Quantum teleportation and the density matrix

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on quantum teleportation using the Bell state ##|\Phi^+\rangle = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}(|00\rangle + |11\rangle)## and the confusion surrounding the density matrix for Alice's qubits. The tripartite state is expressed as ##|\psi\rangle = |\phi\rangle |\Phi^+\rangle##, leading to a density matrix representation that includes cross terms when tracing out Bob's qubit. The conclusion clarifies that the density matrix presented in the notes is indeed Alice's reduced density matrix after measurement, representing a proper mixture due to ignorance of measurement outcomes.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of quantum mechanics principles, specifically quantum states and entanglement.
  • Familiarity with Bell states and their properties in quantum teleportation.
  • Knowledge of density matrices and their role in representing quantum states.
  • Experience with partial tracing and its implications in quantum systems.
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  • Study the mathematical formulation of quantum teleportation in detail.
  • Learn about the properties and applications of Bell states in quantum information theory.
  • Explore the concept of density matrices and their significance in quantum mechanics.
  • Investigate the process of partial tracing and its effects on entangled states.
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Quantum physicists, students of quantum mechanics, and researchers in quantum information science will benefit from this discussion, particularly those focusing on quantum teleportation and density matrix analysis.

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I'm re-reading some course notes on quantum teleportation, and something isn't making sense. In the description my instructor gave, we used the Bell state ##|\Phi^+\rangle = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}(|00\rangle + |11\rangle)## for the entangled pair. So, suppose the state we want to teleport is ##|\phi\rangle = \alpha|0\rangle + \beta|1\rangle## and so the tripartite state is:
##|\psi\rangle = |\phi\rangle |\Phi^+\rangle = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}(\alpha|0\rangle + \beta|1\rangle)(|00\rangle + |11\rangle)##
Alice holds the first two qubits and Bob holds the third. This overall state can be rewritten as:
##|\psi\rangle = \frac{1}{2}\left[
|\Phi^+\rangle(\alpha|0\rangle + \beta|1\rangle) +
|\Phi^-\rangle(\alpha|0\rangle - \beta|1\rangle) +
|\Psi^+\rangle(\alpha|1\rangle + \beta|0\rangle) +
|\Psi^-\rangle(\alpha|1\rangle - \beta|0\rangle)
\right]##
(with the qubits in the same order). Hence, Alice determines the phase and parity bit of her Bell pair and communicates this to Bob, who uses the info to do a suitable unitary transformation of his qubit so that he winds up with ##|\phi\rangle##.

What confuses me is the next line in my notes, which say that the density matrix for Alice's pair of qubits is:
##\rho_A = \frac{1}{4}\left(
|\Phi^+\rangle \langle \Phi^+ | +
|\Phi^-\rangle \langle \Phi^- | +
|\Psi^+\rangle \langle \Psi^+ | +
|\Psi^-\rangle \langle \Psi^- |
\right)##
While this makes intuitive sense—afterall, Alice obtains each of the Bell states with probability ##1/4##—it doesn't seem to work out computationally. In computing the overall density matrix for ##|\psi\rangle##, there are a number of cross terms between the Bell states. Not all of these terms vanish when Bob's qubit is traced out in the computational Basis. For example, we'll be left with a term ##(|\alpha|^2 - |\beta|^2)|\Phi^+\rangle \langle \Phi^- |##, which doesn't vanish for arbitrary ##\alpha## and ##\beta##. The four pure states for Bob's qubit that appear in the second expression for ##|\psi\rangle## (i.e. ##(\alpha|0\rangle + \beta|1\rangle##, ##\alpha|0\rangle - \beta|1\rangle## and so on) are not linearly independent (obviously—there's four of them), so they are not suitable as the basis for Bob's qubit over which the partial trace is taken.

So are my notes wrong in their expression for Alice's density matrix, or is a mistake elsewhere?
 
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Never mind. Compared with a classmate's notes; turns out this was Alice's reduced density matrix after measuring her two qubits (but before she's looked at the results of the measurement). That is, it's a genuine ignorance-based proper mixture.
 

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