Showing papers in "Physical Review A in 2015"

Progress towards practical quantum variational algorithms

Abstract: The preparation of quantum states using short quantum circuits is one of the most promising near-term applications of small quantum computers, especially if the circuit is short enough and the fidelity of gates high enough that it can be executed without quantum error correction. Such quantum state preparation can be used in variational approaches, optimizing parameters in the circuit to minimize the energy of the constructed quantum state for a given problem Hamiltonian. For this purpose we propose a simple-to-implement class of quantum states motivated by adiabatic state preparation. We test its accuracy and determine the required circuit depth for a Hubbard model on ladders with up to 12 sites (24 spin orbitals), and for small molecules. We find that this ansatz converges faster than previously proposed schemes based on unitary coupled clusters. While the required number of measurements is astronomically large for quantum chemistry applications to molecules, applying the variational approach to the Hubbard model (and related models) is found to be far less demanding and potentially practical on small quantum computers. We also discuss another application of quantum state preparation using short quantum circuits, to prepare trial ground states of models faster than using adiabatic state preparation.

Intrinsic randomness as a measure of quantum coherence

Abstract: Based on the theory of quantum mechanics, intrinsic randomness in measurement distinguishes quantum effects from classical ones. From the perspective of states, this quantum feature can be summarized as coherence or superposition in a specific (classical) computational basis. Recently, by regarding coherence as a physical resource, Baumgratz et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 140401 (2014)] presented a comprehensive framework for coherence measures. Here, we propose a quantum coherence measure essentially using the intrinsic randomness of measurement. The proposed coherence measure provides an answer to the open question in completing the resource theory of coherence. Meanwhile, we show that the coherence distillation process can be treated as quantum extraction, which can be regarded as an equivalent process of classical random number extraction. From this viewpoint, the proposed coherence measure also clarifies the operational aspect of quantum coherence. Finally, our results indicate a strong similarity between two types of quantumness---coherence and entanglement.

Quantum coherence in multipartite systems

Abstract: Within the unified framework of exploiting the relative entropy as a distance measure of quantum correlations, we make explicit the hierarchical structure of quantum coherence, quantum discord, and quantum entanglement in multipartite systems. On this basis, we define a basis-independent measure of quantum coherence and prove that it is exactly equivalent to quantum discord. Furthermore, since the original relative entropy of coherence is a basis-dependent quantity, we investigate the local and nonlocal unitary creation of quantum coherence, focusing on the two-qubit unitary gates. Intriguingly, our results demonstrate that nonlocal unitary gates do not necessarily outperform the local unitary gates. Finally, the additivity relationship of quantum coherence in tripartite systems is discussed in detail, where the strong subadditivity of von Neumann entropy plays an essential role.

High-harmonic generation from Bloch electrons in solids

Abstract: We study the generation of high-harmonic radiation by Bloch electrons in a model transparent solid driven by a strong midinfrared laser field. We solve the single-electron time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation (TDSE) using a velocity-gauge method [M. Korbman et al., New J. Phys. 15, 013006 (2013)] that is numerically stable as the laser intensity and number of energy bands are increased. The resulting harmonic spectrum exhibits a primary plateau due to the coupling of the valence band to the first conduction band, with a cutoff energy that scales linearly with field strength and laser wavelength. We also find a weaker second plateau due to coupling to higher-lying conduction bands, with a cutoff that is also approximately linear in the field strength. To facilitate the analysis of the time-frequency characteristics of the emitted harmonics, we also solve the TDSE in a time-dependent basis set, the Houston states [J. B. Krieger and G. J. Iafrate, Phys. Rev. B 33, 5494 (1986)], which allows us to separate interband and intraband contributions to the time-dependent current. We find that the interband and intraband contributions display very different time-frequency characteristics. We show that solutions in these two bases are equivalent under a unitary transformation but that, unlike the velocity-gauge method, the Houston state treatment is numerically unstable when more than a few low-lying energy bands are used.

Modeling spontaneous breaking of time-translation symmetry

Abstract: We show that an ultracold atomic cloud bouncing on an oscillating mirror can reveal spontaneous breaking of a discrete time-translation symmetry. In many-body simulations, we illustrate the process of the symmetry breaking that can be induced by atomic losses or by a measurement of particle positions. The results pave the way for understanding and realization of the time crystal idea where crystalline structures form in the time domain due to spontaneous breaking of continuous time-translation symmetry.

Solving strongly correlated electron models on a quantum computer

Abstract: Researchers propose a step-by-step quantum recipe to find the ground state of models of strongly interacting electrons.

Quantum optics of chiral spin networks

Abstract: We study the driven-dissipative dynamics of a network of spin-1/2 systems coupled to one or more chiral 1D bosonic waveguides within the framework of a Markovian master equation. We determine how the interplay between a coherent drive and collective decay processes can lead to the formation of pure multipartite entangled steady states. The key ingredient for the emergence of these many-body dark states is an asymmetric coupling of the spins to left and right propagating guided modes. Such systems are motivated by experimental possibilities with internal states of atoms coupled to optical fibers, or motional states of trapped atoms coupled to a spin-orbit coupled Bose-Einstein condensate. We discuss the characterization of the emerging multipartite entanglement in this system in terms of the Fisher information.

Duality of quantum coherence and path distinguishability

Abstract: We derive a generalized wave-particle duality relation for arbitrary multipath quantum interference phenomena. Beyond the conventional notion of the wave nature of a quantum system, i.e., the interference fringe visibility, we introduce a quantifier as the normalized quantum coherence, recently defined in the framework of quantum information theory. To witness the particle nature, we quantify the path distinguishability or the which-path information based on unambiguous quantum state discrimination. Then, the Bohr complementarity principle for multipath quantum interference can be stated as a duality relation between the quantum coherence and the path distinguishability. For two-path interference, the quantum coherence is identical to the interference fringe visibility, and the relation reduces to the well-known complementarity relation. The duality relation continues to hold in the case where mixedness is introduced due to possible decoherence effects.

Rydberg-blockade controlled- not gate and entanglement in a two-dimensional array of neutral-atom qubits

Abstract: We present experimental results on two-qubit Rydberg-blockade quantum gates and entanglement in a two-dimensional qubit array. Without postselection against atom loss we achieve a Bell state fidelity of $0.73\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05$. The experiments are performed in an array of single Cs atom qubits with a site to site spacing of $3.8\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$. Using the standard protocol for a Rydberg-blockade ${C}_{Z}$ gate together with single qubit operations we create Bell states and measure their fidelity using parity oscillations. We analyze the role of ac Stark shifts that occur when using two-photon Rydberg excitation and show how to tune experimental conditions for optimal gate fidelity.

Fidelity and trace-norm distances for quantifying coherence

Abstract: We investigate the coherence measures induced by fidelity and trace norm, based on the coherence quantification recently proposed by Baumgratz et al. [T. Baumgratz, M. Cramer, and M. B. Plenio, Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 140401 (2014)]. We show that the fidelity of coherence does not in general satisfy the monotonicity requirement as a measure of coherence under the subselection of the measurement condition. We find that the trace norm of coherence can act as a measure of coherence for qubits and some special class of qutrits with some restrictions on the incoherent operators, while the general case needs to be explored further.

Probing for quantum speedup in spin-glass problems with planted solutions

Abstract: The availability of quantum annealing devices with hundreds of qubits has made the experimental demonstration of a quantum speedup for optimization problems a coveted, albeit elusive goal Going beyond earlier studies of random Ising problems, here we introduce a method to construct a set of frustrated Ising-model optimization problems with tunable hardness We study the performance of a D-Wave Two device (DW2) with up to 503 qubits on these problems and compare it to a suite of classical algorithms, including a highly optimized algorithm designed to compete directly with the DW2 The problems are generated around predetermined ground-state configurations, called planted solutions, which makes them particularly suitable for benchmarking purposes The problem set exhibits properties familiar from constraint satisfaction (SAT) problems, such as a peak in the typical hardness of the problems, determined by a tunable clause density parameter We bound the hardness regime where the DW2 device either does not or might exhibit a quantum speedup for our problem set While we do not find evidence for a speedup for the hardest and most frustrated problems in our problem set, we cannot rule out that a speedup might exist for some of the easier, less frustrated problems Our empirical findings pertain to the specific D-Wave processor and problem set we studied and leave open the possibility that future processors might exhibit a quantum speedup on the same problem set

Inequivalence of entanglement, steering, and Bell nonlocality for general measurements

Abstract: Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering is a form of inseparability in quantum theory commonly acknowledged to be intermediate between entanglement and Bell nonlocality. However, this statement has so far only been proven for a restricted class of measurements, namely, projective measurements. Here we prove that entanglement, one-way steering, two-way steering, and nonlocality are genuinely different considering general measurements, i.e., single round positive-operator-valued measures. Finally, we show that the use of sequences of measurements is relevant for steering tests, as they can be used to reveal ``hidden steering.''

Chemical Basis of Trotter-Suzuki Errors in Quantum Chemistry Simulation

Abstract: Although the simulation of quantum chemistry is one of the most anticipated applications of quantum computing, the scaling of known upper bounds on the complexity of these algorithms is daunting. Prior work has bounded errors due to discretization of the time evolution (known as ``Trotterization'') in terms of the norm of the error operator and analyzed scaling with respect to the number of spin orbitals. However, we find that these error bounds can be loose by up to 16 orders of magnitude for some molecules. Furthermore, numerical results for small systems fail to reveal any clear correlation between ground-state error and number of spin orbitals. We instead argue that chemical properties, such as the maximum nuclear charge in a molecule and the filling fraction of orbitals, can be decisive for determining the cost of a quantum simulation. Our analysis motivates several strategies to use classical processing to further reduce the required Trotter step size and estimate the necessary number of steps, without requiring additional quantum resources. Finally, we demonstrate improved methods for state preparation techniques which are asymptotically superior to proposals in the simulation literature.

Conditions for coherence transformations under incoherent operations

Abstract: We build in this paper the counterpart of the celebrated Nielsen theorem for coherence manipulation. This offers an affirmative answer to the open question: whether, given two states $\ensuremath{\rho}$ and $\ensuremath{\sigma}$, either $\ensuremath{\rho}$ can be transformed into $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ or vice versa under incoherent operations [Baumgratz et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 140401 (2014)]. As a consequence, we find that there exist essentially different types of coherence. Moreover, incoherent operations can be enhanced in the presence of certain coherent states. These extra states are coherent catalysts: they allow uncertain incoherent operations to be realized without being consumed in any way. Our main result also sheds light on the construction of coherence measures.

Steady-state mechanical squeezing in an optomechanical system via Duffing nonlinearity

Abstract: Quantum squeezing in mechanical systems is not only a key signature of macroscopic quantum effects, but can also be utilized to advance the metrology of weak forces. Here we show that strong mechanical squeezing in the steady state can be generated in an optomechanical system with mechanical nonlinearity and red-detuned monochromatic driving on the cavity mode. The squeezing is achieved as the joint effect of nonlinearity-induced parametric amplification and cavity cooling and is robust against thermal fluctuations of the mechanical mode. We also show that the mechanical squeezing can be detected via an ancilla cavity mode.

Impurity in a Bose-Einstein condensate: Study of the attractive and repulsive branch using quantum Monte Carlo methods

Abstract: We investigate the properties of an impurity immersed in a dilute Bose gas at zero temperature using quantum Monte Carlo methods. The interactions between bosons are modeled by a hard-sphere potential with scattering length $a$, whereas the interactions between the impurity and the bosons are modeled by a short-range, square-well potential where both the sign and the strength of the scattering length $b$ can be varied by adjusting the well depth. We characterize the attractive and the repulsive polaron branch by calculating the binding energy and the effective mass of the impurity. Furthermore, we investigate the structural properties of the bath, such as the impurity-boson contact parameter and the change of the density profile around the impurity. At the unitary limit of the impurity-boson interaction, we find that the effective mass of the impurity remains smaller than twice its bare mass, while the binding energy scales with ${\ensuremath{\hbar}}^{2}{n}^{2/3}/m$, where $n$ is the density of the bath and $m$ is the common mass of the impurity and the bosons in the bath. The implications for the phase diagram of binary Bose-Bose mixtures at low concentrations are also discussed.

General description of quasiadiabatic dynamical phenomena near exceptional points

Abstract: The appearance of so-called exceptional points in the complex spectra of non-Hermitian systems is often associated with phenomena that contradict our physical intuition. One example of particular interest is the state-exchange process predicted for an adiabatic encircling of an exceptional point. In this work we analyze this and related processes for the generic system of two coupled oscillator modes with loss or gain. We identify a characteristic system evolution consisting of periods of quasistationarity interrupted by abrupt nonadiabatic transitions and we present a qualitative and quantitative description of this switching behavior by connecting the problem to the phenomenon of stability loss delay. This approach makes accurate predictions for the breakdown of the adiabatic theorem as well as the occurrence of chiral behavior observed previously in this context and provides a general framework to model and understand quasiadiabatic dynamical effects in non-Hermitian systems.

Generalized Gibbs ensembles for quantum field theories

Abstract: We consider the non-equilibrium dynamics in isolated systems, described by quantum field theories (QFTs) After being prepared in a density matrix that is not an eigenstate of the Hamiltonian, such systems are expected to relax locally to a stationary state In a presence of local conservation laws, these stationary states are believed to be described by appropriate generalized Gibbs ensembles Here we demonstrate that in order to obtain a correct description of the stationary state, it is necessary to take into account conservation laws that are not (ultra-)local in the usual sense of QFT, but fulfil a significantly weaker form of locality We discuss implications of our results for integrable QFTs in one spatial dimension

Decoherence in adiabatic quantum computation

Abstract: Recent experiments with increasingly larger numbers of qubits have sparked renewed interest in adiabatic quantum computation, and in particular quantum annealing. A central question that is repeatedly asked is whether quantum features of the evolution can survive over the long time scales used for quantum annealing relative to standard measures of the decoherence time. We reconsider the role of decoherence in adiabatic quantum computation and quantum annealing using the adiabatic quantum master-equation formalism. We restrict ourselves to the weak-coupling and singular-coupling limits, which correspond to decoherence in the energy eigenbasis and in the computational basis, respectively. We demonstrate that decoherence in the instantaneous energy eigenbasis does not necessarily detrimentally affect adiabatic quantum computation, and in particular that a short single-qubit ${T}_{2}$ time need not imply adverse consequences for the success of the quantum adiabatic algorithm. We further demonstrate that boundary cancellation methods, designed to improve the fidelity of adiabatic quantum computing in the closed-system setting, remain beneficial in the open-system setting. To address the high computational cost of master-equation simulations, we also demonstrate that a quantum Monte Carlo algorithm that explicitly accounts for a thermal bosonic bath can be used to interpolate between classical and quantum annealing. Our study highlights and clarifies the significantly different role played by decoherence in the adiabatic and circuit models of quantum computing.

Imaging and addressing of individual fermionic atoms in an optical lattice

Abstract: High-resolution in situ imaging and manipulation of ultracold fermionic atoms in optical lattices are achieved experimentally for ${}^{40}$K with single-atom sensitivity. The tomographic imaging technique provides a promising tool to explore the physics of intriguing quantum many-body quantum phenomena in fermionic systems, such as unconventional superfluidity, transport and nonequilibrium dynamics, and the formation of magnetic domains.

Searching for quantum speedup in quasistatic quantum annealers

Abstract: We argue that a quantum annealer at very long annealing times is likely to experience a quasistatic evolution, returning a final population that is close to a Boltzmann distribution of the Hamiltonian at a single (freeze-out) point during the annealing. Such a system is expected to correlate with classical algorithms that return the same equilibrium distribution. These correlations do not mean that the evolution of the system is classical or can be simulated by these algorithms. The computation time extracted from such a distribution reflects the equilibrium behavior with no information about the underlying quantum dynamics. This makes the search for quantum speedup problematic.

Measuring the nonseparability of vector vortex beams

Abstract: Vector beams have the defining property of nonseparable spatial and polarization degrees of freedom and are now routinely generated in the laboratory and used in a myriad of applications. Here we exploit the nonseparability of such beams, akin to entanglement of quantum states, to apply tools traditionally associated with quantum measurements to these classical fields. We find that the entanglement entropy is a proxy for the average degree of polarization and thus provides a single number for the vector nature of such beams. In addition to providing tools for the analysis of vector beams, we also explore the concept of classical entanglement to explain why these tools are appropriate in the first place.

Complementarity relations for quantum coherence

Abstract: Various measures have been suggested recently for quantifying the coherence of a quantum state with respect to a given basis. We first use two of these, the ${l}_{1}$-norm and relative entropy measures, to investigate tradeoffs between the coherences of mutually unbiased bases. Results include relations between coherence, uncertainty, and purity; tight general bounds restricting the coherences of mutually unbiased bases; and an exact complementarity relation for qubit coherences. We further define the average coherence of a quantum state. For the ${l}_{1}$-norm measure this is related to a natural ``coherence radius'' for the state and leads to a conjecture for an ${l}_{2}$-norm measure of coherence. For relative entropy the average coherence is determined by the difference between the von Neumann entropy and the quantum subentropy of the state and leads to upper bounds for the latter quantity. Finally, we point out that the relative entropy of coherence is a special case of G-asymmetry, which immediately yields several operational interpretations in contexts as diverse as frame alignment, quantum communication, and metrology, and suggests generalizing the property of quantum coherence to arbitrary groups of physical transformations.

Floquet topological transitions in a driven one-dimensional topological insulator

Abstract: The Su--Schrieffer--Heeger model of polyacetylene is a paradigmatic Hamiltonian exhibiting nontrivial edge states. By using Floquet theory we study how the spectrum of this one-dimensional topological insulator is affected by a time-dependent potential. In particular, we provide evidence of the competition among different photon-assisted processes and the native topology of the unperturbed Hamiltonian to settle the resulting topology at different driving frequencies. While some regions of the quasienergy spectrum develop new gaps hosting Floquet edge states, the native gap can be dramatically reduced and the original edge states may be destroyed or replaced by new Floquet edge states. Our study is complemented by an analysis of the Zak phase applied to the Floquet bands. Besides serving as a simple example for understanding the physics of driven topological phases, our results could find a promising testing ground in cold-matter experiments.

Multiphoton-scattering theory and generalized master equations

Abstract: The analysis of photon scattering is a major challenge in the multiphoton regime. A framework based on a path-integral formalism provides a route to explore such dynamics, helping to investigate the quantum statistics of photons interacting with complex structures.

Attonewton force detection using microspheres in a dual-beam optical trap in high vacuum

Abstract: We describe the implementation of laser-cooled silica microspheres as force sensors in a dual-beam optical dipole trap in high vacuum. Using this system we have demonstrated trap lifetimes exceeding several days, attonewton force detection capability, and wide tunability in trapping and cooling parameters. Measurements have been performed with charged and neutral beads to calibrate the sensitivity of the detector. This work establishes the suitability of dual-beam optical dipole traps for precision force measurement in high vacuum with long averaging times, and enables future applications including the study of gravitational inverse square law violations at short range, Casimir forces, acceleration sensing, and quantum optomechanics.

Stimulated Brillouin Scattering in integrated photonic waveguides: forces, scattering mechanisms and coupled mode analysis

Abstract: Recent theoretical studies of Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS) in nanoscale devices have led to an intense research effort dedicated to the demonstration and application of this nonlinearity in on-chip systems. The key feature of SBS in integrated photonic waveguides is that small, highcontrast waveguides are predicted to experience powerful optical forces on the waveguide boundaries, which are predicted to further boost the SBS gain that is already expected to grow dramatically in such structures because of the higher mode confinement alone. In all recent treatments, the effect of radiation pressure is included separately from the scattering action that the acoustic field exerts on the optical field. In contrast to this, we show here that the effects of radiation pressure and motion of the waveguide boundaries are inextricably linked. Central to this insight is a new formulation of the SBS interaction that unifies the treatment of light and sound, incorporating all relevant interaction mechanisms — radiation pressure, waveguide boundary motion, electrostriction and photoelasticity — from a rigorous thermodynamic perspective. Our approach also clarifies important points of ambiguity in the literature, such as the nature of edge-effects with regard to electrostriction, and of body-forces with respect to radiation pressure. This new perspective on Brillouin processes leads to physical insight with implications for the design and fabrication of SBS-based nanoscale devices.

Sum-of-squares decompositions for a family of Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt-like inequalities and their application to self-testing

Abstract: We introduce two families of sum-of-squares (SOS) decompositions for the Bell operators associated with the tilted Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt (CHSH) expressions introduced in Ac\'{\i}n et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 100402 (2012)]. These SOS decompositions provide tight upper bounds on the maximal quantum value of these Bell expressions. Moreover, they establish algebraic relations that are necessarily satisfied by any quantum state and observables yielding the optimal quantum value. These algebraic relations are then used to show that the tilted CHSH expressions provide robust self-tests for any partially entangled two-qubit state. This application to self-testing follows closely the approach of Yang and Navascu\'es [Phys. Rev. A 87, 050102(R) (2013)], where we identify and correct two nontrivial flaws.

Consistency tests of classical and quantum models for a quantum annealer

Abstract: Recently the question of whether the D-Wave processors exhibit large-scale quantum behavior or can be described by a classical model has attracted significant interest. In this work we address this question by studying a 503 qubit D-Wave Two device in the "black box" model, i.e., by studying its input-output behavior. Our work generalizes an approach introduced in Boixo et al. [Nat. Commun. 4, 2067 (2013)], and uses groups of up to 20 qubits to realize a transverse Ising model evolution with a ground state degeneracy whose distribution acts as a sensitive probe that distinguishes classical and quantum models for the D-Wave device. Our findings rule out all classical models proposed to date for the device and provide evidence that an open system quantum dynamical description of the device that starts from a quantized energy level structure is well justified, even in the presence of relevant thermal excitations and a small value of the ratio of the single-qubit decoherence time to the annealing time.

Maximally coherent mixed states: Complementarity between maximal coherence and mixedness

Abstract: Quantum coherence is a key element in topical research on quantum resource theories and a primary facilitator for design and implementation of quantum technologies. However, the resourcefulness of quantum coherence is severely restricted by environmental noise, which is indicated by the loss of information in a quantum system, measured in terms of its purity. In this work, we derive the limits imposed by the mixedness of a quantum system on the amount of quantum coherence that it can possess. We obtain an analytical trade-off between the two quantities that upperbound the maximum quantum coherence for fixed mixedness in a system. This gives rise to a class of quantum states, ``maximally coherent mixed states,'' whose coherence cannot be increased further under any purity-preserving operation. For the above class of states, quantum coherence and mixedness satisfy a complementarity relation, which is crucial to understand the interplay between a resource and noise in open quantum systems.