124 research outputs found
The Lie Algebraic Significance of Symmetric Informationally Complete Measurements
Examples of symmetric informationally complete positive operator valued
measures (SIC-POVMs) have been constructed in every dimension less than or
equal to 67. However, it remains an open question whether they exist in all
finite dimensions. A SIC-POVM is usually thought of as a highly symmetric
structure in quantum state space. However, its elements can equally well be
regarded as a basis for the Lie algebra gl(d,C). In this paper we examine the
resulting structure constants, which are calculated from the traces of the
triple products of the SIC-POVM elements and which, it turns out, characterize
the SIC-POVM up to unitary equivalence. We show that the structure constants
have numerous remarkable properties. In particular we show that the existence
of a SIC-POVM in dimension d is equivalent to the existence of a certain
structure in the adjoint representation of gl(d,C). We hope that transforming
the problem in this way, from a question about quantum state space to a
question about Lie algebras, may help to make the existence problem tractable.Comment: 56 page
Symmetric Informationally Complete Measurements of Arbitrary Rank
There has been much interest in so-called SIC-POVMs: rank 1 symmetric
informationally complete positive operator valued measures. In this paper we
discuss the larger class of POVMs which are symmetric and informationally
complete but not necessarily rank 1. This class of POVMs is of some independent
interest. In particular it includes a POVM which is closely related to the
discrete Wigner function. However, it is interesting mainly because of the
light it casts on the problem of constructing rank 1 symmetric informationally
complete POVMs. In this connection we derive an extremal condition alternative
to the one derived by Renes et al.Comment: Contribution to proceedings of International Conference on Quantum
Optics, Minsk, 200
Bases for qudits from a nonstandard approach to SU(2)
Bases of finite-dimensional Hilbert spaces (in dimension d) of relevance for
quantum information and quantum computation are constructed from angular
momentum theory and su(2) Lie algebraic methods. We report on a formula for
deriving in one step the (1+p)p qupits (i.e., qudits with d = p a prime
integer) of a complete set of 1+p mutually unbiased bases in C^p. Repeated
application of the formula can be used for generating mutually unbiased bases
in C^d with d = p^e (e > or = 2) a power of a prime integer. A connection
between mutually unbiased bases and the unitary group SU(d) is briefly
discussed in the case d = p^e.Comment: From a talk presented at the 13th International Conference on
Symmetry Methods in Physics (Dubna, Russia, 6-9 July 2009) organized in
memory of Prof. Yurii Fedorovich Smirnov by the Bogoliubov Laboratory of
Theoretical Physics of the JINR and the ICAS at Yerevan State University
Predictive use of the Maximum Entropy Production principle for Past and Present Climates
In this paper, we show how the MEP hypothesis may be used to build simple
climate models without representing explicitly the energy transport by the
atmosphere. The purpose is twofold. First, we assess the performance of the MEP
hypothesis by comparing a simple model with minimal input data to a complex,
state-of-the-art General Circulation Model. Next, we show how to improve the
realism of MEP climate models by including climate feedbacks, focusing on the
case of the water-vapour feedback. We also discuss the dependence of the
entropy production rate and predicted surface temperature on the resolution of
the model
Tight informationally complete quantum measurements
We introduce a class of informationally complete positive-operator-valued
measures which are, in analogy with a tight frame, "as close as possible" to
orthonormal bases for the space of quantum states. These measures are
distinguished by an exceptionally simple state-reconstruction formula which
allows "painless" quantum state tomography. Complete sets of mutually unbiased
bases and symmetric informationally complete positive-operator-valued measures
are both members of this class, the latter being the unique minimal rank-one
members. Recast as ensembles of pure quantum states, the rank-one members are
in fact equivalent to weighted 2-designs in complex projective space. These
measures are shown to be optimal for quantum cloning and linear quantum state
tomography.Comment: 20 pages. Final versio
Variations on a theme of Heisenberg, Pauli and Weyl
The parentage between Weyl pairs, generalized Pauli group and unitary group
is investigated in detail. We start from an abstract definition of the
Heisenberg-Weyl group on the field R and then switch to the discrete
Heisenberg-Weyl group or generalized Pauli group on a finite ring Z_d. The main
characteristics of the latter group, an abstract group of order d**3 noted P_d,
are given (conjugacy classes and irreducible representation classes or
equivalently Lie algebra of dimension d**3 associated with P_d). Leaving the
abstract sector, a set of Weyl pairs in dimension d is derived from a polar
decomposition of SU(2) closely connected to angular momentum theory. Then, a
realization of the generalized Pauli group P_d and the construction of
generalized Pauli matrices in dimension d are revisited in terms of Weyl pairs.
Finally, the Lie algebra of the unitary group U(d) is obtained as a subalgebra
of the Lie algebra associated with P_d. This leads to a development of the Lie
algebra of U(d) in a basis consisting of d**2 generalized Pauli matrices. In
the case where d is a power of a prime integer, the Lie algebra of SU(d) can be
decomposed into d-1 Cartan subalgebras.Comment: Dedicated to the memory of Mosh\'e Flato on the occasion of the tenth
anniversary of his deat
Quantum channels and memory effects
Any physical process can be represented as a quantum channel mapping an
initial state to a final state. Hence it can be characterized from the point of
view of communication theory, i.e., in terms of its ability to transfer
information. Quantum information provides a theoretical framework and the
proper mathematical tools to accomplish this. In this context the notion of
codes and communication capacities have been introduced by generalizing them
from the classical Shannon theory of information transmission and error
correction. The underlying assumption of this approach is to consider the
channel not as acting on a single system, but on sequences of systems, which,
when properly initialized allow one to overcome the noisy effects induced by
the physical process under consideration. While most of the work produced so
far has been focused on the case in which a given channel transformation acts
identically and independently on the various elements of the sequence
(memoryless configuration in jargon), correlated error models appear to be a
more realistic way to approach the problem. A slightly different, yet
conceptually related, notion of correlated errors applies to a single quantum
system which evolves continuously in time under the influence of an external
disturbance which acts on it in a non-Markovian fashion. This leads to the
study of memory effects in quantum channels: a fertile ground where interesting
novel phenomena emerge at the intersection of quantum information theory and
other branches of physics. A survey is taken of the field of quantum channels
theory while also embracing these specific and complex settings.Comment: Review article, 61 pages, 26 figures; 400 references. Final version
of the manuscript, typos correcte
Salmonella Typhimurium Type III Secretion Effectors Stimulate Innate Immune Responses in Cultured Epithelial Cells
Recognition of conserved bacterial products by innate immune receptors leads to inflammatory responses that control pathogen spread but that can also result in pathology. Intestinal epithelial cells are exposed to bacterial products and therefore must prevent signaling through innate immune receptors to avoid pathology. However, enteric pathogens are able to stimulate intestinal inflammation. We show here that the enteric pathogen Salmonella Typhimurium can stimulate innate immune responses in cultured epithelial cells by mechanisms that do not involve receptors of the innate immune system. Instead, S. Typhimurium stimulates these responses by delivering through its type III secretion system the bacterial effector proteins SopE, SopE2, and SopB, which in a redundant fashion stimulate Rho-family GTPases leading to the activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and NF-κB signaling. These observations have implications for the understanding of the mechanisms by which Salmonella Typhimurium induces intestinal inflammation as well as other intestinal inflammatory pathologies
Prevention and Mitigation of Acute Radiation Syndrome in Mice by Synthetic Lipopeptide Agonists of Toll-Like Receptor 2 (TLR2)
Bacterial lipoproteins (BLP) induce innate immune responses in mammals by activating heterodimeric receptor complexes containing Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2). TLR2 signaling results in nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB)-dependent upregulation of anti-apoptotic factors, anti-oxidants and cytokines, all of which have been implicated in radiation protection. Here we demonstrate that synthetic lipopeptides (sLP) that mimic the structure of naturally occurring mycoplasmal BLP significantly increase mouse survival following lethal total body irradiation (TBI) when administered between 48 hours before and 24 hours after irradiation. The TBI dose ranges against which sLP are effective indicate that sLP primarily impact the hematopoietic (HP) component of acute radiation syndrome. Indeed, sLP treatment accelerated recovery of bone marrow (BM) and spleen cellularity and ameliorated thrombocytopenia of irradiated mice. sLP did not improve survival of irradiated TLR2-knockout mice, confirming that sLP-mediated radioprotection requires TLR2. However, sLP was radioprotective in chimeric mice containing TLR2-null BM on a wild type background, indicating that radioprotection of the HP system by sLP is, at least in part, indirect and initiated in non-BM cells. sLP injection resulted in strong transient induction of multiple cytokines with known roles in hematopoiesis, including granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), keratinocyte chemoattractant (KC) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). sLP-induced cytokines, particularly G-CSF, are likely mediators of the radioprotective/mitigative activity of sLP. This study illustrates the strong potential of LP-based TLR2 agonists for anti-radiation prophylaxis and therapy in defense and medical scenarios
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