GHZ extraction yield for multipartite stabilizer states

Let |ψ〉 be an arbitrary stabilizer state distributed between three remote parties, such that each party holds several qubits. Let S be a stabilizer group of |ψ〉. We show that |ψ〉 can be converted by local unitaries into a collection of singlets, GHZ states, and local one-qubit states. The numbers of singlets and GHZs are determined by dimensions of certain subgroups of S. For an arbitrary number of parties m we find a formula for the maximal number of m-partite GHZ states that can be extracted from |ψ〉 by local unitaries. A connection with earlier introduced measures of multipartite correlations is made. An example of an undecomposable four-party stabilizer state with more than one qubit per party is given. These results are derived from a general theoretical framework that allows one to study interconversion of multipartite stabilizer states by local Clifford group operators. As a simple application, we study three-party entanglement in two-dimensional lattice models that can be exactly solved by the stabilizer formalism. © 2006 American Institute of Physics.