Quasistates and quasiprobabilities

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new method for expanding quantum states using quasistates, which are nonpositive operators that reveal nonclassical features and aid in quantum state analysis.

Contribution

The authors develop a generalized expansion technique of quantum states into quasistates, offering a complementary perspective to existing quasiprobability representations.

Findings

Enables quantum state reconstruction using quasistates

Provides a new way to represent nonclassical light

Allows classical description of quantum entanglement

Abstract

The quasiprobability representation of quantum states addresses two main concerns, the identification of nonclassical features and the decomposition of the density operator. While the former aspect is a main focus of current research, the latter decomposition property has been studied less frequently. In this contribution, we introduce a method for the generalized expansion of quantum states in terms of so-called quasistates. In contrast to the quasiprobability decomposition through nonclassical distributions and pure-state operators, our technique results in classical probabilities and nonpositive semidefinite operators, defining the notion of quasistates, that carry the information about the nonclassical characteristics of the system. Therefore, our method presents a complementary approach to prominent quasiprobability representations. We explore the usefulness of our technique with several examples, including applications for quantum state reconstruction and the representation of nonclassical light. In addition, using our framework, we also demonstrate that inseparable quantum correlations can be described in terms of classical joint probabilities and tensor-product quasistates for an unambiguous identification of quantum entanglement.