A new approach to characterize qubit channels

Abstract

We analyze qubit channels by exploiting the possibility of representing two-level quantum systems in terms of characteristic functions. To do so, we use functions of non-commuting variables (Grassmann variables), defined in terms of generalized displacement operators, following an approach which resemble the one adopted for continuous-variable (Bosonic) systems. It allows us to introduce the notion of qubit Gaussian channels and to show that they share similar properties with the corresponding continuous-variable counterpart. Some examples of qubit channels are investigated using this approach.