Quantum Operations, State Transformations and Probabilities

Anthony Chefles

Published 2001-09-13, updated 2001-09-17Version 2

In quantum operations, probabilities characterise both the degree of the success of a state transformation and, as density operator eigenvalues, the degree of mixedness of the final state. We give a unified treatment of pure-to-pure state transformations, covering both probabilistic and deterministic cases. We then discuss the role of majorization in describing the dynamics of mixing in quantum operations. The conditions for mixing enhancement for all initial states are derived. We show that mixing is monotonically decreasing for deterministic pure-to-pure transformations, and discuss the relationship between these transformations and deterministic LOCC entanglement transformations.