Distance-based approach to quantum coherence and nonclassicality

Abstract

We provide a coherence-based approach to nonclassical behavior by means of distance measures. We develop a quantitative relation between coherence and nonclassicality quantifiers, which establish the nonclassicality as the maximum quantum-coherence achievable. We compute the coherence of several representative examples and discuss whether the theory may be extended to reference observables with continuous spectra.