Biorthogonal resource theory of genuine quantum superposition

Abstract

The phenomenon of quantum superposition manifests in two distinct ways: it either spreads out across non-orthogonal basis states or remains concealed within their overlaps. Despite its profound implications, the resource theory of superposition often neglects the quantum superposition residing within these overlaps. However, this component is intricately linked to a form of state indistinguishability and can give rise to quantum correlations. In this paper, we introduce a pseudo-Hermitian representation of the density operator, wherein its diagonal elements correspond to biorthogonal extensions of Kirkwood-Dirac quasi-probabilities. This representation provides a unified framework for the inter-basis quantum superposition and basis state indistinguishability, giving rise to what we term as \textit{genuine} quantum superposition. Moreover, we propose appropriate generalizations of current superposition measures to quantify genuine quantum superposition that serves as the fundamental notion of nonclassicality from which both quantum coherence and correlations emerge. Finally, we explore potential applications of our theoretical framework, particularly in the quantification of electron delocalization in chemical bonding and aromaticity.