This project is a comprehensive investigation into the application of the exchange interaction, particularly with the realization of the SWAP^1/n quantum operator, in quantum information processing. We study the generation, characterization and application of entanglement in such systems. Given the non-commutativity of neighbouring SWAP^1/n gates, the mathematical study of combinations of these gates is an interesting avenue of research that we have explored, though due to the exponential scaling of the complexity of the problem with the number of qubits in the system, numerical techniques, though good for few-qubit systems, are found to be inefficient for this research problem when we look at systems with higher number of qubits. Since the group of SWAP^1/n operators is found to be isomorphic to the symmetric group Sn, we employ group-theoretic methods to find the relevant invariant subspaces and associated vector-states. Some interesting patterns of states are found including onedimensional invariant subspaces spanned by W-states and the Hamming-weight preserving symmetry of the vectors spanning the various invariant subspaces. We also devise new ways of characterizing entanglement and approach the separability problem by looking at permutation symmetries of subsystems of quantum states. This idea is found to form a bridge with the entanglement characterization tool of Peres-Horodecki's Partial Positive Transpose (PPT), for mixed quantum states. We also look at quantum information taskoriented 'distance' measures of entanglement, besides devising a new entanglement witness in the 'engle'. In terms of applications, we define five different formalisms for quantum computing: the circuit-based model, the encoded qubit model, the cluster-state model, functional quantum computation and the qudit-based model. Later in the thesis, we explore the idea of quantum computing based on decoherence-free subspaces. We also investigate ways of applying the SWAP^1/n in entanglement swapping for quantum repeaters, quantum communication protocols and quantum memory.

Nesta dissertação estudamos, no âmbito teórico, algumas propostas recentes de processamento de informação quântica passiva, isto é, descartando protocolos de correção de erros. Recorrendo à criação de subespaços livres de decoerência através de um sistema físico de quatro spins acoplados ao resto do universo por um agente degenerado, mostramos ser possível construir um conjunto universal de portas lógicas (C-NOT, T e Hadamard) neste mesmo subespaço, alcançando, por conseguinte, a realização de qualquer operação computacional, insensivelmente ao resto do universo. Partimos de um hamiltoniano geral com interações individuais de cada spin com campos externos, além de acoplamentos controlados entre pares de spins. Experimentalmente, hamiltonianos deste tipo são comuns no contexto de junções Josephson, motivo pelo qual tratamos esta implementação em um capítulo especial. Introduzindo perturbativamente ao hamiltoniano operadores espúrios ao subespaço livre de decoerência, incluímos sensibilidade do sistema frente ao ambiente, criando a possibilidade da incursão de erros através de mecanismos de dissipação. Tais mecanismos foram investigados em termos da intensidade do parâmetro de acoplamento entre o sistema e o ambiente, revelando uma clara evidência teórica do Efeito Zenão Quântico, através da excelente concordância entre resultados de operações realizadas em subespaços livres de decoerência e operações realizadas em sistemas fortemente acoplados ao resto do universo. Neste sentido, selecionamos a fidelidade como medida de distância entre um estado em evolução a partir de um certo estado inicial do subespaço livre de decoerência (e submetido a dissipação), e um estado em evolução regida pela mesma operação quântica e a partir das mesmas condições iniciais no caso ideal, livre de decoerência. Essa abordagem explícita permitiu-nos obter a razão necessária entre os parâmetros associados a perturbação (que remove o estado do subespaço original) e acoplamento (entendido como a freqüência entre as medidas promovidas pelo resto do universo), para alcançar a eficiência desejada na realização de uma certa porta lógica. Tecnicamente, o trabalho envolveu vários resultados matemáticos novos e operacionalmente úteis, levando a simplificações importantes durante os cálculos envolvidos. / In this dissertation we studied theoretical aspects of some recent proposals of passive quantum information processing, that is, discarding error correction protocols. Falling back upon the creation of decoherence-free subspaces through a physical system of four spins coupled to the rest of the universe by a degenerate agent, we showed to be possible to build a universal set of logical quantum gates (C-NOT, T and Hadamard) in this same subspace, reaching, consequently, the accomplishment of any computational operation, callously to the rest of the universe. We started from a general Hamiltonian with individual interactions of each spin with external fields, besides controlled couplings between spin pairs. Experimentally, Hamiltonians like this are common in the context of Josephson junctions and, therefore, we treated this implementation in a special chapter. Perturbatively introducing spurious operators to the hamiltonian in the decoherence-free subspace, we included sensibility of the system to the environment, creating the possibility of the incursion of errors through dissipation mechanisms. Such mechanisms were investigated in terms of the intensity of the coupling parameter between the system and the environment, revealing an obvious theoretical evidence of the Quantum Zeno Effect, through the excellent agreement between the results of operations accomplished in decoherence-free subspace and operations accomplished in systems strongly coupled to the rest of the universe. In this sense, we selected the fidelity as the distance measure between a state in evolution starting from a certain initial state of the decoherence-free subspace (and submitted to the dissipation), and a state in evolution governed by the same quantum operation and starting from the same initial conditions in the ideal decoherence-free case. This explicit approach allowed us to obtain the necessary quotient between the associated disturbance parameter (that removes the state from the original subspace) and coupling parameter (understood as the frequency between the measurements promoted by the rest of the universe), to reach the efficiency desired in the accomplishment of a logic gate. Technically, the work involved several new operationally useful mathematical results, leading to important simplifications during the involved calculations.

The theory of decoherence aims to explain how macroscopic quantum objects become effectively classical. Understanding this process could help in the search for the quantum theory underlying gravity, and suggest new schemes for preserving the coherence of technological quantum devices. The process of decoherence is best understood in terms of information flow within a quantum system, and between the system and its environment. We develop a novel way of characterizing this information, and give a sufficient condition for its classicality. These results generalize previous models of decoherence, clarify the process by which a phase-space based on non-commutative quantum variables can emerge, and provide a possible explanation for the universality of the phenomenon of decoherence. In addition, the tools developed in this approach generalize the theory of quantum error correction to infinite-dimensional Hilbert spaces. We characterize the nature of the information preserved by a quantum channel by the observables which exist in its image (in the Heisenberg picture). The sharp observables preserved by a channel form an operator algebra which can be characterized in terms of the channel's elements. The effect of the channel on these observables can be reversed by another physical transformation. These results generalize the theory of quantum error correction to codes characterized by arbitrary von Neumann algebras, which can represent hybrid quantum-classical information, continuous variable systems, or certain quantum field theories. The preserved unsharp observables (positive operator-valued measures) allow for a finer characterization of the information preserved by a channel. We show that the only type of information which can be duplicated arbitrarily many times consists of coarse-grainings of a single POVM. Based on these results, we propose a model of decoherence which can account for the emergence of a realistic classical phase-space. This model supports the view that the quantum-classical correspondence is given by a quantum-to-classical channel, which is another way of representing a POVM.

The theory of decoherence aims to explain how macroscopic quantum objects become effectively classical. Understanding this process could help in the search for the quantum theory underlying gravity, and suggest new schemes for preserving the coherence of technological quantum devices. The process of decoherence is best understood in terms of information flow within a quantum system, and between the system and its environment. We develop a novel way of characterizing this information, and give a sufficient condition for its classicality. These results generalize previous models of decoherence, clarify the process by which a phase-space based on non-commutative quantum variables can emerge, and provide a possible explanation for the universality of the phenomenon of decoherence. In addition, the tools developed in this approach generalize the theory of quantum error correction to infinite-dimensional Hilbert spaces. We characterize the nature of the information preserved by a quantum channel by the observables which exist in its image (in the Heisenberg picture). The sharp observables preserved by a channel form an operator algebra which can be characterized in terms of the channel's elements. The effect of the channel on these observables can be reversed by another physical transformation. These results generalize the theory of quantum error correction to codes characterized by arbitrary von Neumann algebras, which can represent hybrid quantum-classical information, continuous variable systems, or certain quantum field theories. The preserved unsharp observables (positive operator-valued measures) allow for a finer characterization of the information preserved by a channel. We show that the only type of information which can be duplicated arbitrarily many times consists of coarse-grainings of a single POVM. Based on these results, we propose a model of decoherence which can account for the emergence of a realistic classical phase-space. This model supports the view that the quantum-classical correspondence is given by a quantum-to-classical channel, which is another way of representing a POVM.

Nesta dissertação estudamos, no âmbito teórico, algumas propostas recentes de processamento de informação quântica passiva, isto é, descartando protocolos de correção de erros. Recorrendo à criação de subespaços livres de decoerência através de um sistema físico de quatro spins acoplados ao resto do universo por um agente degenerado, mostramos ser possível construir um conjunto universal de portas lógicas (C-NOT, T e Hadamard) neste mesmo subespaço, alcançando, por conseguinte, a realização de qualquer operação computacional, insensivelmente ao resto do universo. Partimos de um hamiltoniano geral com interações individuais de cada spin com campos externos, além de acoplamentos controlados entre pares de spins. Experimentalmente, hamiltonianos deste tipo são comuns no contexto de junções Josephson, motivo pelo qual tratamos esta implementação em um capítulo especial. Introduzindo perturbativamente ao hamiltoniano operadores espúrios ao subespaço livre de decoerência, incluímos sensibilidade do sistema frente ao ambiente, criando a possibilidade da incursão de erros através de mecanismos de dissipação. Tais mecanismos foram investigados em termos da intensidade do parâmetro de acoplamento entre o sistema e o ambiente, revelando uma clara evidência teórica do Efeito Zenão Quântico, através da excelente concordância entre resultados de operações realizadas em subespaços livres de decoerência e operações realizadas em sistemas fortemente acoplados ao resto do universo. Neste sentido, selecionamos a fidelidade como medida de distância entre um estado em evolução a partir de um certo estado inicial do subespaço livre de decoerência (e submetido a dissipação), e um estado em evolução regida pela mesma operação quântica e a partir das mesmas condições iniciais no caso ideal, livre de decoerência. Essa abordagem explícita permitiu-nos obter a razão necessária entre os parâmetros associados a perturbação (que remove o estado do subespaço original) e acoplamento (entendido como a freqüência entre as medidas promovidas pelo resto do universo), para alcançar a eficiência desejada na realização de uma certa porta lógica. Tecnicamente, o trabalho envolveu vários resultados matemáticos novos e operacionalmente úteis, levando a simplificações importantes durante os cálculos envolvidos. / In this dissertation we studied theoretical aspects of some recent proposals of passive quantum information processing, that is, discarding error correction protocols. Falling back upon the creation of decoherence-free subspaces through a physical system of four spins coupled to the rest of the universe by a degenerate agent, we showed to be possible to build a universal set of logical quantum gates (C-NOT, T and Hadamard) in this same subspace, reaching, consequently, the accomplishment of any computational operation, callously to the rest of the universe. We started from a general Hamiltonian with individual interactions of each spin with external fields, besides controlled couplings between spin pairs. Experimentally, Hamiltonians like this are common in the context of Josephson junctions and, therefore, we treated this implementation in a special chapter. Perturbatively introducing spurious operators to the hamiltonian in the decoherence-free subspace, we included sensibility of the system to the environment, creating the possibility of the incursion of errors through dissipation mechanisms. Such mechanisms were investigated in terms of the intensity of the coupling parameter between the system and the environment, revealing an obvious theoretical evidence of the Quantum Zeno Effect, through the excellent agreement between the results of operations accomplished in decoherence-free subspace and operations accomplished in systems strongly coupled to the rest of the universe. In this sense, we selected the fidelity as the distance measure between a state in evolution starting from a certain initial state of the decoherence-free subspace (and submitted to the dissipation), and a state in evolution governed by the same quantum operation and starting from the same initial conditions in the ideal decoherence-free case. This explicit approach allowed us to obtain the necessary quotient between the associated disturbance parameter (that removes the state from the original subspace) and coupling parameter (understood as the frequency between the measurements promoted by the rest of the universe), to reach the efficiency desired in the accomplishment of a logic gate. Technically, the work involved several new operationally useful mathematical results, leading to important simplifications during the involved calculations.

The paper is an analysis of a special class of the master equations such that the Dissipation superoperator is L(ρ) = [M, [M, ρ]], where M is an hermitian andunitary operator and ρ a density matrix. It mainly investigates the dynamics ofρ and its properties such as boundness of the operators of the master equation,the eigenvalues of these operators, the purity of the states, the steady states. In the study of the temporal evolution of ρ it has been done an analysis of Decoherence free subspaces(DFS). A special attention is given to von Neumannentropy. For what it regards this last topic there are also specific referencesto the camel-like behaviour, a phenomenon regarding the entropy that happenswhen certain conditions of the dissipation superaoperator are not satisfied.There are Python simulations of the expectation values of some operators, andof the von Neumann entropy, and Linear Entropy.