arXiv subjects

Zhengfeng Ji

Publications and source records attributed to Zhengfeng Ji.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2012

Rank Reduction for the Local Consistency Problem

We address the problem of how simple a solution can be for a given quantum local consistency instance. More specifically, we investigate how small the rank of the global density operator can be if the local constraints are known to be compatible. We prove that any compatible local density operators can be satisfied by a low rank global density operator. Then we study both fermionic and bosonic versions of the N-representability problem as applications. After applying the channel-state duality, we prove that any compatible local channels can be obtained through a global quantum channel with small Kraus rank.

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arXiv2011

Ground-State Spaces of Frustration-Free Hamiltonians

We study the ground-state space properties for frustration-free Hamiltonians. We introduce a concept of `reduced spaces' to characterize local structures of ground-state spaces. For a many-body system, we characterize mathematical structures for the set $Θ_k$ of all the $k$-particle reduced spaces, which with a binary operation called join forms a semilattice that can be interpreted as an abstract convex structure. The smallest nonzero elements in $Θ_k$, called atoms, are analogs of extreme points. We study the properties of atoms in $Θ_k$ and discuss its relationship with ground states of $k$-local frustration-free Hamiltonians. For spin-1/2 systems, we show that all the atoms in $Θ_2$ are unique ground states of some 2-local frustration-free Hamiltonians. Moreover, we show that the elements in $Θ_k$ may not be the join of atoms, indicating a richer structure for $Θ_k$ beyond the convex structure. Our study of $Θ_k$ deepens the understanding of ground-state space properties for frustration-free Hamiltonians, from a new angle of reduced spaces.

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arXiv2011

Correlations in excited states of local Hamiltonians

Physical properties of the ground and excited states of a $k$-local Hamiltonian are largely determined by the $k$-particle reduced density matrices ($k$-RDMs), or simply the $k$-matrix for fermionic systems---they are at least enough for the calculation of the ground state and excited state energies. Moreover, for a non-degenerate ground state of a $k$-local Hamiltonian, even the state itself is completely determined by its $k$-RDMs, and therefore contains no genuine ${>}k$-particle correlations, as they can be inferred from $k$-particle correlation functions. It is natural to ask whether a similar result holds for non-degenerate excited states. In fact, for fermionic systems, it has been conjectured that any non-degenerate excited state of a 2-local Hamiltonian is simultaneously a unique ground state of another 2-local Hamiltonian, hence is uniquely determined by its 2-matrix. And a weaker version of this conjecture states that any non-degenerate excited state of a 2-local Hamiltonian is uniquely determined by its 2-matrix among all the pure $n$-particle states. We construct explicit counterexamples to show that both conjectures are false. It means that correlations in excited states of local Hamiltonians could be dramatically different from those in ground states. We further show that any non-degenerate excited state of a $k$-local Hamiltonian is a unique ground state of another $2k$-local Hamiltonian, hence is uniquely determined by its $2k$-RDMs (or $2k$-matrix).

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arXiv2011

Quantum codes give counterexamples to the unique pre-image conjecture of the N-representability problem

It is well known that the ground state energy of many-particle Hamiltonians involving only 2-body interactions can be obtained using constrained optimizations over density matrices which arise from reducing an N-particle state. While determining which 2-particle density matrices are "N- representable" is a computationally hard problem, all known extreme N-representable 2-particle reduced density matrices arise from a unique N-particle pre-image, satisfying a conjecture established in 1972. We present explicit counterexamples to this conjecture through giving Hamiltonians with 2-body interactions which have degenerate ground states that cannot be distinguished by any 2-body operator. We relate the existence of such counterexamples to quantum error correction codes and topologically ordered spin systems.

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arXiv2010

Tensor Rank and Stochastic Entanglement Catalysis for Multipartite Pure States

The tensor rank (also known as generalized Schmidt rank) of multipartite pure states plays an important role in the study of entanglement classifications and transformations. We employ powerful tools from the theory of homogeneous polynomials to investigate the tensor rank of symmetric states such as the tripartite state $\ket{W_3}=\tfrac{1}{\sqrt{3}}(\ket{100}+\ket{010}+\ket{001})$ and its $N$-partite generalization $\ket{W_N}$. Previous tensor rank estimates are dramatically improved and we show that (i) three copies of $\ket{W_3}$ has rank either 15 or 16, (ii) two copies of $\ket{W_N}$ has rank $3N-2$, and (iii) $n$ copies of $\ket{W_N}$ has rank O(N). A remarkable consequence of these results is that certain multipartite transformations, impossible even probabilistically, can become possible when performed in multiple copy bunches or when assisted by some catalyzing state. This effect is impossible for bipartite pure states.

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arXiv2010

Complete Characterization of the Ground Space Structure of Two-Body Frustration-Free Hamiltonians for Qubits

The problem of finding the ground state of a frustration-free Hamiltonian carrying only two-body interactions between qubits is known to be solvable in polynomial time. It is also shown recently that, for any such Hamiltonian, there is always a ground state that is a product of single- or two-qubit states. However, it remains unclear whether the whole ground space is of any succinct structure. Here, we give a complete characterization of the ground space of any two-body frustration-free Hamiltonian of qubits. Namely, it is a span of tree tensor network states of the same tree structure. This characterization allows us to show that the problem of determining the ground state degeneracy is as hard as, but no harder than, its classical analog.

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arXiv2010

An Algebra of Quantum Processes

We introduce an algebra qCCS of pure quantum processes in which no classical data is involved, communications by moving quantum states physically are allowed, and computations is modeled by super-operators. An operational semantics of qCCS is presented in terms of (non-probabilistic) labeled transition systems. Strong bisimulation between processes modeled in qCCS is defined, and its fundamental algebraic properties are established, including uniqueness of the solutions of recursive equations. To model sequential computation in qCCS, a reduction relation between processes is defined. By combining reduction relation and strong bisimulation we introduce the notion of strong reduction-bisimulation, which is a device for observing interaction of computation and communication in quantum systems. Finally, a notion of strong approximate bisimulation (equivalently, strong bisimulation distance) and its reduction counterpart are introduced. It is proved that both approximate bisimilarity and approximate reduction-bisimilarity are preserved by various constructors of quantum processes. This provides us with a formal tool for observing robustness of quantum processes against inaccuracy in the implementation of its elementary gates.

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arXiv2010

Majorization in Quantum Adiabatic Algorithms

The majorization theory has been applied to analyze the mathematical structure of quantum algorithms. An empirical conclusion by numerical simulations obtained in the previous literature indicates that step-by-step majorization seems to appear universally in quantum adiabatic algorithms. In this paper, a rigorous analysis of the majorization arrow in a special class of quantum adiabatic algorithms is carried out. In particular, we prove that for any adiabatic algorithm of this class, step-by-step majorization of the ground state holds exactly. For the actual state, we show that step-by-step majorization holds approximately, and furthermore that the longer the running time of the algorithm, the better the approximation.

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arXiv2010

Quantum Capacity Approaching Codes for the Detected-Jump Channel

The quantum channel capacity gives the ultimate limit for the rate at which quantum data can be reliably transmitted through a noisy quantum channel. Degradable quantum channels are among the few channels whose quantum capacities are known. Given the quantum capacity of a degradable channel, it remains challenging to find a practical coding scheme which approaches capacity. Here we discuss code designs for the detected-jump channel, a degradable channel with practical relevance describing the physics of spontaneous decay of atoms with detected photon emission. We show that this channel can be used to simulate a binary classical channel with both erasures and bit-flips. The capacity of the simulated classical channel gives a lower bound on the quantum capacity of the detected-jump channel. When the jump probability is small, it almost equals the quantum capacity. Hence using a classical capacity approaching code for the simulated classical channel yields a quantum code which approaches the quantum capacity of the detected-jump channel.

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arXiv2010

No-go Theorem for One-way Quantum Computing on Naturally Occurring Two-level Systems

One-way quantum computing achieves the full power of quantum computation by performing single particle measurements on some many-body entangled state, known as the resource state. As single particle measurements are relatively easy to implement, the preparation of the resource state becomes a crucial task. An appealing approach is simply to cool a strongly correlated quantum many-body system to its ground state. In addition to requiring the ground state of the system to be universal for one-way quantum computing, we also want the Hamiltonian to have non-degenerate ground state protected by a fixed energy gap, to involve only two-body interactions, and to be frustration-free so that measurements in the course of the computation leave the remaining particles in the ground space. Recently, significant efforts have been made to the search of resource states that appear naturally as ground states in spin lattice systems. The approach is proved to be successful in spin-5/2 and spin-3/2 systems. Yet, it remains an open question whether there could be such a natural resource state in a spin-1/2, i.e., qubit system. Here, we give a negative answer to this question by proving that it is impossible for a genuinely entangled qubit states to be a non-degenerate ground state of any two-body frustration-free Hamiltonian. What is more, we prove that every spin-1/2 frustration-free Hamiltonian with two-body interaction always has a ground state that is a product of single- or two-qubit states, a stronger result that is interesting independent of the context of one-way quantum computing.

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arXiv2010

Quantum state reduction for universal measurement based computation

Measurement based quantum computation (MBQC), which requires only single particle measurements on a universal resource state to achieve the full power of quantum computing, has been recognized as one of the most promising models for the physical realization of quantum computers. Despite considerable progress in the last decade, it remains a great challenge to search for new universal resource states with naturally occurring Hamiltonians, and to better understand the entanglement structure of these kinds of states. Here we show that most of the resource states currently known can be reduced to the cluster state, the first known universal resource state, via adaptive local measurements at a constant cost. This new quantum state reduction scheme provides simpler proofs of universality of resource states and opens up plenty of space to the search of new resource states, including an example based on the one-parameter deformation of the AKLT state studied in [Commun. Math. Phys. 144, 443 (1992)] by M. Fannes et al. about twenty years ago.

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arXiv2010

Multi-Error-Correcting Amplitude Damping Codes

We construct new families of multi-error-correcting quantum codes for the amplitude damping channel. Our key observation is that, with proper encoding, two uses of the amplitude damping channel simulate a quantum erasure channel. This allows us to use concatenated codes with quantum erasure-correcting codes as outer codes for correcting multiple amplitude damping errors. Our new codes are degenerate stabilizer codes and have parameters which are better than the amplitude damping codes obtained by any previously known construction.

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arXiv2009

QIP = PSPACE

We prove that the complexity class QIP, which consists of all problems having quantum interactive proof systems, is contained in PSPACE. This containment is proved by applying a parallelized form of the matrix multiplicative weights update method to a class of semidefinite programs that captures the computational power of quantum interactive proofs. As the containment of PSPACE in QIP follows immediately from the well-known equality IP = PSPACE, the equality QIP = PSPACE follows.

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arXiv2009

Non-Identity Check Remains QMA-Complete for Short Circuits

The Non-Identity Check problem asks whether a given a quantum circuit is far away from the identity or not. It is well known that this problem is QMA-Complete \cite{JWB05}. In this note, it is shown that the Non-Identity Check problem remains QMA-Complete for circuits of short depth. Specifically, we prove that for constant depth quantum circuit in which each gate is given to at least $Ω(\log n)$ bits of precision, the Non-Identity Check problem is QMA-Complete. It also follows that the hardness of the problem remains for polylogarithmic depth circuit consisting of only gates from any universal gate set and for logarithmic depth circuit using some specific universal gate set.

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arXiv2008

The LU-LC conjecture is false

The LU-LC conjecture is an important open problem concerning the structure of entanglement of states described in the stabilizer formalism. It states that two local unitary equivalent stabilizer states are also local Clifford equivalent. If this conjecture were true, the local equivalence of stabilizer states would be extremely easy to characterize. Unfortunately, however, based on the recent progress made by Gross and Van den Nest, we find that the conjecture is false.

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arXiv2007

Parameter estimation of quantum channels

The efficiency of parameter estimation of quantum channels is studied in this paper. We introduce the concept of programmable parameters to the theory of estimation. It is found that programmable parameters obey the standard quantum limit strictly; hence no speedup is possible in its estimation. We also construct a class of non-unitary quantum channels whose parameter can be estimated in a way that the standard quantum limit is broken. The study of estimation of general quantum channels also enables an investigation of the effect of noises on quantum estimation.

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arXiv2007

Distinguishing Arbitrary Multipartite Basis Unambiguously Using Local Operations and Classical Communication

We show that an arbitrary basis of a multipartite quantum state space consisting of $K$ distant parties such that the $k$th party has local dimension $d_k$ always contains at least $N=\sum_{k=1}^K (d_k-1)+1$ members that are unambiguously distinguishable using local operations and classical communication (LOCC). We further show this lower bound is optimal by analytically constructing a special product basis having only $N$ members unambiguously distinguishable by LOCC. Interestingly, such a special product basis not only gives a stronger form of the weird phenomenon ``nonlocality without entanglement", but also implies the existence of locally distinguishable entangled basis.

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arXiv2007

Existence of Universal Entangler

A gate is called entangler if it transforms some (pure) product states to entangled states. A universal entangler is a gate which transforms all product states to entangled states. In practice, a universal entangler is a very powerful device for generating entanglements, and thus provides important physical resources for accomplishing many tasks in quantum computing and quantum information. This Letter demonstrates that a universal entangler always exists except for a degenerated case. Nevertheless, the problem how to find a universal entangler remains open.

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