1,720,974 research outputs found
Optimal estimation of entanglement
No full textEntanglement does not correspond to an observable, and its evaluation always corresponds to an estimation procedure where the amount of entanglement is inferred from the measurements of one or more proper observables. Here we address optimal estimation of entanglement in the framework of local quantum estimation theory and derive the optimal observable in terms of the symmetric logarithmic derivative. We evaluate the
quantum Fisher information and, in turn, the ultimate bound to precision for several families of bipartite states for either for qubits or continuous-variable systems and for different measures of entanglement. We found that for discrete variables, entanglement may be efficiently estimated when it is large, whereas estimation of weakly entangled states is an inherently inefficient procedure. For continuous-variable Gaussian systems the effectiveness of entanglement estimation strongly depends on the chosen entanglement measure. Our analysis makes an important point of principle and may be relevant in the design of quantum information protocols based on the entanglement content of quantum states
Information-theoretic differential geometry of quantum phase transitions
No full textThe manifold of coupling constants parametrizing a quantum Hamiltonian is equipped with a natural Riemannian metric with an operational distinguishability content. We argue that the singularities of this metric are in correspondence with the quantum phase transitions featured by the corresponding system. This approach provides a universal conceptual framework to study quantum critical phenomena which is differential geometric and information theoretic at the same time
Gaussian quantum discord
Full text linkWe extend the quantum discord to continuous variable systems and evaluate Gaussian quantum discord C(ρ) for bipartite Gaussian states. In particular, for squeezed-thermal states, we explicitly maximize the extractable information over Gaussian measurements: C(ρ) is minimized by a generalized measurement rather than a projective one. Almost all squeezed-thermal states have nonzero Gaussian discord: They may be either separable or entangled if the discord is below the threshold C(ρ)=1, whereas they are all entangled above the threshold. We elucidate the general role of state parameters in determining the discord and discuss its evolution in noisy channels
Quantum discord for Gaussian states with non-Gaussian measurements
No full textIn recent years the paradigm based on entanglement as the unique measure of quantum correlations has been challenged by the rise of new correlation concepts, such as quantum discord, able to reveal quantum correlations that are present in separable states. It is in general difficult to compute quantum discord, because it involves a minimization over all possible local measurements in a bipartition. In the realm of continuous-variable (CV) systems, a Gaussian version of quantum discord has been put forward upon restricting to Gaussian measurements. It is natural to ask whether non-Gaussian measurements can lead to a stronger minimization than Gaussian ones. Here we focus on two relevant classes of two-mode Gaussian states: squeezed thermal states and mixed thermal states, and allow for a range of experimentally feasible non-Gaussian measurements, comparing the results with the case of Gaussian measurements. We provide evidence that Gaussian measurements are optimal for Gaussian states
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Geometry of perturbed Gaussian states and quantum estimation
No full textWe address the nonGaussianity (nG) of states obtained by weakly perturbing a Gaussian state and investigate the relationships with
quantum estimation. For classical perturbations, i.e. perturbations to eigenvalues, we found that nG of the perturbed state may be written as the quantum Fisher information (QFI) distance minus a term depending on the infinitesimal energy change, i.e. it provides a lower bound to statistical distinguishability. Upon moving on isoenergetic surfaces in a neighbourhood of a Gaussian state, nG thus coincides with a proper distance in the Hilbert space and exactly quantifies the statistical distinguishability of the perturbations. On the other hand, for
perturbations leaving the covariance matrix unperturbed we show that nG provides an upper bound to the QFI. Our results show that the geometry of nonGaussian states in the neighbourhood of a Gaussian state is
definitely not trivial and cannot be subsumed by a differential structure. Nevertheless, the analysis of perturbations to a Gaussian state reveals that nG may be a resource for quantum estimation. The nG
of specific families of perturbed Gaussian states is analyzed in some details with the aim of finding the maximally non Gaussian state obtainable from a given Gaussian one
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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