The rate of optimal purification procedures. (Q5931575)

A given number \(N\) of qubits being in the same but unknown pure state \(\sigma\) and exposed to decoherence are assumed to be in the state \(\lambda\sigma + (1-\lambda)(\mathbf{1}/2)\). The paper answers the the question how well a given rate \(M/N\) of pure states \(\sigma'_i\), \(i=1, 2, 3, \dots, M\), can approximate \(\sigma\) when they result from an operation (purifier) on the partially coherent qubit system. To that end fidelities for appropriate operations based on \(\text{tr}(\sigma_i'\sigma)\) are introduced. A plot how well an arbitrary chosen \(\sigma'_i\) approximates \(\sigma\) at least depending on \(N\), \(M/N\) and \(\lambda\), and another one showing the fidelity in dependence of the rate \(M/N\) and \(\lambda\) asymptotically for large \(N\) illustrate the results of the paper. The work is based on former work of the second author, and both authors [J. Math. Phys. 40, No. 7, 3283--3299 (1999; Zbl 1059.81022)], concerning optimal cloning. Moreover, the relation to [\textit{I. Cirac, A. K. Ekert} and \textit{C. Machiavello}, Phys. Rev Lett. 82, 4344--4347 (1999)] has been clarified by e-mail correspondence with I. Cirac. The authors restrict their considerations on operations from \({\mathcal B}({\mathcal H})^{\otimes N}\) to \({\mathcal B}({\mathcal H})^{\otimes M}\), \({\mathcal H} = {\mathbb C}^2\) represented by complete positive (cp-) maps which are \(U(2)\)- and permutation covariant. These requirements do not influence the result of the investigation but allow to use the well known theory \(SU(2)\) representations. A theorem proved in the above cited earlier work of the authors applies to construct all purifiers and to solve the optimization problem. Eventually, the asymptotic behaviour of the fidelities for \(N \rightarrow \infty\) in dependence of the rate \(N/M\) and the degree of decoherence \(\lambda\) is derived leading to explicit formulae and the above stated results.