English

Information backflow may not indicate quantum memory

Quantum Physics 2020-08-31 v1

Abstract

We analyze recent approaches to quantum Markovianity and how they relate to the proper definition of quantum memory. We point out that the well-known criterion of information backflow may not correctly report character of the memory falsely signaling its quantumness. Therefore, as a complement to the well-known criteria, we propose several concepts of elementary dynamical maps. Maps of this type do not increase distinguishability of states which are indistinguishable by von Neumann measurements in a given basis. Those notions and convexity allows us to define general classes of processes without quantum memory in a weak and strong sense. Finally, we provide a practical characterization of the most intuitive class in terms of the new concept of witness of quantum information backflow.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2008.12638,
  title  = {Information backflow may not indicate quantum memory},
  author = {Michal Banacki and Marcin Marciniak and Karol Horodecki and Pawel Horodecki},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2008.12638},
  year   = {2020}
}

Comments

7 pages, 2 figures

R2 v1 2026-06-23T18:09:55.053Z