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  • Open Access

Quantifying information flow in quantum processes

Leonardo S. V. Santos1,*, Zhen-Peng Xu2,1,†, Jyrki Piilo3,‡, and Otfried Gühne1,§

  • 1Naturwissenschaftlich-Technische Fakultät, Universität Siegen, Walter-Flex-Straße 3, 57068 Siegen, Germany
  • 2School of Physics and Optoelectronics Engineering, Anhui University, 230601 Hefei, China
  • 3Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Turku, FI-20014, Turun Yliopisto, Finland

  • *Contact author: leonardo.svsantos@student.uni-siegen.de
  • †Contact author: zhen-peng.xu@ahu.edu.cn
  • ‡Contact author: jyrki.piilo@utu.fi
  • §Contact author: otfried.guehne@uni-siegen.de
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Phys. Rev. A 112, 022201 – Published 1 August, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/5211-h7g2

Abstract

We present a framework for quantifying information flow within general quantum processes. For this purpose, we introduce the signaling power of quantum channels and discuss its relevant operational properties. This function supports extensions to higher-order maps, enabling the evaluation of information flow in general quantum causal networks and processes with indefinite causal order. Furthermore, our results offer a rigorous approach to information dynamics in open systems that applies also in the presence of initial system-environment correlations, and allows for the distinction between classical and quantum information backflow.

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Phys. Rev. A 112, 022201– Published 1 August, 2025
  • Received 4 March 2024
  • Revised 6 July 2025
  • Accepted 14 July 2025
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