quantum Markov chains

Francesco Fidaleo
International Islamic University Malaysia
February 9, 2009
0abstract
We review the the main properties of quantum
Markov processes. Then we focus our atten-
tion on Markov chains and states on quasi
local algebras, by describing their structure.
1introduction
The study of quantum Markov processes had
a inpetuous growth, in view to natural ap-
plications to various elds such as quantum
statistical mechanics and information theory.
However, there is still no satisfactory notion of
the quantum Markov property, and there are
very few examples of quantum Markov elds
(i.e. when the underlying space is multidimen-
sional), contrary to the classical case. On the
other hand, several attempt to give good def-
initions of the quantum Markov property are
done.
The present talk is devoted to quote the known
results about the structure, and the main prop-
erties on known models of the quantum Markov
processes on quasilocal algebras.
2the Markov property on quasilocal algebras
A quasilocal algebra associated to the set I
equipped with a Boolean structure, and an
orthogonality relation between pairs of el-
ements, is a C

algebra A with an isotonic

family A

I
of local C

algebras such that

(i)

_
A

I
_
is dense in A;
(ii) the algebras A

have a common identity

1I;
(iii) there exists an automorphism of A with

2
= and (A

) = A

, such that
_
AB (A, B)BA
_
= 0,
whenever A A
+

, B A
+

, ,
and (A, B) = 1 if A A

, B A

,
(A, B) = 1 in the three remaining possi-
bilities.
Here,
A

:=
A(A)
2
is the decomposition of A w.r.t. in the even
and odd part.
Let , and E : A

be a completely
positive identity preserving linear map. We
call such a map a transition expectation. We
say that E
(i) is even if E = E;
(ii) is a quasiconditional expectation if there
exists such that E(XY ) = XE(Y )
whenever X A

(iii) has the Markov property if there exists

such that E(A
\
) A
\
.

We say that E is a quasiconditional expectation

w.r.t. the triplet A

.
Let
n

nN
I be an increasing sequence
such that
_
n
A

n
= A.
A state S(A) is called a Markov chain for
the localization A

nN
, if
= lim
n

0
E

1
,
0
E

n
,
n1
in the weak topology, for some sequence
E

n+1
,
n

nN
of Markovian quasiconditional
expectation w.r.t. the triplet A

n1
A

n

A

n+1
, where
n1

n

n
, and some initial
distribution
0
A

0
.
The state is called a Markov state for the
localization A

nN
, if

A
n
E

n+1
,
n
=
A
n+1
, n N
for some sequence E

n+1
,
n

nN
of Marko-
vian quasiconditional expectation as above.
A Markov state is also a Markov chain. It is
wellknown that the converse is not true in
general.
The previous set up naturally applies to quasi
local algebras based on classes of subsets of
a xed set (e.g. spin systems living on stan-
dard lattices Z
d
). It is not sucient in order
to understand the ne structure of Markov
states. Yet, it is explicit enough in order to
establish natural connections with the KMS
boundary condition, as well as phenomena of
phase transitions and symmetry breaking for
quantum Markov elds on Z
d
. In the case of
linearly ordered lattices, and quasilocal alge-
bras on them arising from innite tensor prod-
uct or Canonical Anticommutation Relations
(CAR for short), we are able to exhibit the
explicit structure of Markov states.
We specialize the situation to the linearly or-
dered countable sets I containing, possibly a
smallest element j

and/or a greatest element

j
+
. In other words, I is orderisomorphic to Z,
Z

, Z
+
or to a nite interval [j

1, j
+
] Z,
the case [I[ < + being almost trivial. We
consider the cases when
(i) A :=

jI
M
d
j
(C)
C

(non homogeneous in-

nite tensor product), in this situation =
;
(ii) A :=

jI
A
j
C

, where A is the CAR al-

gebra generated by annichilators and cre-
ators
_
jI
a
j,1
, a
+
j,1
, a
j,2
, a
+
j,2
, . . . , a
j,d
j
, a
+
j,d
j
,
where the mentioned d
j
annichilators and
creators generate the local algebra A
j
(non homogeneous CAR algebra).
In view of physical applications, we deal with-
out further mention with even states (e.g.
states such that = ), and with even
transition expectations.
3Markov states
A state on A is called a Markov state if, for
each n < j
+
, there exists a quasiconditional
expectation E
n
w.r.t. the triplet A
n1]
A
n]

A
n+1]
satisfying

A
n]
E
n
=
A
n+1]
, E
n
(A
[n,n+1]
) A
n
.
Let the Markov state S(A) be locally
faithful (if it is not specied, we only deal
with locally faithful Markov states), then the
ergodic limit

n
:= lim
k
1
k
k1

h=0
(e
n
)
h
of e
n
:= E
n

A
[n,n+1]
plays a crucial role. In-
deed, it uniquely determines, and is deter-
mined by the conditional expectation
c
n
: A
n+1]
A
n]
,
given for X A
n1]
, Y A
[n,n+1]
by
c
n
(XY ) = X
n
(Y ) .
In addition, is uniquely determined, for every
k < l, by all the marginals
(X
k
X
l
) = (
k
(X
k

k+1
(X
k+1

l1
(X
l1
X
l
) )))
(1)
(
k
(X
k

k+1
(X
k+1

l1
(X
l1

l
(X
l
)) ))) ,
where the X
k
, . . . , X
l
linearly generate all of
A
[k,l]
.
Let be a Markov state, together with the
sequence
j

j<j
+
of even twopoint transi-
tion expectations canonically associated to
as previously explained. In general, the par-
ity automorphism acts nontrivially on all the
centres Z
j
:= ?(1(
j
)) of the ranges of the

j
. In addition, such Abelian subalgebras do
not generate an Abelian one. An Abelian C

subalgebra C A
+
is generated by the projec-
tions
_
q

q = p(p) , p minimal projection of Z

j
, j I
_
.
A
+
being the even part of A.
C

jI
C
j

jI
C
j
C

has a natural local structure inherited by that

of A. Let be the Markov measure on
:= sp(C) =

jI

jI
sp(C
j
) .
associated to
C
.
The main result about the structure of Markov
states on quasilocal algebras is contained in
the following
theorem Let S(A) be a Markov state.
Then for each there exist a quasilocal
algebra B

, a completely positive identity pre-

serving map E

: A B

, and a minimal
Markov state

S(B

) such that
(A) =
_

(E

(A))(
d
) , A A.
(2)
In the previous theorem, minimal simply means
that the corresponding spaces of classical tra-
jectories of such processes consist of single-
tons. The previous theorem provides a split of
the Markov state into a classical component
(e.g. the classical process on sp(C) de-
termined by the state
C
, or equivalently the
Markov measure on ), and purely quantum
processes (e.g. the minimal Markov states

) living on the bres of . Relatively

to the purely quantum component, they can-
not be further decomposed. Indeed, the cor-
responding spaces of classical trajectories of
such processes consist of onepoint spaces.
Furthermore, it is possible to establish a re-
construction result for Markov states on quasi
local algebras considered here.
The main properties of Markov states are listed
below.
(i) Suppose that I contains a smallest ele-
ment or that acts trivially on Z
j
innitely
often as j . Then the support in
A

of the Markov state is central,

and
is faithful.
(i) We have for the translation invariant Markov
state ,
s() = S(
A
[0,1]
) S(
A
0
) ,
s() being the mean entropy of , and
S(
A
[k,l]
) the von Neumann entropy of

A
[k,l]
.

The class of Markov states such that the par-

ity automorphism acts trivially on all the
centres Z
j
?(1(
j
)) are called strongly even
or diagonalizable. They exhibit larger struc-
ture. In this situation, the Z
j
generate an
Abelian algebra, and C =

jI
Z
j
.

This simply means that

is cyclic for

(A)
t
,
(

, 1

) being the GNS triplet associated to .

This result, wellknown for the tensor product situa-

tion, is new in the case of the CAR algebra.
First of all the states

appearing in (2) are

product states w.r.t a slightly dierent local-
ization.
Consider the the densities w.r.t. the unnor-
malized trace of A
[k,l]
,

A
[k,l]
= Tr
A
[k,l]
(e
h
[k,l]
) ,
Then h
[k,l]
has the nice decomposition
h
[k,l]
= H
k
+
l1

j=k
H
j,j+1
+

H
l
. (3)
Here, the selfadjoint operators H
j

jI
,

H
j

jI
are localized in A
j,+
, and H
j,j+1

j<j
+
in
A
[j,j+1],+
respectively, and satisfy the com-
mutation relations
[H
j
, H
j,j+1
] = [H
j,j+1
,

H
j+1
]
=[H
j
,

H
j
] = [H
j,j+1
, H
j+1,j+2
] = 0.
Notice that the sum

j
H
j,j+1
of the leading
terms in (3) is precisely the formal Hamilto-
nian of a quantum spin chain with a neigh-
bour commuting interaction. The diagonaliz-
able Markov state is a KMS state for the
one parameter group of automomorphisms
t
given, for X A, by

t
(x) := lim
kj

lj
+
e
ith
[k,l]
Xe
ith
[k,l]
.
Then, any (locally faithful) Markov state is
faithful on

(A). In our generic situation,

the spectral resolution of the twopoint block
of the Hamiltonian (3) has the form
H
n,n+1
=

i,j

n,n+1
ij
e
n,n+1
(i,j)(i,j)
, (4)
where
_
e
n,n+1
(i,j)(k,l)
_
M
d
n
(C) M
d
n+1
(C) is a
suitable system of matrixunits for M
d
n
(C)
M
d
n+1
(C). It is in general impossible, for any
choice of the system of matrixunits
_
e
n
ik
_

M
d
n
(C), to write (4) as
H
n,n+1
=

i,j

n,n+1
ij
e
n
ii
e
n+1
jj
. (5)
The generic case when the spectral projec-
tions of twopoint block of the Hamiltonian
cannot be factorizable as above, has the mean-
ing of a local entanglement eect. Taking
into account the above considerations, one
can assert that each quantum Markov state
on Z arises from some underlying (non trivial)
classical Markov process.

But, due to this

entanglement phenomenon, it is not of Ising
type, (5) being the general form of a Ising
type interaction

. Finally,
(iii) for translation invariant diagonalizable Markov
states ,
s() = h

() ,
where is the onestep shift on A, and
h

() is the ConnesNarnhoferThirring
dynamical entropy of w.r.t the shift .
|

Such a classical process is the restriction of the quan-

tum Markov process under consideration, to any max-
imal Abelian local algebra of A containing all the local
terms h
[k,l]
.

In the CAR algebra, the diagonalizable states corre-

spond to the Fermi counterpart of the Isingtype in-
teractions of the spin systems described by the tensor
product algebras
|
This result is new for the CAR situation as well.
The previous considerations clarify the deep
connections between the Markov property and
the quantum statistical mechanics.
As the parity automorphism is trivial for in-
nite tensor products, all the Markov states
are diagonalizable in this situation. Yet, non-
diagonalizable Markov states naturally arise in
the CAR situation. Examples of nondiagonal-
izable Markov states can be constructed as
follows. Dene, for a xed in the unit circle
T,
q

:=
1
2
_
1I +a
0
+a
+
0
_
where a
0
, a
+
0
are the annichilator and the cre-
ator generating A
0
. Choose a faithful state
S(q

A
[0,1]
q

). Put for X A
[0,1]
,
(X) = (q

Xq

)q

+(q

(X)q

)q

.
With the normalized trace on M
2
(C),
n
:=

n
, and X
k
A
k
, . . . , X
l
A
l
, the
marginals (1) with
A
k
= , uniquely deter-
mine a shiftinvariant locally faithful Markov
state on the CAR algebra A :=

jZ
A
j
C

,
which is not diagonalizable.

3Markov chains
In the case of the tensor product, transition
invariant Markov chains can be constructed as
follows.

The starting point is the completely

positive identitypreserving map c : M
d
(C)
B B, where B is a xed nite dimensional
C

algebra. If one puts c

A
(B) := c(A B)
and consider an initial distribution S(B)
satisfying = c
I
, a state S(A) is
uniquely determined by all nitedimensional
distributions as
(A
1
A
n
) := (c
A
1
c
A
n
(1I)) .

It is possible to construt such nondiagonalizable ex-

amples as there exist maximal Abelian subalgebras
of M
2
(C) (just that generated by q

, q

) which is
invariant, but their generators are not. It can be
proved that they are indeed entangled.

This represents a slight generalization of the previous

denition.
Several examples of nontrivial Markov chains
have been constructed. Among them, we
mention those describing ground states of quan-
tum spin chains.
In the case of the CAR algebra, nontrivial ex-
amples of Markov chains can be constructed
by putting
E
n
:= c
0
n]
_

n
(K)
n
(K

)
_
as transition maps. Here c
0
n]
is the condi-
tional expectation onto A
(,0]
preserving the
normalized trace on the CAR algebra, K
A
[0,1],+
satises c
0
0]
(KK

) = 1I (such an oper-
ator is called a conditional amplitude), and
is the shift. The sequence of states
n

nN
,
where

n
:= F
0

_
F
n

A
[0,n]
_
,
denes a Markov chain on the CAR algebra
provided that the initial distribution
S(A
0
) fulls = F
0

A
0
.