Quantum optimal transport for AF-C*-algebras

Abstract

We introduce quantum optimal transport of states on tracial AF-C*-algebras to study non-spatial transport of quantum information, and view it as the pointwise case of a general parametrised one. We define quantum optimal transport distances as dynamic transport distances in a tracial but non-ergodic and infinite-dimensional quantum setting, called AF-C*-setting. We further extend foundational results of Carlen and Maas to the AF-C*-setting and develop a theory of quantum optimal transport yielding non-spatial lower Ricci bounds suitable for meaningful geometric analysis. Essential for our discussion is a coarse graining process arising from the underlying metric geometry as encoding scheme of the given tracial AF-C*-algebra. In the logarithmic mean setting, we apply the coarse graining process to show equivalence of the EVI_λ-gradient flow property for quantum relative entropy, its strong geodesic λ-convexity, a, possibly infinite-dimensional, Bakry-Émery condition, and a Hessian lower bound condition. We then define lower Ricci bounds of our quantum gradients using any one of said equivalent conditions, give sufficient conditions for lower Ricci bounds of direct sum quantum gradients and, assuming lower Ricci bounds, derive functional inequalities HWI_λ, MLSI_λ and TW_λ in the AF-C*-setting alongside their chain of implications. Fundamental example classes give quantum optimal transport of normal states on hyperfinite factors of type I and II with both non-negative and strictly positive lower Ricci bounds. An application is given by first and second quantisation of spectral triples.