Effects of Quantum Error Correction on Entanglement Sudden Death

Abstract

We investigate the effects of error correction on non-local quantum coherence as a function of time, extending the study by Sainz and Bj\"ork. We consider error correction of amplitude damping, pure phase damping and combinations of amplitude and phase damping as they affect both fidelity and quantum entanglement. Initial two-qubit entanglement is encoded in arbitrary real superpositions of both \Phi-type and \Psi-type Bell states. Our main focus is on the possibility of delay or prevention of ESD (early stage decoherence, or entanglement sudden death). We obtain the onset times for ESD as a function of the state-superposition mixing angle. Error correction affects entanglement and fidelity differently, and we exhibit initial entangled states for which error correction increases fidelity but decreases entanglement, and vice versa.