Minimum error discrimination between similarity transformed quantum states

Abstract

Using the known necessary and sufficient conditions for minimum error discrimination (MED), first it is shown that a Helstrom family of ensembles is equivalent to these conditions and then by a convex combination of the initial states (the states which we try to discriminate them) and the corresponding conjugate states, a more suitable and convenient form for the MED conditions is extracted, so that optimal set of measurements and corresponding optimal success probability of discrimination can be determined. Then, using the introduced identity, MED between N similarity transformed equiprobable quantum states is investigated. As a special case, MED between the so called group covariant or symmetric states is considered.