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PT-symmetric quantum state discrimination

High Energy Physics - Theory 2018-11-28 v1 Mathematical Physics math.MP Quantum Physics

Abstract

Suppose that a system is known to be in one of two quantum states, ψ1>|\psi_1 > or ψ2>|\psi_2 >. If these states are not orthogonal, then in conventional quantum mechanics it is impossible with one measurement to determine with certainty which state the system is in. However, because a non-Hermitian PT-symmetric Hamiltonian determines the inner product that is appropriate for the Hilbert space of physical states, it is always possible to choose this inner product so that the two states ψ1>|\psi_1 > and ψ2>|\psi_2 > are orthogonal. Thus, quantum state discrimination can, in principle, be achieved with a single measurement.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1011.1871,
  title  = {PT-symmetric quantum state discrimination},
  author = {Carl M. Bender and Dorje C. Brody and Joao Caldeira and Bernard K. Meister},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1011.1871},
  year   = {2018}
}

Comments

4 pages, no figures

R2 v1 2026-06-21T16:40:41.348Z