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Sunday 19 October

Quantum Physics

Efficient bidirectional quantum frequency conversion between telecom and visible bands using programmable III-V nanophotonic waveguides

Quantum frequency conversion (QFC) is essential for interfacing quantum systems operating at different wavelengths and for realizing scalable quantum networks. Despite extensive progress, achieving QFC with simultaneous high efficiency, low pump power, minimal noise, broad bandwidth, and pump-wavelength flexibility remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate efficient, low-noise, and bidirectional QFC between the telecom (1550-nm) and visible (780-nm) bands using unpoled indium gallium phosphide (InGaP) $\chi^{(2)}$ nanophotonic waveguides, eliminating the need for a long-wavelength pump. Leveraging the large nonlinear susceptibility of InGaP together with programmable modal-phase-matching control, we obtain record-low pump power (20 mW) – an order of magnitude lower than that in previous demonstrations using integrated thin-film waveguides – and record-high loss-inclusive normalized conversion efficiency among non-resonant QFC implementations. The platform maintains quantum coherence and entanglement of input photons with noise well below the single-photon level. These results mark a significant advance in integrated nonlinear photonics for high-performance QFC, facilitating the development of versatile and scalable quantum networks.
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All authors Jierui Hu, Hao Yuan, Joshua Akin, A.K.M. Naziul Haque, Yunlei Zhao, Kejie Fang

Saturday 18 October

Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from physics.optics

Strong-field Driven Sub-cycle Band Structure Modulation and Dephasing Control

Over the past decade, ultrafast electron dynamics in the solid state have been extensively studied using various strong light-matter interaction techniques, such as high-harmonic generation. These studies lead to multiple interpretations of light-matter interaction in the strong-field regime, with exact mechanisms not yet fully understood. It is well known that strong-field interaction with a crystalline solid leads to significant modification of its band structure and, hence, its optical properties on ultrafast timescales. In this work, we present measurements of ultrafast electric-field observables in magnesium oxide using a non-resonant nonlinear optical interaction. Using field observables, we show that strong laser fields modulate the band structure on sub-cycle timescales, thereby altering the material's nonlinear optical response. We perform time-dependent perturbation theory calculations using a field-dependent dispersion relation and non-perturbative semiconductor Bloch equation calculations, both of which agree with experimental observations. Furthermore, we directly extract dephasing times from the real-time signal electric field envelope and show sub-cycle control of dephasing times. Our work offers a new perspective on strong-field-driven electron dynamics in solids through electric-field observables. The demonstrated attosecond modulation of the nonlinear response could have important implications for quantum light generation and quantum spectroscopy using nonlinear optical processes.
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All authors Francis Walz, Shashank Kumar, Amirali Sharifi Olounabadi, Yuyan Zhong, Russell Zimmerman, Siddhant Pandey, Eric Liu, Liang Z. Tan, Niranjan Shivaram

Quantum Physics

Cavity QED beyond the Jaynes-Cummings model

As atom-cavity systems are becoming more sophisticated, the limitations of the Jaynes-Cummings model are becoming more apparent. In this paper, we therefore take a more dynamical approach to the modelling of atom-cavity systems and do not reduce the electromagnetic field inside the resonator to a single mode. Our approach shows that the decay rate Gamma_cav of an emitter inside a subwavelength cavity with metallic mirrors can be much larger than its free space decay rate Gamma_free due to constructive interference effects of the emitted light. In general, however, we find that Gamma_cav = Gamma_free to a very good approximation which might explain why atom-cavity experiments with planar mirrors have not been able to operate in the so-called strong coupling regime.
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Quantum Physics

Quantum thermometric sensing: Local vs. Remote approaches

Quantum thermometry leveraging quantum sensors is investigated with an emphasis on fundamental precision bounds derived from quantum estimation theory. The proposed sensing platform consists of two dissimilar qubits coupled via capacitor, which induce quantum oscillations in the presence of a thermal environment. Thermal equilibrium states are modeled using the Gibbs distribution. The precision limits are assessed through the Quantum Fisher Information (QFI) and the Hilbert-Schmidt Speed (HSS), serving as stringent criteria for sensor sensitivity. Systematic analysis of the dependence of QFI and HSS on tunable parameters -such as qubit energies and coupling strengths- provides optimization pathways for maximizing temperature sensitivity. Furthermore, we explore two distinct quantum thermometry paradigms: (I) local temperature estimation directly performed by Alice, who possesses the quantum sensor interfacing with the thermal bath, and (II) remote temperature estimation conducted by Bob, facilitated via quantum teleportation. In the latter scenario, temperature information encoded in the qubit state is transmitted through a single-qubit quantum thermal teleportation protocol. Our findings indicate that direct measurement yields superior sensitivity compared to remote estimation, primarily due to the inherent advantage of direct sensor-environment interaction. The analysis reveals that increasing Josephson energies diminishes sensor sensitivity, whereas augmenting the mutual coupling strength between the qubits enhances it.
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All authors Seyed Mohammad Hosseiny, Abolfazl Pourhashemi Khabisi, Jamileh Seyed-Yazdi, Milad Norouzi, Somayyeh Ghorbani, Asad Ali, Saif Al-Kuwari

Quantum Physics

QRTlib: A Library for Fast Quantum Real Transforms

Real-valued transforms such as the discrete cosine, sine, and Hartley transforms play a central role in classical computing, complementing the Fourier transform in applications from signal and image processing to data compression. However, their quantum counterparts have not evolved in parallel, and no unified framework exists for implementing them efficiently on quantum hardware. This article addresses this gap by introducing QRTlib, a library for fast and practical implementations of quantum real transforms, including the quantum Hartley, cosine, and sine transforms of various types. We develop new algorithms and circuit optimizations that make these transforms efficient and suitable for near-term devices. In particular, we present a quantum Hartley transform based on the linear combination of unitaries (LCU) technique, achieving a $4\times$ reduction in circuit size compared to prior methods. We also implement an improved quantum sine transform of Type I that removes the need for large multi-controlled operations. QRTlib provides the first complete implementations of these quantum real transforms in Qiskit.
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All authors Armin Ahmadkhaniha, Lu Chen, Jake Doliskani, Zhifu Sun

Quantum Physics

Generalized Fusion of Qudit Graph States

We formalize a generalized type-II fusion operation for qudit cluster states within linear optics. Two designated qudits, one from each input cluster, interfere with optional ancilla qudits via a passive linear-optical network, followed by number-resolving detection; conditioned on measurement outcome, the remaining qudits form the post-selected fused state. We prove a general rank bound: for any such interferometer and outcome, the reduced density matrix across the two parent clusters has Schmidt rank at most $M$, the total number of measured qudits including ancillae. Consequently, a correct qudit fusion which requires rank $d$ is impossible without ancillae and requires at least $d-2$ ancilla qudits. Our analysis extends previous no-go results for Bell-type qubit fusion to the qudit setting and to generalized, non-Bell projections. We analyze the probabilities and entanglement of the relevant measurement outcomes, and discuss how our lower bound aligns with existing constructive schemes. These results set a clear resource threshold for high-dimensional, fusion-based photonic MBQC.
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Quantum Physics

Three-Wave Mixing Element with Quantum Paraelectric Materials

At cryogenic temperatures and microwave frequencies, the perovskite crystals strontium titanate (STO) and potassium tantalate (KTO) have large, tunable permittivity arising from a quantum paraelectric phase. As such, these materials hold promise as a platform to realize compact, variable capacitance elements for use in quantum devices. From modulating this capacitance, we propose the development of a parametric mixing element: a quantum paraelectric nonlinear dielectric amplifier (PANDA). We calculate that a PANDA made from a nanofabricated parallel plate capacitor and realistic design constraints can demonstrate a three-wave mixing strength of order MHz, in comparison to an effective Kerr strength of sub-Hz. This suggests excellent performance as a three-wave mixing element, with high compression power in analogy to superconducting parametric amplifiers based on kinetic inductance. Beyond parametric amplifiers, we predict that compact, tunable capacitors based on STO, KTO, and related materials can enable a wide class of cryogenic quantum circuits including novel filters, switches, circulators, and qubits.
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All authors Eric I. Rosenthal, Christopher S. Wang, Jamison Sloan, Giovanni Scuri, Yueheng Shi, Kaveh Pezeshki, Peter Mugaba Noertoft, Jelena Vuckovic, Christopher P. Anderson

Quantum Physics

Klein-Gordon equation within the real Hilbert space formalism

Within this article one finds the statement of the Klein-Gordon problem within the real Hilbert space formalism ($\mathbbm R$HS) in terms of complex wave functions, and in terms of quaternionic wave functions as well. The complex formulation comprises hermitian and non-hermitian cases, while the quaternionic solutions additionally set in motion self-interacting particles. The non-hermitian cases comprise non-conservative processes, while the self-interaction physically implies the increase of the effective mass of the particle, an effect that cannot be reproduced using a complex wave function. The obtained autonomous particle solutions, as well as the Klein problem agree to the previously discovered self-interacting non-relativistic particle, and thus reinforce $\mathbbm R$HS as viable and consistent way to explore open problems in quantum mechanics. Also important, the negative energy problem that plagues the usual formalism is eliminated within this approach.
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Quantum Physics

Quantum Complexity in Rule-Based Constrained Many-Body Models: Scars, Fragmentation, and Chaos

Kinetic constraints in quantum many-body systems strongly restrict the accessible Hilbert space, giving rise to highly nontrivial dynamical behavior. In recent years, such systems have attracted growing interest as they provide insight into mechanisms of thermalization and into regimes where thermalization fails. In this work, we study a family of rule-based kinetically constrained models, including the celebrated Quantum Game of Life, from the perspective of quantum complexity, with a focus on entanglement, nonstabilizerness, and quantum chaos. Using spectral diagnostics such as level statistics and spectral form factors, we show that these models exhibit robust chaotic behavior while simultaneously supporting both strong and weak Hilbert-space fragmentation and quantum many-body scar states. Our results reveal that the nature of Hilbert-space fragmentation can be tuned qualitatively from strong to weak fragmentation and ultimately to its absence, within a single family of models through simple variations of the underlying kinetic rules. To further elucidate the structure of these fragmented subspaces, we characterize them through their ability to generate quantum resources. In particular, we show that resource-generation capacity does not necessarily correlate with the dimensionality of a fragmented sector, and that entanglement structure and the ability to generate nonstabilizerness provide effective diagnostics for distinguishing dynamically disconnected sectors, including those supporting nonthermal scarred dynamics. Our work thus places kinetically constrained models within a broader and more general framework, not limited to Rydberg blockade based constraints only, and demonstrates that simple variations in underlying rules can lead to qualitatively distinct static and dynamical regimes including chaotic, fragmented, and scarred phases.
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Quantum Physics

A necessary and sufficient condition for genuinely entangled n-qubit states with six non-zero coefficients

In [Science 340, 1205, 7 June (2013)], via polytopes Michael Walter et al. proposed a sufficient condition detecting the genuinely entangled pure states. In this paper, assume that a state with six non-zero coefficients is not a trivially separable state. Then the state is separable if and only if its six basis states consist of the three partially complementary pairs and the corresponding coefficient matrix has proportional rows. The contrapositive of this result reads that the state is genuinely entangled if and only if its six basis states do not consist of the three partially complementary pairs or though the six basis states consist of the three partially complementary pairs, the corresponding coefficient matrix does not have proportional rows. We propose four corresponding coefficient 2 by 3 matrices and show that if the four coefficient matrices don't have proportional rows, then the state is genuinely entangled. It is trivial to know if two rows of a 2 by 3 coefficient matrix are proportional. The difference from the previous articles is that the structure of the basis states is used to detect entanglement in this paper. One can see that Osterloh and Siewert's states of five and six qubits are genuinely entangled because two rows for any one of the four corresponding coefficient 2 by 3 matrices are not proportional. These states were distinguished as the maximal entangled states by the complicated filters before. Keywords: entanglement, separability, entangled states, separable states, qubits.
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Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from cond-mat.supr-con

Marginal Influence of Anomalous Josephson Current on Odd-Frequency Spin-Triplet Pairing in Ferromagnetic Josephson Diodes

We examine how an anomalous Josephson current influences odd-frequency superconducting correlations in two Josephson junction geometries. The first consists of two ferromagnetic layers between conventional $s$-wave superconductors, with magnetizations along the $x$- and $y$-axes, forming a bilayer junction. The second contains three ferromagnetic layers between two $s$-wave superconductors, with magnetizations along the $x$-, $y$-, and $z$-axes, forming a trilayer junction. Both systems are analyzed in the short and long junction limits. In the bilayer case, where no anomalous Josephson current is present, odd-frequency equal-spin triplet correlations develop pronounced peaks at finite magnetizations in the short junction limit for both tunneling and transparent interfaces. The odd-frequency mixed-spin triplet correlations also exhibit peaks at finite magnetizations for tunneling interfaces, whereas for transparent interfaces they display both peaks and zeros. In the trilayer case, where an anomalous Josephson current exists, similar peaks in both equal- and mixed-spin odd-frequency triplet correlations occur at finite magnetizations for tunneling and transparent interfaces. The spatial profiles of these correlations remain largely unaffected by the anomalous current. The Josephson diode efficiency is finite and reaches its maximum at magnetizations corresponding to the peaks of the anomalous current. Overall, our results show that the anomalous Josephson current has only a marginal influence on odd-frequency spin-triplet pairing. This indicates that the emergence of odd-frequency correlations and the Josephson diode effect are largely independent phenomena, contrary to earlier conjectures. Analysis of the long junction limit leads to the same qualitative conclusions for both configurations.
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Quantum Physics

Temporal-order-driven asymmetric quantum interference and temporal coherence enhancement in spontaneous six-wave mixing

Narrow-band multiphoton entanglement sources serve as a core enabling resource for advanced quantum information technologies. Recently, researchers have directly generated energy-time entangled triphoton W states in a hot atomic medium via spontaneous six-wave mixing for the first time. However, a rigorous theoretical framework for this process remains lacking to date, confining our understanding to a mere extension of the biphoton model. Here, we analytically investigate the generation mechanism of energy-time entangled triphotons and their classically controllable optical properties in an electromagnetically induced transparency-assisted five-level cold atomic system. Notably, triphoton generation follows strict temporal ordering, resulting in asymmetric quantum interference in triple coincidence counts–unreplicable and unexplainable by the inherently symmetric biphoton model. These results establish a rigorous physical framework for spontaneous six-wave mixing-generated triphotons, clarify their distinctions from states produced via cascaded nonlinear models, and substantially advance their utility in quantum information protocols.
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Quantum Physics

Triphoton generation near atomic resonance via SSWM: Harmonic expansion for accurate optical response

Quantum correlations of time-frequency-entangled photon pairs generated via parametric processes are critically influenced by both the linear and nonlinear optical responses of the medium. This sensitivity is especially significant in schemes utilizing atomic ensembles with well-defined energy level structures near resonance. However, conventional theoretical approaches often fall short in accurately calculating the optical responses–particularly when a single atomic transition is simultaneously driven by multiple light fields with (significantly) different intensities. To address this limitation, we generalize the harmonic expansion method originally introduced by Wen for biphoton generation near atomic resonance. As a case study, we apply this generalized approach to the reliable direct generation of time-energy-entangled W-state triphotons via spontaneous six-wave mixing in a five-level asymmetric-M atomic system. Our results demonstrate the method's superior accuracy and self-consistency, offering clear advantages over traditional calculation techniques.
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Quantum Physics

Distributed Quantum Computing Based on Fixed-point Quantum Search

Fixed-point quantum search can find target strings without knowing their initial success probability and can be applied to the design of distributed quantum algorithms. This paper makes the following contributions to the integration of distributed quantum computing and the fixed-point quantum search: (1) An inherent relationship between a given Boolean function and its sub-functions is discovered. (2) In particular, a distributed quantum amplitude amplification algorithm based on the fixed-point search is proposed. The algorithm has advantages in the number of qubits and circuit depth, requires no quantum communication, and is simulated by means of Qiskit to show good noise resistance. (3) Inspired by the proposed algorithm, a general model for applying the fixed-point quantum search to distributed quantum computing is formulated.
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Quantum Physics

Communication through the combination of quantum switch and coherent superposition of channels

The quantization of particle trajectories gives rise to remarkable features such as the coherent superposition of quantum channels and the quantum switch, which offer significant advantages in the communication of both classical and quantum information. In this study, we investigate the classical and quantum capacities of various supermaps, including individual quantum switches, coherent superpositions of channels, their combinations, and hybrid superpositions. A comparative analysis of these configurations reveals the scenarios in which specific combinations yield enhanced communication advantages.
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Quantum Physics

Exact Quantum Circuit Optimization is co-NQP-hard

As quantum computing resources remain scarce and error rates high, minimizing the resource consumption of quantum circuits is essential for achieving practical quantum advantage. Here we consider the natural problem of, given a circuit $C$, computing a circuit $C'$ that behaves equivalently on a desired subspace, and that minimizes a quantum resource type, expressed as the count or depth of (i) arbitrary gates, or (ii) non-Clifford gates, or (iii) superposition gates, or (iv) entanglement gates. We show that, when $C$ is expressed over any gate-set that can implement the H and TOF gates exactly, a standard property of approximately universal gate-sets, each of the above optimization problems is hard for co-NQP, and hence outside the Polynomial Hierarchy, unless the Polynomial Hierarchy collapses. This complements a recent result of Van de Wetering and Amy (arXiv, 2023) which establishes an NP-hardness lower bound when equivalence is over the full state space, and tightens the gap to the corresponding $\text{NP}^\text{NQP}$ upper bound known for cases (i)-(iii) over Clifford+T and (i)-(iv) over H+TOF circuits. Our result also generalizes a result by Tanaka (Int. J. Quantum Inf., 2010) to other gate-sets and quantum resources.
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Quantum Physics

Hybrid Brownian SYK-Hubbard Model: from Spectral Function to Quantum Chaos

Understanding the emergence of complex correlations in strongly interacting systems remains a fundamental challenge in quantum many-body physics. One fruitful approach is to develop solvable toy models that encapsulate universal properties shared by realistic systems. In this work, we introduce the Brownian SYK-Hubbard model, which combines the all-to-all random interactions of the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model with on-site Hubbard-type interactions. This hybrid construction enables the study of the interplay between nonlocal random dynamics and local correlation effects: (1) As the interaction strength increases, the single-particle spectrum exhibits a transition from a single peak to a two-peak structure, signaling the onset of Mottness. (2) The spectral form factor undergoes a sequence of dynamical transitions as the evolution time increases before reaching the plateau in the long-time limit under strong Hubbard interactions. (3) The out-of-time-order correlator is computed by summing a series of modified ladder diagrams, which determines the quantum Lyapunov exponent and reveals a violation of the bound on branching time. Our results establish a new analytically tractable platform for exploring the effects of Hubbard interactions in chaotic many-body systems.
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Quantum Physics

Scattering theory of frequency-entangled biphoton states facilitated by cavity polaritons

The use of quantum light to probe exciton properties in semiconductor and molecular nanostructures typically occurs in the low-intensity regime. A substantial enhancement of exciton-photon coupling can be achieved with photonic cavities, where excitons hybridize with cavity modes to form polariton states. To provide a theoretical framework for interpreting emerging experimental efforts in this direction, we develop a scattering theory describing the interaction of frequency-entangled photon pairs with cavity polariton and bipolariton states under various coupling regimes. Employing the Tavis-Cummings model in combination with our scattering approach, we present a quantitative analysis of how the interaction of the entangled photon pair with the polariton/bipolariton modifies its joint spectral amplitude (JSA). Specifically, we examine the effects of the cavity-mode steady-state population, exciton-cavity coupling strength, and different forms of the input photon JSA. Our results show that the entanglement entropy of the scattered photons is highly sensitive to the interplay between the input JSA and the spectral line shapes of the polariton resonances, emphasizing the cavity filtering effects. We suggest that biphoton scattering quantum light spectroscopy best serves as a sensitive probe of polariton and bipolariton states in the photon-vacuum cavity state. Our approach is not only robust to various regimes of cavity-exciton coupling, but also amenable to extensions beyond the Tavis-Cummings model, enabling the representation of a broad class of molecular systems and solid state quantum materials.
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All authors Andrei Piryatinski, Nishaant Jacobus, Sameer Dambal, Eric R. Bittner, Yu Zhang, Ajay Ram Srimath Kandada

Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Infrared Absorption and Laser Spectroscopy of Ho$^{3+}$ Doped K$_2$YF$_5$ Microparticles

High-resolution absorption and laser spectroscopy are used to determine electronic energy levels for Ho$^{3+}$ ions in K$_2$YF$_5$ microparticles. A total of 72 crystal-field energy levels, distributed among 8 multiplets, are assigned. This optical data is used for crystal-field modelling of the electronic structure of Ho$^{3+}$ in K$_2$YF$_5$. Partially-resolved hyperfine splittings are accurately reproduced by the model. The temperature dependence of the fluorescent lifetime of the $^5$F$_5$ multiplet is measured and the temperature dependence of the non-radiative relaxation is modelled by a five-phonon process. Preliminary measurements of infra-red to visible upconversion in microparticles co-doped with Ho$^{3+}$ and Yb$^{3+}$ is reported.
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Quantum Physics

Quantum Origin of Diffraction from Bright and Dark States

Building upon the recently introduced particle interpretation of the double-slit experiment [Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 133603 (2025)] which attributes interference phenomena to detector-coupled (bright) and detector-uncoupled (dark) states of light, we develop a continuous-mode extension of the bright- and dark-state framework. This extension addresses a conceptual distinction between interference and diffraction, that is, the transition from a finite set of discrete paths to a continuum of modes. Through the construction of a complete detector-oriented basis for single-slit diffraction, we demonstrate that the observed diffraction pattern arises from projection of the photon state onto a single bright mode by identifying the detectable and undetectable modes, with photons detected at intensity minima having zero probability, as they reside in modes spanning an infinite-dimensional dark subspace. Our approach thus provides a unified particle-based explanation of diffraction that connects quantum and classical wave optics, and reveals distinctive quantum signatures in higher-order correlations.
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All authors Jian-Jian Cheng, Jun-Ling Che, Lin Zhang, Ming-Liang Hu

Quantum Physics

Coherence-Mediated Quantum Thermometry in a Hybrid Circuit-QED Architecture

Quantum thermometry plays a critical role in the development of low-temperature sensors and quantum information platforms. In this work, we propose and theoretically analyze a hybrid circuit quantum electrodynamics architecture in which a superconducting qubit is dispersively coupled to two distinct bosonic modes: one initialized in a weak coherent state and the other coupled to a thermal environment. We show that the qubit serves as a sensitive readout of the probe mode, mapping the interference between thermal and coherent photon-number fluctuations onto measurable dephasing. This mechanism enables enhanced sensitivity to sub-millikelvin thermal energy fluctuations through Ramsey interferometry. We derive analytic expressions for the qubit coherence envelope, compute the quantum Fisher information for temperature estimation, and demonstrate numerically that the presence of a coherent reference amplifies the qubit's sensitivity to small changes in thermal photon occupancy. Our results establish a new paradigm for quantum-enhanced thermometry and provide a scalable platform for future calorimetric sensing in high-energy physics and quantum metrology.
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All authors Shaojiang Zhu, Xinyuan You, Alexander Romanenko, Anna Grassellino

Quantum Physics

Dynamical control of quantum photon-photon interaction with phase change material

Quantum interference can produce a pivotal effective photon-photon interaction, enabling the exploration of various quantum information technologies that beyond the possibilities of classical physics. While such an effective interaction is fundamentally limited to the bosonic nature of photons and the restricted phase responses from commonly used unitary optical elements, loss-induced nonunitary operation provides an alternative degree of freedom to control the quantum interference. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a concise yet powerful tool to unravel fundamental features of quantum interference based on the phase change material vanadium dioxide. Since the insulator-metal transition in an elaborate vanadium dioxide thin film can create any desired particle exchange phase response, we show its tunability over the effective photon-photon interaction between paired photons that are entangled in the symmetric and anti-symmetric forms, which may introduce sophisticated nonunitary operations and functionalities into programmable optical platforms. These results provide an alternative approach to investigate the quantum light-matter interaction, and facilitate the use of quantum interference for various quantum information processing tasks such as quantum simulation and quantum computation.
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All authors Chaojie Wang, Xutong Li, Xiuyi Ma, Yuning Zhang, Meng Wu, Weifang Lu, Yuanyuan Chen, Xiubao Sui, Lixiang Chen

Quantum Physics

Adversarially Robust Quantum Transfer Learning

Quantum machine learning (QML) has emerged as a promising area of research for enhancing the performance of classical machine learning systems by leveraging quantum computational principles. However, practical deployment of QML remains limited due to current hardware constraints such as limited number of qubits and quantum noise. This chapter introduces a hybrid quantum-classical architecture that combines the advantages of quantum computing with transfer learning techniques to address high-resolution image classification. Specifically, we propose a Quantum Transfer Learning (QTL) model that integrates classical convolutional feature extraction with quantum variational circuits. Through extensive simulations on diverse datasets including Ants & Bees, CIFAR-10, and Road Sign Detection, we demonstrate that QTL achieves superior classification performance compared to both conventional and quantum models trained without transfer learning. Additionally, we also investigate the model's vulnerability to adversarial attacks and demonstrate that incorporating adversarial training significantly boosts the robustness of QTL, enhancing its potential for deployment in security sensitive applications.
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Friday 17 October

Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from physics.app-ph

Artificial Transmission Line Synthesis Tailored for Traveling-Wave Parametric Processes

Artificial transmission lines built with lumped-element inductors and capacitors form the backbone of broadband, nearly quantum-limited traveling-wave parametric amplifiers (TWPAs). When tailoring these transmission lines for parametric processes, nonlinear elements are added, typically nonlinear inductances in superconducting circuits, and energy and momentum conservation between interacting tones must be enforced through careful design of the ATL dispersion relation. However, a unified theoretical framework describing achievable dispersion relations is lacking. Here, I develop such a framework, borrowing from periodic structure theory and passive network synthesis. These complementary approaches divide the design space: periodic loading synthesis employs spatial modulation of frequency-independent components, while filter synthesis employs frequency-dependent responses in spatially-uniform components. The framework reveals fundamental constraints and enables the discovery of novel TWPA architectures. In particular, I design a kinetic inductance TWPA with a novel phase-matching architecture, and a backward-pumped Josephson TWPA exploiting an ambidextrous i.e., right-left-handed transmission line.
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Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from cond-mat.mes-hall

Emergent nonlocal interactions induced by quantized gauge fields in topological systems

We study fermionic and bosonic systems coupled to a real or synthetic static gauge field that is quantized, so the field itself is a quantum degree of freedom and can exist in coherent superposition. A natural example is electrons on a quantum ring encircling a quantized magnetic flux (QMF) generated by a superconducting current. We show that coupling to a common QMF gives rise to an emergent interaction between particles with no classical analog, as it is topological and nonlocal (independent of interparticle distance). Moreover, the interaction persists even when the particles lie in a nominally field-free region, with the vector potential mediating the interaction. We analyze several one- and two-dimensional model systems, encompassing both real and synthetic gauge fields. These systems exhibit unusual behavior, including strong nonlinearities, non-integer Chern numbers, and quantum phase transitions. Furthermore, synthetic gauge fields offer high tunability and can reach field strengths that are difficult to realize with real magnetic fields, enabling engineered nonlinearities and interaction profiles.
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Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from physics.optics

Phase-Stable Optical Fiber Links for Quantum Network Protocols

We demonstrate the distribution of single-photon-level pulses from a mode-locked laser source over a phase-stable fiber link, achieving an optical timing jitter of less than 100 as over 10 minutes of data accumulation. This stability enables a fidelity greater than 0.998 between two stabilized 2.1 km long deployed fiber links. Building on time and frequency metrology techniques traditionally used for high-stability optical atomic clock signal distribution, we use time and frequency multiplexing to achieve an isolation of quantum and classical channels of $8 \times 10^{10}$. Our results mark a necessary step towards scalable, high-rate quantum networks with a provable quantum advantage.
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All authors Nicholas V. Nardelli, Dileep V. Reddy, Michael Grayson, Daniel Sorensen, Martin J. Stevens, Michael D. Mazurek, L. Krister Shalm, Tara M. Fortier

Quantum Physics

Commuting Embeddings for Parallel Strategies in Non-local Games

Non-local games (NLGs) provide a versatile framework for probing quantum correlations and for benchmarking the power of entanglement. In finite dimensions, the standard method for playing several games in parallel requires a tensor product of the local Hilbert spaces, which scales additively in the number of qubits. In this work, we show that this additive cost can be reduced by exploiting algebraic embeddings. We introduce two forms of compressions. First, when a referee selects one game from a finite collection of games at random, the game quantum strategy can be implemented using a maximally entangled state of dimension equal to the largest individual game, thereby eliminating the need for repeated state preparations. Second, we establish conditions under which several games can be played simultaneously in parallel on fewer qubits than the tensor product baseline. These conditions are expressed in terms of commuting embeddings of the game algebras. Moreover, we provide a constructive framework for building such embeddings. Using tools from Lie theory, we show that aligning the various game algebras into a common Cartan decomposition enables such a qubit reduction. Beyond the theoretical contribution, our framework casts NLGs as algebraic primitives for distributed and resource constrained quantum computations and suggested NLGs as a comparable device independent dimension witness.
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Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from nucl-th

Born series for s-wave scattering length and some exact results

In these notes the Born series for the $s$-wave scattering $a_0$ is calculated for a class of central potentials $V(r)$ up to sixth order in a dimensionless coupling strength $g$. Examples of exponentially decaying potentials as well truncated potentials involving a single length-scale $a$ are considered. In certain favorable cases the exact result for the $g$-dependent $s$-wave scattering length $a_0=A_0(g) a$ can be given in terms of special functions. The poles of $A_0(g)$ at increasing positive values of $g$ correspond to the thresholds, where $s$-wave bound-states occur successively. A scattering problem, where $A_0(g)$ is solvable in terms of elementary functions, is also presented.
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Quantum Physics

Decoherence-free subspaces in the noisy dynamics of discrete-step quantum walks in a photonic lattice

We study the noisy dynamics of periodically driven, discrete-step quantum walks in a one-dimensional photonic lattice. We find that in the bulk, temporal noise that is constant within a Floquet period leads to decoherence-free momentum subspaces, whereas fully random noise destroys coherence in a few time steps. When considering topological edge states, we observe decoherence no matter the type of temporal noise. To explain these results, we derive a non-perturbative master equation to describe the system's dynamics. We experimentally confirm our findings in a time multiplexed photonic lattice implemented in a double-fiber ring setup subject to laser pulse input states, in which we engineer different types of temporal noise.
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All authors Rajesh Asapanna, Clément Hainaut, Alberto Amo, Álvaro Gómez-León

Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Exceptional Antimodes in Multi-Drive Cavity Magnonics

Driven-dissipative systems provide a natural setting for the emergence of exceptional points – i.e. non-Hermitian degeneracies where eigenmodes coalesce. These points are important for applications such as sensing, where enhanced sensitivity is required, and exhibit interesting and useful phenomena that can be controlled with experimentally accessible parameters. In this regard a four-port, three-mode, cavity-magnonics platform is demonstrated in which two microwave excitations can be precisely phase shifted and/or attenuated relative to one another. Destructive interference between the hybridised cavity-magnon modes is shown to give rise to antimodes (antiresonances) in the transmission spectrum, enabling coherent perfect extinction of the outgoing signals at selected ports. This interference can be used to actively tune the position and properties of exceptional points, without the fine tuning conventionally required to obtain exceptional points. Such controllable, interference-based engineering of exceptional points provides a practical and flexible pathway toward next-generation, high-sensitivity sensing devices operating at microwave frequencies.
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All authors Mawgan A. Smith, Ryan D. McKenzie, Alban Joseph, Robert L. Stamps, Rair Macêdo