Showing papers by "Michael A. Nielsen published in 2001"

Separable states are more disordered globally than locally.

Abstract: A remarkable feature of quantum entanglement is that an entangled state of two parties, Alice ( A) and Bob ( B), may be more disordered locally than globally. That is, S(A)>S(A,B), where S() is the von Neumann entropy. It is known that satisfaction of this inequality implies that a state is nonseparable. In this paper we prove the stronger result that for separable states the vector of eigenvalues of the density matrix of system AB is majorized by the vector of eigenvalues of the density matrix of system A alone. This gives a strong sense in which a separable state is more disordered globally than locally and a new necessary condition for separability of bipartite states in arbitrary dimensions.

Causal and localizable quantum operations

Abstract: We examine constraints on quantum operations imposed by relativistic causality. A bipartite superoperator is said to be localizable if it can be implemented by two parties (Alice and Bob) who share entanglement but do not communicate; it is causal if the superoperator does not convey information from Alice to Bob or from Bob to Alice. We characterize the general structure of causal complete-measurement superoperators, and exhibit examples that are causal but not localizable. We construct another class of causal bipartite superoperators that are not localizable by invoking bounds on the strength of correlations among the parts of a quantum system. A bipartite superoperator is said to be semilocalizable if it can be implemented with one-way quantum communication from Alice to Bob, and it is semicausal if it conveys no information from Bob to Alice. We show that all semicausal complete-measurement superoperators are semilocalizable, and we establish a general criterion for semicausality. In the multipartite case, we observe that a measurement superoperator that projects onto the eigenspaces of a stabilizer code is localizable.

Universal quantum computation using only projective measurement, quantum memory, and preparation of the 0 state

Abstract: What resources are universal for quantum computation? In the standard model, a quantum computer consists of a sequence of unitary gates acting coherently on the qubits making up the computer. This paper shows that a very different model involving only projective measurements, quantum memory, and the ability to prepare the |0> state is also universal for quantum computation. In particular, no coherent unitary dynamics are involved in the computation.

Majorization and the interconversion of bipartite states

Abstract: Majorization is a powerful, easy-to-use and flexible tool which arises frequently in quantum mechanics as a consequence of fundamental connections between unitarity and the majorization relation Entanglement theory does not escape from its influence Thus the interconversion of bipartite pure states by means of local manipulations turns out to be ruled to a great extend by majorization relations This review both introduces some elements of majorization theory and describes recent results on bipartite entanglement transformations, with special emphasis being placed on explaining the connections between these two topics The latter implies analyzing two other aspects of quantum mechanics similarly influenced by majorization, namely the problem of mixing of quantum states and the characterization of quantum measurement

Characterizing mixing and measurement in quantum mechanics

Abstract: What fundamental constraints characterize the relationship between a mixture ρ=∑ipiρi of quantum states, the states ρi being mixed, and the probabilities pi? What fundamental constraints characterize the relationship between prior and posterior states in a quantum measurement? In this paper we show that there are many surprisingly strong constraints on these mixing and measurement processes that can be expressed simply in terms of the eigenvalues of the quantum states involved. These constraints capture in a succinct fashion what it means to say that a quantum measurement acquires information about the system being measured, and considerably simplify the proofs of many results about entanglement transformation.

ROM-based computation: quantum versus classical

Abstract: We introduce a model of computation based on read only memory (ROM), which allows us to compare the space-efficiency of reversible, error-free classical computation with reversible, error-free quantum computation. We show that a ROM-based quantum computer with one writable qubit is universal, whilst two writable bits are required for a universal classical ROM-based computer. We also comment on the time-efficiency advantages of quantum computation within this model.

On the units of bipartite entanglement: is sixteen ounces of entanglement always equal to one pound?

Abstract: In a good physical theory dimensionless quantities, such as the ratio mp/me of the mass of the proton to the mass of the electron, do not depend on the system of units being used. This paper demonstrates that one widely used method for defining measures of entanglement violates this principle. Specifically, in this approach dimensionless ratios E(ρ)/E(σ) of entanglement measures may depend on what state is chosen as the basic unit of entanglement. This observation leads us to suggest three novel approaches to the quantification of entanglement. These approaches lead to unit-free definitions for the entanglement of formation and the distillable entanglement, and suggest natural measures of entanglement for multipartite systems. We also show that the behaviour of one of these novel measures, the entanglement of computation, is related to some open problems in computational complexity.

Entanglement, quantum phase transitions, and density matrix renormalization

Abstract: We investigate the role of entanglement in quantum phase transitions, and show that the success of the density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) in understanding such phase transitions is due to the way it preserves entanglement under renormalization. We provide a reinterpretation of the DMRG in terms of the language and tools of quantum information science which allows us to rederive the DMRG in a physically transparent way. Motivated by our reinterpretation we suggest a modification of the DMRG which manifestly takes account of the entanglement in a quantum system. This modified renormalization scheme is shown,in certain special cases, to preserve more entanglement in a quantum system than traditional numerical renormalization methods.