Uniform probability distribution over all density matrices

Let $$\mathscr {H}$$ H be a finite-dimensional complex Hilbert space and $$\mathscr {D}$$ D the set of density matrices on $$\mathscr {H}$$ H , i.e., the positive operators with trace 1. Our goal in this note is to identify a probability measure u on $$\mathscr {D}$$ D that can be regarded as the uniform distribution over $$\mathscr {D}$$ D . We propose a measure on $$\mathscr {D}$$ D , argue that it can be so regarded, discuss its properties, and compute the joint distribution of the eigenvalues of a random density matrix distributed according to this measure.

Quantum mechanical four-dimensional non-polarizing beamsplitter

Some quantum optics researchers might not realize that classical electromagnetism predicts a $$\mathbf {\pi }$$ π phase shift between S- and P-polarized reflection and might think the reflection coefficients of the transverse modes are independent, or that such a phase shift has no measurable consequences. In this paper, we discuss theoretical grounds to define elements of a 4x4 matrix to represent the beamsplitter, accurately accounting for transverse polarization modes and phase relations between them. We also provide experimental evidence confirming this matrix representation. From a scientific point of view, the paper addresses a non-trivial equivalence between the classical fields Fresnel formalism and the canonical commutation relations of the quantized photonic fields. That the formalism can be readily verified with a simple experiment provides further benefit. The beamsplitter expression derived can be applied in the field of quantum computing.