A resource-theoretic approach to vectorial coherence

TL;DR

This paper introduces a resource-theoretic framework to quantify and compare the coherence of partially polarized electromagnetic fields, establishing a formal structure that coherence measures must follow.

Contribution

It develops a novel resource-theoretic approach to vectorial coherence, providing a formal structure and analyzing existing coherence measures within this framework.

Findings

Incoherent operations induce a preorder relation on partial coherence.

Existing coherence measures are examined under the resource-theoretic perspective.

The framework unifies and clarifies the assessment of vectorial coherence.

Abstract

We propose a formal resource theoretic approach to asses the coherence between partially polarized electromagnetic fields. We show that naturally defined incoherent operations endow partial coherence with a preorder relation that must be respected by all coherence measures. We examine most previously introduced coherence measures from this perspective.