Positive-divisibility of Subsystems in Quantum Dynamics

TL;DR

This paper investigates the relationship between P-divisibility, unitality of noise channels, and quantum memory effects, showing that unital channels are P-divisible and exploring how information backflow can enhance quantum correlations.

Contribution

It establishes that unital channels are P-divisible and analyzes the conditions under which system and environment channels are P-divisible or indivisible, linking these to quantum memory effects.

Findings

Unital channels are P-divisible.

System and environment channels must both be P-divisible under unitary evolution.

Quantum backflow can increase system quantumness, demonstrated with a three-qubit W state.

Abstract

It is known that the existence of memory effect can revive quantum correlations in open system dynamics. In this regard, the backflow of information from environment to the system can be identified with Complete Positive (CP) indivisibility as well as Positive (P) indivisibility criteria. It is also known that if a quantum system is CP-divisible, it can also have memory effect which can be witnessed by P-indivisibility. Here, we have explored the relation of P-divisibility with unitality condition of noise channels, showing that a unital channel is P-divisible. We have shown how a system channel and its environment need to be both P-divisible, but cannot be both P-indivisible, provided the system-environment joint quantum state evolves unitarily. We have also established our results using three unitaries acting on different sets of states. In particular, due to backflow of information from the environment, quantumness of a system can increase, as shown for an example of the three-qubit W state.