arXiv subjects

F. Uskov

Publications and source records attributed to F. Uskov.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2019

A variational lower bound on the ground state of a many-body system and the squaring parametrization of density matrices

A variational upper bound on the ground state energy $E_{\rm gs}$ of a quantum system, $E_{\rm gs} \leqslant \langle \Psi|H| \Psi \rangle$, is well-known (here $H$ is the Hamiltonian of the system and $\Psi$ is an arbitrary wave function). Much less known are variational {\it lower} bounds on the ground state. We consider one such bound which is valid for a many-body translation-invariant lattice system. Such a lattice can be divided into clusters which are identical up to translations. The Hamiltonian of such a system can be written as $H=\sum_{i=1}^M H_i$, where a term $H_i$ is supported on the $i$'th cluster. The bound reads $E_{\rm gs}\geqslant M \inf\limits_{\rho_{cl} \in {\mathbb S_{cl}^G}} {\rm tr}_{cl}\rho_{cl} \, H_{cl} $, where ${\mathbb S_{cl}^G}$ is some wisely chosen set of reduced density matrices of a single cluster. The implementation of this latter variational principle can be hampered by the difficulty of parameterizing the set $\mathbb M$, which is a necessary prerequisite for a variational procedure. The root cause of this difficulty is the nonlinear positivity constraint $\rho>0$ which is to be satisfied by a density matrix. The squaring parametrization of the density matrix, $\rho=\tau^2/{\rm tr}\,\tau^2$, where $\tau$ is an arbitrary (not necessarily positive) Hermitian operator, accounts for positivity automatically. We discuss how the squaring parametrization can be utilized to find variational lower bounds on ground states of translation-invariant many-body systems. As an example, we consider a one-dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnet.

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arXiv2018

Merits of using density matrices instead of wave functions in the stationary Schr\"odinger equation for systems with symmetries

The stationary Schr\"odinger equation can be cast in the form $H \rho = E \rho$, where $H$ is the system's Hamiltonian and $\rho$ is the system's density matrix. We explore the merits of this form of the stationary Schr\"odinger equation, which we refer to as~SSE$_\rho$, applied to many-body systems with symmetries. For a nondegenerate energy level, the solution $\rho$ of the SSE$_\rho$ is merely a projection on the corresponding eigenvector. However, in the case of degeneracy $\rho$ is non-unique and not necessarily pure. In fact, it can be an arbitrary mixture of the degenerate pure eigenstates. Importantly, $\rho$ can always be chosen to respect all symmetries of the Hamiltonian, even if each pure eigenstate in the corresponding degenerate multiplet spontaneously breaks the symmetries. This and other features of the solutions of the SSE$_\rho$ can prove helpful by easing the notations and providing an unobscured insight into the structure of the eigenstates. We work out the SSE$_\rho$ for a general system of spins $1/2$ with Heisenberg interactions, and address simple systems of spins $1$. Eigenvalue problem for quantum observables other than Hamiltonian can also be formulated in terms of density matrices. As an illustration, we provide an analytical solution to the eigenproblem ${\bf S}^2 \rho=S(S+1) \rho$, where $\bf S$ is the total spin of $N$ spins $1/2$, and $\rho$ is chosen to be invariant under permutations of spins. This way we find an explicit form of projections to the invariant subspaces of ${\bf S}^2$.

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arXiv2017

Squaring parametrization of constrained and unconstrained sets of quantum states

A mixed quantum state is represented by a Hermitian positive semi-definite operator $\rho$ with unit trace. The positivity requirement is responsible for a highly nontrivial geometry of the set of quantum states. A known way to satisfy this requirement automatically is to use the map $\rho=\tau^2 / \mathrm {tr} \, \tau^2$, where $\tau$ can be an arbitrary Hermitian operator. We elaborate a parametrization of the set of quantum states induced by the parametrization of the linear space of Hermitian operators by virtue of this map. In particular, we derive an equation for the boundary of the set. Further, we discuss how this parametrization can be applied to a set of quantum states constrained by some symmetry, or, more generally, some linear condition. As an example, we consider the parametrization of sets of Werner states of qubits.

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