We consider to treat the usual probabilistic cloning, state separation, unambiguous state discrimination, \emph{etc} in a uniform framework. All these transformations can be regarded as special examples of generalized completely positive trace non-increasing maps on a finite number of input states. From the system-ancilla model we construct the corresponding unitary implementation of pure $\to$ pure, pure $\to$ mixed, mixed $\to$ pure, and mixed $\to$ mixed states transformations in the whole system and obtain the necessary and sufficient conditions on the existence of the desired maps. We expect our work will be helpful to explore what we can do on a finite set of input states.
We present a theory of entanglement transformations of Gaussian pure states with local Gaussian operations and classical communication. This is the experimentally accessible set of operations that can be realized with optical elements such as beam splitters, phase shifts and squeezers, together with homodyne measurements. We provide a simple necessary and sufficient condition for the possibility to transform a pure bipartite Gaussian state into another one. We contrast our criterion with what is possible if general local operations are available.
The amount of information that can be accessed via measurement of a quantum system prepared in different states is limited by the Kholevo bound. We present a simple proof of this theorem and its extension to sequential measurements based on the properties of quantum conditional and mutual entropies. The proof relies on a minimal physical model of the measurement which does not assume environmental decoherence, and has an intuitive diagrammatic representation.
The unconditional security of a quantum key distribution protocol is often defined in terms of the accessible information, that is, the maximum mutual information between the distributed key S and the outcome of an optimal measurement on the adversary's (quantum) system. We show that, even if this quantity is small, certain parts of the key S might still be completely insecure when S is used in applications, such as for one-time pad encryption. This flaw is due to a locking property of the accessible information: one additional (physical) bit of information might increase the accessible inform…
Let A = {rho_1,...,rho_n} be a given set of quantum states. We consider the problem of finding necessary and sufficient conditions on another set B = {sigma_1,...,sigma_n} that guarantee the existence of a physical transformation taking rho_i to sigma_i for all i. Uhlmann has given an elegant such condition when both sets comprise pure states. We give a simple proof of this condition and develop some consequences. Then we consider multi-probabilistic transformations between sets of pure states which leads to conditions for the problem of transformability between A and B when one set is pure an…
Quantum paradoxes show that quantum statistics can exceed the limits of positive joint probabilities for physical properties that cannot be measured jointly. It is therefore impossible to describe the relations between the different physical properties of a quantum system by assigning joint realities to their observable values. Instead, recent experimental results obtained by weak measurements suggest that non-classical correlations could be expressed by complex valued quasi-probabilities, where the phases of the complex probabilities express the action of transformations between the non-commu…
Maps that are not completely positive (CP) are often useful to describe the dynamics of open systems. An apparent violation of complete positivity can occur because there are prior correlations of the principal system with the environment, or if the applied transformation is correlated with the state of the system. We provide a physically motivated definition of accessible non-CP maps and derive two necessary conditions for a map to be accessible. We also show that entanglement between the system and the environment is not necessary to generate a non-CP dynamics. We describe two simple approxi…
Nonrelativistic Newton and Schroedinger equations remain correct not only under holonomic but also under nonholonomic transformations of the spacetime coordinates. Here we study the properties of transformations which are holonomic in the space coordinates while additionally tranforming the time in a path-dependent way. This makes them nonholonomic in spacetime. The resulting transformation formulas of physical quantities establish relations between different physical systems. Furthermore we point out certain differential-geometric features of these relations.
Locally accessible information is a useful information-theoretic physical quantity of an ensemble of multiparty quantum states. We find it has properties akin to quantum as well as classical correlations of single multiparty quantum states. It satisfies monotonicity under local quantum operations and classical communication. However we show that it does not follow monogamy, an important property usually satisfied by quantum correlations, and actually violates any such relation to the maximal extent. Violation is obtained even for locally indistinguishable, but globally orthogonal, multisite en…
For many quantum information protocols such as state transfer, entanglement transfer and entanglement generation, standard notions of controllability for quantum systems are too strong. We introduce the weaker notion of accessible pairs, and prove an upper bound on the achievable fidelity of a transformation between a pair of states based on the symmetries of the system. A large class of spin networks is presented for which this bound can be saturated. In this context, we show how the inaccessible dark states for a given excitation-preserving evolution can be calculated, and illustrate how som…
We consider open dynamical systems, subject to external interventions by agents that are not completely described by the theory (classical or quantal). These interventions are localized in regions that are relatively spacelike. Under these circumstances, no relativistic transformation law exists that relates the descriptions of the physical system by observers in relative motion. Still, physical laws are the same in all Lorentz frames.
We provide frequency probabilistic analysis of perturbations of physical systems by preparation procedures. We obtained the classification of possible probabilistic transformations connecting input and output probabilities that can appear in physical experiments. We found that so called quantum probabilistic rule is just one of possible rules. Besides the well known trigonometric transformation (for example, for the polarization of light), there exist the hyperbolic transformation of probabilities. In fact, `hyperbolic polarization' have laready been observed in experiments with elementary par…
Decoherence may not solve all of the measurement problems of quantum mechanics. It is proposed that a solution to these problems may be to allow that superpositions describe physically real systems in the following sense. Each quantum system "carries" around a local spacetime in whose terms other quantum systems may take on nonlocal states. Each quantum system forms a physically valid coordinate frame. The laws of physics should be formulated to be invariant under the group of allowed transformations among such frames. A transformation of relatively superposed spatial coordinates that allows a…
An investigation of Einstein's ``physical'' reality and the concept of quantum reality in terms of information theory suggests a solution to quantum paradoxes such as the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) and the Schroedinger-cat paradoxes. Quantum reality, the picture based on unitarily evolving wavefunctions, is complete, but appears incomplete from the observer's point of view for fundamental reasons arising from the quantum information theory of measurement. Physical reality, the picture based on classically accessible observables is, in the worst case of EPR experiments, unrelated to the quan…
Although gauge invariance preserves the values of physical observables, a gauge transformation can introduce important alterations of physical interpretations. To understand this, it is first shown that a gauge transformation is not, in general, a unitary transformation. Also, physical interpretations are based on both kinetic energy and potential energy expressions. While the kinetic energy is a measurable quantity, and hence gauge-invariant, the potential energy is gauge-dependent. Two basic examples are examined; one classical and the other quantum-mechanical. The aim is to show that the us…
We consider a physical system in which the description of states and measurements follow the usual quantum mechanical rules. We also assume that the dynamics is linear, but may not be fully quantum (i.e unitary). We show that in such a physical system, certain complementary evolutions, namely cloning and deleting operations that give a better fidelity than quantum mechanically allowed ones, in one (inaccessible) region, lead to signaling to a far-apart (accessible) region. To show such signaling, one requires certain two-party quantum correlated states shared between the two regions. Subsequen…
A physical interpretation of the mathematical consequence of Lorentz transformation within spatial relativity theory is presented as a result of my new physical model of existent fluctuating vacuum (FlcVcm). It is assumed that the FlcVcm is considered as a molecular dielectric, which consists from neutral dynamides, streamlined in a close-packed crystalline lattice. Every dynamide is a neutral pair, consistent by two massless opposite point-like elementary electric charges (ElmElcChrgs): electrino (-) and positrino (+). In a frozen equilibrium position two contrary pont-like ElmElcChrgs within…
Decoherence-induced leakage errors can couple a physical or encoded qubit to other levels, thus potentially damaging the qubit. They can therefore be very detrimental in quantum computation and require special attention. Here we present a general method for removing such errors by using simple decoupling and recoupling pulse sequences. The proposed gates are experimentally accessible in a variety of promising quantum computing proposals.
The formalism of general probabilistic theories provides a universal paradigm that is suitable for describing various physical systems including classical and quantum ones as particular cases. Contrary to the usual no-restriction hypothesis, the set of accessible meters within a given theory can be limited for different reasons, and this raises a question of what restrictions on meters are operationally relevant. We argue that all operational restrictions must be closed under simulation, where the simulation scheme involves mixing and classical post-processing of meters. We distinguish three c…
Duality transformations are very important in both classical and quantum physics. They allow one to relate two seemingly different formulations of the same physical realm through clever mathematical manipulations, and offer numerous advantages for the study of many-body physics. In this work, we suggest a method which shall introduce them to the world of quantum simulation too: a feasible scheme for implementing duality transformations as physical operations, mapping between dual quantum states showing the same observable physics, rather than just a mathematical trick. Demonstrating with Abeli…
Transformation media are at the heart of invisibility devices, perfect lenses and artificial black holes. In this paper, we consider their quantum theory. We show how transformation media map quantum electromagnetism in physical space to QED in empty flat space.
It is proposed to give up the description of physical states in terms of ensembles of state vectors with various probabilities, relying instead solely on the density matrix as the description of reality. With this definition of a physical state, even in entangled states nothing that is done in one isolated system can instantaneously effect the physical state of a distant isolated system. This change in the description of physical states opens up a large variety of new ways that the density matrix may transform under various symmetries, different from the unitary transformations of ordinary qua…
We are taught that gauge transformations in classical and quantum mechanics do not change the physics of the problem. Nevertheless here we discuss three broad scenarios where under gauge transformations: (i) conservation laws are not preserved in the usual manner; (ii) non-gauge-invariant quantities can be associated with physical observables; and (iii) there are changes in the physical boundary conditions of the wave function that render it non-single-valued. We give worked examples that illustrate these points, in contrast to general opinions from classic texts. We also give a historical per…
By virtue of the integration method within P-ordered product of operators and the property of entangled state representation, we reveal new physical interpretation of the generalized two-mode squeezing operator (GTSO), and find it be decomposed as the product of free-space propagation operator, single-mode and two-mode squeezing operators, as well as thin lens transformation operator. This docomposition is useful to design of opticl devices for generating various squeezed states of light. Transformation of entangled state representation induced by GTSO is emphasized.
Quantum Rabi model has been exactly solved by employing the parameter-dependent unitary transformation method in both the occupation number representation and the Bargmann space. The analytical expressions for the complete energy spectrum consisting of two double-fold degenerate sub-energy spectra are presented in the whole range of all the physical parameters. Each energy level is determined by a parameter in the unitary transformation, which obeys a highly nonlinear equation. The corresponding eigenfunction is a convergent infinite series in terms of the physical parameters. Due to the level…
Beginning with ordinary quantum mechanics for spinless particles, together with the hypothesis that all experimental measurements consist of positional measurements at different times, we characterize directly a class of nonlinear quantum theories physically equivalent to linear quantum mechanics through nonlinear gauge transformations. We show that under two physically-motivated assumptions, these transformations are uniquely determined: they are exactly the group of time-dependent, nonlinear gauge transformations introduced previously for a family of nonlinear Schrödinger equations. The gene…
Here we present a transformation that maps the Schrodinger equation of quantum mechanics to the incompressible Euler equations of fluid mechanics. The transformation provides a wave solution and a potential function based on fluid properties that satisfy the Schrodinger equation given that the fluid velocity potential and pressure satisfy the Euler equations. Interestingly, in our transformation, the equivalent of quantum potential becomes the physical surface tension. This is contrary to the Madelung transformation that maps the Schrodinger equation to the compressible Euler equations where t…
Theories of scalars and gravity, with non-minimal interactions, $\sim (M_P^2 +F(ϕ) )R +L(ϕ)$, have graviton exchange induced contact terms. These terms arise in single particle reducible diagrams with vertices $\propto q^2$ that cancel the Feynman propagator denominator $1/q^2$ and are familiar in various other physical contexts. In gravity these lead to additional terms in the action such as $\sim F(ϕ) T_μ^μ(ϕ)/M_P^2$ and $F(ϕ)\partial^2 F(ϕ)/M_P^2$. The contact terms are equivalent to induced operators obtained by a Weyl transformation that removes the non-minimal interactions, leaving a min…
In physics, every observation is made with respect to a frame of reference. Although reference frames are usually not considered as degrees of freedom, in all practical situations it is a physical system which constitutes a reference frame. Can a quantum system be considered as a reference frame and, if so, which description would it give of the world? Here, we introduce a general method to quantise reference frame transformations, which generalises the usual reference frame transformation to a "superposition of coordinate transformations". We describe states, measurement, and dynamical evolut…
Darboux transformation is a powerful tool for the construction of new solvable models in quantum mechanics. In this article, we discuss its use in the context of physical systems described by $4\times4$ Dirac Hamiltonians. The general framework provides limited control over the resulting energy operator, so that it can fail to have the required physical interpretation. We show that this problem can be circumvented with the reducible Darboux transformation that can preserve the required form of physical interactions by construction. To demonstrate it explicitly, we focus on distortion scatterin…
Entanglement is not only the resource that fuels many quantum technologies but also plays a key role for some of the most profound open questions of fundamental physics. Experiments controlling quantum systems at the single quantum level may shed light on these puzzles. However, measuring, or even bounding, entanglement experimentally has proven to be an outstanding challenge, especially when the prepared quantum states are mixed. We use entropic uncertainty relations for bipartite systems to derive measurable lower bounds on distillable entanglement. We showcase these bounds by applying them …
The concept of internal friction, a fully quantum mechanical phenomena, is investigated in a simple, experimentally accessible quantum system in which a spin-1/2 is driven by a transverse magnetic field in a quantum adiabatic process. The irreversible production of the waste energy due to the quantum friction is quantitatively analyzed in a forward-backward unitary transform of the system Hamiltonian by using the quantum relative entropy between the actual density matrix obtained in a parametric transformation and the one in a reversible adiabatic process. Analyzing the role of total transform…
In physical experiments, reference frames are standardly modelled through a specific choice of coordinates used to describe the physical systems, but they themselves are not considered as such. However, any reference frame is a physical system that ultimately behaves according to quantum mechanics. We develop a framework for rotational (i.e. spin) quantum reference frames, with respect to which quantum systems with spin degrees of freedom are described. We give an explicit model for such frames as systems composed of three spin coherent states of angular momentum $j$ and introduce the transfor…
Among the symmetries in physics, the rotation symmetry is most familiar to us. It is known that the spherical harmonics serve useful purposes when the world is rotated. Squeeze transformations are also becoming more prominent in physics, particularly in optical sciences and in high-energy physics. As can be seen from Dirac's light-cone coordinate system, Lorentz boosts are squeeze transformations. Thus the squeeze transformation is one of the fundamental transformations in Einstein's Lorentz-covariant world. It is possible to define a complete set of orthonormal functions defined for one Loren…
