Two-Qubit Separability Probabilities: A Concise Formula

TL;DR

This paper derives a concise formula for the volume of separable states in 2x2 quantum systems, using high-precision computations and hypergeometric functions, providing exact probabilities for various quantum and classical systems.

Contribution

It presents a closed-form hypergeometric expression for separability probabilities in 2x2 systems, advancing understanding of quantum state separability volumes.

Findings

Exact separability probability for two-qubit systems: 8/33

Probability for two-rebit systems: 29/64

Probability for two-quaterbit systems: 26/323

Abstract

We report a concise answer--in the case of 2 x 2 systems--to the fundamental quantum-information-theoretic question as to "the volume of separable states" posed by Zyczkowski, Horodecki, Sanpera and Lewenstein (Phys. Rev. A, 58, 883 [1998]). We proceed by applying the Mathematica command FindSequenceFunction to a series of conjectured Hilbert-Schmidt generic 2 x 2 (rational-valued) separability probabilities p(a), a = 1, 2,...,32, with a = 1 indexing standard two-qubit systems, and a = 2, two-quater(nionic)bit systems. These 32 inputted values of p(a)--as well as 32 companion non-inputted values for the half-integers, a = 1/2 (two-re[al]bit) systems), 3/2,..., 63/2, are advanced on the basis of high-precision probability-distribution-reconstruction computations, employing 7,501 determinantal moments of partially transposed 4 x 4 density matrices. The function P(a) given by application of the command fully reproduces both of these 32-length sequences, and an equivalent outcome is obtained if the half-integral series is the one inputted. The lengthy expression (containing six hypergeometric functions) obtained for P(a) is, then, impressively condensed (by Qing-Hu Hou and colleagues), using Zeilberger's algorithm. For generic (9-dimensional) two-rebit systems, P(1/2) = 29/64, (15-dimensional) two-qubit systems, P(1) = 8/33, (27-dimensional) two-quaterbit systems, P(2) = 26/323, while for generic classical (3-dimensional) systems, P(0)=1.