5,515 research outputs found
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
Ruling out higher-order interference from purity principles
As first noted by Rafael Sorkin, there is a limit to quantum interference.
The interference pattern formed in a multi-slit experiment is a function of the
interference patterns formed between pairs of slits, there are no genuinely new
features resulting from considering three slits instead of two. Sorkin has
introduced a hierarchy of mathematically conceivable higher-order interference
behaviours, where classical theory lies at the first level of this hierarchy
and quantum theory theory at the second. Informally, the order in this
hierarchy corresponds to the number of slits on which the interference pattern
has an irreducible dependence. Many authors have wondered why quantum
interference is limited to the second level of this hierarchy. Does the
existence of higher-order interference violate some natural physical principle
that we believe should be fundamental? In the current work we show that such
principles can be found which limit interference behaviour to second-order, or
"quantum-like", interference, but that do not restrict us to the entire quantum
formalism. We work within the operational framework of generalised
probabilistic theories, and prove that any theory satisfying Causality, Purity
Preservation, Pure Sharpness, and Purification---four principles that formalise
the fundamental character of purity in nature---exhibits at most second-order
interference. Hence these theories are, at least conceptually, very "close" to
quantum theory. Along the way we show that systems in such theories correspond
to Euclidean Jordan algebras. Hence, they are self-dual and, moreover,
multi-slit experiments in such theories are described by pure projectors.Comment: 18+8 pages. Comments welcome. v2: Minor correction to Lemma 5.1, main
results are unchange
Concrete Categorical Model of a Quantum Circuit Description Language with Measurement
In this paper, we introduce dynamic lifting to a quantum circuit-description language, following the Proto-Quipper language approach. Dynamic lifting allows programs to transfer the result of measuring quantum data - qubits - into classical data - booleans -. We propose a type system and an operational semantics for the language and we state safety properties. Next, we introduce a concrete categorical semantics for the proposed language, basing our approach on a recent model from Rios&Selinger for Proto-Quipper-M. Our approach is to construct on top of a concrete category of circuits with measurements a Kleisli category, capturing as a side effect the action of retrieving classical content out of a quantum memory. We then show a soundness result for this semantics
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