Fluctuation-dissipation structure of quantum geometry
Abstract
The geometry of quantum states is a fundamental research area with applications ranging from band theory in condensed matter to variational algorithms in quantum information. Due to their relative simplicity, pure states are usually studied, while mixed ones are needed in general, for instance to allow for finite temperatures. The geometry of mixed states, however, is much more challenging, with important aspects yet to be explored. Here, we provide one missing piece by identifying the structure that relates distance measure and curvature for general (mixed or pure) quantum states. This structure is shown to carry the physical meaning of fluctuation-dissipation---by directly relating distance measure with fluctuations and curvature with linear response---and it turns into the corresponding well-known structure for pure states, where it is K\"ahler, and only then. We thus obtain a general, simple fluctuation-dissipation picture, which, among its consequences, implies that response functions inherently probe the mixed-state quantum geometric tensor. We end by using this picture to give geometric characterizations of generic transport behaviors.