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Wednesday 15 October

Quantum Physics

Quantum Dynamics, Master Equation and Equilibrium for a Qubit Coupled to a Thermal Boson Field

We analytically derive the exact – though formal – master equation for a two-level quantum system (qubit) interacting with a bosonic environment within the rotating-wave approximation, assuming the environment is initially in an arbitrary thermal state. The long-time behavior of the evolution operator governing the dynamics of both the system and the environment is analyzed, and the conditions under which the system approaches thermal equilibrium are examined.
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Quantum Physics

Software-enhanced simultaneous quantum-classical communication protocol with Gaussian post-selection

Simultaneous quantum-classical communication (SQCC) protocols offer a practical approach to continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CV-QKD) by encoding quantum and classical signals onto the same optical pulse. However, like most QKD protocols, their performance is limited when experimental parameters, such as modulation variance, are optimised based on stationary channel assumptions. In fluctuating environments, such as free-space links, this can result in sub-optimal key rates and reduced transmission distances. In this work, we introduce Gaussian post-selection into the SQCC framework, enabling a software-based optimisation of the modulation variance after channel estimation. This passive approach enhances key rates in both asymptotic and finite-size regimes without requiring hardware modifications and remains effective even when receiver imperfections are taken into account. We demonstrate that our protocol improves the transmission distance and robustness of SQCC relative to the standard fixed-variance SQCC protocol, and approaches the performance of a fully pre-optimised system across both fibre and free-space channels. In particular, we show that the protocol enables full communication windows under ideal weather conditions and maintains higher duty cycles during adverse weather in satellite-to-ground scenarios. These results highlight the practicality of post-selection based SQCC for real-world quantum communication over both terrestrial fibre networks and satellite-based free-space links.
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All authors Ozlem Erkilic, Biveen Shajilal, Nicholas Zaunders, Timothy C. Ralph

Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from physics.optics

Breaking On/Off-coupling Loss Degeneracies via Bidirectional Nonlinear Optics

Accurate evaluation of nonlinear photonic integrated circuits requires separating input and output coupling efficiencies (i.e., $\eta_1$ and $\eta_2$), yet the conventional linear-transmission calibration method recovers only their product (i.e., $\eta_1\,\eta_2$) and therefore introduces systematic bias when inferring on-chip performance from off-chip data. We present bidirectional nonlinear optical tomography (BNOT), a direction-aware metrology that uses forward and backward pumping of complementary nonlinear probes, with process-appropriate detection, to break the “degeneracy” of $\eta_1\,\eta_2$ and estimate individual interface efficiencies with tight confidence intervals. The method links off-chip measurements to on-chip quantities through a compact observation model that explicitly incorporates pump fluctuations and detector noise, and it frames efficiency extraction as a joint constrained optimization. Monte Carlo studies show unbiased convergence of the estimated efficiencies to ground truth with low error across realistic operating regimes. Using these efficiency estimates to reconstruct on-chip nonlinear figures of merit yields distributions centered on the true values with reduced variance, whereas conventional “degenerate” calibration is biased and can substantially misestimate on-chip performance. BNOT is hardware-compatible and platform-agnostic, and provides unbiased characterization of off- and on-chip coupling efficiencies across nonlinear processes, enabling reproducible, coupling-resolved benchmarking for scalable systems in quantum optics, frequency conversion, and precision metrology.
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All authors Bo-Han Wu, Mahmoud Jalali Mehrabad, Mengjie Yu, Dirk Englund

Quantum Physics

Optimal key rates for quantum key distribution with partial source characterization

Numerical security proofs based on conic optimization are known to deliver optimal secret-key rates, but so far they have mostly assumed that the emitted states are fully characterized. In practice, this assumption is unrealistic, since real devices inevitably suffer from imperfections and side channels that are extremely difficult to model in detail. Here, we extend conic-optimization methods to scenarios where only partial information about the emitted states is known, covering both prepare-and-measure and measurement-device-independent protocols. We demonstrate that our method outperforms state-of-the-art analytical and numerical approaches under realistic source imperfections, especially for protocols that use non-qubit encodings. These results advance numerical-based proofs towards a standard, implementation-ready framework for evaluating quantum key distribution protocols in the presence of source imperfections.
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Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from cs.PL

Imperative Quantum Programming with Ownership and Borrowing in Guppy

Linear types enforce no-cloning and no-deleting theorems in functional quantum programming. However, in imperative quantum programming, they have not gained widespread adoption. This work aims to develop a quantum type system that combines ergonomic linear typing with imperative semantics and maintains safety guarantees. All ideas presented here have been implemented in Quantinuum's Guppy programming language.
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All authors Mark Koch, Agustín Borgna, Craig Roy, Alan Lawrence, Kartik Singhal, Seyon Sivarajah, Ross Duncan

Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from cond-mat.quant-gas

Macroscopic Self-Trapping and Dynamical Phase Transition in Momentum Space Bose-Einstein Condensates

Self-trapping is a hallmark phenomenon of nonlinear dynamics. It has significant applications in modern physics, including band structure engineering, phase transition dynamics, quantum metrology, and more. Dilute-gas Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs), in which self-trapping can arise from interatomic interactions, are a prime testbed for probing nonlinear dynamics. In this Letter, we report the observation of self-trapping in a spin-orbit coupled BEC subjected to a stationary optical lattice. We employ Raman-induced spin-orbit coupling, complemented by a matching optical lattice that facilitates coupling between momentum eigenstates of the spin-orbit coupled system. By ramping the Raman detuning, we probe atomic current flow between these eigenstates and identify a clear distinction between a delocalized mixed state and a self-trapped regime. Following a quench of the Raman detuning, the time-averaged atomic current exhibits non-analytic behavior across the transition between these two regimes in certain parameter ranges, signaling a dynamical phase transition in the system.
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All authors Colby Schimelfenig, Federico Serrano, Corey Halverson, Annesh Mukhopadhyay, Qingze Guan, Peter Engels

Quantum Physics

Blind-spots of Randomized Benchmarking Under Temporal Correlations

Randomized benchmarking (RB) is a widely adopted protocol for estimating the average gate fidelity in quantum hardware. However, its standard formulation relies on the assumption of temporally uncorrelated noise, an assumption often violated in current devices. In this work, we derive analytic expressions for the average sequence fidelity (ASF) in the presence of temporally correlated (non-Markovian) noise with classical memory, including cases where such correlations originate from interactions with a quantum environment. We show how the ASF can be interpreted to extract meaningful benchmarking parameters under such noise and identify classes of interaction Hamiltonians that render temporal correlations completely invisible to RB. We further provide operational criteria for witnessing temporal correlations due to quantum memory through RB experiments. Importantly, while classical correlations may remain undetectable in the ASF data, they can nonetheless significantly affect worst-case errors quantified by the diamond norm, a metric central to fault tolerant quantum computing. In particular, we demonstrate that temporal correlations may suppress worst-case errors highlighting that temporal correlations may not always have detrimental effects on gate performance.
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All authors Varun Srivastava, Abhinash Kumar Roy, Soumik Mahanti, Jasleen Kaur, Salini Karuvade, Alexei Gilchrist

Tuesday 14 October

Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from q-bio.NC

Bayes or Heisenberg: Who(se) Rules?

Although quantum systems are generally described by quantum state vectors, we show that in certain cases their measurement processes can be reformulated as probabilistic equations expressed in terms of probabilistic state vectors. These probabilistic representations can, in turn, be approximated by the neural network dynamics of the Tensor Brain (TB) model. The Tensor Brain is a recently proposed framework for modeling perception and memory in the brain, providing a biologically inspired mechanism for efficiently integrating generated symbolic representations into reasoning processes.
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All authors Volker Tresp, Hang Li, Federico Harjes, Yunpu Ma

Quantum Physics

Quantumness near the Schwarzschild black hole based on W-state

We investigate certain quantumness in the vicinity of the Schwarzschild black hole by utilizing the W state. We explore the influence of the Hawking effect on the l_1-norm of quantum coherence, the first-order coherence (FOC), the concurrence-fill (CF) and the global concurrence (GC) in Schwarzschild black hole, for systems with one, two and three physically accessible modes. We conclude that the Hawking effect of the black hole not only disrupts but also enhance the quantum entanglement, while destroying the quantum coherence for systems with three physically accessible modes. For systems with one or two physically accessible modes, the Hawking effect exerts a positive influence on quantum coherence and quantum entanglement. Moreover, we study the influence of both the Hawking effect and environmental noise (AD channels) on l_1-norm of quantum coherence, FOC, CF and GC. It is demonstrated that for systems with three physically accessible modes, the Hawking effect of the black hole disrupts quantum coherence but exerts a positive influence on quantum entanglement under the AD channels.
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All authors Guang-Wei Mi, Xiaofen Huang, Shao-Ming Fei, Tinggui Zhang

Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from cond-mat.str-el

Entanglement spectrum of gapless topological phases: a case study with topological superconductors

Using bulk gapless topological superconductors in both 1d and 2d as free fermion model examples, we demonstrate the power of subsystem correlation spectrum (the spectrum of correlation matrix), or equivalently the entanglement spectrum for the case of free fermions, in characterizing the topology of the non-trivial ground state. For the systems considered, we show that signatures of the lowenergy spectrum, including both the edge modes and the bulk modes, appear in the correlation spectrum, albeit with different behaviors. This work generalizes the 2d Li-Haldane entanglement spectrum characterization of topological edge states to 2d topological systems with gapless bulk.
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Quantum Physics

Simulation-Free Fidelity Estimation via Quantum Output Order Statistics

We introduce a simulation-free method to estimate the fidelity of large quantum circuits based on the order statistics of measured output probabilities from highly entangled, chaotic states. The approach requires only the highest-probability output bitstrings – the most frequently observed measurement outcomes – and builds on exact analytical results for the order statistics of Haar-random quantum states derived here. Analyzing their modification under depolarizing noise, we propose a scalable fidelity estimator, validated on Google's 12-qubit Sycamore experiment and further supported by numerical simulations. We demonstrate its practicality for intermediate-scale quantum circuits, where cross-entropy benchmarking is costly and direct fidelity estimation is difficult.
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Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from cond-mat.quant-gas

The Infra-Red Road to Quantum Gravity

We review work in areas ranging from condensed matter physics to quantum gravity, with the following interconnected questions in mind: (i) what is the nature of the vacuum in condensed matter systems, in quantum field theory, and in classical and quantum gravity; (ii) how do analogies between these systems work, how well do they work, and how useful are they; (iii) what modifications can we make to quantum mechanics to deal with quantum gravity, and (iv) how and why low-energy theories of quantum gravity are, in our view, the right way to make progress in this field. We use many different examples to illustrate our arguments.
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Quantum Physics

Quantum Key Distribution in the Iberian Peninsula

A promising use of quantum networking is quantum key distribution (QKD), which can provide information-theoretic security unattainable by classical means. While optical fiber-based QKD networks suffer from exponential loss, satellite-assisted quantum communication offers a scalable solution for long-distance secure key exchange. In this work, we propose and evaluate a satellite-based QKD setup covering the Iberian Peninsula, linking Madrid with Barcelona, Bilbao, and Lisbon. Our proposed setup uses a Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) state-of-the-art satellite equipped with a spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) source to distribute entangled photon pairs to ground stations. Considering vibrations in the satellite, we optimize the beam waist to enhance the transmission probability and improve the secret key rate (SKR). Our results show that key rates sufficient for real-world applications, such as secure communication between hospitals, using hybrid classical-quantum protocols are feasible with existing protocols. Our results highlight the viability of near-term satellite-based QKD networks for national-scale secure communications.
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All authors Vicky Domínguez Tubío, Mario Badás Aldecocea, David L. Bakker, Gustavo C. Amaral, Diego López, Johannes Borregaard

Quantum Physics

Probing Qubit Noise with a Channel-Resolved Post-Markovian Master Equation

Accurate noise characterization is essential for scaling quantum processors toward fault-tolerant operation. Although reduced qubit dynamics are often modeled with Markovian master equations, present-day devices can exhibit memory effects generated by residual qubit-qubit couplings, structured environments, and finite bath correlation times. Here we develop a channel-resolved, Post-Markovian Master Equation model for non-Markovian noise and test it in superconducting qubits. Using idle-evolution tomography on IBM Quantum processors, we identify complementary operational signatures of non-Markovianity, including violations of CP-divisibility and revivals of distinguishability-based information-backflow measures. We further derive a closed-form spectator-$ZZ$ model with local dissipation and show that it captures the observed transverse Bloch-vector revivals while leaving the longitudinal relaxation mode Markovian within the model. The fitted closed-form dynamics enable an analytical reconstruction of the transverse memory kernel, whose damped oscillatory structure captures the non-Markovian correction beyond the fitted Markovian baseline. Two-qubit tomography shows buildup and revivals of quantum mutual information on comparable timescales, supporting spectator-induced crosstalk as an important contributor to the observed memory effects. Our results connect operational non-Markovianity diagnostics, microscopic crosstalk modeling, and reduced memory-kernel reconstruction in a single experimental framework for superconducting quantum hardware.
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All authors Chun-Tse Li, Jingming Tan, Vasil Gucev, Daniel A. Lidar

Quantum Physics

Many-body post-processing of density functional calculations using the variational quantum eigensolver for Bader charge analysis

Quantum chemistry and condensed matter physics are among the most promising applications of quantum computers. Further, estimating properties of a material is crucial to evaluate its industrial applications. To investigate charge distributions of weakly and strongly correlated systems we calculate Bader charges for various periodic systems by solving many-body Hamiltonians using the variational quantum eigensolver. The Hamiltonians are computed from Kohn-Sham orbitals obtained from a prior DFT calculation. We first demonstrate the accuracy of our method on various doped MgH2 supercells. Further, we show that our approach, compared to standard DFT, significantly improves the Bader charge values for strongly correlated transition metal oxides, where we take DFT+U results as a reference. The computational framework behind our many-body calculations, called Dopyqo, is made openly available as a software package.
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Quantum Physics

Can outcome communication explain Bell nonlocality?

A central aspect of quantum information is that correlations between spacelike separated observers sharing entangled states cannot be reproduced by local hidden variable (LHV) models, a phenomenon known as Bell nonlocality. If one wishes to explain such correlations by classical means, a natural possibility is to allow communication between the parties. In particular, LHV models augmented with two bits of classical communication can explain the correlations of any two-qubit state. Would this still hold if communication is restricted to measurement outcomes? While in certain scenarios with a finite number of inputs the answer is yes, we prove that if a model must reproduce all projective measurements, then for any qubit-qudit state the answer is no. In fact, a qubit-qudit under projective measurements admits an LHV model with outcome communication if and only if it already admits an LHV model without communication. On the other hand, we also show that when restricted sets of measurements are considered (for instance, when the qubit measurements are in the upper hemisphere of the Bloch ball), outcome communication does offer an advantage. This exemplifies that trivial properties in standard LHV scenarios, such as deterministic measurements and outcome-relabelling, play a crucial role in the outcome communication scenario.
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All authors Carlos Vieira, Carlos de Gois, Pedro Lauand, Lucas E. A. Porto, Sébastien Designolle, Marco Túlio Quintino

Quantum Physics

Statistical phase-space complexity of continuous-variable quantum channels

The statistical complexity of continuous-variable quantum states can be characterized with a quantifier defined in terms of information-theoretic quantities derived from the Husimi Q-function. In this work, we utilize this complexity quantifier of quantum states to study the complexity of single-mode bosonic quantum channels. We define the complexity of quantum channels as the maximal amount of complexity they can generate from an initial state with the minimal complexity. We illustrate this concept by evaluating the complexity of Gaussian channels and some examples of non-Gaussian channels.
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All authors Siting Tang, Francesco Albarelli, Yue Zhang, Shunlong Luo, Matteo G. A. Paris

Quantum Physics

Censorship of quantum resources against catalytic account sharing

In quantum censorship, an agency oversees quantum communication in a public-domain network. The agency restricts the users communication to the free states of a quantum resource theory (QRT). Despite quantum correlations being fragile, any realistic censorship leaves behind some quantumness, raising concerns that censorship may be overcome through revival or distillation of quantum resources. Here, we introduce censorship protocols that do not require a perfect erasure of a quantum resource, but rather deem censorship successful if users are unable to restore the original quantum state using free operations. We investigate under which conditions censorship is secure, and when it might fail. Moreover, we address the issue of account sharing in quantum networks, wherein independent parties assist in transmitting quantum resources to censored users. This connects resource censorship to timely topics such as quantum catalysis and resource-assisted communication. Censorship protocols offer a novel perspective on quantum network security, that differs fundamentally from existing approaches such as quantum and post-quantum cryptography.
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Quantum Physics

Tunable quantum Mpemba effect in long-range interacting systems

Symmetry plays a fundamental role in many-body systems, both in and out of equilibrium. The quantum Mpemba effect (QME) - a phenomenon where systems initially farther from equilibrium can thermalize faster - can be understood in terms of how rapidly a symmetry, broken by initial conditions, is dynamically restored. In this work, we study the QME in a one-dimensional spin-1/2 XYZ model with power-law decaying interactions in the presence of a magnetic field. In the prethermal regime generated by large field strengths, the system develops a continuous U(1) symmetry, enabling the QME to emerge. However, due to the Hohenberg-Mermin-Wagner theorem, the QME can only arise when interactions are sufficiently short-ranged. This leads to an interplay between the external field, interaction range, and dynamical symmetry restoration. We systematically explore this interplay and analyze the dependence of the QME on the effective temperature set by the initial state. Our results demonstrate the tunability of the QME via long-range interactions, which can be probed in experimental platforms of trapped ions, polar molecules, and NV centers.
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All authors Andrew Hallam, Matthew Yusuf, Aashish A. Clerk, Ivar Martin, Zlatko Papić

Quantum Physics

Geometric Bound for Trade-off Relation in Quantum Tricycle

We establish a finite-time quantum tricycle driven by an external field and investigate its thermodynamic performance in the slow-driving regime. By developing a perturbative expansion of heat with respect to operation time, we capture the dynamics of heat exchange processes beyond the quasistatic limit. Within a geometric framework, we derive fundamental bounds on trade-offs between the cooling rate, coefficient of performance, and dissipation, governed by the thermodynamic length and trajectory geometry in control space. Our findings unveil intrinsic limits to the performance of quantum thermal machines and highlight the role of geometry in shaping finite-time thermodynamics. This work advances the fundamental understanding of quantum thermodynamic processes and offers guiding principles for the design of next-generation quantum technologies.
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All authors Shihao Xia, Jingyi Chen, Jincan Chen, Shanhe Su

Quantum Physics

Prethermal gauge structure and surface growth in $\mathbb{Z}_2$ lattice gauge theories

Universal aspects of thermalization in interacting many-body systems are challenging to derive microscopically, especially in kinetically constrained models, yet their numerical study beyond $(1+1)$D remains notoriously difficult. Here, we numerically study the mean-field dynamics of a $(2+1)$D spin system with thousands of spins and show that experimentally-feasible two-body Ising interactions can stabilize a prethermal $\mathbb{Z}_2$ lattice gauge structure with dynamical matter, manifested by a separation of timescales with a stable gauge-invariant plateau. Eventually, the metastable prethermal $\mathbb{Z}_2$ gauge structure breaks down via a proliferation of Gauss' law defects, similar to bubble formation in false vacuum decay. In this regime, we discover spatio-temporal correlations described by a non-linear surface growth consistent with the $(1+1)$D Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) universality class, revealing a previously hidden feature in the thermalization of multi-point correlators. We benchmark our results in small systems against semi-classical discrete time Wigner approximation (DTWA) and exact diagonalization (ED), where the breakdown of DTWA signals the emergence of an extensive number of local symmetries that strongly influence the thermalization pathway. Our model provides a testbed for quantum simulators and is directly implementable in large-scale arrays of Rydberg atoms.
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All authors Lukas Homeier, Andrea Pizzi, Hongzheng Zhao, Jad C. Halimeh, Fabian Grusdt, Ana Maria Rey

Quantum Physics

Thermodynamics of quantum processes: An operational framework for free energy and reversible athermality

We explore the thermodynamics of quantum processes (quantum channels) by axiomatically introducing the free energy for channels, defined via the quantum relative entropy with an absolutely thermal channel whose fixed output is in equilibrium with a thermal reservoir. This definition finds strong support through its operational interpretations in designated quantum information and thermodynamic tasks. We construct a resource theory of athermality for quantum processes, where free operations are Gibbs preserving superchannels and golden units are unitary channels with respect to absolutely thermal channel having fully degenerate output Hamiltonian. We exactly characterize the one-shot distillation and formation of quantum channels using hypothesis-testing and max-relative entropy with respect to the absolutely thermal channel. These rates converge asymptotically to the channel free energy (up to a multiplicative factor of half the inverse temperature), establishing its operational meaning and proving the asymptotic reversibility of the athermality. We show the direct relation between the resource theory of athermality and quantum information tasks such as private randomness and purity distillation, and thermodynamic tasks of erasure and work extraction. Our work connects the core thermodynamic concepts of free energy, energy, entropy, and maximal extractable work of quantum processes to their information processing capabilities.
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Quantum Physics

Performance of Gaussian Boson Sampling on Planted Bipartite Clique Detection

We investigate whether Gaussian Boson Sampling (GBS) can provide a computational advantage for solving the planted biclique problem, which is a graph problem widely believed to be classically hard when the planted structure is small. Although GBS has been heuristically and experimentally observed to favor sampling dense subgraphs, its theoretical performance on this classically hard problem remains largely unexplored. We focus on a natural statistic derived from GBS output: the frequency with which a node appears in GBS samples, referred to as the node weight. We rigorously analyze whether this signal is strong enough to distinguish planted biclique nodes from background nodes. Our analysis characterizes the distribution of node weights under GBS and quantifies the bias introduced by the planted structure. The results reveal a sharp limitation: when the planted biclique size falls within the conjectured hard regime, the natural fluctuations in node weights dominate the bias signal, making detection unreliable using simple ranking strategies. These findings provide the first rigorous evidence that planted biclique detection may remain computationally hard even under GBS-based quantum computing, and they motivate further investigation into more advanced GBS-based algorithms or other quantum approaches for this problem.
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Quantum Physics

Trajectory-Protected Quantum Computing

We introduce a novel method that simultaneously isolates a quantum computer from decoherence and enables the controlled implementation of computational gates. We demonstrate a quantum computing model that utilizes a qubit's motion to protect it from decoherence. We model a qubit interacting with a quantum field via the standard light-matter interaction model: an Unruh-DeWitt detector, i.e., the qubit, follows a prescribed classical trajectory while interacting with a scalar quantum field. We switch off the rotating-wave terms, i.e., the resonant transitions, using the technique of acceleration-induced transparency which eliminates the dominant decoherence channels by controlling the qubit's trajectory. We are able to perform one-qubit gates by stimulating the counter-rotating wave terms (i.e., the non-resonant transitions) and two-qubit gates by extracting the entanglement from the quantum field prepared in a squeezed state. Finally, we discuss the fundamental limits on quantum error protection: on the trade-off between isolating a quantum computer from decoherence, and the speed with which entangling gates may be applied, comparable to the Eastin-Knill theorem for quantum error correction.
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All authors Barbara Šoda, Pierre-Antoine Graham, T. Rick Perche, Gurpahul Singh

Quantum Physics

Contextuality-based quantum key distribution with deterministic single-photon sources

Photons are central to quantum technologies, with photonic qubits offering a promising platform for quantum communication. Semiconductor quantum dots stand out for their ability to generate single photons on demand, a key capability for enabling long-distance quantum networks. In this work, we utilize high-purity single-photon sources based on self-assembled InAs(Ga)As quantum dots as quantum information carriers. We demonstrate that such on-demand single photons can generate quantum contextuality. This capability enables a novel protocol for semi-device-independent quantum key distribution over free-space channels. Crucially, our method does not require ideal or perfectly projective measurements, opening a new pathway for robust and practical quantum communication.
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All authors Yu Meng, Debashis Saha, Mikkel Thorbjørn Mikkelsen, Clara Henke, Ying Wang, Nikolai Bart, Arne Ludwig, Peter Lodahl, Adán Cabello, Leonardo Midolo

Quantum Physics

Measurement-induced entanglement in noisy 2D random circuits

We study measurement-induced entanglement (MIE) generated by column-by-column sampling of noisy 2D random circuits of size $N$ and depth $T$. Focusing primarily on Clifford circuits and using the operator entanglement $S_{\rm op}$ of the sampling-induced boundary state as a proxy for computational complexity, first, we reproduce in the noiseless limit a finite-depth transition from area- to volume-law scaling at a threshold depth $T_c=6$. In contrast, in the presence of single-qubit depolarizing noise at any constant rate $p>0$, we find that the operator entanglement $S_{\rm op}$ obeys an area law, with its maximum value scaling approximately linearly with $T/p$ in the regime $T>T_c$. By analyzing the spatial distribution of stabilizer generators, we observe exponential localization of stabilizer generators; this both accounts for the scaling of the maximal $S_{\rm op}$ and implies an exponential decay of conditional mutual information across buffered tripartitions, which we also confirm numerically. Together, these results indicate that constant local noise destroys long-range MIE in 2D random Clifford circuits, and that a tensor-network based algorithm can efficiently sample from noisy 2D random Clifford circuits (i) at sub-logarithmic depths $T = o(\log N)$ for any constant noise rate $p = \Omega(1)$, and (ii) at constant depths $T = O(1)$ for noise rates $p = \Omega(\log^{-1}N)$. Finally, we turn to depth $T=4$ Haar-random and measurement-based quantum computing-type circuits, providing evidence that MIE in noisy 2D Haar-random circuits exhibits the same qualitative behavior as in random Clifford circuits, and that noise destroys the volume-law scaling of MIE in non-Clifford circuits.
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All authors Zhi-Yuan Wei, Jon Nelson, Joel Rajakumar, Esther Cruz, Alexey V. Gorshkov, Michael J. Gullans, Daniel Malz

Quantum Physics

Time-dependent Variational Principles for Hybrid Non-Unitary Dynamics: Application to Driven-Dissipative Superconductors

We introduce time-dependent variational principles to study the non-unitary dynamics of open quantum many-body systems, including dynamics described by the full Lindblad master equation, the non-Hermitian dynamics corresponding to the no-click limit of the fully post-selected quantum trajectories, and the dynamics described by a hybrid Lindbladian with a control parameter $\alpha$ which interpolates between the full post-selection and averaging over all quantum trajectories. As an application we study the non-unitary dynamics of a lossy or driven-dissipative BCS superconductors, evolving in presence of two-body losses and two-body pumps. We show that the non-Hermitian limit acts as a singular limit of the hybrid dissipative dynamics, leading to a sharp modification of the universal approach to the driven-dissipative steady-states. By considering the dissipative dynamics with pair losses, we show that, as the non-Hermitian limit is approached, the density dynamics sharply evolves from a universal power-law to exponential decay that converges towards a quasi-steady plateau characterized by the freezing of the particle depletion due to pair losses. The reached quasi-stationary density increases as a function of the dissipation rate highlighting the emergence of a non-Hermitian Zeno effect in the lossy dynamics. For the driven-dissipative case, we show that, in the non-Hermitian limit, the system gets trapped into an effective negative temperature state, thus skipping the infinite temperature steady-state reached in the presence of finite contribution of the quantum jumps. We rationalize these findings in terms of the conservation of the length of the pseudospins which, in the non-Hermitian limit, suppresses the effective single-particle losses and pumps acting on the non-condensed particles.
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Quantum Physics

Probabilistic Links Between Quantum Classification of Patterns of Boolean Functions and Hamming Distance

This article investigates the probabilistic relationship between quantum classification of Boolean functions and their Hamming distance. By integrating concepts from quantum computing, information theory, and combinatorics, we explore how Hamming distance serves as a metric for analyzing deviations in function classification. Our extensive experimental results confirm that the Hamming distance is a pivotal metric for validating nearest neighbors in the process of classifying random functions. One of the significant conclusions we arrived is that the successful classification probability decreases monotonically with the Hamming distance. However, key exceptions were found in specific classes, revealing intra-class heterogeneity. We have established that these deviations are not random but are systemic and predictable. Furthermore, we were able to quantify these irregularities, turning potential errors into manageable phenomena. The most important novelty of this work is the demarcation, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, of precise Hamming distance intervals for the classification probability. These intervals bound the possible values the probability can assume, and provide a new foundational tool for probabilistic assessment in quantum classification. Practitioners can now endorse classification results with high certainty or dismiss them with confidence. This framework can significantly enhance any quantum classification algorithm's reliability and decision-making capability.
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All authors Theodore Andronikos, Constantinos Bitsakos, Konstantinos Nikas, Georgios I. Goumas, Nectarios Koziris

Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from cond-mat.stat-mech

Temperature and conditions for thermalization after canonical quenches

We consider quenches of a quantum system that is prepared in a canonical equilibrium state of one Hamiltonian and then evolves unitarily in time under a different Hamiltonian. Technically, our main result is a systematic expansion of the pre- and post-quench canonical ensembles in the quench strength. We first demonstrate how this can be used to predict the system's temperature after the quench from equilibrium properties at the pre-quench temperature. For a thermalizing post-quench system, it furthermore allows us to calculate equilibrium observable expectation values. Finally, in the presence of additional conserved quantities besides the Hamiltonian, we obtain a hierarchy of necessary conditions for thermalization towards the (post-quench) canonical ensemble. At first order, these thermalization conditions have a nice geometric interpretation in operator space with the canonical covariance as a semi-inner product: The quench operator (difference between post- and pre-quench Hamiltonians) and the conserved quantity must be orthogonal in the orthogonal complement of the post-quench Hamiltonian. We illustrate the results numerically for a variety of setups involving integrable and nonintegrable models.
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Quantum Physics

Decoding Multimode Gottesman-Kitaev-Preskill Codes with Noisy Auxiliary States

In order to achieve fault-tolerant quantum computing, we make use of quantum error correction schemes designed to protect the logical information of the system from decoherence. A promising way to preserve such information is to use the multimode Gottesman-Kitaev-Preskill (GKP) encoding, which encodes logical qubits into several harmonic oscillators. In this work, we focus on decoding the measurements obtained from Steane-type quantum error correction protocols for multimode GKP codes. We propose a decoder that considers the noise present on the auxiliary states, more specifically by tracking the correlations between errors on different modes spreading throughout the error-correction circuit. We show that leveraging the correlations between measurement results and the actual error affecting the multimode GKP state can decrease the logical error probability by at least an order of magnitude, yielding more robust quantum computation.
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