Advances in delimiting the Hilbert-Schmidt separability probability of real two-qubit systems

We seek to derive the probability--expressed in terms of the Hilbert-Schmidt (Euclidean or flat) metric--that a generic (nine-dimensional) real two-qubit system is separable, by implementing the well-known Peres-Horodecki test on the partial transposes (PT's) of the associated 4 x 4 density matrices). But the full implementation of the test--requiring that the determinant of the PT be nonnegative for separability to hold--appears to be, at least presently, computationally intractable. So, we have previously implemented--using the auxiliary concept of a diagonal-entry-parameterized separability function (DESF)--the weaker implied test of nonnegativity of the six 2 x 2 principal minors of the PT. This yielded an exact upper bound on the separability probability of 1024/{135 pi^2} =0.76854$. Here, we piece together (reflection-symmetric) results obtained by requiring that each of the four 3 x 3 principal minors of the PT, in turn, be nonnegative, giving an improved/reduced upper bound of 22/35 = 0.628571. Then, we conclude that a still further improved upper bound of 1129/2100 = 0.537619 can be found by similarly piecing together the (reflection-symmetric) results of enforcing the simultaneous nonnegativity of certain pairs of the four 3 x 3 principal minors. In deriving our improved upper bounds, we rely repeatedly upon the use of certain integrals over cubes that arise. Finally, we apply an independence assumption to a pair of DESF's that comes close to reproducing our numerical estimate of the true separability function.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures, a few inadvertent misstatements made near the end are correcte

Two-Qubit Separabilities as Piecewise Continuous Functions of Maximal Concurrence

The generic real (b=1) and complex (b=2) two-qubit states are 9-dimensional and 15-dimensional in nature, respectively. The total volumes of the spaces they occupy with respect to the Hilbert-Schmidt and Bures metrics are obtainable as special cases of formulas of Zyczkowski and Sommers. We claim that if one could determine certain metric-independent 3-dimensional "eigenvalue-parameterized separability functions" (EPSFs), then these formulas could be readily modified so as to yield the Hilbert-Schmidt and Bures volumes occupied by only the separable two-qubit states (and hence associated separability probabilities). Motivated by analogous earlier analyses of "diagonal-entry-parameterized separability functions", we further explore the possibility that such 3-dimensional EPSFs might, in turn, be expressible as univariate functions of some special relevant variable--which we hypothesize to be the maximal concurrence (0 < C <1) over spectral orbits. Extensive numerical results we obtain are rather closely supportive of this hypothesis. Both the real and complex estimated EPSFs exhibit clearly pronounced jumps of magnitude roughly 50% at C=1/2, as well as a number of additional matching discontinuities.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, new abstract, revised for J. Phys.

Radiometric calibration of the Earth observing system's imaging sensors

Philosophy, requirements, and methods of calibration of multispectral space sensor systems as applicable to the Earth Observing System (EOS) are discussed. Vicarious methods for calibration of low spatial resolution systems, with respect to the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), are then summarized. Finally, a theoretical introduction is given to a new vicarious method of calibration using the ratio of diffuse-to-global irradiance at the Earth's surfaces as the key input. This may provide an additional independent method for in-flight calibration

Absolute radiometric calibration of advanced remote sensing systems

The distinction between the uses of relative and absolute spectroradiometric calibration of remote sensing systems is discussed. The advantages of detector-based absolute calibration are described, and the categories of relative and absolute system calibrations are listed. The limitations and problems associated with three common methods used for the absolute calibration of remote sensing systems are addressed. Two methods are proposed for the in-flight absolute calibration of advanced multispectral linear array systems. One makes use of a sun-illuminated panel in front of the sensor, the radiance of which is monitored by a spectrally flat pyroelectric radiometer. The other uses a large, uniform, high-radiance reference ground surface. The ground and atmospheric measurements required as input to a radiative transfer program to predict the radiance level at the entrance pupil of the orbital sensor are discussed, and the ground instrumentation is described

A priori probability that a qubit-qutrit pair is separable

We extend to arbitrarily coupled pairs of qubits (two-state quantum systems) and qutrits (three-state quantum systems) our earlier study (quant-ph/0207181), which was concerned with the simplest instance of entangled quantum systems, pairs of qubits. As in that analysis -- again on the basis of numerical (quasi-Monte Carlo) integration results, but now in a still higher-dimensional space (35-d vs. 15-d) -- we examine a conjecture that the Bures/SD (statistical distinguishability) probability that arbitrarily paired qubits and qutrits are separable (unentangled) has a simple exact value, u/(v Pi^3)= >.00124706, where u = 2^20 3^3 5 7 and v = 19 23 29 31 37 41 43 (the product of consecutive primes). This is considerably less than the conjectured value of the Bures/SD probability, 8/(11 Pi^2) = 0736881, in the qubit-qubit case. Both of these conjectures, in turn, rely upon ones to the effect that the SD volumes of separable states assume certain remarkable forms, involving "primorial" numbers. We also estimate the SD area of the boundary of separable qubit-qutrit states, and provide preliminary calculations of the Bures/SD probability of separability in the general qubit-qubit-qubit and qutrit-qutrit cases.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables, LaTeX, we utilize recent exact computations of Sommers and Zyczkowski (quant-ph/0304041) of "the Bures volume of mixed quantum states" to refine our conjecture

Hilbert-Schmidt Separability Probabilities and Noninformativity of Priors

The Horodecki family employed the Jaynes maximum-entropy principle, fitting the mean (b_{1}) of the Bell-CHSH observable (B). This model was extended by Rajagopal by incorporating the dispersion (\sigma_{1}^2) of the observable, and by Canosa and Rossignoli, by generalizing the observable (B_{\alpha}). We further extend the Horodecki one-parameter model in both these manners, obtaining a three-parameter (b_{1},\sigma_{1}^2,\alpha) two-qubit model, for which we find a highly interesting/intricate continuum (-\infty < \alpha < \infty) of Hilbert-Schmidt (HS) separability probabilities -- in which, the golden ratio is featured. Our model can be contrasted with the three-parameter (b_{q}, \sigma_{q}^2,q) one of Abe and Rajagopal, which employs a q(Tsallis)-parameter rather than $\alpha$, and has simply q-invariant HS separability probabilities of 1/2. Our results emerge in a study initially focused on embedding certain information metrics over the two-level quantum systems into a q-framework. We find evidence that Srednicki's recently-stated biasedness criterion for noninformative priors yields rankings of priors fully consistent with an information-theoretic test of Clarke, previously applied to quantum systems by Slater.Comment: 26 pages, 12 figure

Application of the Bead Perturbation Technique to a Study of a Tunable 5 GHz Annular Cavity

Microwave cavities for a Sikivie-type axion search are subject to several constraints. In the fabrication and operation of such cavities, often used at frequencies where the resonator is highly overmoded, it is important to be able to reliably identify several properties of the cavity. Those include identifying the symmetry of the mode of interest, confirming its form factor, and determining the frequency ranges where mode crossings with intruder levels cause unacceptable admixture, thus leading to the loss of purity of the mode of interest. A simple and powerful diagnostic for mapping out the electric field of a cavity is the bead perturbation technique. While a standard tool in accelerator physics, we have, for the first time, applied this technique to cavities used in the axion search. We report initial results from an extensive study for the initial cavity used in the HAYSTAC experiment. Two effects have been investigated: the role of rod misalignment in mode localization, and mode-mixing at avoided crossings of TM/TE modes. Future work will extend these results by incorporating precision metrology and high-fidelity simulations.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, submitted to the 2nd Workshop on Microwave Cavities and Detectors for Axion Researc

Volume of the quantum mechanical state space

The volume of the quantum mechanical state space over $n$-dimensional real, complex and quaternionic Hilbert-spaces with respect to the canonical Euclidean measure is computed, and explicit formulas are presented for the expected value of the determinant in the general setting too. The case when the state space is endowed with a monotone metric or a pull-back metric is considered too, we give formulas to compute the volume of the state space with respect to the given Riemannian metric. We present the volume of the space of qubits with respect to various monotone metrics. It turns out that the volume of the space of qubits can be infinite too. We characterize those monotone metrics which generates infinite volume.Comment: 17 page