Transformations of superpositions by means of incoherent operations

Abstract

In this paper we study how the coherence of a superposition of pure states is related with the coherence of its components. We consider two pure initial states and two pure final coherent states, such that the former ones cannot be transformed into the latter ones by means of incoherent transformations. In this situation, we analyze conditions for the existence of superpositions of the initial states that can be transformed into superpositions of the final states. In particular, we consider superpositions formed by quantum states belonging to orthogonal subspaces. By appealing to the majorization theory, we obtain necessary and sufficient conditions for such transformations to be possible. Finally, we provide some examples that illustrate the difference between the obtained conditions and the necessary criterion based on the relative entropy of coherence.