Excitability in quantum field theory

TL;DR

This paper develops algebraic criteria for local excitability in quantum field theories, explicitly analyzing Gaussian states in free theories and revealing that one-way excitability implies two-way excitability.

Contribution

It introduces new algebraic conditions for excitability in quantum theories and extends quasiequivalence theorems to Gaussian states in free field theories.

Findings

One-way excitability always implies two-way excitability for Gaussian states.

Explicit algebraic criteria for local excitability are established.

The results generalize existing quasiequivalence theorems.

Abstract

In quantum field theory, it is not always possible to excite one state out of another using only local operators. This paper establishes abstract algebraic criteria for (local) excitability in general quantum theories, and computes these criteria explicitly for zero-mean Gaussian states in (generalized) free field theories. We find that in this context, due to the special nature of Gaussian states, one-way excitability always implies two-way excitability, and our results generalize the "quasiequivalence theorems" of Powers, Stormer, van Daele, Araki, and Yamagami. A key role in our proof is played by the information-theoretic tool of canonical purification. In appendices, we provide a pedagogical introduction to the algebraic formulation of (generalized) free field theory.