Outcome-Resolved Mid-Circuit Measurements as Exact Gauge Constraints

Self-consistent quantum tomography is invariant under similarity transformations that can leave all observed circuit probabilities unchanged. Mid-circuit measurements (MCMs) add a qualitatively different object to this problem: an outcome-resolved quantum instrument has both a classical label and a post-measurement quantum state, so each outcome branch must itself remain completely positive under any admissible representation change. We study an exactly solvable residual-gauge model in even dimension d = 2r ≥ 4. After a fixed two-qubit Clifford control set reduces the trace-preserving similarity freedom to the scalar family B_c = D + c(id − D), we consider a symmetric two-sector Lüders instrument with label-confusion probability p and isotropic state-and-label replacement probability η. For the transformed branches J_{s,c} = B_c J_s^{η,p} B_c^{-1}, we prove exact necessary-and-sufficient complete-positivity criteria for both positive and negative scalar gauges. For c > 0 the condition is (1 − η)|1 − 2p||c − c^{-1}| ≤ η, while for c < 0 it is (1 − η)|1 − 2p|(|c| + 2 + |c|^{-1}) ≤ η. The result follows from an explicit Choi-spectrum calculation. It yields a closed positive gauge interval, an exact threshold for the appearance of negative gauges, and a logarithmic gauge radius |log c| ≤ arsinh(K/2), with K = η/[(1 − η)|1 − 2p|]. If the outcome label is discarded, the averaged channel is invariant under every B_c, so the additional gauge information disappears exactly. Two lag correlations determine K within the assumed model and therefore give an observable conditional gauge interval; a Hoeffding bound gives a finite-sample outer interval. We also derive an explicit outer interval when each instrument branch is known only within a Choi-Frobenius error budget. Finally, a Lüders-versus-measure-and-prepare countermodel shows that repeated outcome strings alone do not validate the quantum state continuation. A targeted literature audit finds substantial prior art on gate-set-tomography gauge freedom, instrument tomography, MCM learnability, and gauge-aware physicality intervals, including a closely related 2026 three-measurement protocol. The contribution is therefore deliberately narrow: the exact higher-dimensional full-complete-positivity boundary for the stated instrument family and its derived consequences, not the general idea that physicality can restrict tomography gauge.

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Publication Details

Journal
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Published
2026-09-29
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23043202
Primary Topic
Quantum Computing Algorithms and Architecture
Type
preprint
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Outcome-Resolved Mid-Circuit Measurements as Exact Gauge Constraints

Oliver Tuma
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Quantum Computing Algorithms and Architecture
preprint

Outcome-Resolved Mid-Circuit Measurements as Exact Gauge Constraints

Oliver Tuma
preprint en

Abstract

Self-consistent quantum tomography is invariant under similarity transformations that can leave all observed circuit probabilities unchanged. Mid-circuit measurements (MCMs) add a qualitatively different object to this problem: an outcome-resolved quantum instrument has both a classical label and a post-measurement quantum state, so each outcome branch must itself remain completely positive under any admissible representation change. We study an exactly solvable residual-gauge model in even dimension d = 2r ≥ 4. After a fixed two-qubit Clifford control set reduces the trace-preserving similarity freedom to the scalar family B_c = D + c(id − D), we consider a symmetric two-sector Lüders instrument with label-confusion probability p and isotropic state-and-label replacement probability η. For the transformed branches J_{s,c} = B_c J_s^{η,p} B_c^{-1}, we prove exact necessary-and-sufficient complete-positivity criteria for both positive and negative scalar gauges. For c > 0 the condition is (1 − η)|1 − 2p||c − c^{-1}| ≤ η, while for c < 0 it is (1 − η)|1 − 2p|(|c| + 2 + |c|^{-1}) ≤ η. The result follows from an explicit Choi-spectrum calculation. It yields a closed positive gauge interval, an exact threshold for the appearance of negative gauges, and a logarithmic gauge radius |log c| ≤ arsinh(K/2), with K = η/[(1 − η)|1 − 2p|]. If the outcome label is discarded, the averaged channel is invariant under every B_c, so the additional gauge information disappears exactly. Two lag correlations determine K within the assumed model and therefore give an observable conditional gauge interval; a Hoeffding bound gives a finite-sample outer interval. We also derive an explicit outer interval when each instrument branch is known only within a Choi-Frobenius error budget. Finally, a Lüders-versus-measure-and-prepare countermodel shows that repeated outcome strings alone do not validate the quantum state continuation. A targeted literature audit finds substantial prior art on gate-set-tomography gauge freedom, instrument tomography, MCM learnability, and gauge-aware physicality intervals, including a closely related 2026 three-measurement protocol. The contribution is therefore deliberately narrow: the exact higher-dimensional full-complete-positivity boundary for the stated instrument family and its derived consequences, not the general idea that physicality can restrict tomography gauge.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Peace, Justice and strong institutions
Quantum Computing Algorithms and Architecture
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