Classical Control, Quantum Circuits and Linear Logic in Enriched Category Theory

We describe categorical models of a circuit-based (quantum) functional programming language. We show that enriched categories play a crucial role. Following earlier work on QWire by Paykin et al., we consider both a simple first-order linear language for circuits, and a more powerful host language, such that the circuit language is embedded inside the host language. Our categorical semantics for the host language is standard, and involves cartesian closed categories and monads. We interpret the circuit language not in an ordinary category, but in a category that is enriched in the host category. We show that this structure is also related to linear/non-linear models. As an extended example, we recall an earlier result that the category of W*-algebras is dcpo-enriched, and we use this model to extend the circuit language with some recursive types

Quantum channels as a categorical completion

We propose a categorical foundation for the connection between pure and mixed states in quantum information and quantum computation. The foundation is based on distributive monoidal categories. First, we prove that the category of all quantum channels is a canonical completion of the category of pure quantum operations (with ancilla preparations). More precisely, we prove that the category of completely positive trace-preserving maps between finite-dimensional C*-algebras is a canonical completion of the category of finite-dimensional vector spaces and isometries. Second, we extend our result to give a foundation to the topological relationships between quantum channels. We do this by generalizing our categorical foundation to the topologically-enriched setting. In particular, we show that the operator norm topology on quantum channels is the canonical topology induced by the norm topology on isometries.Comment: 12 pages + ref, accepted at LICS 201

Compositional theories for embedded languages

Embedded programming style allows to split the syntax in two parts, representing respectively a host language H and a core language C embedded in H. This formally models several situations in which a user writes code in a main language and delegates some tasks to an ad hoc domain specific language. Moreover, as showed in recent years, a particular case of the host-core approach allows a flexible management of data linearity, which is particularly useful in non-classical computational paradigms such as quantum computing. The definition of a systematised type theory to capture and standardize common properties of embedded languages is unexplored. The aim of this paper is to present a flexible fragment of such a type theory, together with its categorical semantics in terms of enriched categories, following previous investigations. We present the calculus HC0 and we use the notion of internal language of a category to relate the language to the class of its models, showing the equivalence between the category of models and the one of theories. This provides a stronger result w.r.t. standard soundness and completeness since it involves not only the models but also morphisms between models. We observe that the definition of the morphisms between models highlights further advantages of the embedded languages and we discuss some concrete instances, extensions and specializations of the syntax and the semantics.Comment: 20 page

Quantum Alternation: Prospects and Problems

We propose a notion of quantum control in a quantum programming language which permits the superposition of finitely many quantum operations without performing a measurement. This notion takes the form of a conditional construct similar to the IF statement in classical programming languages. We show that adding such a quantum IF statement to the QPL programming language simplifies the presentation of several quantum algorithms. This motivates the possibility of extending the denotational semantics of QPL to include this form of quantum alternation. We give a denotational semantics for this extension of QPL based on Kraus decompositions rather than on superoperators. Finally, we clarify the relation between quantum alternation and recursion, and discuss the possibility of lifting the semantics defined by Kraus operators to the superoperator semantics defined by Selinger.Comment: In Proceedings QPL 2015, arXiv:1511.0118

The Quantum Monadology

The modern theory of functional programming languages uses monads for encoding computational side-effects and side-contexts, beyond bare-bone program logic. Even though quantum computing is intrinsically side-effectful (as in quantum measurement) and context-dependent (as on mixed ancillary states), little of this monadic paradigm has previously been brought to bear on quantum programming languages. Here we systematically analyze the (co)monads on categories of parameterized module spectra which are induced by Grothendieck's "motivic yoga of operations" -- for the present purpose specialized to HC-modules and further to set-indexed complex vector spaces. Interpreting an indexed vector space as a collection of alternative possible quantum state spaces parameterized by quantum measurement results, as familiar from Proto-Quipper-semantics, we find that these (co)monads provide a comprehensive natural language for functional quantum programming with classical control and with "dynamic lifting" of quantum measurement results back into classical contexts. We close by indicating a domain-specific quantum programming language (QS) expressing these monadic quantum effects in transparent do-notation, embeddable into the recently constructed Linear Homotopy Type Theory (LHoTT) which interprets into parameterized module spectra. Once embedded into LHoTT, this should make for formally verifiable universal quantum programming with linear quantum types, classical control, dynamic lifting, and notably also with topological effects.Comment: 120 pages, various figure

Compositional frameworks for supermaps and causality

Quantum supermaps are transformations of quantum processes, and have found many applications in quantum foundations and quantum information theory in the past two decades, particularly in the study of causality. Whilst the concept of a supermap is a simple and intuitive one, the current state-of-the-art formalisations of supermaps cannot be applied to arbitrary Hilbert spaces or Operational Probabilistic Theories (OPTs). We review the standard approaches to defining supermaps in quantum theory, wherever possible highlighting the background compositional principles at play using diagrammatic languages and referring to their algebraic formalisation in the field of category theory. The core argument of this thesis is that a more principled and general approach to defining quantum supermaps exists, using a definition of locally-applicable transformation, which can be applied to any symmetric monoidal category. As a consequence this approach can be applied to all quantum processes on general quantum degrees of freedom and to all transformations in OPTs. We identify key compositional features for entire theories of supermaps and show that the supermaps of those theories are always operationally described by locally-applicable transformations. Two tests for a good construction of supermaps on symmetric monoidal categories are identified, recovery of standard physicists definitions for quantum supermaps when applied to categories of standard quantum processes, and existence of key compositional features. By the end of the thesis we find a way to strengthen locally-applicable transformations to construct the theory of polyslots, which passes both tests. Applications of this new general framework for the study of quantum causality and quantum information theory are identified as future potential research directions