Negative Entropy and Information in Quantum Mechanics

Abstract

A framework for a quantum mechanical information theory is introduced that is based entirely on density operators, and gives rise to a unified description of classical correlation and quantum entanglement. Unlike in classical (Shannon) information theory, quantum (von Neumann) conditional entropies can be negative when considering quantum entangled systems, a fact related to quantum nonseparability. The possibility that negative (virtual) information can be carried by entangled particles suggests a consistent interpretation of quantum informational processes.