# $\mu$ matrix construction for quantum state tomography

In the paper Maximum Likelihood, Minimum Effort, given an orthonormal Hermitian operator basis $$\{\sigma_i\}_{i=1}^{d^2}$$ of $$d \times d$$ matrices and a set of measured values $$m_{ij}$$ corresponding to the $$j$$th measurement of the expectation value $$\sigma_i$$ applied to the true state $$\rho_0$$, the authors give the definition of a matrix $$\mu$$ as $$\mu = \frac{1}{d}\sum_i m_i\sigma_i,$$ where $$m_i = \sum_{j=1}^n \frac{m_{ij}}{n}$$ and $$n$$ is the number of measurements. After defining this matrix, further optimization is done to approximate the density matrix of the true state.

I'm trying to implement this procedure for a single qubit as follows.

1. To get $$m_i$$, I am first measuring the true state in the $$X$$, $$Y$$, $$Z$$ bases. With the counts for each circuit, I'm running the following code:
m = 0
try:
m += count['0'] # measurement of |0> has eigenvalue of +1
except:
pass
try:
m -= count['1'] # measurement of |1> has eigenvalue of -1
except:
pass
m /= shots

1. Using the respective $$m_i$$, I'm calculating the matrix $$\mu$$ according to the formula as (where ms is a list with the three values calculated in step 1):
mu = (ms[0] * Z + ms[1] * X + ms[2] * Y) / 3.


However, after inputing the resulting matrix through the Fast algorithm for Subproblem 1 described later on in the paper, I'm not getting the expected results as I always get all the eigenvalues $$\lambda_i$$ set to $$0$$. I don't think there is any problem in my implementation of the Fast algorithm for Subproblem 1 as I tested it with the values given in Figure 1 of the same paper and I got the expected results.

Therefore, I suspect there is something wrong in my calculation of the matrix $$\mu$$. Is there something I'm missing or interpreted incorrectly?

A quick thing before answering to the actual question: your first code snippet can be replaced by

m = (count.get('0', 0) - count.get('1', 0)) / shots


Now, if we follow the formulas you wrote, in $$2$$ dimensions (which is $$1$$ qubit), you should have $$2\times 2 = 4$$ projectors. So you are missing one projector. In fact, you are missing the identity. The set of matrices you should consider is given in the equation between equations 4 and 5 in the paper you linked:

$$\left\{ \sigma_0, \sigma_1, \sigma_2, \sigma_3 \right\} = \left\{ I, X, Y, Z \right\}.$$

In your point 2., in the formula, the dimension $$d$$ is $$2$$. Adding the identity and fixing this typo gives:

mu = (I + ms[0] * Z + ms[1] * X + ms[2] * Y) / 2


Note that the factor in front of the identity is always $$1$$.

PS: when I learned about state tomography, I found this PDF to be quite useful to start.

• Thanks for the help! The code now works as expected. My misunderstanding was that I did considered to include the identity in mu but didn't figure out what should be the factor, thanks! And just one note, I think you meant to change 3 for 2 in the last codeblock (at least that way it works for me). Aug 10 at 13:00
• Right, I just fixed the issue, I copy-pasted your code and forgot to change the 3 to 2, thank you! Aug 10 at 13:03