Quantum Physics (quant-ph)

Abstract: A boundary time-crystal is a quantum many-body system whose dynamics is governed by the competition between coherent driving and collective dissipation. It is composed of N two-level systems and features a transition between a stationary phase and an oscillatory one. The fact that the system is open allows to continuously monitor its quantum trajectories and to analyze their dependence on parameter changes. This enables the realization of a sensing device whose performance we investigate as a function of the monitoring time T and of the system size N. We find that the best achievable sensitivity is proportional to $\sqrt{T}N$, i.e., it follows the standard quantum limit in time and Heisenberg scaling in the particle number. This theoretical scaling can be achieved in the oscillatory time-crystal phase and it is rooted in emergent quantum correlations. The main challenge is, however, to tap this capability in a measurement protocol that is experimentally feasible. We demonstrate that the standard quantum limit can be surpassed by cascading two time-crystals, where the quantum trajectories of one time-crystal are used as input for the other one.

Abstract: Beam splitters are not-free operations regarding quantum coherence, which is the most versatile resource for quantum technologies. As a consequence, they can create coherence from both coherent and incoherent states. We investigate the increase in coherence produced by cascades of beam splitters. To this end, we construct two different configurations of beam splitters and analyze different sequences of input states.

Abstract: Logical qubits can be protected from decoherence by performing QEC cycles repeatedly. Algorithms for fault-tolerant QEC must be compiled to the specific hardware platform under consideration in order to practically realize a quantum memory that operates for in principle arbitrary long times. All circuit components must be assumed as noisy unless specific assumptions about the form of the noise are made. Modern QEC schemes are challenging to implement experimentally in physical architectures where in-sequence measurements and feed-forward of classical information cannot be reliably executed fast enough or even at all. Here we provide a novel scheme to perform QEC cycles without the need of measuring qubits that is fully fault-tolerant with respect to all components used in the circuit. Our scheme can be used for any low-distance CSS code since its only requirement towards the underlying code is a transversal CNOT gate. Similarly to Steane-type EC, we coherently copy errors to a logical auxiliary qubit but then apply a coherent feedback operation from the auxiliary system to the logical data qubit. The logical auxiliary qubit is prepared fault-tolerantly without measurements, too. We benchmark logical failure rates of the scheme in comparison to a flag-qubit based EC cycle. We map out a parameter region where our scheme is feasible and estimate physical error rates necessary to achieve the break-even point of beneficial QEC with our scheme. We outline how our scheme could be implemented in ion traps and with neutral atoms in a tweezer array. For recently demonstrated capabilities of atom shuttling and native multi-atom Rydberg gates, we achieve moderate circuit depths and beneficial performance of our scheme while not breaking fault tolerance. These results thereby enable practical fault-tolerant QEC in hardware architectures that do not support mid-circuit measurements.

Abstract: Quantum many-body scar is a recently discovered phenomenon weakly violating eigenstate thermalization hypothesis, and it has been extensively studied across various models. However, experimental realizations are mainly based on constrained models such as the $PXP$ model. Inspired by recent experimental observations on the superconducting platform in Refs.~[Nat. Phys. 19, 120 (2022)] and [arXiv:2211.05803], we study a distinct class of quantum many-body scars based on a half-filling hard-core Bose-Hubbard model, which is generic to describe in many experimental platforms. It is the so-called Hilbert space quantum scar as it originates from a subspace with a hypercube geometry weakly connecting to other thermalization regions in Hilbert space. Within the hypercube, a pair of collective Fock states do not directly connect to the thermalization region, resulting in slow thermalization dynamics with remarkable fidelity revivals with distinct differences from dynamics of other initial states. This mechanism is generic in various real-space lattice configurations, including one-dimensional Su-Schrieffer-Heeger chain, comb lattice, and even random dimer clusters consisting of dimers. In addition, we develop a toy model based on Hilbert hypercube decay approximation, to explain the spectrum overlap between the collective states and all eigenstates. Furthermore, we explore the Hilbert space quantum scar in two- and three-dimensional Su-Schrieffer-Heeger many-body systems, consisting of tetramers or octamers, respectively. This study makes quantum many-body scar state more realistic in applications such as quantum sensing and quantum metrology.

Abstract: Diamond has emerged as a leading host material for solid-state quantum emitters, quantum memories, and quantum sensors. However, the challenges in fabricating photonic devices in diamond have limited its potential for use in quantum technologies. While various hybrid integration approaches have been developed for coupling diamond color centers with photonic devices defined in a heterogeneous material, these methods suffer from either large insertion loss at the material interface or evanescent light-matter coupling. Here, we present a new technique that enables deterministic assembly of diamond color centers in a silicon nitride photonic circuit. Using this technique, we observe Purcell enhancement of silicon vacancy centers coupled to a silicon nitride ring resonator. Our hybrid integration approach has the potential for achieving the maximum possible light-matter interaction strength while maintaining low insertion loss, and paves the way towards scalable manufacturing of large-scale quantum photonic circuits integrated with high-quality quantum emitters and spins.

Abstract: We realize collective enhancement and suppression of light scattered by an array of tweezer-trapped $^{87}$Rb atoms positioned precisely within a strongly coupled Fabry-P\'erot optical cavity. We illuminate the array with light directed transverse to the cavity axis and detect photons scattered by the array into the cavity. For an array with integer-optical-wavelength spacing, in the low saturation regime, each atom Rayleigh scatters light into the cavity with nearly identical scattering amplitude, leading to an observed $N^2$ scaling of cavity photon number as the atom number increases stepwise from N = 1 to N = 8. By contrast, in an array with half-integer-wavelength spacing, the scattering amplitude for neighboring atoms is equal in magnitude but alternates in sign. Scattering from such an array yields a non-monotonic, sub-radiant cavity intensity versus N. By analyzing the polarization of light emitted from the cavity, we find that Rayleigh scattering can be collectively enhanced or suppressed with respect to Raman scattering. We observe also that atom-induced shifts and broadenings of the cavity resonance are precisely tuned by varying the atom number and positions. Altogether, deterministically loaded atom tweezer arrays provide exquisite control of atomic cavity QED spanning from the single- to the many-body regime.

Abstract: We discuss exchange scenario's thermodynamic uncertainty relations for the work done on a two-qubit entangled nonequilibrium steady state obtained by coupling the two qubits and putting each of them in weak contact with a thermal bath. In this way we investigate the use of entangled nonequilibrium steady states as end-points of thermodynamic cycles. In this framework, we prove analytically that for a paradigmatic unitary it is possible to construct an exchange scenario's thermodynamic uncertainty relation. However, despite holding in many cases, we also show that such relation ceases to be valid when considering other suitable unitary quenches. Furthermore, this paradigmatic example allows us to shed light on the role of the entanglement between the two qubits for precise work absorption. By considering the projection of the entangled steady state onto the set of separable states, we provide examples where such projection implies an increase of the relative uncertainty, showing the usefulness of entanglement.

Abstract: Gaussian Boson Sampling (GBS) is a recently developed paradigm of quantum computing consisting of sending a Gaussian state through a linear interferometer and then counting the number of photons in each output mode. When the system encodes a symmetric matrix, GBS can be viewed as a tool to sample subgraphs: the most sampled are those with a large number of perfect matchings, and thus are the densest ones. This property has been the foundation of the novel clustering approach we propose in this work, called GBS-based clustering, which relies solely on GBS, without the need of classical algorithms. The GBS-based clustering has been tested on several datasets and benchmarked with two well-known classical clustering algorithms. Results obtained by using a GBS simulator show that on average our approach outperforms the two classical algorithms in two out of the three chosen metrics, proposing itself as a viable full-quantum clustering option.

Abstract: An ultimate goal of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is to analyze molecular dynamics in place where it occurs, such as in a living cell. The nanodiamond (ND) hosting nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers will be a promising EPR sensor to achieve this goal. However, ND-based EPR spectroscopy remains elusive, due to the challenge of controlling NV centers without well-defined orientations inside a flexible ND. Here, we show a generalized zero-field EPR technique with spectra robust to the sensor's orientation. The key is applying an amplitude modulation on the control field, which generates a series of equidistant Floquet states with energy splitting being the orientation-independent modulation frequency. We acquire the zero-field EPR spectrum of vanadyl ions in aqueous glycerol solution with embedded single NDs, paving the way towards \emph{in vivo} EPR.

Abstract: Temperature estimation plays a vital role across natural sciences. A standard approach is provided by probe thermometry, where a probe is brought into contact with the sample and examined after a certain amount of time has passed. In many situations however, continuously monitoring the probe may be preferred. Here, we consider a minimal model, where the probe is provided by a two-level system coupled to a thermal reservoir. Monitoring thermally activated transitions enables real-time estimation of temperature with increasing accuracy over time. Within this framework we comprehensively investigate thermometry in both bosonic and fermionic environments employing a Bayesian approach. Furthermore, we explore adaptive strategies and find a significant improvement on the precision. Additionally, we examine the impact of noise and find that adaptive strategies may suffer more than non-adaptive ones for short observation times. While our main focus is on thermometry, our results are easily extended to the estimation of other environmental parameters, such as chemical potentials and transition rates.

Abstract: We compute the complexity for the mixed state density operator derived from a one-dimensional discrete-time quantum walk (DTQW). The complexity is computed using a $2$-qubit quantum circuit obtained from canonically purifying the mixed state. We demonstrate that the Nielson complexity for the unitary evolution oscillates around a mean circuit depth of $k$. Further, the complexity of the step-wise evolution operator grows cumulatively and linearly with the steps. From a quantum circuit perspective, this implies a succession of circuits of (near) constant depth to be applied to reach the final state.

Abstract: Quantum devices should operate in adherence to quantum physics principles. Quantum random access memory (QRAM), a fundamental component of many essential quantum algorithms for tasks such as linear algebra, data search, and machine learning, is often proposed to offer $\mathcal{O}(\log N)$ circuit depth for $\mathcal{O}(N)$ data size, given $N$ qubits. However, this claim appears to breach the principle of relativity when dealing with a large number of qubits in quantum materials interacting locally. In our study we critically explore the intrinsic bounds of rapid quantum memories based on causality, employing the relativistic quantum field theory and Lieb-Robinson bounds in quantum many-body systems. In this paper, we consider a hardware-efficient QRAM design in hybrid quantum acoustic systems. Assuming clock cycle times of approximately $10^{-3}$ seconds and a lattice spacing of about 1 micrometer, we show that QRAM can accommodate up to $\mathcal{O}(10^7)$ logical qubits in 1 dimension, $\mathcal{O}(10^{15})$ to $\mathcal{O}(10^{20})$ in various 2D architectures, and $\mathcal{O}(10^{24})$ in 3 dimensions. We contend that this causality bound broadly applies to other quantum hardware systems. Our findings highlight the impact of fundamental quantum physics constraints on the long-term performance of quantum computing applications in data science and suggest potential quantum memory designs for performance enhancement.

Abstract: Indefinite causal order has found numerous applications in quantum computation, quantum communication, and quantum metrology. Before its usage, the quality of the indefinite causal order needs to be first certified, and the certification should ideally be device-independent (DI) to avoid the impact of device imperfections. In this work, we initiate the study of the sequential DI certification of an indefinite causal order. This can be useful in experimental platforms where the generation of an indefinite causal order is difficult. We show that an arbitrary number of sequential DI certifications of an indefinite causal order can be achieved with a quantum switch and also analyze practical requirements for experimental implementations of the certifications. Our work opens the possibility of reusing the resource of an indefinite causal order multiple times in device-independent quantum information processing.

Abstract: Quantum networks offer a realistic and practical scheme for generating multiparticle entanglement and implementing multiparticle quantum communication protocols. However, the correlations that can be generated in networks with quantum sources and local operations are not yet well understood. Covariance matrices, which are powerful tools in entanglement theory, have been also applied to the network scenario. We present simple proofs for the decomposition of such matrices into the sum of positive semidefinite block matrices and, based on that, develop analytical and computable necessary criteria for preparing states in quantum networks. These criteria can be applied to networks in which any two nodes share at most one source, such as all bipartite networks.

Abstract: The Hilbert space of a physical qubit typically features more than two energy levels. Using states outside the qubit subspace can provide advantages in quantum computation. To benefit from these advantages, individual states of the $d$-dimensional qudit Hilbert space have to be discriminated properly during readout. We propose and analyze two measurement strategies that improve the distinguishability of transmon qudit states. Based on a model describing the readout of IBM Quantum devices, both strategies aim to minimize drive-frequency dependent assignment errors of qudit states and are compared to the default measurement. In addition, we propose to employ higher-order $X$-gates that make use of two-photon transitions for qudit state preparation.

Abstract: Entropy plays a crucial role in both physics and information science, encompassing classical and quantum domains. In this work, we present the Quantum Neural Entropy Estimator (QNEE), a novel approach that combines classical neural network (NN) with variational quantum circuits to estimate the von Neumann and Renyi entropies of a quantum state. QNEE provides accurate estimates of entropy while also yielding the eigenvalues and eigenstates of the input density matrix. Leveraging the capabilities of classical NN, QNEE can classify different phases of quantum systems that accompany the changes of entanglement entropy. Our numerical simulation demonstrates the effectiveness of QNEE by applying it to the 1D XXZ Heisenberg model. In particular, QNEE exhibits high sensitivity in estimating entanglement entropy near the phase transition point. We expect that QNEE will serve as a valuable tool for quantum entropy estimation and phase classification.

Abstract: The study of phase transition in dissipative quantum systems based on the Liouvillian mostly relies on the time-local master equation, which becomes difficult to attain when the coupling between the system and its environment is strong. To surmount this difficulty, the complex discretization approximation for environment is proposed to study the quantum phase transition in the spin-boson model under rotating-wave approximation. By this approach, a nonhermitian effective Hamiltonian is proposed to simulate the exact dynamics of spin. It is found that the ground state of this Hamiltonian dominates spin dynamics in the single-excitation subspace. Depending on the energy gap and the amplitude of ground state on a special basis state, three distinct phases can be identified, which describe the exponential decaying, localized and intermediate dynamics of spin respectively. Moreover, these phases are stable against the increasing of the total energy when extended to the double-excitation subspace.

Abstract: Superconducting microwave resonator couplers will likely become an essential component in modular semiconductor quantum dot (QD) spin qubit processors, as they help alleviate cross-talk and wiring issues as the number of qubits increases. Here, we focus on a three-qubit system composed of two modules: a two-electron triple QD resonator-coupled to a single-electron double QD. Using a combination of analytical techniques and numerical results, we derive an effective Hamiltonian that describes the three-qubit logical subspace and show that it accurately captures the dynamics of the system. We examine the performance of short-range and long-range entangling gates, revealing the effect of a spectator qubit in reducing the gate fidelities in both cases. We further study the competition between non-adiabatic errors and spectator-associated errors in short-range operations and quantify their relative importance across practical parameter ranges for short and long gate times. We also analyze the impact of charge noise together with residual coupling to the spectator qubit on inter-module entangling gates and find that for current experimental settings, leakage errors are the main source of infidelities in these operations. Our results help pave the way toward identifying optimal modular QD architectures for quantum information processing on semiconductor chips.

Abstract: Theories in physics can provide a kind of map of the physical system under investigation, showing all of the possible types of behavior which may occur. Certain points on the map are of greater significance than others, because they describe how the system responds in a useful or interesting manner. For example, the point of resonance is of particular importance when timing the pushes onto a person sat on a swing. More sophisticatedly, so-called exceptional points have been shown to be significant in optical systems harbouring both gain and loss, as typically described by non-Hermitian Hamiltonians. However, expressly quantum points of interest -- be they exceptional points or otherwise -- arising in quantum photonic systems have been far less studied. Here we consider a paradigmatic model: a pair of coupled qubits subjected to an unbalanced ratio of gain and loss. We mark on its map several flavours of both exceptional and critical points, each of which are associated with unconventional physical responses. In particular, we uncover the points responsible for characteristic spectral features and for the sudden loss of quantum entanglement in the steady state. Our results provide perspectives for characterizing quantum photonic systems beyond effective non-Hermitian Hamiltonians, and suggest a hierarchy of intrinsically quantum points of interest.

Abstract: Digital quantum computers have the potential to study the dynamics of complex quantum systems. Nonequilibrium open quantum systems are, however, less straightforward to be implemented. Here we consider a collisional model representation of the nonequilibrium open dynamics for a boundary-driven XXZ spin chain, with a particular focus on its steady states. More specifically, we study the interplay between the accuracy of the result versus the depth of the circuit by comparing the results generated by the corresponding master equations. We study the simulation of a boundary-driven spin chain in regimes of weak and strong interactions, which would lead in large systems to diffusive and ballistic dynamics, considering also possible errors in the implementation of the protocol. Last, we analyze the effectiveness of digital simulation via the collisional model of current rectification when the XXZ spin chains are subject to non-uniform magnetic fields.

Abstract: We study general ``normally'' distributed random unitary transformations. These distributions can be defined in terms of a diffusive random walk in the respective group manifold, formally underpinned by the concept of infinite divisibility. On the one hand, a normal distribution induces a unital quantum channel. On the other hand, the diffusive random walk defines a unital quantum process, which can be generated by a Lindblad master equation. In the single qubit case, we show that it is possible to find different distributions which induce the same quantum channel. In the case of two qubits, the normal quantum channels, i.e. quantum channels induced by normal distributions in ${\rm SU}(2)\otimes{\rm SU}(2)$ provide an appropriate framework for modeling correlated quantum errors. In contrast to correlated Pauli errors, for instance, they conserve their Markovianity, and they lead to very different results in error correcting codes or entanglement distillation. We expect our work to find applications in the tomography and modeling of one- and two-qubit errors in current quantum computer platforms, but also in the distillation of Bell pairs across imperfect communication channels, where it is conceivable that subsequently transmitted qubits are subject to correlated errors.

Abstract: The Quantum Singular Value Transformation (QSVT) is a technique that provides a unified framework for describing many of the quantum algorithms discovered to date. We implement a noise-free simulation of the technique to investigate how it can be used to perform matrix inversion, which is an important step in calculating the single-particle Green's function in the Lehmann representation. Due to the inverse function not being defined at zero, we explore the effect of approximating f(x)=1/x with a polynomial. This is carried out by calculating the single-particle Green's function of the two-site single-impurity Anderson model. We also propose a new circuit construction for the linear combination of unitaries block encoding technique, that reduces the number of single and two-qubit gates required.

Abstract: We present an equivalent formulation of quantum mechanical angular momentum, based on spatial wavefunctions that depend on the Euler angles $\phi$,$\theta$,$\chi$. The wavefunctions are Wigner D-functions $D_{n m}^j (\phi,\theta,\chi)$, that have a body-fixed projection quantum number $n$, in addition to the usual $j$ and $m$ quantum numbers. Unusually, $n$ can have the value $(j+1/2)$. The states $D_{(S+1/2)~ m}^S (\phi,\theta,\chi)$ give a gyromagnetic ratio of $g=2$ for all $S>0$, and we identify these as the spatial wavefunctions of known fundamental charged particles with spin.

Abstract: The variational quantum imaginary time evolution (VarQITE) algorithm is a near-term method to prepare the ground state and Gibbs state of Hamiltonians. Finding an appropriate parameterization of the quantum circuit is crucial to the success of VarQITE. This work provides guidance for constructing parameterized quantum circuits according to the locality and symmetries of the Hamiltonian. Our approach can be used to implement the unitary and anti-unitary symmetries of a quantum system, which significantly reduces the depth and degree of freedom of the parameterized quantum circuits. To benchmark the proposed parameterized quantum circuits, we carry out VarQITE experiments on statistical models. Numerical results confirm that the symmetry-enhanced circuits outperform the frequently-used parametrized circuits in the literature.

Abstract: The negatively-charged silicon vacancy center ($\rm V_{Si}^-$) in silicon carbide (SiC) is an emerging color center for quantum technology covering quantum sensing, communication, and computing. Yet, limited information currently available on the internal spin-optical dynamics of these color centers prevents us achieving the optimal operation conditions and reaching the maximum performance especially when integrated within quantum photonics. Here, we establish all the relevant intrinsic spin dynamics of negatively charged $\rm V_{Si}^-$ center in 4H-SiC by an in-depth electronic fine structure modeling including intersystem-crossing and deshelving mechanisms. With carefully designed spin-dependent measurements, we obtain all previously unknown spin-selective radiative and non-radiative decay rates. To showcase the relevance of our work for integrated quantum photonics, we use the obtained rates to propose a realistic implementation of time-bin entangled multi-photon GHZ and cluster state generation. We find that up to 3-photon GHZ/cluster states are readily within reach using the existing nanophotonic cavity technology.

Abstract: Floquet codes are a novel class of quantum error-correcting codes with dynamically generated logical qubits, which arise from a periodic schedule of non-commuting measurements. We engineer new examples of Floquet codes with measurement schedules that $\textit{rewind}$ during each period. The rewinding schedules are advantageous in our constructions for both obtaining a desired set of instantaneous stabilizer groups and for constructing boundaries. Our first example is a Floquet code that has instantaneous stabilizer groups that are equivalent -- via finite-depth circuits -- to the 2D color code and exhibits a $\mathbb{Z}_3$ automorphism of the logical operators. Our second example is a Floquet code with instantaneous stabilizer codes that have the same topological order as the 3D toric code. This Floquet code exhibits a splitting of the topological order of the 3D toric code under the associated sequence of measurements i.e., an instantaneous stabilizer group of a single copy of 3D toric code in one round transforms into an instantaneous stabilizer group of two copies of 3D toric codes up to nonlocal stabilizers, in the following round. We further construct boundaries for this 3D code and argue that stacking it with two copies of 3D subsystem toric code allows for a transversal implementation of the logical non-Clifford $CCZ$ gate. We also argue that the coupled-layer construction of the X-cube Floquet code can be modified by a rewinding schedule so that each of the instantaneous stabilizer codes is finite-depth-equivalent to the X-cube. Our final example is a generalization of the honeycomb code to 3D, which has instantaneous stabilizer codes with the same topological order as the 3D fermionic toric code.

Abstract: A revised version of the compactness criterion for families of quantum operations in the strong convergence topology (obtained previously) is presented, along with a more detailed proof and the examples showing the necessity of this revision. Several criteria for the existence of a limit point of a sequence of quantum operations w.r.t. the strong convergence are obtained and discussed. Applications in different areas of quantum information theory are described.