Discrimination between pure states and mixed states

2006/11/30 by Chi Zhang, Guoming Wang, Mingsheng Ying · 1 citation
Computer Science · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Algorithm #Mathematics #Physics #Quantum #Quantum Computing Algorithms and Architecture #Quantum Information and Cryptography #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Quantum mechanics #Quantum state #State (computer science) #quant-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreva.75.062306

arxiv created 2007/02/09 · openalex publication_date 2007/06/06 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss the problem of determining whether a quantum system is in a pure state, or in a mixed state. We apply two strategies to settle this problem: the unambiguous discrimination and the maximum confidence discrimination. We prove that the optimal versions of both strategies are equivalent. Furthermore, the scheme also provides a method to estimate the purity of quantum states, and the Schmidt number of composed systems.

Citations

• Three qubits can be entangled in two inequivalent ways
• Unambiguous discrimination of mixed states
• Unambiguous discrimination between linearly independent quantum states
• Purity of Gaussian states: Measurement schemes and time evolution in noisy channels
• Unambiguous discrimination of mixed quantum states
• Quantum Theory: Concepts and Methods
• Matrix Analysis

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