Published March 1, 2011 | Version v1
Journal article

Modular geometry of the symplectic group attached to a q-level system and to multiple q-dit mixtures

  • 1. Institut FEMTO-ST, CNRS, 32 Avenue de l'Observatoire, F-25044 Besancon (France)

Description

We study the commutation relations within the Pauli groups built on all decompositions of a given Hilbert space dimension q, containing a square, into its factors. Illustrative low dimensional examples are the quartit (q = 4) and two-qubit (q = 22) systems, the octit (q = 8), qubit/quartit (q = 2x4) and three-qubit (q = 23) systems, and so on. In the single qudit case, e.g. q = 4, 8, 12,..., one defines a bijection between the σ(q) maximal commuting sets [with σ[q)the sum of divisors of q] of Pauli observables and the maximal submodules of the modular ring Zq2, that arrange into the projective line P1(Zq) and a independent set of size σ(q) - ψ(q) [with ψ(q) the Dedekind psi function]. In the multiple qudit case, e.g. q = 22, 23, 32,..., the Pauli graphs rely on symplectic polar spaces such as the generalized quadrangles GQ(2,2) (if q = 22) and GQ(3,3) (if q = 32). More precisely, in dimension pn (p a prime) of the Hilbert space, the observables of the Pauli group (modulo the center) are seen as the elements of the 2n-dimensional vector space over the field Fp. In this space, one makes use of the commutator to define a symplectic polar space W2n-1(p) of cardinality σ(p2n-1), that encodes the maximal commuting sets of the Pauli group by its totally isotropic subspaces. Building blocks of W2n-1(p) are punctured polar spaces (i.e. a observable and all maximum cliques passing to it are removed) of size given by the Dedekind psi function ψ(p2N-1). For multiple qudit mixtures (e.g. qubit/quartit, qubit/octit and so on), one finds multiple copies of polar spaces, ponctured polar spaces, hypercube geometries and other intricate structures. Such structures play a role in the science of quantum information.

Availability note (English)

Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/284/1/012050

Additional details

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Journal of Physics. Conference Series (Online)
Journal Volume
284
Journal Issue
1
Journal Page Range
[10 p.]
ISSN
1742-6596

Conference

Title
28. international colloquium on group-theoretical methods in physics
Dates
26-30 Jul 2010
Place
Newcastle upon Tyne (United Kingdom)

INIS

Country of Publication
United Kingdom
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
43044546
Subject category
S71: CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS;
Resource subtype / Literary indicator
Conference
Descriptors DEI
COMMUTATION RELATIONS; DECOMPOSITION; HILBERT SPACE; MIXTURES; QUANTUM INFORMATION; SP GROUPS
Descriptors DEC
BANACH SPACE; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; DISPERSIONS; INFORMATION; LIE GROUPS; MATHEMATICAL SPACE; SPACE; SYMMETRY GROUPS