Decomposable positive map Created 2026-10-05 Updated 2026-10-06
A decomposable positive map between complex matrix algebras has the form , where are completely positive maps and is the matrix transpose. Such a map cannot detect a positive partial transpose entangled state: applying it to one subsystem gives a sum of two positive operators.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 323 3 iii c Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Every separable quantum state has positive partial transpose. Here the partial transpose iswith eigenvalues . Any nonzero therefore gives a negative eigenvalue, excluding a separable quantum state. At , the explicit decompositionis a mixture of product states. ConsequentlyOnly necessity of the positive partial transpose criterion is needed here; sufficiency at zero follows directly from the decomposition.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 323 3 ii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Let denote the partial transpose. The partial transpose of a maximally entangled projector iswhere is the swap operator, satisfying and . If has positive partial transpose, then is a positive operator of trace one, hence .
For a pure state , the unsquared quantum fidelity obeys . Using the trace-adjoint identity for partial transpose and part (i),The overlap is nonnegative, so taking its square root proves the PPT maximally entangled overlap bound:The product state attains the bound, so it is sharp.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 323 1 ii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
Use two precise finite-dimensional results. The positive-map separability criterion says that a state on is separable exactly when for every positive linear map . The Størmer-Woronowicz decomposability theorem says that every such map is a decomposable positive map, sowith completely positive maps and the matrix transpose on .
If has positive partial transpose, both and are positive. HenceThe positive-map separability criterion now proves that is a separable quantum state. The dimension-specific decomposability theorem is essential: the conclusion does not extend to arbitrary bipartite dimensions.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 323 1 i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
A bipartite density operator has positive partial transpose when in a product basis. Positivity is independent of the choice of local bases, although the matrix representing the partial transpose changes.
If the state is a separable quantum state, write . Taking its partial transpose givesIndeed, the matrix transpose preserves the nonnegative eigenvalues of each local density operator; a tensor product of positive semidefinite operators is positive, and so is their nonnegative sum. This proves the necessary direction of the positive partial transpose criterion.
PPT maximally entangled overlap bound 2026-10-06
Every density operator with positive partial transpose has squared quantum fidelity at most with a fixed maximally entangled state on . The partial transpose of a maximally entangled projector and the trace-adjoint identity for partial transpose express that squared overlap as . Since is positive of trace one and the swap operator has operator norm one, trace duality gives the bound. A matching product state attains equality.