Quantum Physics (quant-ph)

Abstract: Here, we show that partial transposition, which is initially introduced to study entanglement, can also inspire many results on quantum discord including: (I) a discord criterion of spectrum invariant under partial transposition, stating that one state must contain discord if its spectrum is changed by the action of partial transposition, (II) an approach to estimate the geometric quantum discord and the one-way deficit based on the change of spectrum. To compare with entanglement theory, we also lower-bound the geometric quantum entanglement and the entanglement of relative entropy. Thus, on one hand, we illustrate an approach to specify and estimate discord based on partial transposition. On the other hand, we show that, entanglement and discord, two basic notions of nonclassical correlations, can be placed on the same ground such that their interplay and distinction can be illustrated in within a universal framework.

Abstract: There has been a growing interest in non-Hermitian quantum mechanics. The key concepts of quantum mechanics are quantum fluctuations. Quantum fluctuations of quantum fields confined in a finite-size system induce the zero-point energy shift. This quantum phenomenon, the Casimir effect, is one of the most striking phenomena of quantum mechanics in the sense that there are no classical analogs and has been attracting much attention beyond the hierarchy of energy scales, ranging from elementary particle physics to condensed matter physics, together with photonics. However, the non-Hermitian extension of the Casimir effect and the application to spintronics have not yet been investigated enough, although exploring energy sources and developing energy-efficient nanodevices are its central issues. Here we fill this gap. By developing a magnonic analog of the Casimir effect into non-Hermitian systems, we show that this non-Hermitian Casimir effect of magnons is enhanced as the Gilbert damping constant (i.e., the energy dissipation rate) increases. When the damping constant exceeds a critical value, the non-Hermitian Casimir effect of magnons exhibits an oscillating behavior, including a beating one, as a function of the film thickness and is characterized by the exceptional point. Our result suggests that energy dissipation serves as a key ingredient of Casimir engineering.

Abstract: We demonstrate how an operator-based theory of quantum time-of-arrival (TOA) reconciles the seemingly conflicting reports on the measured tunneling times. This is done by defining the barrier traversal time as the difference of the expectation values of the corresponding TOA-operators in the presence and absence of the barrier. We show that for an arbitrarily shaped potential barrier, there exists three traversal time regimes corresponding to full-tunneling, partial-tunneling, and \non-tunneling processes, which are determined by the relation between the the support of the incident wavepacket's momentum distribution $\tilde{\psi}(k)$, and shape of the barrier. The full-tunneling process occurs when the support of $\tilde{\psi}(k)$ is below the minimum height of the barrier, resulting to an instantaneous tunneling time. The partial-tunneling process occurs when the support or a segment of the support of $\tilde{\psi}(k)$ lies between the minimum and maximum height of the barrier. For this case, the particle does not "fully" tunnel through the entire barrier system resulting to a non-zero traversal time. The non-tunneling regime occurs when the support of $\tilde{\psi}(k)$ is above the maximum height of the barrier system, leading to a classical above-barrier traversal time. We argue that the zero and non-zero tunneling times measured in different attoclock experiments correspond to the full-tunneling and partial-tunneling processes, respectively.

Abstract: Watanabe, Sagawa, and Ueda defined the measurement error of an observable and the disturbance to an observable by measurements for finite-dimensional systems on the basis of quantum estimation theory and derived uncertainty relation inequalities of error-error and error-disturbance types. This paper extend the Watanabe-Sagawa-Ueda uncertainty relations to infinite-dimensional systems employing the Fr\'echet derivative. We present a classical estimation theory and a quantum estimation theory, both of which are formulated for parameter spaces of infinite dimensions. An improvement in the derivation method makes the resulting uncertainty relation inequalities tighter than original ones.

Abstract: Optomechanical system is a promising platform to connect different notes of quantum networks, therefore, entanglement generated from it is also of great importance. In this paper, the parameter dependence of optomechanical and optical-optical entanglements generated from the double-longitudinal-mode cavity optomechanical system are discussed and two quadrapartite entanglement generation schemes based on such a system are proposed. Furthermore, 2N or 4N-partite entangled states can be obtained by coupling N cavities with N-1 beamsplitter(BS)s, and these schemes are scalable in increasing the partite number of entanglement. Certain ladder or linear structures are contained in the finally obtained entanglement structure, which can be applied in quantum computing or quantum networks in the future.

Abstract: We study nonclassical effects in the dynamics of an open quantum system. The model involves a harmonic oscillator coupled to a reservoir of non-interacting harmonic oscillators. Different system-bath interaction schemes as well as reservoir states are considered. Particularly, the squeezed reservoirs coupled to the system through single and two quanta exchange processes are put in the spotlight. We investigate the quantumness conveyed to the system through the bath by computing a nonclassicality measure for different bath properties and when the memory effects are appreciable. The measure of nonclassicality is calculated for projective measurements both in the number state basis and a basis formed by a set of coherent states. Our results show that in both bases the measure exhibits characteristic features for each bath state and the form of its interaction with the system. Some of those features are independent from the measurement scheme (number or coherent), and thus, emergent from the bath and its interaction with the probe system. This allows for fingerprinting and identifying the environmental effects by tracking a given probe with appropriate measurements. Hence, may prove useful for distinguishing different sources of decoherence.

Abstract: We construct Lie point symmetries, a closed-form solution and conservation laws using a non-Noetherian approach for a specific case of the Gorini-Kossakowski-Sudarshan-Lindblad equation that has been recast for the study of non-relativistic free particles in a thermal reservoir environment. Conservation laws are constructed subsequently using the Ibragimov method via a solution to the adjoint form of the equation of motion via its corresponding scalaing symmetry. A general computational framework for obtaining all conserved vectors is exhibited some triplets of conserved quantities are calculated in full.

Abstract: Measuring properties of quantum systems is a fundamental problem in quantum mechanics. We provide a very simple method for estimating expectation value of observables with an unknown quantum state. The idea is to sample the terms of the Pauli decomposition of observables proportionally to their importance. We call this technique operator shadow as a shorthand for the procedure preparing a sketch of an operator to estimate properties. For multiple local observables, the sample complexity of this method is better than the classical shadow technique only when the numbers of observables are small. However, if we want to estimate expectation values for linear combination of local observables, e.g., the energy of a local Hamiltonian, the sample complexity is better on all parameters.

Abstract: Reference-frame-independent quantum key distribution was proposed to generate a string of secret keys without a shared reference frame. Based on the Bloch sphere, however, the security analysis in previous methods is only independent on azimuthal angle, while a reference frame is determined by both polar angle and azimuthal angle. Here, we propose a 3 \times 3 matrix whose singular values are independent on both polar angle and azimuthal angle, as well as take advantage of quantum discord, to realize a fully reference-frame-independent quantum key distribution. Furthermore, we numerically show that the performance of our method can reduce to the previous one if the key generation basis is calibrated.

Abstract: We generalize the Approximate Quantum Compiling algorithm into a new method for CNOT-depth reduction, which is apt to process wide target quantum circuits. Combining this method with state-of-the-art techniques for error mitigation and circuit compiling, we present a 10-qubit experimental demonstration of Iterative Amplitude Estimation on a quantum computer. The target application is the derivation of the Expected Value of contract portfolios in the energy industry. In parallel, we also introduce a new variant of the Quantum Amplitude Estimation algorithm which we call Dynamic Amplitude Estimation, as it is based on the dynamic circuit capability of quantum devices. The algorithm achieves a reduction in the circuit width in the order of the binary precision compared to the typical implementation of Quantum Amplitude Estimation, while simultaneously decreasing the number of quantum-classical iterations (again in the order of the binary precision) compared to the Iterative Amplitude Estimation. The calculation of the Expected Value, VaR and CVaR of contract portfolios on quantum hardware provides a proof of principle of the new algorithm.

Abstract: In 2017, John Preskill defined Noisy Intermediate Scale Quantum (NISQ) computers as an intermediate step on the road to large scale error corrected fault-tolerant quantum computers (FTQC). The NISQ regime corresponds to noisy qubit quantum computers with the potential to solve actual problems of some commercial value faster than conventional supercomputers, or consuming less energy. Over five years on, it is a good time to review the situation. While rapid progress is being made with quantum hardware and algorithms, and many recent experimental demonstrations, no one has yet successfully implemented a use case matching the original definition of the NISQ regime. This paper investigates the space, fidelity and time resources of various NISQ algorithms and highlights several contradictions between NISQ requirements and actual as well as future quantum hardware capabilities. It then covers various techniques which could help like qubit fidelities improvements, various breeds of quantum error mitigation methods, analog/digital hybridization, using specific qubit types like multimode photons as well as quantum annealers and analog quantum computers (aka quantum simulators or programmable Hamiltonian simulators) which seem closer to delivering useful applications although they have their own mid to longer-term scalability challenges. Given all the constraints of these various solutions, it seems possible to expect some practical use cases for NISQ systems, but with a very narrow window before various scaling issues show up. Turning to the future, a scenario can be envisioned where NISQ will not necessarily be an intermediate step on the road to FTQC. Instead, the two may develop along different paths, due to their different requirements. This leaves open a key question on the trade-offs that may be necessary to make between qubit scale and qubit fidelities in future quantum computers designs.

Abstract: Interfacial interactions are crucial in a variety of fields and can greatly affect the electric, magnetic, and chemical properties of materials. Among them, interface orbital hybridization plays a fundamental role in the properties of surface electrons such as dispersion, interaction, and ground states. Conventional measurements of electronic states at interfaces such as scanning tunneling microscopes are all based on electric interactions which, however, suffer from strong perturbation on these electrons. Here we unveil a new experimental detection of interface electrons based on the weak magnetic interactions between them and the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond. With negligible perturbation on the interface electrons, their physical properties can be revealed by the NV spin coherence time. In our system, the interface interaction leads to significant decreases in both the density and coherence time of the electron spins at the diamond-graphene interface. Furthermore, together with electron spin resonance spectra and first-principle calculations, we can retrieve the effect of interface electron orbital hybridization. Our study opens a new pathway toward the microscopic probing of interfacial electronic states with weak magnetic interactions and provides a new avenue for future research on material interfaces.

Abstract: It is the first step for understanding how RNA structure folds from base sequences that to know how its secondary structure is formed. Traditional energy-based algorithms are short of precision, particularly for non-nested sequences, while learning-based algorithms face challenges in obtaining high-quality training data. Recently, quantum annealer has rapidly predicted the folding of the secondary structure, highlighting that quantum computing is a promising solution to this problem. However, gate model algorithms for universal quantum computing are not available. In this paper, gate-based quantum algorithms will be presented, which are highly flexible and can be applied to various physical devices. Mapped all possible secondary structure to the state of a quadratic Hamiltonian, the whole folding process is described as a quadratic unconstrained binary optimization model. Then the model can be solved through quantum approximation optimization algorithm. We demonstrate the performance with both numerical simulation and experimental realization. Throughout our benchmark dataset, simulation results suggest that our quantum approach is comparable in accuracy to classical methods. For non-nested sequences, our quantum approach outperforms classical energy-based methods. Experimental results also indicate our method is robust in current noisy devices. It is the first instance of universal quantum algorithms being employed to tackle RNA folding problems, and our work provides a valuable model for utilizing universal quantum computers in solving RNA folding problems.

Abstract: Restrictions imposed by existing infrastructure can make it hard to ensure an even spacing between the nodes of future fiber-based quantum networks. We here investigate the negative effects of asymmetric node placement by considering separately the placement of midpoint stations required for heralded entanglement generation, as well as of processing-node quantum repeaters in a chain. For midpoint stations, we describe the effect asymmetry has on the time required to perform one entangling attempt, the success probability of such attempts, and the fidelity of the entangled states created. This includes accounting for the effects of chromatic dispersion on photon indistinguishability. For quantum-repeater chains we numerically investigate how uneven spacing between repeater nodes leads to bottlenecks, thereby increasing both the waiting time and the time states are stored in noisy quantum memory. We find that while the time required to perform one entangling attempt may increase linearly with the midpoint's asymmetry, the success probability and fidelity of heralded entanglement generation and the distribution time and error rate for repeater chains all have vanishing first derivatives with respect to the amount of asymmetry. This suggests resilience of quantum-network performance against small amounts of asymmetry.

Abstract: Real-world applications of computing can be extremely time-sensitive. It would be valuable if we could accelerate such tasks by performing some of the work ahead of time. Motivated by this, we propose a cost model for quantum algorithms that allows quantum precomputation; i.e., for a polynomial amount of "free" computation before the input to an algorithm is fully specified, and methods for taking advantage of it. We analyze two families of unitaries that are asymptotically more efficient to implement in this cost model than in the standard one. The first example of quantum precomputation, based on density matrix exponentiation, could offer an exponential advantage under certain conditions. The second example uses a variant of gate teleportation to achieve a quadratic advantage when compared with implementing the unitaries directly. These examples hint that quantum precomputation may offer a new arena in which to seek quantum advantage.

Abstract: Calculating ground and excited states is an exciting prospect for near-term quantum computing applications, and accurate and efficient algorithms are needed to assess viable directions. We develop an excited state approach based on the contracted quantum eigensolver (ES-CQE), which iteratively attempts to find a solution to a contraction of the Schr{\"o}dinger equation projected onto a subspace, and does not require a priori information on the system. We focus on the anti-Hermitian portion of the equation, leading to a two-body unitary ansatz. We investigate the role of symmetries, initial states, constraints, and overall performance within the context of the model rectangular ${\rm H}_4$ system. We show the ES-CQE achieves near-exact accuracy across the majority of states, covering regions of strong and weak electron correlation, while also elucidating challenging instances for two-body unitary ansatz.