A pure state is one fully specified by a single ket, <math>| \psi \rangle = \alpha |0 \rangle + \beta |1 \rangle,\,</math> a coherent superposition as described above. Coherence is essential for a qubit to be in a superposition state. With interactions and [[decoherence]], it is possible to put the qubit in a [[Mixed state (physics)|mixed state]], a statistical combination or incoherent mixture of different pure states. Mixed states can be represented by points ''inside'' the Bloch sphere (or in the Bloch ball). A mixed qubit state has three degrees of freedom: the angles <math>\phi </math> and <math>\theta </math>, as well as the length <math>r</math> of the vector that represents the mixed state. | A pure state is one fully specified by a single ket, <math>| \psi \rangle = \alpha |0 \rangle + \beta |1 \rangle,\,</math> a coherent superposition as described above. Coherence is essential for a qubit to be in a superposition state. With interactions and [[decoherence]], it is possible to put the qubit in a [[Mixed state (physics)|mixed state]], a statistical combination or incoherent mixture of different pure states. Mixed states can be represented by points ''inside'' the Bloch sphere (or in the Bloch ball). A mixed qubit state has three degrees of freedom: the angles <math>\phi </math> and <math>\theta </math>, as well as the length <math>r</math> of the vector that represents the mixed state. |