symmetry to heterogeneous systems, that is, systems composed of subsystems having unequal dimensions. Given a tensor product space of $k$ subsystems (of arbitrary dimensions) and a permutation operation $σ$ over $k$ symbols, these states are such that they have identical decompositions (up to an overall phase) in the given tensor product space and the tensor product space obtained by the permuting the subsystems by $σ$…
We investigate the relationship between multipartite entanglement and symmetry, focusing on permutation symmetric states. We use the Majorana representation, where these states correspond to points on a sphere. Symmetry of the representation under rotation is equivalent to symmetry of the states under products of local unitaries. The geometric measure of entanglement is thus phrased entirely as a geometric optimisation, and a condition for the equivalence of entanglement measures written in terms of point symmetries. Finally we see that different symmetries of the states correspond to differen…
In this paper we analyze a recently proposed approach for the construction of antisymmetric functions for atomic and molecular systems. It is based on the assumption that the main problems with Hartree-Fock wavefunctions stem from their lack of proper permutation symmetry. This alternative building approach is based on products of a space times a spin function with opposite permutation symmetry. The main argument for devising such factors is that the eigenfunctions of the non-relativistic Hamiltonian are either symmetric or antisymmetric with respect to the transposition of the variables of a …
From Permutation Symmetry to Communication Bounds and Additivity
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics（Perimeter理论物理研究所）；University of Waterloo（滑铁卢大学）；Institute for Quantum Computing, University of Waterloo（滑铁卢大学量子计算研究所）
In this article I expound an understanding of the quantum mechanics of so-called "indistinguishable" systems in which permutation invariance is taken as a symmetry of a special kind, namely the result of representational redundancy. This understanding has heterodox consequences for the understanding of the states of constituent systems in an assembly and for the notion of entanglement. It corrects widespread misconceptions about the inter-theoretic relations between quantum mechanics and both classical particle mechanics and quantum field theory. The most striking of the heterodox consequences…
With an easily applicable criterion based on permutation symmetries of (identically prepared) replicas of quantum states we identify distinct entanglement classes in high-dimensional multi- partite systems. The different symmetry properties of inequivalent states provide a rather intuitive picture of the otherwise very abstract classification of many-body entangled states.
In this paper, we study consensus seeking of quantum networks under directed interactions defined by a set of permutation operators among a network of qubits. The state evolution of the quantum network is described by a continuous-time master equation, for which we establish an unconditional convergence result indicating that the network state always converges with the limit determined by the generating subgroup of the permutations making use of the Perron-Frobenius theory. We also give a tight graphical criterion regarding when such limit admits a reduced-state consensus. Further, we provide …
We describe the implications of permutation symmetry for the state space and dynamics of quantum mechanical systems of matrices of general size $N$. We solve the general 11- parameter permutation invariant quantum matrix harmonic oscillator Hamiltonian and calculate the canonical partition function. The permutation invariant sector of the Hilbert space, for general Hamiltonians, can be described using partition algebra diagrams forming the bases of a tower of partition algebras $P_k(N)$. The integer $k$ is interpreted as the degree of matrix oscillator polynomials in the quantum mechanics. Fam…
We study the coupled even number of microcavities with the balanced gain and loss between any pair of their neighboring components. The effective non-Hermitian Hamiltonian for such structure has the cyclic permutation-time symmetry with respect to the cavity modes, and this symmetry determines the patterns of the dynamical evolutions of the cavity modes. The systems also have multiple exceptional points for the degeneracy of the existing supermodes, exhibiting the "phase transition" of system dynamics across these exceptional points. We illustrate the quantum dynamical properties of the system…
The Wigner function provides a useful quasiprobability representation of quantum mechanics, with applications in various branches of physics. Many nice properties of the Wigner function are intimately connected with the high symmetry of the underlying operator basis composed of phase point operators: any pair of phase point operators can be transformed to any other pair by a unitary symmetry transformation. We prove that, in the discrete scenario, this permutation symmetry is equivalent to the symmetry group being a unitary 2-design. Such a highly symmetric representation can only appear in od…
By adding an imaginary interacting term proportional to ip_1p_2 to the Hamiltonian of a free anisotropic planar oscillator, we construct a new model which is described by the PT-pseudo-Hermitian Hamiltonian with the permutation symmetry of two dimensions. We prove that our model is equivalent to the Pais-Uhlenbeck oscillator and thus establish a relationship between our PT-pseudo-Hermitian system and the fourth-order derivative oscillator model. We also point out the spontaneous breaking of permutation symmetry which plays a crucial role in giving a real spectrum free of interchange of positiv…
We introduce the notion of Mixed Symmetry Quantum Phase Transition (MSQPT) as singularities in the transformation of the lowest-energy state properties of a system of identical particles inside each permutation symmetry sector $μ$, when some Hamiltonian control parameters $λ$ are varied. We use a three-level Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick (LMG) model, with $U(3)$ dynamical symmetry, to exemplify our construction. After reviewing the construction of $U(3)$ unirreps using Young tableaux and Gelfand basis, we firstly study the case of a finite number $N$ of three-level atoms, showing that some precursors (…
It is a well-established fact in quantum information theory, that uniform averaging over the collective action of a unitary group on a multipartite quantum state projects the state to a form equivalent to a permutation operator of the subsystems. Hence states equivalent to permutation operators are untouched by collective unitary noise. A trivial observation shows that uniform averaging over permutation operators projects the state into a form with block-diagonal structure equivalent to the one of the collective action of the unitary group. We introduce a name for this property: duality of ave…
We study the ground states of lattice Hamiltonians that are invariant under permutations, in the limit where the number of lattice sites, N -> \infty. For spin systems, these are product states, a fact that follows directly from the quantum de Finetti theorem. For fermionic systems, however, the problem is very different, since mode operators acting on different sites do not commute, but anti-commute. We construct a family of fermionic states, \cal{F}, from which such ground states can be easily computed. They are characterized by few parameters whose number only depends on M, the number of mo…
Many-body systems of identical arbitrary-spin particles, with separable spin and spatial degrees of freedom, are considered. Their eigenstates can be classified by Young diagrams, corresponding to non-trivial permutation symmetries (beyond the conventional paradigm of symmetric--antisymmetric states). The present work obtains (a) selection rules for additional non-separable (dependent on spins and coordinates) $k$-body interactions: the Young diagrams, associated with the initial and the final states of a transition, can differ by relocation of no more than $k$ boxes between their rows; and (b…
The modern state of the Pauli Exclusion Principle (PEP) is discussed. PEP can be considered from two viewpoints. On the one hand, it asserts that particles with half-integer spin (fermions) are described by antisymmetric wave functions, and particles with integer spin (bosons) are described by symmetric wave functions. This is the so-called spin-statistics connection (SSC). As we will discuss, the physical reasons why SSC exists are still unknown. On the other hand, according to PEP, the permutation symmetry of the total wave functions can be only of two types: symmetric or antisymmetric, both…
We introduce the notion of nonlocal symmetry of a graph $G$, defined as a winning quantum correlation for the $G$-automorphism game that cannot be produced classically. Recent connections between quantum group theory and quantum information show that quantum correlations for this game correspond to tracial states on $C(\text{Qut}(G))$ -- the algebra of functions on the quantum automorphism group of $G$. This allows us to also define nonlocal symmetry for any quantum permutation group. We investigate the differences and similarities between this and the notion of quantum symmetry, defined as no…
We give a construction and algorithmic description of the fusion ring of permutation extensions of an arbitrary modular tensor category using a combinatorial approach inspired by the physics of anyons and symmetry defects in bosonic topological phases of matter. The definition is illustrated with examples, namely bilayer symmetry defects and $S_3$-extensions of small modular tensor categories like the Ising and Fibonacci theories. An implementation of the fusion algorithm is provided in the form of a Mathematica package. We introduce the notions of confinement and deconfinement of anyons and d…
Symmetry is at the heart of coding theory. Codes with symmetry, especially cyclic codes, play an essential role in both theory and practical applications of classical error-correcting codes. Here we examine symmetry properties for codeword stabilized (CWS) quantum codes, which is the most general framework for constructing quantum error-correcting codes known to date. A CWS code Q can be represented by a self-dual additive code S and a classical code C, i.,e., Q=(S,C), however this representation is in general not unique. We show that for any CWS code Q with certain permutation symmetry, one c…
Second-order phase transitions have no latent heat and are characterized by a change in symmetry. In addition to the conventional symmetric and anti-symmetric states under permutations of bosons and fermions, mathematical group-representation theory allows for non-Abelian permutation symmetry. Such symmetry can be hidden in states with defined total spins of spinor gases, which can be formed in optical cavities. The present work shows that the symmetry reveals itself in spin-independent or coordinate-independent properties of these gases, namely as non-Abelian entropy in thermodynamic properti…
In a recent publication we showed that permutation symmetry reduces the numerical complexity of Lindblad quantum master equations for identical multi-level systems from exponential to polynomial scaling. This is important for open system dynamics including realistic system bath interactions and dephasing in, for instance, the Dicke model, multi-$Λ$ system setups etc. Here we present an object-oriented C++ library that allows to setup and solve arbitrary quantum optical Lindblad master equations, especially those that are permutationally symmetric in the multi-level systems. PsiQuaSP (Permutati…
We study Hermitian unitary matrices $\mathcal{S}\in\mathbb{C}^{n,n}$ with the following property: There exist $r\geq0$ and $t>0$ such that the entries of $\mathcal{S}$ satisfy $|\mathcal{S}_{jj}|=r$ and $|\mathcal{S}_{jk}|=t$ for all $j,k=1,\ldots,n$, $j\neq k$. We derive necessary conditions on the ratio $d:=r/t$ and show that these conditions are very restrictive except for the case when $n$ is even and the sum of the diagonal elements of $§$ is zero. Examples of families of matrices $\mathcal{S}$ are constructed for $d$ belonging to certain intervals. The case of real matrices $\mathcal{S}$…
