Conditional Probabilities and Density Operators in Quantum Modeling

Motivated by a recent proof of free choices in linking equations to the experiments they describe, I clarify some relations among purely mathematical entities featured in quantum mechanics (probabilities, density operators, partial traces, and operator-valued measures), thereby allowing applications of these entities to the modeling of a wider variety of physical situations. I relate conditional probabilities associated with projection-valued measures to conditional density operators identical, in some cases but not in others, to the usual reduced density operators. While a fatal obstacle precludes associating conditional density operators with general non-projective measures, tensor products of general positive operator-valued measures (POVMs) are associated with conditional density operators. This association together with the free choice of probe particles allows a postulate of state reductions to be replaced by a theorem. An application shows an equivalence between one form of quantum key distribution and another with respect to certain eavesdropping attacks.     

An Approach to Quantum Mechanics via Conditional Probabilities

The well-known proposal to consider the Lüders-von Neumann measurement as a non-classical extension of probability conditionalization is further developed. The major results include some new concepts like the different grades of compatibility, the objective conditional probabilities which are independent of the underlying state and stem from a certain purely algebraic relation between the events, and an axiomatic approach to quantum mechanics. The main axioms are certain postulates concerning the conditional probabilities and own intrinsic probabilistic interpretations from the very beginning. A Jordan product is derived for the observables, and the consideration of composite systems leads to operator algebras on the Hilbert space over the complex numbers, which is the standard model of quantum mechanics. The paper gives an expository overview of the results presented in a series of recent papers by the author. For the first time, the complete approach is presented as a whole in a single paper. Moreover, since the mathematical proofs are already available in the original papers, the present paper can dispense with the mathematical details and maximum generality, thus addressing a wider audience of physicists, philosophers or quantum computer scientists.     

Towards Loophole-Free Optical Bell Test of CHSH Inequality

Bell test had been suggested to end the long-standing debate on the EPR paradox, while the imperfections of experimental devices induce some loopholes in Bell test experiments and hence the assumption of local reality by EPR cannot be excluded with current experimental results. In optical Bell test experiments, the locality loophole can be closed easily, while the attempt of closing detection loophole requires very high efficiency of single photon detectors. Previous studies showed that the violation of Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt (CHSH) inequality with maximally entangled states requires the detection efficiency to be higher than 82.8 %. In this paper, we raise a modified CHSH inequality that covers all measurement events including the efficient and inefficient detections in the Bell test and prove that all local hidden models can be excluded when the inequality is violated. We find that, when non-maximally entangled states are applied to the Bell test, the lowest detection efficiency for violation of the present inequality is 66.7 %. This makes it feasible to close the detection loophole and the locality loophole simultaneously in optical Bell test of CHSH inequality.     

A Hierarchy of Compatibility and Comeasurability Levels in Quantum Logics with Unique Conditional Probabilities

In the quantum mechanical Hilbert space formalism, the probabilistic interpretation is a later ad-hoc add-on, more or less enforced by the experimental evidence, but not motivated by the mathematical model itself. A model involving a clear probabilistic interpretation from the very beginning is provided by the quantum logics with unique conditional probabilities. It includes the projection lattices in von Neumann algebras and here probability conditionalization becomes identical with the state transition of the Lueders-von Neumann measurement process. This motivates the definition of a hierarchy of five compatibility and comeasurability levels in the abstract setting of the quantum logics with unique conditional probabilities. Their meanings are： the absence of quantum interference or influence, the existence of a joint distribution, simultaneous measurability, and the independence of the final state after two successive measurements from the sequential order of these two measurements. A further level means that two elements of the quantum logic （events） belong to the same Boolean subalgebra. In the general case, the five compatibility and comeasurability levels appear to differ, but they all coincide in the common Hilbert space formalism of quantum mechanics, in von Neumann algebras, and in some other cases.     

A Hierarchy of Compatibility and Comeasurability Levels in Quantum Logics with Unique Conditional Probabilities

In the quantum mechanical Hilbert space formalism, the probabilisticinterpretation is a later ad-hoc add-on, more or less enforced by theexperimental evidence, but not motivated by the mathematical model itself. Amodel involving a clear probabilistic interpretation from the very beginningis provided by the quantum logics with unique conditional probabilities. Itincludes the projection lattices in von Neumann algebras and hereprobability conditionalization becomes identical with the state transitionof the Lüders - von Neumann measurement process. This motivates thedefinition of a hierarchy of five compatibility and comeasurability levelsin the abstract setting of the quantum logics with unique conditionalprobabilities. Their meanings are: the absence of quantum interference orinfluence, the existence of a joint distribution, simultaneous measurability, and the independence of the final state after two successive measurements from the sequential order of these two measurements. A further level means that two elements of the quantum logic (events) belong to the same Boolean subalgebra. In the general case, the five compatibility and comeasurability levels appear to differ, but they all coincide in the common Hilbert space formalism of quantum mechanics, in von Neumann algebras, and in some other cases.     

From Quantum Probabilities to Quantum Amplitudes

The task of reconstructing the system’s state from the measurements results, known as the Pauli problem, usually requires repetition of two successive steps. Preparation in an initial state to be determined is followed by an accurate measurement of one of the several chosen operators in order to provide the necessary “Pauli data”. We consider a similar yet more general problem of recovering Feynman’s transition (path) amplitudes from the results of at least three consecutive measurements. The three-step histories of a pre- and post-selected quantum system are subjected to a type of interference not available to their two-step counterparts. We show that this interference can be exploited, and if the intermediate measurement is “fuzzy”, the path amplitudes can be successfully recovered. The simplest case of a two-level system is analysed in detail. The “weak measurement” limit and the usefulness of the path amplitudes are also discussed.     

Non-Kolmogorovian Probabilities and Quantum Technologies

In this work, we focus on the philosophical aspects and technical challenges that underlie the axiomatization of the non-Kolmogorovian probability framework, in connection with the problem of quantum contextuality. This fundamental feature of quantum theory has received a lot of attention recently, given that it might be connected to the speed-up of quantum computers—a phenomenon that is not fully understood. Although this problem has been extensively studied in the physics community, there are still many philosophical questions that should be properly formulated. We analyzed different problems from a conceptual standpoint using the non-Kolmogorovian probability approach as a technical tool.     

Information Invariance and Quantum Probabilities

We consider probabilistic theories in which the most elementary system, a two-dimensional system, contains one bit of information. The bit is assumed to be contained in any complete set of mutually complementary measurements. The requirement of invariance of the information under a continuous change of the set of mutually complementary measurements uniquely singles out a measure of information, which is quadratic in probabilities. The assumption which gives the same scaling of the number of degrees of freedom with the dimension as in quantum theory follows essentially from the assumption that all physical states of a higher dimensional system are those and only those from which one can post-select physical states of two-dimensional systems. The requirement that no more than one bit of information (as quantified by the quadratic measure) is contained in all possible post-selected two-dimensional systems is equivalent to the positivity of density operator in quantum theory. This article is dedicated to Pekka Lahti on the occasion of his 60th birthday.     

God Plays Coins or Superposition Principle for Classical Probabilities in Quantum Suprematism Representation of Qubit States

We construct the quantum density matrix of a spin-1/2 state for three given probability distributions describing positions of three classical coins and associate its matrix elements with the Triada of Malevich’s squares. We present the superposition principle of spin-1/2 states in the form of a nonlinear addition rule for these classical coin probabilities. We illustrate the obtained formulas by the statement “God does not play dice – God plays coins.”     

Quantum Coherences and Classical Inhomogeneities as Equivalent Thermodynamics Resources

Quantum energy coherences represent a thermodynamic resource, which can be exploited to extract energy from a thermal reservoir and deliver that energy as work. We argue that there exists a closely analogous classical thermodynamic resource, namely, energy-shell inhomogeneities in the phase space distribution of a system’s initial state. We compare the amount of work that can be obtained from quantum coherences with the amount that can be obtained from classical inhomogeneities, and find them to be equal in the semiclassical limit. We thus conclude that coherences do not provide a unique thermodynamic advantage of quantum systems over classical systems, in situations where a well-defined semiclassical correspondence exists.     

Consistency Conditions for Probabilities of Quantum Histories

In the framework of the histories approach to quantum mechanics developed by Griffiths and Omnès, we consider the question of the uniqueness of the probability assigned to the histories; the question was solved by Omnès only in special cases. We find conditions which ensure uniqueness of such probability in the general case.     

Extended Quantum Conditional Entropy and Quantum Uncertainty Inequalities

Quantum states can be subjected to classical measurements, whose incompatibility, or uncertainty, can be quantified by a comparison of certain entropies. There is a long history of such entropy inequalities between position and momentum. Recently these inequalities have been generalized to the tensor product of several Hilbert spaces and we show here how their derivations can be shortened to a few lines and how they can be generalized. Our proofs utilize the technique of the original derivation of strong subadditivity of the von Neumann entropy.     

Quantum and Classical Brackets

We describe p-mechanical (Kisil, V. V. (1996). Journal of Natural Geometry 9(1), 1–14; Kisil, V. V. (1999). Advances in Mathematics 147(1), 35–73; Prezhdo, O. V. and Kisil, V. V. (1997). Physical Review A 56(1), 162–175) brackets that generate quantum (commutator) and classical (Poisson) brackets in corresponding representations of the Heisenberg group. We do not use any kind of semiclassical approximation or limiting procedure for 0     

Arbiter as the Third Man in Classical and Quantum Games

We study the possible influence of a not necessarily sincere arbiter on the course of classical and quantum 2×2 games and we show that this influence in the quantum case is much bigger than in the classical case. Extreme sensitivity of quantum games on initial states of quantum objects used as carriers of information in a game shows that a quantum game, contrary to a classical game, is not defined by a payoff matrix alone but also by an initial state of objects used to play a game. Therefore, two quantum games that have the same payoff matrices but begin with different initial states should be considered as different games.     

Limit of Classical Projections of Quantum Mechanics as ℏ → 0

The convergence of the Hamiltonians of classicalprojections to the Hamiltonian of the classical limit isinvestigated. The convergence of dynamics is shown forHamiltonians generated by a certain class of functions, in particular by functions fromthe Schwartz space.