Basis entropy: A useful physical quantity about projective measurement

Abstract

Projective measurement can increase the entropy of a state ρ, the increased entropy is not only up to the basis of projective measurement, but also has something to do with the properties of the state itself. In this paper we define this increased entropy as basis entropy. And then we discuss the usefulness of this new concept by showing its application in deciding whether a state is pure or not and detecting the existence of quantum discord. And as shown in the paper, this new concept can also be used to describe decoherence.