Quantum Physics (quant-ph)

Abstract: Entanglement is necessary but not sufficient to demonstrate nonlocality as there exist local entangled states which do not violate any Bell inequality. In recent years, the activation of nonlocality (known as hidden nonlocality) by using local filtering operations has gained considerable interest. In the original proposal of Popescu [Phys. Rev. Lett. 74, 2619 (1995)] the hidden nonlocality was demonstrated for the Werner class of states in $d \geq 5$. In this paper, we demonstrate the hidden nonlocality for a class of mixed entangled states (convex mixture of a pure state and color noise) in an arbitrary $d$-dimensional system using suitable local filtering operations. For our demonstration, we consider the quantum violation of Collins-Linden-Gisin-Masser-Popescu (CGLMP) inequality which has hitherto not been considered for this purpose. We show that when the pure state in the aforementioned mixed entangled state is a maximally entangled state, the range of the mixing parameter for revealing hidden nonlocality increases with increasing the dimension of the system. Importantly, we find that for $d \geq 8$, hidden non-locality can be revealed for the whole range of mixing parameter. Further, by considering another pure state, the maximally CGLMP-violating state, we demonstrate the activation of nonlocality by using the same local filtering operation.

Abstract: Quantum photonic devices operating in the single photon regime require the detection and characterization of quantum states of light. Chip-scale, waveguide-based devices are a key enabling technology for increasing the scale and complexity of such systems. Collecting single photons from multiple outputs at the end-face of such a chip is a core task that is frequently non-trivial, especially when output ports are densely spaced. We demonstrate a novel, inexpensive method to efficiently image and route individual output modes of a polymer photonic chip, where single photons undergo a quantum walk. The method makes use of single-pixel imaging (SPI) with a digital micromirror device (DMD). By implementing a series of masks on the DMD and collecting the reflected signal into single-photon detectors, the spatial distribution of the single photons can be reconstructed with high accuracy. We also demonstrate the feasibility of optimization strategies based on compressive sensing.

Abstract: We analyse the properties across steady state phase transitions of two all-to-all driven-dissipative spin models that describe possible dynamics of N two-level systems inside an optical cavity. We show that the finite size behaviour around the critical points can be captured correctly by carefully identifying the relevant non-linearities in the Holstein-Primakoff representation of spin operators in terms of bosonic variables. With these tools, we calculate analytically various observables across the phase transitions and obtain their finite size scalings, including numerical prefactors. In particular, we look at the amount of spin squeezing carried by the steady states, of relevance for quantum metrology applications, and describe in analytical detail the mechanism by which the optimal spin squeezing acquires logarithmic corrections that depend on the system size. We also demonstrate that the logarithmic nature of these corrections is difficult to characterize through numerical procedures for any experimentally realistic and/or simulable values of particle number. We complement all of our analytical arguments with numerical benchmarks.

Abstract: Entanglement distribution is a key functionality of the Quantum Internet. However, quantum entanglement is very fragile, easily degraded by decoherence, which strictly constraints the time horizon within the distribution has to be completed. This, coupled with the quantum noise irremediably impinging on the channels utilized for entanglement distribution, may imply the need to attempt the distribution process multiple times before the targeted network nodes successfully share the desired entangled state. And there is no guarantee that this is accomplished within the time horizon dictated by the coherence times. As a consequence, in noisy scenarios requiring multiple distribution attempts, it may be convenient to stop the distribution process early. In this paper, we take steps in the direction of knowing when to stop the entanglement distribution by developing a theoretical framework, able to capture the quantum noise effects. Specifically, we first prove that the entanglement distribution process can be modeled as a Markov decision process. Then, we prove that the optimal decision policy exhibits attractive features, which we exploit to reduce the computational complexity. The developed framework provides quantum network designers with flexible tools to optimally engineer the design parameters of the entanglement distribution process.

Abstract: We will first define what is meant by ``hidden variables". Then, we will review various theorems proving the impossibility of theories introducing such variables and then show that the de Broglie-Bohm theory is not refuted by those theorems. We will also explain the relation between those theorems and nonlocality, with or without introducing Bell's inequalities.

Abstract: It is often claimed that there are three "realist" versions of quantum mechanics: the de Broglie-Bohm theory or Bohmian mechanics, the spontaneous collapse theories and the many worlds interpretation. We will explain why the two latter proposals suffer from serious defects coming from their ontology (or lack thereof) and that the many worlds interpretation is unable to account for the statistics encoded in the Born rule. The de Broglie-Bohm theory, on the other hand, has no problem of ontology and accounts naturally for the Born rule.

Abstract: Rydberg atoms have been shown remarkable performance in sensing microwave field. The sensitivity of such an electrometer based on optical readout of atomic ensemble has been demonstrated to approach the photon-shot-noise limit. However, the sensitivity can not be promoted infinitely by increasing the power of probe light due to the increased collision rates and power broadening. Compared with classical light, the use of quantum light may lead to a better sensitivity with lower number of photons. In this paper, we exploit entanglement in a microwave-dressed Rydberg electrometer to suppress the fluctuation of noise. The results show a sensitivity enhancement beating the shot noise limit in both cold and hot atom schemes. Through optimizing the transmission of optical readout, our quantum advantage can be maintained with different absorptive index of atomic vapor, which makes it possible to apply quantum light source in the absorptive electrometer.

Abstract: Understanding multipartite entanglement is a key goal in quantum information. Entanglement in pure states can be characterised by considering transformations under Local Operations assisted by Classical Communication (LOCC). However, it has been shown that, for $n\ge5$ parties, multipartite pure states are generically isolated, i.e., they can neither be reached nor transformed under LOCC. Nonetheless, in any real lab, one never deterministically transforms a pure initial state exactly to a pure target state. Instead, one transforms a mixed state near the initial state to an ensemble that is on average close to the target state. This motivates studying approximate LOCC transformations. After reviewing in detail the known results in the bipartite case, we present the gaps that remain open in the multipartite case. While the analysis of the multipartite setting is much more technically involved due to the existence of different SLOCC classes, certain features simplify in the approximate setting. In particular, we show that it is sufficient to consider pure initial states, that it is sufficient to consider LOCC protocols with finitely-many rounds of communication and that approximate transformations can be approximated by ensemble transformations within an SLOCC class. Then, we formally define a hierarchy of different forms of approximate transformations that are relevant from a physical point of view. Whereas this hierarchy collapses in the bipartite case, we show that this is not the case for the multipartite setting, which is fundamentally richer. To wit, we show that optimal multipartite approximate transformations are not generally deterministic, that ensemble transformations within an SLOCC class can achieve a higher fidelity than deterministic transformations within an SLOCC class, and that there are approximate transformations with no deterministic transformations nearby.

Abstract: We show how to efficiently simulate pure quantum states in one dimensional systems that have both finite energy density and vanishingly small energy fluctuations. We do so by studying the performance of a tensor network algorithm that produces matrix product states whose energy variance decreases as the bond dimension increases. Our results imply that variances as small as $\propto 1/\log N$ can be achieved with polynomial bond dimension. With this, we prove that there exist states with a very narrow support in the bulk of the spectrum that still have moderate entanglement entropy, in contrast with typical eigenstates that display a volume law. Our main technical tool is the Berry-Esseen theorem for spin systems, a strengthening of the central limit theorem for the energy distribution of product states. We also give a simpler proof of that theorem, together with slight improvements in the error scaling, which should be of independent interest.

Abstract: Quantum entanglement and quantum entropy are crucial concepts in the study of multipartite quantum systems. In this work we show how the notion of concurrence vector, re-expressed in a particularly useful form, provides new insights and computational tools for the analysis of both. In particular, using this approach for a general multipartite pure state, one can easily prove known relations in an easy way and to build up new relations between the concurrences associated with the different bipartitions. The approach is also useful to derive sufficient conditions for genuine entanglement in generic multipartite systems that are computable in polynomial time. From an entropy-of-entanglement perspective, the approach is powerful to prove properties of the Tsallis-$2$ entropy, such as the subadditivity, and to derive new ones, e.g. a modified version of the strong subadditivity which is always fulfilled; thanks to the purification theorem these results hold for any multipartite state, whether pure or mixed.

Abstract: Quantum physics allows an object to be detected even in the absence of photon absorption, by the use of so-called interaction-free measurements. We provide a formulation of this protocol using a three-level system, where the object to be detected is a pulse coupled resonantly into the second transition. In the original formulation of interaction-free measurements, the absorption is associated with a projection operator onto the third state. We perform an in-depth analytical and numerical analysis of the coherent protocol, where coherent interaction between the object and the detector replaces the projective operators, resulting in higher detection efficiencies. We provide approximate asymptotic analytical results to support this finding. We find that our protocol reaches the Heisenberg limit when evaluating the Fisher information at small strengths of the pulses we aim to detect -- in contrast to the projective protocol that can only reach the standard quantum limit. We also demonstrate that the coherent protocol remains remarkably robust under errors such as pulse rotation phases and strengths, the effect of relaxation rates and detunings, as well as different thermalized initial states.

Abstract: The Quantum Angle Generator (QAG) is a new full Quantum Machine Learning model designed to generate accurate images on current Noise Intermediate Scale (NISQ) Quantum devices. Variational quantum circuits form the core of the QAG model, and various circuit architectures are evaluated. In combination with the so-called MERA-upsampling architecture, the QAG model achieves excellent results, which are analyzed and evaluated in detail. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a quantum model has achieved such accurate results. To explore the robustness of the model to noise, an extensive quantum noise study is performed. In this paper, it is demonstrated that the model trained on a physical quantum device learns the noise characteristics of the hardware and generates outstanding results. It is verified that even a quantum hardware machine calibration change during training of up to 8% can be well tolerated. For demonstration, the model is employed in indispensable simulations in high energy physics required to measure particle energies and, ultimately, to discover unknown particles at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN.

Abstract: We propose a novel quantum sensing protocol that leverages the dynamical response of physical observables to quenches in quantum systems. Specifically, we use the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) color center in diamond to realize both scalar and vector magnetometry via quantum response. Furthermore, we suggest a method for detecting the motion of magnetic nanoparticles, which is challenging with conventional interference-based sensors. To achieve this, we derive the closed exact form of the Berry curvature corresponding to NV centers and design quenching protocols to extract the Berry curvature via dynamical response. By constructing and solving non-linear equations, the magnetic field and instantaneous motion velocity of the magnetic nanoparticle can be deduced. We investigate the feasibility of our sensing scheme in the presence of decoherence and show through numerical simulations that it is robust to decoherence. Intriguingly, we have observed that a vanishing nuclear spin polarization in diamond actually benefits our dynamic sensing scheme, which stands in contrast to conventional Ramsey-based schemes. In comparison to Ramsey-based sensing schemes, our proposed scheme can sense an arbitrary time-dependent magnetic field, as long as its time dependence is nearly adiabatic.

Abstract: Error mitigation techniques are crucial to achieving near-term quantum advantage. Classical post-processing of quantum computation outcomes is a popular approach for error mitigation, which includes methods such as Zero Noise Extrapolation, Virtual Distillation, and learning-based error mitigation. However, these techniques have limitations due to the propagation of uncertainty resulting from a finite shot number of the quantum measurement. To overcome this limitation, we propose general and unbiased methods for quantifying the uncertainty and error of error-mitigated observables by sampling error mitigation outcomes. These methods are applicable to any post-processing-based error mitigation approach. In addition, we present a systematic approach for optimizing the performance and robustness of these error mitigation methods under uncertainty, building on our proposed uncertainty quantification methods. To illustrate the effectiveness of our methods, we apply them to Clifford Data Regression in the ground state of the XY model simulated using IBM's Toronto noise model.

Abstract: Efficiently detecting entanglement based on measurable quantities is a basic problem for quantum information processing. Recently, the measurable quantities called partial-transpose (PT)-moments have been proposed to detect and characterize entanglement. In the recently published paper [L. Zhang \emph{et al.}, \href{https://doi.org/10.1002/andp.202200289}{Ann. Phys.(Berlin) \textbf{534}, 2200289 (2022)}], we have already identified the 2-dimensional (2D) region, comprised of the second and third PT-moments, corresponding to two-qubit entangled states, and described the whole region for all two-qubit states. In the present paper, we visualize the 3D region corresponding to all two-qubit states by further involving the fourth PT-moment (the last one for two-qubit states). The characterization of this 3D region can finally be achieved by optimizing some polynomials. Furthermore, we identify the dividing surface which separates the two parts of the whole 3D region corresponding to entangled and separable states respectively. Due to the measurability of PT-moments, we obtain a complete and operational criterion for the detection of two-qubit entanglement.

Abstract: In the present study, Kummer's eigenvalue spectra from a charged spinless particle located at spherical pseudo-dot of the form $r^2+1/r^2$ is reported. Here, it is shown how confluent hypergeometric functions have principal quantum numbers for considered spatial confinement. To study systematically both constant rest-mass, $m_{0}c^2$ and spatial-varying mass of the radial distribution $m_{0}c^2+S(r)$, the Klein-Gordon equation is solved under exact case and approximate scenario for a constant mass and variable usage, respectively. The findings related to the relativistic eigenvalues of the Klein-Gordon particle moving spherical space show the dependence of mass distribution, so it has been obtained that the energy spectra has bigger eigenvalues than $m_{0}=1$ fm$^{-1}$ in exact scenario. Following analysis shows eigenvalues satisfy the range of $E<m_{0}$ through approximate scenario.

Abstract: It is known that, by accounting for the multiboson interferences up to a finite order, the output distribution of noisy Boson Sampling, with distinguishability of bosons serving as noise, can be approximately sampled from in a time polynomial in the total number of bosons. The drawback of this approach is that the joint probabilities of completely distinguishable bosons, i.e., those that do not interfere at all, have to be computed also. In trying to restore the ability to sample from the distinguishable bosons with computation of only the single-boson probabilities, one faces the following issue: the quantum probability factors in a convex-sum expression, if truncated to a finite order of multiboson interference, have, on average, a finite amount of negativity in a random interferometer. The truncated distribution does become a proper one, while allowing for sampling from it in a polynomial time, only in a vanishing domain close to the completely distinguishable bosons. Nevertheless, the conclusion that the negativity issue is inherent to all efficient classical approximations to noisy Boson Sampling may be premature. I outline the direction for a whole new program, which seem to point to a solution. However its success depends on the asymptotic behavior of the symmetric group characters, which is not known.

Abstract: A BEC interacting with an optical field via a feedback mirror can be a realisation of the quantum Hamiltonian Mean Field (HMF) model, a paradigmatic model of long-range interactions in quantum systems. We demonstrate that the self-structuring instability displayed by an initially uniform BEC can evolve as predicted by the quantum HMF model, displaying quasiperiodic "chevron" dynamics for strong driving. For weakly driven self-structuring, the BEC and optical field behave as a two-state quantum system, regularly oscillating between a spatially uniform state and a spatially periodic state. It also predicts the width of stable optomechanical droplets and the dependence of droplet width on optical pump intensity. The results presented suggest that optical diffraction-mediated interactions between atoms in a BEC may be a route to experimental realisation of quantum HMF dynamics and a useful analogue for studying quantum systems involving long-range interactions.

Abstract: Choosing an optimal time step $\delta t$ is crucial for an efficient Hamiltonian simulation based on Trotterization but difficult due to the complex structure of the Trotter error. Here we develop a method measuring the Trotter error by combining the second- and fourth-order Trotterizations rather than consulting with mathematical error bounds. Implementing this method, we construct an algorithm, which we name Trotter24, for adaptively using almost the largest stepsize $\delta t$, which keeps quantum circuits shallowest, within an error tolerance $\epsilon$ preset for our purpose. Trotter24 applies to generic Hamiltonians, including time-dependent ones, and can be generalized to any orders of Trotterization. Benchmarking it in a quantum spin chain, we find the adaptively chosen $\delta t$ to be about ten times larger than that inferred from known upper bounds of Trotter errors. Trotter24 allows us to keep the quantum circuit thus shallower within the error tolerance in exchange for paying the cost of measurements.

Abstract: A novel approach is introduced to assess one-way Normalized Entropic Uncertainty Relations (NEUR)-steering in a two-qubit system by utilizing an average of conditional entropy squeezing. The mathematical expressions of conditional entropy squeezing and NEUR-steering are derived and presented. To gain a better understanding of the relationship between the two measures, a comparative analysis is conducted on a set of two-qubit states. Our results reveal that the two measures exhibit complete similarity when applied to a maximally entangled state, while they display comparable behavior with minor deviations for partially entangled states. Additionally, it is observed that the two measures are proportionally affected by some quantum processes such as acceleration, noisy channels, and swapping. As a result, the average of conditional entropy squeezing proves to be an effective indicator of NEUR-steering.

Abstract: In this article we investigate no-resonance conditions for quantum chaotic and random matrix models. No-resonance conditions are properties on the spectrum of a model, usually employed as a theoretical tool in the analysis of late time dynamics. The first order no-resonance condition holds when a spectrum is non-degenerate, while higher order no-resonance conditions imply sums of an equal number of energies are non-degenerate outside of permutations of the indices. The condition is usually assumed to hold for quantum chaotic models. In this work we use several tests from random matrix theory to demonstrate that no-resonance conditions are likely to be violated for all equal sums containing greater than one energy. This is due to the presence of level-attraction in the spectra after resolving appropriate symmetries. This result is produced for both a quantum chaotic Hamiltonian and two random matrix models. We then generalize important bounds in quantum equilibration theory to a case where the conditions are violated, and to the case of random matrix models.

Abstract: The quantum approximate optimization algorithm (QAOA) is one of the most promising candidates for achieving quantum advantage through quantum-enhanced combinatorial optimization. A near-optimal solution to the combinatorial optimization problem is achieved by preparing a quantum state through the optimization of quantum circuit parameters. Optimal QAOA parameter concentration effects for special MaxCut problem instances have been observed, but a rigorous study of the subject is still lacking. In this work we show clustering of optimal QAOA parameters around specific values; consequently, successful transferability of parameters between different QAOA instances can be explained and predicted based on local properties of the graphs, including the type of subgraphs (lightcones) from which graphs are composed as well as the overall degree of nodes in the graph (parity). We apply this approach to several instances of random graphs with a varying number of nodes as well as parity and show that one can use optimal donor graph QAOA parameters as near-optimal parameters for larger acceptor graphs with comparable approximation ratios. This work presents a pathway to identifying classes of combinatorial optimization instances for which variational quantum algorithms such as QAOA can be substantially accelerated.

Abstract: A bound state in the continuum (BIC) is a spatially bounded energy eigenstate lying in a continuous spectrum of extended eigenstates. While various types of single-particle BICs have been found in the literature, whether or not BICs can exist in genuinely many-body systems remains inconclusive. Here, we provide numerical and analytical pieces of evidence for the existence of many-body BICs in a one-dimensional Bose-Hubbard chain with an attractive impurity potential, which was previously known to host a BIC in the two-particle sector. We also demonstrate that the many-body BICs prevent the system from thermalization when one starts from simple initial states that can be prepared experimentally.

Abstract: The propagation of ultrafast pulses in dispersion-engineered waveguides, exhibiting strong field confinement in both space and time, is a promising avenue towards single-photon nonlinearities in an all-optical platform. However, quantum engineering in such systems requires new numerical tools and physical insights to harness their complicated multimode and nonlinear quantum dynamics. In this work, we use a self-consistent, multimode Gaussian-state model to capture the nonlinear dynamics of broadband quantum fluctuations and correlations, including entanglement. Notably, despite its parametrization by Gaussian states, our model exhibits nonlinear dynamics in both the mean field and the quantum correlations, giving it a marked advantage over conventional linearized treatments of quantum noise, especially for systems exhibiting gain saturation and strong nonlinearities. Numerically, our approach takes the form of a Gaussian split-step Fourier (GSSF) method, naturally generalizing highly efficient SSF methods used in classical ultrafast nonlinear optics; the equations for GSSF evaluate in $O(M^2\log M)$ time for an $M$-mode system with $O(M^2)$ quantum correlations. To demonstrate the broad applicability of GSSF, we numerically study quantum noise dynamics and multimode entanglement in several ultrafast systems, from canonical soliton propagation in third-order ($\chi^{(3)}$) waveguides to saturated $\chi^{(2)}$ broadband parametric generation and supercontinuum generation, e.g., as recently demonstrated in thin-film lithium niobate nanophotonics.