Another dual formulation of the separability problem

We show how the separability problem is dual to that of decomposing any given matrix into a conic combination of rank-one partial isometries, thus offering a duality approach different to the positive maps characterization problem. Several inmediate consequences are analyzed: (i) a sufficient criterion for separability for bipartite quantum systems, (ii) a complete solution to the separability problem for pure states also of bipartite systems independent of the classical Schmidt decomposition method and (iii) a natural generalization of these results to multipartite systems.