arXiv · 2605.10003
A low order Bargmann invariant hierarchy for set coherence
Abstract
Set coherence is a basis-independent relational form of quantum coherence: a finite family of quantum states is set incoherent exactly when all its members are diagonal in one common basis. We determine how much low-order Bargmann data are needed to decide this property. For two states, second-order data are complete for qubits but fail for qutrits, while complete third-order data are sufficient for qutrits but fail already in dimension four. We then show that fourth-order, ordering-sensitive Bargmann invariants give the first universal pairwise criterion for set coherence. Applied to all unordered pairs, this criterion yields a complete test for arbitrary finite families. The result provides a low-order hierarchy connecting cyclic trace invariants with the noncommutativity that prevents a common incoherent basis.
Explore related subjects
Keep this discovery
Explore connections, maps & timelines
Yan-Ling Wang. 2026-05-11. A low order Bargmann invariant hierarchy for set coherence. https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.10003
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.