Comments on entanglement entropy

Abstract

A new interpretation of entanglement entropy is proposed: entanglement entropy of a pure state with respect to a division of a Hilbert space into two subspaces 1 and 2 is an amount of information, which can be transmitted through 1 and 2 from a system interacting with 1 to another system interacting with 2. The transmission medium is quantum entanglement between 1 and 2. In order to support the interpretation, suggestive arguments are given: variational principles in entanglement thermodynamics and quantum teleportation. It is shown that a quantum state having maximal entanglement entropy plays an important role in quantum teleportation. Hence, the entanglement entropy is, in some sense, an index of efficiency of quantum teleportation. Finally, implications for the information loss problem and Hawking radiation are discussed.Comment: Latex, 24 pages, proofs of some equations are added in appendices; Accepted for publication in Physical Review