Search

We answer in the affirmative a recently-posed question that asked if there exists an "untypical" convex mapping cone -- i.e., one that does not arise from the transpose map and the cones of k-positive and k-superpositive maps. We explicitly construct such a cone based on atomic positive maps. Our general technique is to consider the smallest convex mapping cone generated by a single map, and we derive several results on such mapping cones. We use this technique to also present several other examples of untypical mapping cones, including a family of cones generated by spin factors. We also provide a full characterization of mapping cones generated by single elements in the qubit case in terms of their typicality., Comment: 18 pages

We study operators acting on a tensor product Hilbert space and investigate their product numerical range, product numerical radius and separable numerical range. Concrete bounds for the product numerical range for Hermitian operators are derived. Product numerical range of a non-Hermitian operator forms a subset of the standard numerical range containing the barycenter of the spectrum. While the latter set is convex, the product range needs not to be convex nor simply connected. The product numerical range of a tensor product is equal to the Minkowski product of numerical ranges of individual factors., Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures. Original preprint "Local numerical range: a versatile tool in the theory of quantum information" [arXiv:0905.3646v1] was broadened and split into two papers: "Restricted numerical range: a versatile tool in the theory of quantum information", and "Product numerical range in a space with tensor product structure"

In the finite-dimensional case, we present a new approach to the theory of cones with a mapping cone symmetry, first introduced by St{\o}rmer. Our method is based on a definition of an inner product in the space of linear maps between two algebras of operators and the fact that the Jamio{\l}kowski-Choi isomorphism is an isometry. We consider a slightly modified class of cones, although not substantially different from the original mapping cones by St{\o}rmer. Using the new approach, several known results are proved faster and often in more generality than before. For example, the dual of a mapping cone turns out to be a mapping cone as well, without any additional assumptions. The main result of the paper is a characterization of cones with a mapping cone symmetry, saying that a given map is an element of such cone if and only if the composition of the map with the conjugate of an arbitrary element in the dual cone is completely positive. A similar result was known in the case where the map goes from an algebra of operators into itself and the cone is a symmetric mapping cone. Our result is proved without the additional assumptions of symmetry and equality between the domain and the target space. We show how it gives a number of older results as a corollary, including an exemplary application., Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure, to appear in LAA

We study positive maps of B(K) into B(H) for finite-dimensional Hilbert spaces K and H. Our main emphasis is on how Choi matrices and estimates of their norms with respect to mapping cones reflect various properties of the maps. Special attention will be given to entanglement properties and k-positive maps, in particular tensor products of 2-positive maps. The latter problem is directly related to the question of n-copy distillability of quantum states, for which we obtain a partial result., Comment: 10 pages

Numerical range of a Hermitian operator X is defined as the set of all possible expectation values of this observable among a normalized quantum state. We analyze a modification of this definition in which the expectation value is taken among a certain subset of the set of all quantum states. One considers for instance the set of real states, the set of product states, separable states, or the set of maximally entangled states. We show exemplary applications of these algebraic tools in the theory of quantum information: analysis of k-positive maps and entanglement witnesses, as well as study of the minimal output entropy of a quantum channel. Product numerical range of a unitary operator is used to solve the problem of local distinguishability of a family of two unitary gates., Comment: 39 pages, 7 figures, Original preprint "Local numerical range: a versatile tool in the theory of quantum information" was broadened and split into two papers: "Restricted numerical range: a versatile tool in the theory of quantum information", and "Product numerical range in a space with tensor product structure"

The structure of cones of positive and k-positive maps acting on a finite-dimensional Hilbert space is investigated. Special emphasis is given to their duality relations to the sets of superpositive and k-superpositive maps. We characterize k-positive and k-superpositive maps with regard to their properties under taking compositions. A number of results obtained for maps are also rephrased for the corresponding cones of block positive, k-block positive, separable and k-separable operators, due to the Jamiolkowski-Choi isomorphism. Generalizations to a situation where no such simple isomorphism is available are also made, employing the idea of mapping cones. As a side result to our discussion, we show that extreme entanglement witnesses, which are optimal, should be of special interest in entanglement studies., Comment: 22 pages, 3 figures