A family of indecomposable positive linear maps based on entangled quantum states (Q5929757)

One of the important problems in the emergent field of quantum information theory [cf. \textit{C. H. Bennett}, \textit{D. P. DiVincenzo}, \textit{J. A. Smolin} and \textit{W. K. Wootters}, Mixed state entanglement and quantum error correction, Phys. Rev. A 54, 3824-3851 (1996)], the problem of the classification and characterization of the so-called entanglement of quantum states, is considered. It is known [cf. \textit{M. Horodecki}, \textit{P. Horodecki}, and \textit{R. Horodecki}, Phys. Lett., A 223, No. 1-2, 1-8 (1996; Zbl 1037.81501)] that there exists a strong connection between the classification of the entanglement of quantum states and the structure of positive linear maps. The first example of an indecomposable positive linear map (IPLP) was found for the \(3\times 3\)-matrix algebra \(M_3(C)\) [cf. \textit{M.-D. Choi}, Positive semidefinite biquadratic forms, Linear Algebra Appl. 12, 95-100 (1975; Zbl 0336.15014)]. Several other examples of IPLP are now also known [cf. \textit{H. Osaka}, Linear Algebra Appl. 186, 45-53 (1993; Zbl 0782.15010)]. In the paper a general method is developed which allows to create IPLP on matrix algebras \(M_n(C)\) for any \(n>2\) by making use of the connection with quantum states. As a central point in this construction, the notion of an unextendible product basis [cf. \textit{C. H. Bennett}, \textit{D. P. DiVincenzo}, \textit{T. Mor}, \textit{P.W. Shor}, \textit{J. A. Smolin} and \textit{B. M. Terhal}, Unextendible product bases and bound entanglement, Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 5385-5388 (1999); \textit{D. P. DiVincenzo}, \textit{T. Mor}, \textit{P. W. Shor}, \textit{J. A. Smolin} and \textit{B. M. Terhal}, Unextendible product bases, uncompletable product bases and bound entanglement, Commun. Math. Phys. to appear] is exploited. The two examples of IPLP are presented and a lower bound for one of them is explicitly computed.