Characterizing mixing and measurement in quantum mechanics

M. A. Nielsen
Phys. Rev. A 63, 022114 – Published 18 January 2001
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Abstract

What fundamental constraints characterize the relationship between a mixture ρ=ipiρi of quantum states, the states ρi being mixed, and the probabilities pi? What fundamental constraints characterize the relationship between prior and posterior states in a quantum measurement? In this paper we show that there are many surprisingly strong constraints on these mixing and measurement processes that can be expressed simply in terms of the eigenvalues of the quantum states involved. These constraints capture in a succinct fashion what it means to say that a quantum measurement acquires information about the system being measured, and considerably simplify the proofs of many results about entanglement transformation.

  • Received 16 August 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.63.022114

©2001 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

M. A. Nielsen

  • Physics MC 12-33, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125
  • Center for Quantum Computer Technology, University of Queensland 4072, Australia

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Issue

Vol. 63, Iss. 2 — February 2001

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