Quantum Maps Between CPTP and HPTP

Abstract

For an open quantum system to evolve under CPTP maps, assumptions are made on the initial correlations between the system and the environment. Hermitian-preserving trace-preserving (HPTP) maps are considered as the local dynamic maps beyond CPTP. In this paper, we provide a succinct answer to the question of what physical maps are in the HPTP realm by two approaches. The first is by taking one step out of the CPTP set, which provides us with Semi-Positivity (SP) TP maps. The second way is by examining the physicality of HPTP maps, which leads to Semi-Nonnegative (SN) TP maps. Physical interpretations and geometrical structures are studied for these maps. The non-CP SPTP maps $Ψ$ correspond to the quantum non-Markovian process under the CP-divisibility definition ($Ψ= Ξ\circ Φ^{-1}$, where $Ξ$ and $Φ$ are CPTP). When removing the invertibility assumption on $Φ$, we land in the set of SNTP maps. A by-product of set relations is an answer to the following question -- what kind of dynamics the system will go through when the previous dynamic $Φ$ is non-invertible. In this case, the only locally well-defined maps are in $SN\backslash SP$, they live on the boundary of $SN$. Otherwise, the non-local information will be irreplaceable in the system's dynamic. With the understanding of physical maps beyond CPTP, we prove that the current quantum error correction scheme is still sufficient to correct quantum non-Markovian errors. In some special cases, lack of complete positivity could provide us with more error correction methods with less overhead.