Geometry of phase-covariant qubit channels

Abstract

We analyze the geometry on the space of non-unital phase-covariant qubit maps. Using the corresponding Choi-Jamiołkowski states, we derive the Hilbert-Schmidt line and volume elements using the channel eigenvalues together with the parameter that characterizes non-unitality. We find the shapes and analytically compute the volumes of phase-covariant channels, in particular entanglement breaking and obtainable with time-local generators.

Keywords

• phase-covariance
• quantum channels
• geometry
• entanglement breaking
• amplitude damping channels