Topological Tenfold Classification and the Entanglement of Two Qubits

TL;DR

This paper links topological classification with quantum entanglement in two-qubit systems using Cartan decomposition, revealing how topological features relate to entanglement measures and geometrical phases.

Contribution

It introduces a constructive method connecting topological properties to entanglement in 2-qubits via the tenfold classification and Wootters' concurrence, with a systematic approach to compute topological invariants.

Findings

Topological features distinguish entangling from non-entangling operators.

The 2-qubit system fits into the tenfold classification framework.

Topological invariants can be computed from a quantum graph mapping.

Abstract

We present a constructive method utilizing the Cartan decomposition to characterize topological properties and their connection to two-qubit quantum entanglement, in the framework of the tenfold classification and Wootters' concurrence. This relationship is comprehensively established for the 2-qubit system through the antiunitary time reversal (TR) operator. The TR operator is shown to identify concurrence and differentiate between entangling and non-entangling operators. This distinction is of a topological nature, as the inclusion or exclusion of certain operators alters topological characteristics. Proofs are presented which demonstrate that the 2-qubit system can be described in the framework of the tenfold classification, unveiling aspects of the connection between entanglement and a geometrical phase. Topological features are obtained systematically by a mapping to a quantum graph, allowing for a direct computation of topological integers and of the 2-qubit equivalent of topological zero-modes. An additional perspective is provided regarding the extension of this new approach to condensed matter systems, illustrated through examples involving indistinguishable fermions and arrays of quantum dots.