Extremal quantum states in coupled systems (Q2485311)

Let \({\mathcal H}_1\), \({\mathcal H}_2\) be finite-dimensional complex Hilbert spaces describing the states of two finite level quantum systems. Suppose \(\rho_i\) is a state in \({\mathcal H}_i\), \(i= 1,2\). Let \(\mathbb{C}(\rho_1,\rho_2)\) be the convex set of all states \(\rho\) in \({\mathcal H}={\mathcal H}_1\otimes{\mathcal H}_2\) whose marginal states in \({\mathcal H}_1\) and \({\mathcal H}_2\) are \(\rho_1\) and \(\rho_2\), respectively. In this paper the author present a necessary and sufficient criterion for a \(\rho\) in \(\mathbb{C}(\rho_1,\rho_2)\) be an extreme point. Such a condition implies, in particular, that for a state \(\rho\) to be an extreme point of \(\mathbb{C}(\rho_1,\rho_2)\) it is necessary that the rank \(\rho\) does not exceed \((d^2_1+ d^2_2- 1)^{1/2}\), where \(d_i= \dim{\mathcal H}_i\), \(i= 1,2\). When \({\mathcal H}_1\) and \({\mathcal H}_2\) coincide with the 1-qubit Hilbert space \(\mathbb{C}^2\) with its standard orthonormal basis \(\{|0\rangle,|1\rangle\}\) and \(\rho_1= \rho_2= 1/2I\) it turns out that a state \(\rho\in \mathbb{C}(1,2I,1/2I)\) is extremal if and only if \(\rho\) is of the form \(|\Omega\rangle\langle\Omega|\) where \(|\Omega\rangle= 1/2(|0\rangle|\psi_0\rangle+ |1\rangle\psi_1\rangle)\), \(\{|\psi_0\rangle, |\psi_1\rangle\}\) being an arbitrary orthonormal basis of \(\mathbb{C}^2\). In particular, the extremal states are the maximally entangled states. Using the Weyl commutation relations in the space \(L^2(A)\) of a finite Abelian group the author exhibit a mixed extremal state in \(\mathbb{C}({1\over n}I_n, {1\over n^2} I_{n^2})\).