Entangling capability of coherently controlled quantum processes

Abstract

We analytically characterize entanglement generation by two paradigmatic coherently controlled quantum processes, the quantum switch and time-flip. Retaining rather than measuring or discarding the control, we treat the control and target as the bipartite system and assume pure product inputs, so that any output entanglement reflects the entangling capability of the process. For the switch of qubit unitaries, we derive exact expressions for entanglement, together with a geometric characterization and a coherence-entanglement conservation relation. We then extend our analysis to binary random unitary, Pauli, amplitude damping, and generalized amplitude damping channels. We prove that switch of channels commuting under composition cannot entangle a separable input. Yet maximal entanglement is possible even with dissipation, e.g., an entanglement-breaking damping channel switched with a bit-flip can transform a product input into a maximally entangled state. For two generalized amplitude damping channels, a common stationary state prevents entanglement, while different stationary populations can enable it. We present an analogous study for the time-flip of unitary and binary random unitary channels. Our findings provide a systematic analysis of how much entanglement can be generated by coherent control of channel order or input-output direction.