Linear preservers and quantum information science

TL;DR

This paper characterizes linear maps preserving certain matrix norms on tensor products, revealing their structure and implications for quantum information science.

Contribution

It provides a complete description of linear preservers of Ky Fan and Schatten norms on tensor spaces, extending to higher dimensions and linking to quantum information.

Findings

Linear maps preserving norms are characterized by unitary conjugation and transpositions.

Results extend to tensor products of multiple matrix spaces.

Connections to quantum information science are discussed.

Abstract

Let $m,n\ge 2$ be positive integers, $M_m$ the set of $m\times m$ complex matrices and $M_n$ the set of $n\times n$ complex matrices. Regard $M_{mn}$ as the tensor space $M_m\otimes M_n$. Suppose $|\cdot|$ is the Ky Fan $k$-norm with $1 \le k \le mn$, or the Schatten $p$-norm with $1 \le p \le \infty$ ($p\ne 2$) on $M_{mn}$. It is shown that a linear map $\phi: M_{mn} \rightarrow M_{mn}$ satisfying $$|A\otimes B| = |\phi(A\otimes B)|$$ for all $A \in M_m$ and $B \in M_n$ if and only if there are unitary $U, V \in M_{mn}$ such that $\phi$ has the form $A\otimes B \mapsto U(\varphi_1(A) \otimes \varphi_2(B))V$, where $\varphi_i(X)$ is either the identity map $X \mapsto X$ or the transposition map $X \mapsto X^t$. The results are extended to tensor space $M_{n_1} \otimes ... \otimes M_{n_m}$ of higher level. The connection of the problem to quantum information science is mentioned.