From Graph States to Two-Graph States

TL;DR

This paper introduces two-graph states as a generalization of graph states, providing a graphical framework for stabilizer states that enables efficient spectral analysis of quantum states under local Clifford operations.

Contribution

It presents the two-graph state representation, linking graph theory with quantum stabilizer states, and offers a method for efficient spectral analysis using graphical operations.

Findings

Two-graph states generalize graph states and stabilizer states.

Graphical methods enable efficient spectral analysis of quantum states.

The approach simplifies understanding local Clifford group actions on states.

Abstract

The name graph state is used to describe a certain class of pure quantum state which models a physical structure on which one can perform measurement-based quantum computing, and which has a natural graphical description. We present the two-graph state, this being a generalisation of the graph state and a two-graph representation of a stabilizer state. Mathematically, the two-graph state can be viewed as a simultaneous generalisation of a binary linear code and quadratic Boolean function. It describes precisely the coefficients of the pure quantum state vector resulting from the action of a member of the local Clifford group on a graph state, and comprises a graph which encodes the magnitude properties of the state, and a graph encoding its phase properties. This description facilitates a computationally efficient spectral analysis of the graph state with respect to operations from the local Clifford group on the state, as all operations can be realised graphically. By focusing on the so-called local transform group, which is a size 3 cyclic subgroup of the local Clifford group over one qubit, and over $n$ qubits is of size $3^n$, we can efficiently compute spectral properties of the graph state.