Investigating Pure State Uniqueness in Tomography via Optimization

Abstract

Quantum state tomography (QST) is crucial for understanding and characterizing quantum systems through measurement data. Traditional QST methods face scalability challenges, requiring $\mathcal{O}(d^2)$ measurements for a general $d$-dimensional state. This complexity can be substantially reduced to $\mathcal{O}(d)$ in pure state tomography, indicating that full measurements are unnecessary for pure states. In this paper, we investigate the conditions under which a given pure state can be uniquely determined by a subset of full measurements, focusing on the concepts of uniquely determined among pure states (UDP) and uniquely determined among all states (UDA). The UDP determination inherently involves non-convexity challenges, while the UDA determination, though convex, becomes computationally intensive for high-dimensional systems. To address these issues, we develop a unified framework based on the Augmented Lagrangian Method (ALM). Specifically, our theorem on the existence of low-rank solutions in QST allows us to reformulate the UDA problem with low-rank constraints, thereby reducing the number of variables involved. Our approach entails parameterizing quantum states and employing ALM to handle the constrained non-convex optimization tasks associated with UDP and low-rank UDA determinations. Numerical experiments conducted on qutrit systems and four-qubit symmetric states not only validate theoretical findings but also reveal the complete distribution of quantum states across three uniqueness categories: (A) UDA, (B) UDP but not UDA, and (C) neither UDP nor UDA. This work provides a practical approach for determining state uniqueness, advancing our understanding of quantum state reconstruction.