We develop an SU(2)-invariant approach to the depolarization of quantum systems as the effect of random unitary SU(2) transformations. From it we derive an SU(2)-invariant Markovian master equation. This is applied to several quantum states examining whether nonclassical states are more sensible to depolarization than the classical ones. Furthermore, we show that this depolarization model provides a nontrivial generalization of depolarization channels to states of arbitrary dimension.

• Received 17 September 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.88.052120