Quantum discord and information deficit in spin chains

We examine the behavior of quantum correlations of spin pairs in a finite anisotropic $XY$ spin chain immersed in a transverse magnetic field, through the analysis of the quantum discord and the conventional and quadratic one way-information deficits. We first provide a brief review of these measures, showing that the last ones can be obtained as particular cases of a generalized information deficit based on general entropic forms. All these measures coincide with an entanglement entropy in the case of pure states, but can be non-zero in separable mixed states, vanishing just for classically correlated states. It is then shown that their behavior in the exact ground state of the chain exhibits similar features, deviating significantly from that of the pair entanglement below the critical field. In contrast with entanglement, they reach full range in this region, becoming independent of the pair separation and coupling range in the immediate vicinity of the factorizing field. It is also shown, however, that significant differences between the quantum discord and the information deficits arise in the local minimizing measurement that defines them. Both analytical and numerical results are provided.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure

Local Rigidity in Sandpile Models

We address the problem of the role of the concept of local rigidity in the family of sandpile systems. We define rigidity as the ratio between the critical energy and the amplitude of the external perturbation and we show, in the framework of the Dynamically Driven Renormalization Group (DDRG), that any finite value of the rigidity in a generalized sandpile model renormalizes to an infinite value at the fixed point, i.e. on a large scale. The fixed point value of the rigidity allows then for a non ambiguous distinction between sandpile-like systems and diffusive systems. Numerical simulations support our analytical results.Comment: to be published in Phys. Rev.

Quantum discord in finite XY chains

We examine the quantum discord between two spins in the exact ground state of finite spin 1/2 arrays with anisotropic XY couplings in a transverse field B. It is shown that in the vicinity of the factorizing field B_s, the discord approaches a common finite non-negligible limit which is independent of the pair separation and the coupling range. An analytic expression of this limit is provided. The discord of a mixture of aligned pairs in two different directions, crucial for the previous results, is analyzed in detail, including the evaluation of coherence effects, relevant in small samples and responsible for a parity splitting at B_s. Exact results for finite chains with first neighbor and full range couplings and their interpretation in terms of such mixtures are provided.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure

Quantum correlations and least disturbing local measurements

We examine the evaluation of the minimum information loss due to an unread local measurement in mixed states of bipartite systems, for a general entropic form. Such quantity provides a measure of quantum correlations, reducing for pure states to the generalized entanglement entropy, while in the case of mixed states it vanishes just for classically correlated states with respect to the measured system, as the quantum discord. General stationary conditions are provided, together with their explicit form for general two-qubit states. Closed expressions for the minimum information loss as measured by quadratic and cubic entropies are also derived for general states of two-qubit systems. As application, we analyze the case of states with maximally mixed marginals, where a general evaluation is provided, as well as X states and the mixture of two aligned states.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

Discord and information deficit in the XX chain

We examine the quantum correlations of spin pairs in the cyclic $XX$ spin 1/2 chain in a transverse field, through the analysis of the quantum discord, the geometric discord and the information deficit. It is shown that while these quantities provide the same qualitative information, being non-zero for all temperatures and separations and exhibiting the same type of asymptotic behavior for large temperatures or separations, important differences arise in the minimizing local measurement that defines them. Whereas the quantum discord prefers a spin measurement perpendicular to the transverse field, the geometric discord and information deficit exhibit a perpendicular to parallel transition as the field increases, which subsists at all temperatures and for all separations. Moreover, it is shown that such transition signals the change from a Bell state to an aligned separable state of the dominant eigenstate of the reduced density matrix of the pair. Full exact results for both the thermodynamic limit and the finite chain are provided, through the Jordan-Wigner fermionization.Comment: 23 pages, 6 figures. References adde

Generalized entropic measures of quantum correlations

We propose a general measure of non-classical correlations for bipartite systems based on generalized entropic functions and majorization properties. Defined as the minimum information loss due to a local measurement, in the case of pure states it reduces to the generalized entanglement entropy, i.e., the generalized entropy of the reduced state. However, in the case of mixed states it can be non-zero in separable states, vanishing just for states diagonal in a general product basis, like the Quantum Discord. Simple quadratic measures of quantum correlations arise as a particular case of the present formalism. The minimum information loss due to a joint local measurement is also discussed. The evaluation of these measures in a few simple relevant cases is as well provided, together with comparison with the corresponding entanglement monotones.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figure

Toward Defining Literacy

Literacy is a topic much on the public\u27s mind these days. It is one of those subjects on which all laypersons think they are experts. When it comes time, however, to establish measures of illiteracy rates or to set policies, it becomes apparent that we know less than we thought we did. It is small comfort to know that specialists also have their differences

Anderson Localization in Euclidean Random Matrices

We study spectra and localization properties of Euclidean random matrices. The problem is approximately mapped onto that of a matrix defined on a random graph. We introduce a powerful method to find the density of states and the localization threshold. We solve numerically an exact equation for the probability distribution function of the diagonal element of the the resolvent matrix, with a population dynamics algorithm, and we show how this can be used to find the localization threshold. An application of the method in the context of the Instantaneous Normal Modes of a liquid system is given.Comment: 4 page