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#REDIRECT ]
In ], especially ], '''purification''' refers to the fact that every ] acting on finite dimensional Hilbert spaces can be viewed as the ] of some pure state.


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In purely linear algebraic terms, it can be viewed as a statement about ].

== Statement ==

Let ρ be a density matrix acting on a Hilbert space <math>H_A</math> of finite dimension ''n''. Then there exist a Hilbert space <math>H_B</math> and a pure state <math>| \psi \rangle \in H_A \otimes H_B</math> such that the partial trace of <math>| \psi \rangle \langle \psi |</math> with respect to <math>H_B</math>

:<math>\operatorname{tr_B} \left( | \psi \rangle \langle \psi | \right )= \rho.</math>

We say that <math>| \psi \rangle</math> is the purification of <math>\rho</math>.

=== Proof ===

A density matrix is by definition positive semidefinite. So ρ can be ] and written as <math>\rho = \sum_{i =1} ^n p_i | i \rangle \langle i |</math> for some basis <math>\{ | i \rangle \}</math>. Let <math>H_B</math> be another copy of the ''n''-dimensional Hilbert space with any orthonormal basis <math>\{ | i' \rangle \}</math>. Define <math>| \psi \rangle \in H_A \otimes H_B</math> by

:<math>| \psi \rangle = \sum_{i} \sqrt{p_i} |i \rangle \otimes | i' \rangle.</math>

Direct calculation gives

:<math>
\operatorname{tr_B} \left( | \psi \rangle \langle \psi | \right )=
\operatorname{tr_B} \left( \sum_{i, j} \sqrt{p_ip_j} |i \rangle \langle j | \otimes | i' \rangle \langle j'| \right ) = \sum_{i,j} \delta_{i,j} \sqrt{p_i p_j}| i \rangle \langle j | = \rho.
</math>

This proves the claim.

==== Note ====

* The vectorial pure state <math>| \psi \rangle</math> is in the form specified by the ].

* Since square root decompositions of a positive semidefinite matrix are not unique, neither are purifications.

* In linear algebraic terms, a square matrix is positive semidefinite if and only if it can be purified in the above sense. The ''if'' part of the implication follows immediately from the fact that the ] is a ].

== An application: Stinespring's theorem ==
{{Expand section|date=June 2008}}
By combining ] and purification of a mixed state, we can recover the ] for the finite dimensional case.

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