Partial positive scaling transform: a separability criterion

Abstract

The problem of constructing a necessary and sufficient condition for establishing the separability of continuous variable systems is revisited. Simon [R. Simon, Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 2726 (2000)] pointed out that such a criterion may be constructed by drawing a parallel between the Peres' partial transpose criterion for finite dimensional systems and partial time reversal transformation for continuous variable systems. We generalize the partial time reversal transformation to a partial scaling transformation and re-examine the problem using a tomographic description of the continuous variable quantum system. The limits of applicability of the entanglement criteria obtained from partial scaling and partial time reversal are explored.

Submitted for publication to Phys. Lett. A