Fixed Points of Completely Positive Trace-Preserving Maps in Infinite Dimension

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Tumulka, Roderich, Weixler, Jonte
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Tumulka, Roderich
Weixler, Jonte
author_facet Tumulka, Roderich
Weixler, Jonte
contents Completely positive trace-preserving maps $S$, also known as quantum channels, arise in quantum physics as a description of how the density operator $ρ$ of a system changes in a given time interval, allowing not only for unitary evolution but arbitrary operations including measurements or other interaction with an environment. It is known that if the Hilbert space $\mathscr{H}$ that $ρ$ acts on is finite-dimensional, then every $S$ must have a fixed point, i.e., a density operator $ρ_0$ with $S(ρ_0)=ρ_0$. In infinite dimension, $S$ need not have a fixed point in general. However, we prove here the existence of a fixed point under a certain additional assumption which is, roughly speaking, that $S$ leaves invariant a certain set of density operators with bounded ``cost'' of preparation. The proof is an application of the Schauder-Tychonoff fixed point theorem. Our motivation for this question comes from a proposal of Deutsch for how to define quantum theory in a space-time with closed timelike curves; our result supports the viability of Deutsch's proposal.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2411_14800
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Fixed Points of Completely Positive Trace-Preserving Maps in Infinite Dimension
Tumulka, Roderich
Weixler, Jonte
Mathematical Physics
Quantum Physics
Completely positive trace-preserving maps $S$, also known as quantum channels, arise in quantum physics as a description of how the density operator $ρ$ of a system changes in a given time interval, allowing not only for unitary evolution but arbitrary operations including measurements or other interaction with an environment. It is known that if the Hilbert space $\mathscr{H}$ that $ρ$ acts on is finite-dimensional, then every $S$ must have a fixed point, i.e., a density operator $ρ_0$ with $S(ρ_0)=ρ_0$. In infinite dimension, $S$ need not have a fixed point in general. However, we prove here the existence of a fixed point under a certain additional assumption which is, roughly speaking, that $S$ leaves invariant a certain set of density operators with bounded ``cost'' of preparation. The proof is an application of the Schauder-Tychonoff fixed point theorem. Our motivation for this question comes from a proposal of Deutsch for how to define quantum theory in a space-time with closed timelike curves; our result supports the viability of Deutsch's proposal.
title Fixed Points of Completely Positive Trace-Preserving Maps in Infinite Dimension
topic Mathematical Physics
Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.14800