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Wednesday 13 May

Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from cond-mat.mes-hall

Fermi Surface Geometry from Charge Fluctuations in Three-Dimensional Metals

For three-dimensional non-interacting multi-band metals, we show that important information about the shape and the quantum geometry of Fermi surfaces is encoded in the subleading logarithmic term of bipartite charge fluctuations. This logarithmic term is related to the dimensionless $|\mathbf{q}|^3$-coefficient of the structure factor in momentum space, and both quantities can be expressed as Fermi surface integrals of the Fermi surface curvature tensor and the quantum metric tensor. When the real-space partition surface is a quadric (i.e., sphere or ellipsoid), the logarithmic coefficient satisfies a topological bound depending only on the Euler characteristic and the Chern number of the Fermi surface, illustrating a non-trivial interplay between topology and quantum topology in multi-band metals.
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All authors Pok Man Tam, Yarden Sheffer, Xiao-Chuan Wu, F. D. M. Haldane, Shinsei Ryu

Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from cs.PL

Linear-Time T-Gate Optimization via Random Abstraction

Quantum computers promise exponential speedups for problems in cryptography, chemistry, and optimization. Realizing this promise requires fault tolerance: physical qubits are noisy, so logical qubits must be encoded redundantly across many physical ones using quantum error-correcting codes. In most practical fault-tolerance schemes, T gates cannot be implemented transversally and instead require costly magic-state distillation protocols involving a complex set of operations. As a result, T-gate count can dominate the resource budget of large-scale quantum computations, making T-count minimization a central bottleneck on the path to quantum advantage. Existing T-count optimization tools, however, do not scale to the circuits that quantum advantage demands. We present theoretical and practical results on T-gate optimization. On the theoretical side, we give a linear-time randomized algorithm for phase folding, based on a novel randomized static analysis. Our static analysis soundly approximates the set of reachable quantum states with an arbitrarily high probability. Our key insight is a static analysis that does not track symbolic expressions, but propagates constant-width bitstrings down the circuit. On the practical side, our implementation, TZAP, is multiple orders of magnitude faster than state-of-the-art tools – such as PyZX, VOQC, and Feynman – closely matches their T-count reductions on standard benchmarks, and within seconds on a laptop computer can optimize circuits with millions of gates.
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Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from cond-mat.quant-gas

Nagaoka supermetal in the particle-doped triangular Hubbard model

While the interplay of correlations and geometric frustration in doped Mott insulators provides a fertile ground for exotic quantum phases, the nature of the metallic state emerging upon particle doping remains poorly understood. In this work, we investigate the triangular-lattice Hubbard model with particle doping and provide compelling evidence for an intrinsic, interaction-driven quantum state, which we term the Nagaoka supermetal. This state is characterized by a sublinear temperature dependence in the DC resistivity, along with singular behaviors in the charge compressibility and zero-frequency spectral weight. To understand the origin of these singular properties, we derive an effective low-energy model and demonstrate that a higher-order Van Hove singularity emerges from the reconstructed dispersion. This singularity gives rise to a power-law divergence in the density of states, capturing the anomalous properties observed in the supermetallic regime. Our findings offer a new perspective on non-Fermi liquid states in geometrically frustrated systems and are directly accessible in current ultracold atom experiments.
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All authors Rui Cao, Xiangyue Zhang, Hui Tan, Jian-Shu Xu, Yuan-Yao He, Jianmin Yuan, Yongqiang Li

Quantum Physics

Combining moment matrices, symmetric extension, and Lovász theta: $\Phi_{\text{E8}}$ is entangled

We solve an open problem in entanglement theory posed by Yu et al., Nature Communications 12, 1012 (2021). The problem is to show, via an entanglement witness, that the $14$-qubit state $\Phi_{\text{E8}}$ is entangled. Inspired by a method from quantum codes, we combine symmetric extension with moment matrices to prove that $\Phi_{\text{E8}}$ is entangled. The proof has the form of a rational infeasibility certificate for a semidefinite program, yielding an explicit entanglement witness. Our approach unifies and extends several earlier methods that involve the Lovász theta number of the Pauli anti-commutativity graph, promising scalability and flexibility in further applications.
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All authors Jȩdrzej Stempin, Gerard Anglès Munné, Santiago Llorens, Felix Huber

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

Parallel Scan Recurrent Neural Quantum States for Scalable Variational Monte Carlo

Neural-network quantum states have emerged as a powerful variational framework for quantum many-body systems, with recent progress often driven by massively parallel architectures such as transformers. Recurrent neural network quantum states, however, are frequently regarded as intrinsically sequential and therefore less scalable. Here we revisit this view by showing that modern recurrent architectures can support fast, accurate, and computationally accessible neural quantum state simulations. Using autoregressive recurrent wave functions together with recent advances in parallelizable recurrence, we develop variational ansätze, called parallel scan recurrent neural quantum states (PSR-NQS), which can be trained efficiently within variational Monte Carlo in one and two spatial dimensions. We demonstrate accurate benchmark results and show that, with iterative retraining, our approach reaches two-dimensional spin lattices as large as $52\times52$ while remaining in agreement with available quantum Monte Carlo data. Our results establish recurrent architectures as a practical and promising route toward scalable neural quantum state simulations with modest computational resources.
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All authors Ejaaz Merali, Mohamed Hibat-Allah, Mohammad Kohandel, Richard T. Scalettar, Ehsan Khatami

Quantum Physics

Backdoor Threats in Variational Quantum Circuits: Taxonomy, Attacks, and Defenses

Variational quantum algorithms (VQAs) are a central paradigm for noisy intermediate-scale (NISQ) quantum computing, yet their reliance on predesigned and pretrained variational quantum circuits (VQCs) introduces critical security vulnerabilities, particularly backdoor attacks. These attacks embed hidden malicious behaviors that remain dormant under normal conditions but are activated by specific triggers, leading to adversarial outcomes such as incorrect predictions or manipulated objective values. This paper presents a survey of backdoor attacks in VQCs, covering data-poisoning, compiler-level, and quantum-native mechanisms. We formalize key terminology and threat models, and review existing attack strategies along with their empirical characteristics. We also analyze current detection and defense approaches, highlighting their limitations, especially against quantum-specific threats. By synthesizing recent advances, this survey outlines the evolving security landscape of VQCs and identifies key challenges and future directions for developing robust, quantum-aware defenses in hybrid quantum-classical systems.
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Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from math.OC

Affiliated operators for classical and quantum control

Using techniques from the theory of von Neumann algebras, we propose a framework for addressing questions of controllability of bilinear systems on infinite dimensional Hilbert spaces. In the setup, we assume only that the drift and control terms arising in a bilinear control system are affiliated with a von Neumann algebra of finite type acting on the same Hilbert space. When the control terms satisfy basic norm bound conditions, we prove existence of time-optimal controls. In the more general setting where all operators may be unbounded, we show how the dynamical Lie algebra for the system is still well-defined and may be used to check approximate controllability of the system in question. We discuss how this approach can be applied to classical dynamical systems through the Koopman operator formalism, and investigate potential candidates for the von Neumann algebra which may guide the choice of controls. We illustrate how an affiliation relation naturally arises in both classical and quantum control systems with a few examples.
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Quantum Physics

Phase Matching for a Generalized Grover's Algorithm

We study the fully generalized Grover's algorithm to find the optimal phase changes for each step of the iteration to maximize gain in probability of observation of the target, and when phase matching is required. We find that classical Grover's algorithm and phase matching remains to be optimal till the target probability gets close 1. However, as the probability of observation approaches 1, the optimal phase changes differ from $\pi$ and no longer observe phase matching. We provide the optimization statement to find the optimal phase changes given the current amplitude vector and the size of the set. To analyze this formula, we approach it from a numerical and analytical perspective, with the analytical perspective focusing on special cases that simplify the optimization and allow for general statements about its behavior. Finally, we provide an example of a 5 qubit system and show that for the final iteration the optimal phase changes differ from traditional Grover's algorithm and do not observe phase matching, but lead to an increase in the probability of the target.
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Quantum Physics

Quasilinear evolution versus von Neumann selective measurement

In this article, we introduce a new form of quantum selective measurement in which the von Neumann projection postulate is replaced by quasilinear evolution, governed by a nonlinear generalization of the von Neumann equation. We demonstrate that this equation preserves the equivalence of quantum ensembles and, consequently, satisfies the no-signalling principle, ensuring consistency with both quantum mechanics and Einstein causality. Our approach eliminates the need for instantaneous, discontinuous state collapse and provides a unified description of the postmeasurement quantum state reduction as a form of quantum state evolution. Notably, it does not require invoking concepts such as the quantum state assigned to a classical apparatus. At the same time, the stochastic character of selective measurement and the Born rule remain unchanged. We present several numerical solutions of the evolution equation for quasilinear selective measurement in two-level quantum systems and compare them with the standard von Neumann projection. The results demonstrate agreement between the two measurement schemes in their fundamental properties. Furthermore, we investigate phenomena associated with the structural instability of the evolution equation and identify very narrow parameter regions in which the outcomes deviate from those predicted by the von Neumann projection. These regions may offer opportunities to test the proposed approach experimentally. Finally, using specific analytical solutions, we discuss the Stern-Gerlach experiment within the framework of quasilinear measurement.
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Quantum Physics

Optimal Quantum Illumination with Nonlocal Non-Gaussian Operations

Enhancing quantum illumination with highly entangled probes remains an active area of research. In this context, non-Gaussian operations provide an effective route for engineering probe states that can surpass the standard two-mode squeezed state (TMSS). In this work, we investigate a specific nonlocal non-Gaussian operation protocol and show that the engineered state using this protocol outperforms previously considered local non-Gaussian scenarios, engineered based on photon catalysis, addition, and subtraction under realistic conditions, including photon loss. Furthermore, by employing a $50{:}50$ beam splitter with photon-number difference detection, we demonstrate a significant enhancement in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for target detection relative to the TMSS. Thus, our protocol exhibits improved performance, highlighting a resource-efficient and experimentally feasible probe for enhanced quantum illumination.
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Quantum Physics

Quantum selective measurement as a quasilinear evolution

We propose replacing the instantaneous state reduction in von Neumann selective measurement with continuous nonlinear evolution. Despite its nonlinearity, this evolution preserves the equivalence of quantum ensembles and hence obeys the no-signaling principle. Its final states coincide with those produced by the von Neumann projection. The defining features of rank-one projective measurement are retained: convergence to the eigenstate of the observable associated with the selected outcome, independence of this final state from the initial state, and consistent action on entangled states.
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Quantum Physics

Floquet engineering of nonreciprocal light-induced dipolar interactions

Tweezer arrays of polarizable objects are a promising platform for assembling quantum matter and building next-generation quantum sensors. Light-induced dipolar interactions have emerged as a method to couple their motion, thereby establishing a new paradigm for controlling collective mechanical degrees of freedom. Here, we extend these into the regime of Floquet-driven interactions, combined with the intrinsic nonreciprocity of optical forces. We demonstrate beamsplitter, single-, and two-mode squeezing operations, as well as signatures of a negative-mass-like oscillator arising from the nonreciprocity. Moreover, we show that a programmable combination of these operations enables continuous tuning of complex eigenfrequencies. These results establish a toolbox of quantum operations of nonreciprocal interactions that are essential for investigating non-Hermitian many-body physics and collective quantum optomechanics.
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All authors Livia Egyed, Murad Abuzarli, Manuel Reisenbauer, Iurie Coroli, Benjamin A. Stickler, Uroš Delić

Quantum Physics

Probing Quantum Information Scrambling via Local Randomized Measurements

In quantum many-body dynamics, locally encoded information typically scrambles across the entire system, becoming inaccessible to local probes. The upper bound of accessible information of local probes can be characterized by the Holevo information via optimal measurement. In this work, we investigate the information dynamics of quantum scrambling utilizing local randomized probes, quantified by the averaged accessible information (AAI). We derive an analytical expression for the AAI under Haar-random measurements and demonstrate that it is a function of purity of local reduced density matrix. Operationally, we employ the classical shadow protocol, using only single-qubit randomized Pauli measurements, to efficiently extract the AAI across extended subsystems. Through numerical simulations across diverse many-body paradigms, we show that the AAI can reveal distinct scrambling behaviors, resolving phenomena that range from dynamical confinement and ballistic transport to persistent scar revivals and many-body localization. This work highlights a pragmatic paradigm shift, from relying on optimal measurements to utilizing randomized local probes, for the characterization of complex quantum information dynamics.
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Quantum Physics

Berry-Phase-Induced Chirality in Thermodynamics

Geometric phases are foundational to isolated quantum systems, yet their thermodynamic role in open systems remains unrevealed Developing a dissipative adiabatic perturbation expansion, we discover a Berry-phase-induced chiral work difference that survives decoherence. This chirality evolves from an interferometric thermodynamic Aharonov-Bohm effect in the unitary regime to a fringe-free signal in the dissipative regime. We illustrate this framework in a two-level system and assess its experimental feasibility. Our findings clarify the role of quantum geometry in the geometric formulation of thermodynamics.
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Quantum Physics

Comparative assessment of germanium-based spin-qubit modalities: donor, acceptor, gate-defined hole, and gate-defined electron platforms

High-purity germanium (Ge) has re-emerged as a versatile semiconductor platform for spin-based quantum information processing because it combines mature materials processing, access to spin-free isotopes, high mobilities, small effective masses, and strong but engineerable spin–orbit coupling. However, “Ge qubits” are not a single technology. Donor spin qubits, acceptor spin qubits, gate-defined hole spin qubits, and gate-defined electron spin qubits exploit different parts of the Ge band structure and therefore make distinct trade-offs among coherence, controllability, fabrication complexity, and scalability. Here we compare these four Ge-based spin-qubit modalities on a common physical and architectural footing. We review the shared Ge materials physics, including isotopic purification, the multivalley \(L\)-point conduction band, the spin-\(3/2\) valence band, heavy-hole/light-hole mixing, strain, interfaces, disorder, and phonons. We also introduce a common framework for estimating phononic-crystal-modified \(T_1\) using a calibrated reference relaxation rate, a geometry-dependent strain-density-of-states suppression factor, and parasitic relaxation channels. The comparison shows that gate-defined Ge hole-spin qubits currently offer the strongest combination of all-electrical control, demonstrated multiqubit operation, and scalability. Donor, acceptor, and gate-defined electron qubits remain important complementary directions for memory, hybrid, and exploratory architectures. Overall, Ge supports a diverse qubit ecosystem, with gate-defined hole-spin qubits presently providing the clearest path toward scalable Ge-based quantum processors.
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All authors D.-M. Mei, K.-M. Dong, S. A. Panamaldeniya, A. Prem, S. Chhetri, N. Budhathoki, S. Bhattarai

Quantum Physics

Decoherence of spatial superpositions along stationary worldlines

We analyze the decoherence of a particle's spatial superposition moving along a stationary worldline through the Minkowski vacuum. The particle is modeled via an internal degree of freedom that couples to a scalar field, and an external degree of freedom, i.e., its quantized center-of-mass motion around the stationary worldline. Assuming a separation of time scales between the particle's internal and external dynamics, we first obtain an effective red-shifted polarizability of the particle, characterizing the trajectory-dependent linear response of the internal oscillator to the field. We then derive a quantum Brownian motion master equation for the particle's center of mass, under the Born-Markov approximation, which describes its decoherence in the position basis, as well as, Hamiltonian modifications corresponding to a dispersive potential. The resulting decoherence has two components: (1) arising from a modified field spectrum observed by the particle; and (2) due to a differential time-dilation over the particle's extended spatial wavefunction. For stationary trajectories, both contributions take an effectively thermal form. We evaluate the decoherence rates for two specific cases of hyperbolic and uniform circular motion.
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All authors Clemens Jakubec, Aaron Bartleson, Peter W. Milonni, Kanu Sinha

Quantum Physics

CO-MAP: A Reinforcement Learning Approach to the Qubit Allocation Problem

A quantum compiler is a critical piece in the quantum computing pipeline since it allows an abstract quantum circuit to be run on a physical quantum computer. One extremely important subproblem in quantum compilation is the generation of a logical to physical qubit mapping. Typically in quantum compilers this step is either implemented as a random or a heuristic based assignment that aims to minimize additional (SWAP) gate overhead in the quantum circuit. In this paper, we present an alternative approach to solving the qubit mapping problem. Specifically, we formulate the qubit mapping problem with a combinatorial optimization (CO) objective. We then present a method to find a solution to the CO problem by training a reinforcement learning (RL) policy. We also propose a local search based post-processing algorithm to further reduce the overhead. Our results show a dramatic improvement over conventional techniques in reducing the number of SWAPs. On different real world datasets like MQTBench and Queko circuits, our trained policy achieves a 65-85% reduction in SWAP overhead when compared to existing quantum compilers.
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Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from cond-mat.mes-hall

Probing Floquet topological phases via non-Hermitian skin effect of reflected waves

Periodically driven systems host topological phases without static analogs, such as the anomalous Floquet phase characterized by trivial bulk bands yet robust boundary modes. In this work, we investigate the scattering problem of a Floquet Chern insulator and reveal the non-Hermitian skin effect (NHSE) of reflected waves. Using a discrete-time scattering formalism, we demonstrate how the non-Hermitian winding number of the reflection matrix is linked to the bulk Floquet invariant via boundary resonances. This reflected-wave NHSE relies on which quasienergy gap the incident wave resides in, leading to a gap-dependent Goos-Hänchen (GH) shift. We further show that the momentum-integrated GH shift quantitatively yields the Floquet topological invariant of the corresponding gap. Our work highlights a frequency-dependent NHSE of reflected waves in driven systems and provides a real-space scattering approach to identify non-equilibrium topology.
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Quantum Physics

Storage of telecom-band time-bin qubits in thin-film lithium niobate

Integrated photonics has emerged as a promising platform for quantum communication and quantum computation. Thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) has gained significant attention in this field due to its exceptional optical properties, enabling the realization of numerous integrated photonic devices. However, quantum memory, which serves as a universal building block for the quantum internet, has not yet been demonstrated in TFLN. In this study, we realized the first on-chip quantum memory using erbium ions doped TFLN. The developed quantum memory achieves a storage time of 400 ns with an efficiency of 1.95%, significantly outperforming conventional waveguide delay lines. The multimode capability is demonstrated by successfully storing four temporal modes. Furthermore, single-photon-level coherent pulses are encoded into time-bin qubits and stored with a fidelity of 96.8% , surpassing the classical limit achievable by measure-and-prepare strategy. Our results demonstrate the first on-chip quantum memory for telecom-band time-bin qubits in TFLN, providing a key building block toward integrated quantum registers and repeaters for scalable quantum information processing.
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All authors Xiao-Jie Wang, Yong-Teng Wang, Zi-Wei Zhao, Yong-Min Li, Tian-Shu Yang

Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from gr-qc

Quantum resolution of the Schwarzschild singularity

We revisit the Schwarzschild singularity in a semiclassical setting where the background geometry is classical and quantum effects enter through Bohmian (quantal) trajectories associated with a Klein Gordon wave packet. Using the Madelung-Bohm decomposition of the Klein Gordon wavefunction, we show that the quantum-modified motion is equivalent to geodesic motion in an effective metric conformally related to Schwarzschild, with a conformal factor fixed by the wavefunction amplitude. Solving the wavefunction equation near $r\to 0$ determines this factor and yields finite curvature invariants, in suitable coordinates the interior extends smoothly and the effective spacetime is geodesically complete. This suggests that quantum dynamics on a fixed classical background can regularize the Schwarzschild singularity without a full theory of quantum gravity.
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All authors Vishnulal Cheriyodathillathu, Tanmay Patil, Saurya Das, Soumen Basak

Quantum Physics

Violations of the Leggett-Garg inequality in Hybrid Liouvillian Dynamics: The Nonlinear Role of Detector Efficiency

Violations of the Leggett-Garg inequality (LGI) up to its algebraic bound under non-Hermitian dynamics are well established theoretically. Here, we demonstrate that such extreme violations are intrinsically fragile when realistic measurement processes are taken into account. We consider an open two-level system described by a time-local hybrid Liouvillian, with a continuous parameter $q \in [0,1]$, representing detector efficiency, i.e., the fraction of quantum jump trajectories that are retained in the ensemble. This parameter interpolates between trace-preserving Lindblad dynamics ($q=1$) and non-Hermitian “no-jump" evolution ($q=0$). While $K_3$ approaches its algebraic maximum of 3 in the null-efficiency limit, even an infinitesimal increase in detector efficiency induces a rapid, highly nonlinear suppression toward the classical bound. This logarithmic sensitivity reveals that maximal LGI violations are not robust physical features but rather singular limits of idealized measurement conditions. Our results have direct experimental implications: achieving algebraic LGI violations in systems undergoing continuous time evolution requires near-perfect suppression of detected quantum jumps (i.e., effective post-selection), placing stringent constraints on detector performance. In contrast to discrete protocols based on time-non-divisible dynamics, our framework shows that extreme violations arising within continuous, divisible quantum trajectory evolution constitute a fundamentally fragile regime.
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Quantum Physics

Exploiting ionization dynamics in the nitrogen vacancy center for rapid, high-contrast spin and charge state initialization

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a method to strongly increase the sensitivity of spin measurements on nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond, which can be readily implemented in existing quantum sensing experiments. While charge state transitions of this defect are generally considered a parasitic effect to be avoided, we show here that these can be used to significantly increase the NV center's spin contrast, a key quantity for high sensitivity magnetometry and high fidelity state readout. The protocol consists of a two-step procedure, in which the charge state of the defect is first purified by a strong laser pulse, followed by weak illumination to obtain high spin polarization. We observe a relative improvement of the readout contrast by 17 %, and infer a reduction of the initialization error of more than 50 %. The contrast enhancement is accompanied by a beneficial increase of the readout signal. For long sequence durations, typically encountered in high-resolution magnetometry, a measurement speedup by a factor of >1.5 is extracted, and we find that the technique is beneficial for sequences of any duration. Additionally, our findings give detailed insight into the charge and spin polarization dynamics of the NV center, and provide actionable insights for direct optical, spin-to-charge, and electrical readout of solid-state spin centres.
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All authors Daniel Wirtitsch, Georg Wachter, Sarah Reisenbauer, Michal Gulka, Viktor Ivády, Fedor Jelezko, Adam Gali, Milos Nesladek, Michael Trupke

Quantum Physics

Collective amplification and anisotropic narrowing of alignment signals in cesium vapor under strong spin exchange near zero magnetic field

We present the results of an experimental study of the anomalous anisotropy of alignment signals in cesium vapors under strong spin-exchange conditions near zero magnetic field with linearly polarized optical pumping. We show that the anisotropy of the Hanle resonances in the plane perpendicular to the pump beam increases with concentration: in one direction the widths remain broadened by spin-exchange, whereas in the other they approach the spin-exchange relaxation free limit. With a further increase in concentration, additional nonlinear effects arise, such as signal amplification, bistability, hysteresis, and memory. To explain these effects we construct a illustrative theoretical model incorporating spontaneous polarization effects under strong spin exchange conditions. The model qualitatively shows that the ultra-narrow alignment resonances may originate from quadrupole anisotropy arising from the projection of spontaneous transverse orientation onto the detection axis. The unique properties of these resonances, such as their extremely small width and magnetic field-controlled bistability with a long-term memory effect, make them promising for use in quantum sensing and information.
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Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from physics.atom-ph

$\Lambda$-enhanced gray-molasses loading and EIT cooling of neutral atoms in nanophotonic traps

Nanophotonic traps for cold atoms typically have trap volumes that are orders of magnitude smaller than, e.g., free-space optical tweezers. This makes efficient loading of these traps challenging, thereby limiting the total number of atoms coupled to the nanophotonic waveguide. Here, we demonstrate that $\Lambda$-enhanced gray-molasses ($\Lambda$GM) can substantially increase the number of trapped atoms in a nanofiber-based cold-atom setup. Specifically, we observe a six-fold increase in the number of loaded atoms compared to conventional red-detuned polarization gradient cooling. Despite the unusually small depth of our optical trap of only 24 $\mu$K, we load about 4000 individual Cesium atoms, achieving optical depths exceeding 140 and reaching the collisional blockade regime over a length of approximately 1 mm. After loading, we perform efficient EIT-assisted cooling that is found to increase the trap storage time to 400(9) ms. This is a 5-fold improvement over the passive storage time. Remarkably, EIT-cooling also works with two co-propagating nanofiber-guided light fields and requiries only about a few hundred picowatt of optical power. Our results provide an efficient method to boost both the number of loaded atoms and the storage time of nanophotonic atom traps.
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All authors Lucas Pache, Antoine Glicenstein, Philipp Schneeweiss, Jürgen Volz, Arno Rauschenbeutel, Riccardo Pennetta

Quantum Physics

Universal Design and Physical Applications of Non-Uniform Cellular Automata on Translationally Invariant Lattices

Motivated by recent theoretical and experimental advances, hyperbolic lattices have emerged as a paradigmatic setting in which geometry becomes an active organizing principle of quantum systems. Their negative curvature, exponential volume growth, and non-Abelian translation symmetry make them fundamentally distinct from Euclidean lattices and give rise to rich geometry-dependent physics, but also hinder the direct application of well-established analytical and computational approaches originally developed for physical systems defined on Euclidean lattices. To establish a unified framework for geometry-dependent physics on Euclidean and hyperbolic lattices, we develop higher-order non-uniform cellular automata (NUCA) as a local-to-global construction for translationally invariant regular lattices. This construction derives geometry-dependent update rules through a lattice-deforming procedure that embeds hyperbolic lattices into a Euclidean square lattice, thereby encoding hyperbolic geometry while preserving physical locality. It thus provides a systematic route toward quantum and classical physics on hyperbolic lattices. We demonstrate the framework in three applications ranging from quantum many-body physics to non-equilibrium statistical physics. First, on the hyperbolic $\{5,4\}$ lattice, a linear NUCA generates exactly solvable subsystem symmetry-protected topological (SSPT) models and spontaneous subsystem symmetry-breaking models. Second, as a quantum generalization, we construct non-uniform Clifford quantum cellular automata (CQCA) for the hyperbolic cluster state. Third, we formulate a probabilistic NUCA for directed percolation (DP) on the hyperbolic lattice.
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Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from cond-mat.str-el

Invertible Symmetry and Spontaneous Duality Breaking in the Transverse-Field Ising Model

The self-duality of the transverse-field Ising model is an archetype for dualities that, alongside symmetry and topology, are used as an organizing principle throughout modern physics. This duality, however, is not exact. The original and dual models have different symmetries and numbers of ground states, and the duality is implemented by a non-invertible operator giving rise to a non-invertible symmetry at the quantum critical point. Here, we show that by adjusting the model to accommodate open rather than periodic boundary conditions, it allows for an exact duality implemented by a unique invertible operator. In the model with exact duality, the symmetry at the quantum critical point is also exact, and hence invertible. Moreover, we find that the exact duality necessitates the presence of an anomalous edge degree of freedom, thus realizing a duality rather than topology based bulk-boundary correspondence. Finally, the exactness of the duality implies that the spontaneous breakdown of a global symmetry in terms of the original model can equivalently be described as spontaneously breaking a local symmetry in the dual system. We show that this seeming contradiction of Elitzur's theorem can be explained by the original and dual models obtaining different sensitivities to spatially local perturbations in any physical implementation of the Hamiltonian. Although the dual partners are mathematically equivalent, their physical implementations therefore are not. In analogy to the spontaneous breakdown of symmetries, we term this emergent distinction due to arbitrarily small environmental influences spontaneous duality breaking.
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Quantum Physics

Distribution of GHz sequential Time-bin Entanglement in a Metropolitan Fiber Network

Efficient generation and high-quality distribution of entanglement is becoming increasingly more relevant in the field of quantum technologies, with important applications such as multiparty computation as well as quantum key distribution (QKD) on the rise. Quantum communication protocols based on entanglement offer an inherent quantum based randomness for key generation and provide in general higher security compared to prepare and measure implementations. Moreover, the future quantum internet will also be based on the distribution of entanglement for securely connecting quantum computers in a network. In this work we show the feasibility of using sequential time-bin entangled states for quantum key distribution in metropolitan networks using off-the-shelf components. The time-bin encoding ensures high fidelity distribution robust against random polarisation fluctuations occuring in optical fibers. Modulated laser pulses in the GHz frequency range are used to generate time-bin entangled photon pairs. The entangled photons are then sent over an about 30km long (9.5dB loss) fiber link within the Vienna fiber network, showing high degree of distributed entanglement with a measured 93% quantum visibility.
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All authors Martin Achleitner, Alessandro Trenti, Philip Walther, Hannes Hübel

Quantum Physics

Intraparticle entanglement-based Random Access Code protocols: Contextuality-enabled quantum advantage and implications

We provide the first explicit identification and quantitative characterization of the physical origin of the quantum advantage in the Random Access Code (RAC) protocol. This is achieved by formulating the protocol in terms of intraparticle entanglement between co-measurable degrees of freedom of a single particle and establishing a fundamental correspondence between the protocol's success probability and the underlying resource powering it. For this purpose, we use a relevant Bell-type inequality derived from the assumption of noncontextuality of measurement outcomes. The formulated analysis reveals that the magnitude of quantum-mechanical violation of this inequality, signifying a form of quantum contextuality, is quantitatively commensurate with the “quantum enhancement" of success probability in any intraparticle entanglement-assisted $n$-bit RAC protocol. In particular, the maximal success probability achievable in a quantum $n \mapsto 1$ RAC protocol corresponds to the maximal quantum violation of the relevant Bell-type inequality. Our framework not only demonstrates how quantum contextuality entailed by intraparticle entanglement serves as an effective resource for enhancing RAC performance, but also offers a significant operational advantage: the proposed scheme is readily implementable in a single-particle interferometric setup requiring coherence preservation only for a single particle, rather than between spatially separated entangled systems.
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Quantum Physics

OAM-Induced Lattice Rotation Reveals a Fractional Optimum in Fault-Tolerant GKP Quantum Sensing

Photon loss and dephasing rapidly degrade the sensitivity of quantum sensors, yet systematic methods for designing error-correcting codes whose geometry is simultaneously adapted to the sensing task and the noise channel do not exist. Here we establish that orbital-angular-momentum (OAM) encoding and Gottesman-Kitaev-Preskill (GKP) lattice geometry are structurally coupled: an OAM mode of topological charge $\ell$ induces a phase-space rotation $\theta_\ell=\ell\pi/\ell_{\max}$, corresponding to a family of twisted GKP stabilizer lattices. Using an end-to-end differentiable Strawberry Fields–TensorFlow circuit, we jointly optimise $\ell$, the lattice aspect ratio $r$, and the finite-energy envelope $\epsilon$ to maximise quantum Fisher information subject to $P_{\rm err}\leq10^{-3}$. The optimum occurs at the fractional charge $\ell=1.5$ ($\theta=67.5^\circ$), implementable with a half-integer spiral phase plate, which reduces $P_{\rm err}$ by $23.9\times$ relative to the square-lattice baseline while leaving $\mathcal{F}_Q$ unchanged to within $0.2\%$. This surpasses the best integer value ($\ell=2$, $15.7\times$) and arises from an exact $180^\circ$ periodicity of the $P_{\rm err}(\theta)$ landscape, confirmed analytically and numerically. We derive a transcendental balance equation for the optimal angle $\theta^*(\eta,\gamma,r)$ and prove that it decreases with both $\gamma$ and $\eta$. A Shannon-inspired metrological capacity $\mathcal{C}=\mathcal{F}_Q\cdot(-\ln P_{\rm err})$, maximised at $\ell=1.5$ with a $41\%$ gain over the square lattice, quantifies the joint sensitivity–fault-tolerance resource. These results establish a geometric design principle for noise-adaptive quantum sensors and a fully open-source differentiable template extensible to other bosonic code families.
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Quantum Physics

Physics Guided Generative Optimization for Trotter Suzuki Decomposition

Trotter Suzuki product formulas are the standard route to Hamiltonian evolution on noisy intermediate-scale quantum (\NISQ{}) hardware, but their accuracy depends on three coupled choices: term grouping, product-formula order, and time-step allocation. Grouping and order are discrete, which makes direct gradient optimization infeasible and forces existing compilers to rely on static heuristics. We describe P-GONE, a method that combines a conditional diffusion model (D3PM + DDPM), a graph neural network (\GNN{}) encoder, and closed-loop REINFORCE fine-tuning to jointly learn grouping, order, and time-step optimization over a mixed discrete-continuous space. Under fidelity-matched conditions ($F \geq 0.95$), the method achieves circuit depth 86 versus 1673 for Qiskit fourth-order (ungrouped, Suzuki-4), about $19.4\times$ compression, and 141 for Paulihedral (first-order Trotter), about $1.6\times$ compression. At $T=0.90$ the method also beats the Qiskit group-commuting teacher (65 vs 103, $1.6\times$ compression), though at $T=0.95$ the teacher still leads – a stratified pattern that points toward fidelity-aware fine-tuning. Under a standard depolarizing noise model, the method achieves noisy fidelity roughly $2\times$ the Qiskit fourth-order baseline (0.743 vs 0.380). Ablation shows a clear hierarchy: order learning $>$ time allocation $>$ grouping. Best-of-N sampling ($N=32$ is a practical sweet spot) and CFG guidance give flexible fidelity-depth trade-offs at inference. The method works well on structured Hamiltonians (TFIM, Heisenberg), but random Pauli Hamiltonians fail entirely at $T \geq 0.95$ – a boundary that defines where the method applies.
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