Quantum Physics (quant-ph)

Abstract: In quantum mechanics, spatial wavefunctions describe distributions of a particle's position or momentum, but not of angular momentum $j$. In contrast, here we show that a spatial wavefunction, $j_m (\phi,\theta,\chi)=~e^{i m \phi} \delta (\theta - \theta_m) ~e^{i(j+1/2)\chi}$, which treats $j$ in the $|jm>$ state as a three-dimensional entity, is an asymptotic eigenfunction of angular-momentum operators; $\phi$, $\theta$, $\chi$ are the Euler angles, and $cos \theta_m=(m/|j|)$ is the Vector-Model polar angle. The $j_m (\phi,\theta,\chi)$ gives a computationally simple description of particle and orbital-angular-momentum wavepackets (constructed from Gaussian distributions in $j$ and $m$) which predicts the effective wavepacket angular uncertainty relations for $\Delta m \Delta \phi $, $\Delta j \Delta \chi$, and $\Delta\phi\Delta\theta$, and the position of the particle-wavepacket angular motion on the orbital plane. The particle-wavepacket rotation can be experimentally probed through continuous and non-destructive $j$-rotation measurements. We also use the $j_m (\phi,\theta,\chi)$ to determine well-known asymptotic expressions for Clebsch-Gordan coefficients, Wigner d-functions, the gyromagnetic ratio of elementary particles, $g=2$, and the m-state-correlation matrix elements, $<j_3 m_3|j_{1X} j_{2X}|j_3 m_3>$. Interestingly, for low j, even down to $j=1/2$, these expressions are either exact (the last two) or excellent approximations (the first two), showing that $j_m (\phi,\theta,\chi)$ gives a useful spatial description of quantum-mechanical angular momentum, and provides a smooth connection with classical angular momentum.

Abstract: Tensor network codes enable structured construction and manipulation of stabilizer codes out of small seed codes. Here, we apply reinforcement learning to tensor network code geometries and demonstrate how optimal stabilizer codes can be found. Using the projective simulation framework, our reinforcement learning agent consistently finds the best possible codes given an environment and set of allowed actions, including for codes with more than one logical qubit. The agent also consistently outperforms a random search, for example finding an optimal code with a $10\%$ frequency after 1000 trials, vs a theoretical $0.16\%$ from random search, an improvement by a factor of 65.

Abstract: Construction and testing of preconditioners of Toeplitz/block Toeplitz matrices using Korovkin's classic theorems of positive linear approximations are known. Later the map implementing preconditioners was observed to be a completely positive map, and this structure led to an abstract formulation of Korovkin-type theorems in a non-commutative setting. Interestingly enough, these preconditioner maps' properties satisfy the properties of an abstract quantum channel in quantum information theory. In this short article, this viewpoint is discussed by computing related quantities such as Kraus representation, channel capacity, fidelity etc. Moreover, the algebraic properties of the class of quantum channels are also discussed.

Abstract: We propose a method of generating and detecting entanglement in two spatially separated excitonpolariton Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) at steady-state. In our scheme we first create a spinor polariton BEC, such that steady-state squeezing is obtained under a one-axis twisting interaction. Then the condensate is split either physically or virtually, which results in entanglement generated between the two parts. A virtual split means that the condensate is not physically split, but its near-field image is divided into two parts and the spin correlations are deduced from polarization measurements in each half. We theoretically model and examine logarithmic negativity criterion and several correlation-based criteria to show that entanglement exists under experimentally achievable parameters.

Abstract: In atomic vapor cells, atoms collide with the inner surface, causing their spin to randomize on the walls. This wall-depolarizing effect is diffusive, and it becomes more pronounced in smaller vapor cells under high temperatures. In this work, we investigate the polarization of optically-pumped alkali-metal atoms in a millimeter-sized cell heated to $% 150 $ Celsius. We consider two extreme boundary conditions: fully depolarizing and nondepolarizing boundaries, and we provide an analytical estimation of the polarization difference between them. In the nondepolarizing case, the pump beam's absorption is proportional to the average atomic polarization. However, for fully depolarizing walls, the absorption peak may correspond to a polarization minimum. To mitigate the wall effect, we propose reducing the pump beam's diameter while maintaining the pump power to prevent illumination of the cell wall and increase the pump intensity in the central area. This is crucial for compact vapor-cell devices where the laser frequency can not be detuned since it is locked to the absorption peaks. Additionally, we analyze the wall-depolarizing effect on the performance of an alkali-metal atomic magnetometer operating in the spin-exchange relaxation-free regime. We show that the signal strength is highly limited by wall collisions, and we provide an upper bound for it.

Abstract: Quantum sensing is a rapidly growing approach to probe fundamental physics, pushing the frontiers with precision measurements in our quest to understand the deep structure of matter and its interactions. This field uses properties of quantum mechanics in the detectors to go beyond traditional measurement techniques. Key particle physics topics where quantum sensing can play a vital role include neutrino properties, tests of fundamental symmetries (Lorentz invariance and the equivalence principle including searches for possible variations in fundamental constants as well as searches for electric dipole moments), the search for dark matter and testing ideas about the nature of dark energy. Interesting new sensor technologies include atom interferometry, optomechanical devices, and atomic and nuclear clocks including with entanglement.This Perspective explores the opportunities for these technologies in future particle physics experiments, opening new windows on the structure of the Universe.

Abstract: The quantum geometric tensor, composed of the quantum metric tensor and Berry curvature, fully encodes the parameter space geometry of a physical system. We first provide a formulation of the quantum geometrical tensor in the path integral formalism that can handle both the ground and excited states, making it useful to characterize excited state quantum phase transitions (ESQPT). In this setting, we also generalize the quantum geometric tensor to incorporate variations of the system parameters and the phase-space coordinates. This gives rise to an alternative approach to the quantum covariance matrix, from which we can get information about the quantum entanglement of Gaussian states through tools such as purity and von Neumann entropy. Second, we demonstrate the equivalence between the formulation of the quantum geometric tensor in the path integral formalism and other existing methods. Furthermore, we explore the geometric properties of the generalized quantum metric tensor in depth by calculating the Ricci tensor and scalar curvature for several quantum systems, providing insight into this geometric information.

Abstract: Cavity optomechanics is a suitable field to explore quantum effects on macroscopic objects, and to develop quantum technologies applications. A perfect control on the laser noises is required to operate the system in such extreme conditions, necessary to reach the quantum regime. In this paper we consider a Fabry-Perot cavity, driven by two laser fields, with two partially reflective SiN membranes inside it. We describe the effects of amplitude and phase noise on the laser introducing two additional noise terms in the Langevin equations of the system's dynamics. Experimentally, we add an artificial source of noise on the laser. We calibrate the intensity of the noise we inject into the system, and we check the validity of the theoretical model. This procedure provides an accurate description of the effects of a noisy laser in the optomechanical setup, and it allows to quantify the amount of noise.

Abstract: Motivated by recent cold-atom realisations of matter-wave waveguide QED, we study simple fermionic impurity models and discuss fermionic analogues of several paradigmatic phenomena in quantum optics, including formation of non-trivial bound states, (matter-wave) emission dynamics, and collective dissipation. For a single impurity, we highlight interesting ground-state features, focusing in particular on real-space signatures of an emergent length scale associated with an impurity screening cloud. We also present novel non-Markovian many-body effects in the quench dynamics of single- and multiple-impurity systems, including fractional decay around the Fermi level and multi-excitation population trapping due to bound states in the continuum.

Abstract: We study the quantum transduction of a superconducting qubit to an optical photon in electro-optomechanical and electro-optomagnonical systems. The electro-optomechanical system comprises a flux-tunable transmon qubit coupled to a suspended mechanical beam, which then couples to an optical cavity. Similarly, in an electro-optomagnonical system, a flux-tunable transmon qubit is coupled to an optical whispering gallery mode via a magnon excitation in a YIG ferromagnetic sphere. In both systems, the transduction process is done in sequence. In the first sequence, the qubit states are encoded in coherent excitations of phonon/magnon modes through the phonon/magnon-qubit interaction, which is non-demolition in the qubit part. We then measure the phonon/magnon excitations, which reveal the qubit states, by counting the average number of photons in the optical cavities. The measurement of the phonon/magnon excitations can be performed at a regular intervals of time.

Abstract: Optical continuous-variable cluster states (CVCSs) in combination with Gottesman-Kitaev-Preskill~(GKP) qubits enable fault-tolerant quantum computation so long as these resources are of high enough quality. Previous studies concluded that a particular CVCS, the quad rail lattice~(QRL), exhibits lower GKP gate-error rate than others do. We show in this work that many other experimentally accessible CVCSs also achieve this level of performance by identifying operational equivalences to the QRL. Under this equivalence, the GKP Clifford gate set for each CVCS maps straightforwardly from that of the QRL, inheriting its noise properties. Furthermore, each cluster state has at its heart a balanced four-splitter -- the four-mode extension to a balanced beam splitter. We classify all four-splitters, show they form a single equivalence class under SWAP and parity operators, and we give a construction of any four-splitter with linear optics, thus extending the toolbox for theoretical and experimental cluster-state design and analysis.

Abstract: The quantum channel decomposition techniques, which contain the so-called probabilistic error cancellation and gate/wire cutting, are powerful approach for simulating a hard-to-implement (or an ideal) unitary operation by concurrently executing relatively easy-to-implement (or noisy) quantum channels. However, such virtual simulation necessitates an exponentially large number of decompositions, thereby significantly limiting their practical applicability. This paper proposes a channel decomposition method for target unitaries that have their input and output conditioned on specific quantum states, namely unitaries with pre- and post-selection. Specifically, we explicitly determine the requisite number of decomposing channels, which could be significantly smaller than the selection-free scenario. Furthermore, we elucidate the structure of the resulting decomposed unitary. We demonstrate an application of this approach to the quantum linear solver algorithm, highlighting the efficacy of the proposed method.

Abstract: Thin-film nanostructures with embedded M\"ossbauer nuclei have been successfully used for x-ray quantum optical applications with hard x-rays coupling in grazing incidence. Here we address theoretically a new geometry, in which hard x-rays are coupled in forward incidence (front coupling), setting the stage for waveguide QED with nuclear x-ray resonances. We develop a general model based on the Green's function formalism of the field-nucleus interaction in one dimensional waveguides, and show that it combines aspects of both nuclear forward scattering, visible as dynamical beating in the spatio-temporal response, and the resonance structure from grazing incidence, visible in the spectrum of guided modes. The interference of multiple modes is shown to play an important role, resulting in beats with wavelengths on the order of tens of microns, on the scale of practical photolithography. This allows for the design of special sample geometries to explore the resonant response or micro-striped waveguides, opening a new toolbox of geometrical design for hard X-ray quantum optics.

Abstract: Using the Petz map, we investigate the potential of state recovery when exposed to dephasing and amplitude-damping channels. Specifically, we analyze the geometrical aspects of the Petz map for the qubit case, which is linked to the change in the volume of accessible states. Our findings suggest that the geometrical characterization can serve as a potent tool for understanding the details of the recovery procedure. Furthermore, we extend our analysis to qudit channels by devising a state-independent framework that quantifies the ability of the Petz map to recover a state for any dimension. Under certain conditions, the dimensionality plays a role in state recovery.

Abstract: Dynamical symmetry algebra for a semiconfined harmonic oscillator model with a position-dependent effective mass is constructed. Selecting the starting point as a well-known factorization method of the Hamiltonian under consideration, we have found three basis elements of this algebra. The algebra defined through those basis elements is a $\mathfrak{su}\left(1,1 \right)$ Heisenberg-Lie algebra. Different special cases and the limit relations from the basis elements to the Heisenberg-Weyl algebra of the non-relativistic quantum harmonic oscillator are discussed, too.

Abstract: We present a proposal for a tunable source of single photons operating in the terahertz (THz) regime. This scheme transforms incident visible photons into quantum THz radiation by driving a single polar quantum emitter with an optical laser, with its permanent dipole enabling dressed THz transitions enhanced by the resonant coupling to a cavity. This mechanism offers optical tunability of properties such as the frequency of the emission or its quantum statistics (ranging from antibunching to entangled multi-photon states) by modifying the intensity and frequency of the drive. We show that the implementation of this proposal is feasible with state-of-the-art photonics technology.

Abstract: Quasi-static transformations, or slow quenches, of many-body quantum systems across quantum critical points create topological defects. The Kibble-Zurek mechanism regulates the appearance of defects in a local quantum system through a classical combinatorial process. However, long-range interactions disrupt the conventional Kibble-Zurek scaling and lead to a density of defects that is independent of the rate of the transformation. In this study, we analytically determine the complete full counting statistics of defects generated by slow annealing a strong long-range system across its quantum critical point. We demonstrate that the mechanism of defect generation in long-range systems is a purely quantum process with no classical equivalent. Furthermore, universality is not only observed in the defect density but also in all the moments of the distribution. Our findings can be tested on various experimental platforms, including Rydberg gases and trapped ions.

Abstract: Universal quantum computing requires non-stabilizer (magic) quantum states. Quantifying the nonstabilizerness and relating it to other quantum resources is vital for characterizing the complexity of quantum many-body systems. In this work, we prove that a quantum state is a stabilizer if and only if all states belonging to its Clifford orbit have a flat probability distribution on the computational basis. This implies, in particular, that multifractal states are magic. We introduce multifractal flatness, a measure based on the participation entropy that quantifies the wave function distribution flatness. We demonstrate that this quantity is analytically related to the stabilizer entropy of the state and present several examples elucidating the relationship between multifractality and nonstabilizerness. In particular, we show that the multifractal flatness provides an experimentally and computationally viable nonstabilizerness certification. Our work unravels a direct relation between the nonstabilizerness of a quantum state and its wave function structure.

Abstract: Quantum key distribution (QKD) is known to be unconditionally secure in principle, but quantifying the security of QKD protocols from a practical standpoint continues to remain an important challenge. Here, we focus on phase-based QKD protocols and characterize the security of the 3 and n-pulse Differential-Phase-Shifted Quantum Key Distribution (DPS QKD) protocols against individual attacks. In particular, we focus on the minimum error discrimination (MED) and cloning attacks and obtain the corresponding bit error rates and the collision probability in the presence of these attacks. We compare the secure key rates thus obtained with the known theoretical lower bounds derived considering a general individual attack. In a departure from the theoretical lower bounds which has no explicit attack strategies, our work provides a practical assessment of the security of these phase-based protocols based on attacks with known implementations.

Abstract: The Pauli strings appearing in the decomposition of an operator can be can be grouped into commuting families, reducing the number of quantum circuits needed to measure the expectation value of the operator. We detail an algorithm to completely partition the full set of Pauli strings acting on any number of qubits into the minimal number of sets of commuting families, and we provide python code to perform the partitioning. The partitioning method scales linearly with the size of the set of Pauli strings and it naturally provides a fast method of diagonalizing the commuting families with quantum gates. We provide a package that integrates the partitioning into Qiskit, and use this to benchmark the algorithm with dense Hamiltonians, such as those that arise in matrix quantum mechanics models, on IBM hardware. We demonstrate computational speedups close to the theoretical limit of $(2/3)^m$ relative to qubit-wise commuting groupings, for $m=2,\dotsc,6$ qubits.