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Thursday 14 May

Quantum Physics

Nonlocal Topological Maxwell Demon Teleporting Ergotropy via Surface-Code Quantum Error Correction

Surface-code quantum error correction has recently achieved logical error rates below the physical threshold on superconducting processors, establishing topologically ordered states as experimentally accessible resources. Whether these resources can support thermodynamic operations beyond fault-tolerant computation remains open. We introduce a nonlocal Maxwell demon protocol that transfers ergotropy between spatially separated quantum batteries using only local operations and classical communication over a shared surface code. Alice expends ergotropy to encode a logical qubit and transmits a classical syndrome record to Bob, who decodes via minimum-weight perfect matching and conditionally charges his battery, with no direct energy exchange across the channel. Active syndrome monitoring exponentially suppresses logical errors below the topological threshold $p_{\rm th} \approx 0.013$, converting physical qubits directly into recoverable ergotropy. For finite-size codes at distance $L = 7$, net extracted work changes sign at a thermodynamic critical error rate $p_c \approx 0.014 > p_{\rm th}$, a physically significant finite-size effect relevant to near-term devices. Causality enforces an irreducible quadratic infrastructure cost $W_{\rm bulk} \propto N^2$, strictly satisfying the second law at all separations and defining a fundamental thermodynamic horizon $N_{\rm max} \approx 78$ beyond which positive net work extraction is impossible regardless of code distance or decoder quality.
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Quantum Physics

QSeqSim: A Symbolic Simulator for Qiskit While Loops Using Sequential Quantum Circuits

We present a tool QSeqSim, a Qiskit-integrated symbolic backend that fills the current gap of having no Qiskit-native support for simulating while-loop quantum programs and their induced sequential quantum circuits. QSeqSim takes Qiskit QuantumCircuit objects, translates them into OpenQASM 3 code, and organises the resulting program into a combination of combinational, dynamic, and sequential circuits, thereby assigning while-loops a precise sequential circuit semantics with explicit internal and external qubits. Building on this semantics, QSeqSim adopts a Binary Decision Diagram (BDD)-based symbolic representation and integrates weighted model counting to compute measurement probabilities efficiently by exploiting sharing in structured and sparse BDDs. On top of this Boolean backbone, it introduces dedicated symbolic operators for state composition and state retention, thereby enabling efficient symbolic execution of sequential quantum circuits. Our experiments demonstrate that QSeqSim scales to substantial while-induced sequential circuits; in particular, in the quantum random walk benchmark we successfully simulate circuits with over 1000 qubits for more than 10 loop iterations. QSeqSim is available at https://github.com/Veri-Q/QSeqSim.
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Quantum Physics

Efficient ultrafast homodyne detection of quantum light

Ultrafast continuous-variable quantum states offer new opportunities for advanced quantum technologies, but efficient homodyne detection of these states remains challenging. Here, we present a method for efficient ultrafast homodyne detection by exploiting temporal correlations in detector signals. By optimizing the temporal weight used to extract quadrature outcomes, we achieve a substantial increase in the signal-to-noise ratio of ultrafast homodyne detection, thereby improving the detection efficiency. We analyze the autocorrelations of shot noise and electronic noise and determine the optimal weight by solving a generalized Rayleigh quotient problem. The optimal weight enhances the squeezing and anti-squeezing levels observed experimentally. These results highlight the importance of optimized signal processing for efficient quantum measurements.
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All authors Young-Do Yoon, Chan Roh, Geunhee Gwak, Young-Sik Ra

Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from physics.optics

Superconducting single-photon detectors for integrated quantum photonics

Single-photon detection possibility is a fundamental requirement for quantum technologies, including communication, computing and sensing. To achieve scalability and practical deployment, increasing attention is being directed toward integration of detectors with photonic integrated circuits, which offer compactness and compatibility with mass production. Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors have emerged as the leading solution, combining near-unity efficiency, high temporal performance and the ability to be embedded across a wide range of photonic material platforms. In this review we trace the development of integrated superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors from early demonstrations to recent advances, outlining the progress in device architectures, material engineering and integration strategies. We also discuss performance benchmarks, emerging alternative designs, the future opportunities and challenges for this rapidly evolving field.
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All authors Ilya A. Stepanov, Oksana I. Shmonina, Evgeniy V. Sergeev, Aleksandr S. Baburin, Danila Yu. Ulyanov, Kirill A. Buzaverov, Sergey S. Avdeev, Aleksey B. Kramarenko, Yuri V. Panfilov, Ilya A. Rodionov

Quantum Physics

Nonlinear Hamiltonians and Boolean satisfiability

We consider an extended model of quantum computation where a scalable fault-tolerant quantum computer is coupled to one or more ancilla qubits that evolve according to a nonlinear Schrödinger equation. Following the approach of Abrams and Lloyd, an efficient quantum circuit evaluating an $n$-bit Boolean function in conjunctive normal form is used to prepare an ancilla encoding its number $s$ of satisfying assignments ($0 \le s \le 2^n$). This is followed by a nonlinear quantum state discrimination gate on the ancilla qubit that is used to learn properties of $s$. Here we consider three types of state discriminators generated by different nonlinear Hamiltonians. First, given a restricted Boolean satisfiability problem with the promise of at most one satisfying assignment ($ 0 \le s \le 1$), we show that a qubit with $\langle \sigma^z \rangle \sigma^z$ nonlinearity can be used to efficiently determine whether $s = 0$ or $s = 1$, solving the UNIQUE SAT problem. Here $\langle A \rangle := \langle \psi | A |\psi \rangle $ denotes expectation in the current state. UNIQUE SAT is NP-hard under a randomized polynomial-time reduction (of course any discussion of complexity assumes a scalable, fault-tolerant implementation). Second, for unrestricted satisfiability problems with $ 0 \le s \le 2^n$, a Hamiltonian with $ \langle \sigma^x \rangle \sigma^y - \langle \sigma^y \rangle \sigma^x$ nonlinearity can be used to efficiently determine whether $s=0$ or $s>0$, thereby solving 3SAT, which is NP-complete. Finally, we show that $ \langle \sigma^y \rangle \langle \sigma^z \rangle \sigma^x - \langle \sigma^x \rangle \langle \sigma^z \rangle \sigma^y $ nonlinearity can be used to efficiently measure $s$ and solve #SAT, which is #P-complete. The nonlinear models are of mean field type and might be simulated with ultracold atoms.
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Quantum Physics

The Heisenberg-Weyl-parity group its coherent states and a unified Wigner-Weyl function

The Heisenberg-Weyl group $HW(d)$ related to a $d$-dimensional Hilbert space $H(d)$, is enlarged into the Heisenberg-Weyl-parity group $HWP(d)$ that incorporates parity transformations. It consists of $2d^3$ elements, of which $d^3$ elements belong to the $HW(d)$ subgroup, and extra $d^3$ elements which are related through a Fourier transform with the former ones. It is shown that $HWP(d)$ is a generalised version of the dihedral group. The properties of operators that combine displacements and parity, are discussed. $HWP(d)$ is shown to be a solvable group, and commutators of its elements perform displacement and parity transformations of quantum states, along loops in the discrete phase space.$2d^2$ coherent states related to the $HWP(d)$ group are introduced, which consist of $d^2$ coherent states related to the $HW(d)$ subgroup, and extra $d^2$ coherent states which are related through a Fourier transform with the former ones. In noisy cases, expansion of an arbitrary state in terms of the $2d^2$ coherent states with Bargmann coefficients, is advantageous in comparison to expansion in terms of the $d^2$ coherent states related to $HW(d)$. One of the consequences of the $HWP(d)$ group, is a natural unification of the Wigner and Weyl functions. The properties of the unified Wigner-Weyl function are discussed.
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Quantum Physics

The influence of strong coupling between single-photon source and spectral filter on photon statistics

One of the most common approaches for coupling optical single-photon sources and photonic integrated circuits is to use a cavity. The cavity acts as a spectral filter that distorts the light spectrum and changes its statistical properties. But in the general case one should take into account not only spectral filtering of light but also the spectral filter influence on the single-photon source dynamics. We build an effective analytical model for description of the cavity influence on the photon statistics of light emitted by the single-photon source as spectral filtering only. We show that this model correctly describes the photon statistics even in a strong-coupling regime between the single-photon source and the spectral filter. Our results can be useful for analytical modeling of photon statistics of quantum emitters strongly coupled to various electromagnetic interfaces.
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Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from gr-qc

How Much Can Gravitons Be Squeezed?

Quantum Gravity remains elusive, largely because its observable effects are suppressed by powers of the Planck scale. Direct detection of single gravitons is widely believed to be impossible. Here we propose a concrete astrophysical mechanism that may overcome this suppression. We show that superradiant axion-like-particle clouds surrounding rotating black holes can generate multimode squeezed states of gravitons containing up to $10^6$ - $10^7$ correlated quanta. Such states exhibit distinctive polarization correlations and quantum-noise signatures that could be detectable in future gravitational-wave interferometers. Observation of these signatures would constitute direct evidence for the quantum nature of gravitational radiation. Conversely, their absence can place constraints on axion-cloud lifetimes. Our approach also provides a test of General Relativity as an effective field theory.
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All authors Panagiotis Dorlis, Nick E. Mavromatos, Sarben Sarkar, Sotirios-Neilos Vlachos

Quantum Physics

Programmable cavity-enhanced telecom quantum memory in thin-film lithium niobate

Spectrally multiplexed telecom quantum networks require quantum memories combining efficient storage with programmable frequency addressing. An integrated implementation should therefore unite a native telecom transition, efficient storage, and fast on-chip spectral control. Here we demonstrate a cavity-enhanced memory in an isotopically purified $^{167}\mathrm{Er}^{3+}$-doped thin-film lithium niobate microring. Long-lived hyperfine shelving states enable persistent, high-contrast atomic frequency comb preparation with a single-component lifetime of $277.6(52.6)$~s, while cavity impedance matching yields $23.3(5)\%$ on-chip efficiency for 100-ns storage. The intrinsic electro-optic response enables frequency-selective storage and routing at rates up to 20~MHz. We further store and retrieve time-energy-entangled telecom photons, violating an entanglement-witness bound by more than 11 standard deviations. Our results establish erbium-doped thin-film lithium niobate as a programmable light–matter interface for spectrally multiplexed quantum networks.
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All authors Chengdong Yang, Hanwen Guo, Yu-Yang An, Qian He, Chi Lu, Ziheng Jiang, Yan-Qing Lu, Shining Zhu, Xiao-Song Ma

Quantum Physics

Evolution of Gaussian mixed states under the Markovian master equation for a driven quantum oscillator

We study a generic quantum Markovian master equation for a linearly displaced or driven harmonic oscillator. It was known that the displacement dynamics of Gaussian mixed states depends on the unitary part of the Liouvillian, the decay rate of the system but not on the bath temperature. Here we further show that the fast-rotating modes do not affect the system's displacement dynamics under linear driving forces. Analytical solutions of the quantum master equation are obtained for displaced Gaussian mixed states. Because the non-driven and driven Liouvillians are related by a unitary displacement operator, they are expected to share the same exceptional points structure. At the exceptional points, the displacement of critically damped oscillator displays a characteristics polynomial-in-time prefactor multiplied by an exponential decay. We discuss how external time-dependent forces affect the displacement dynamics using impulsive force and harmonic force as examples. The results obtained for constant driving remain valid in the presence of time-dependent driving.
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Quantum Physics

A Toolbox to Understand the Physics of Quantum Data Management

The application of quantum computing to data management has attracted growing interest, yet remains constrained by a limited understanding of how the physical behaviour of quantum devices relates to the structure and difficulty of database problems. In particular, evaluating quantum annealing approaches for combinatorial optimisation, which is central to many data management tasks, poses significant challenges beyond the scope of conventional empirical and complexity-theoretic methods. We present a computational toolbox for the systematic numerical analysis of quantum annealing processes derived from data management problem formulations. Adopting a physics-informed perspective, the toolbox enables the study of spectral and dynamical properties – such as energy gaps and eigenstate structure – that are inaccessible through direct hardware measurements, yet essential for understanding computational hardness and scaling behaviour. Our approach further provides derived quantities and visualisation techniques that support the interpretation of optimisation dynamics, the identification of structural similarities to canonical physical models, and the construction of reduced effective descriptions. By bridging methodological gaps between quantum computing and database systems research, this work establishes a principled foundation for evaluating quantum approaches and guiding future co-design efforts.
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Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Telecom-Wavelength-Compatible Quantum Information Transcription Using Nitrogen-Vacancy Centers

Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond are a leading platform for solid-state quantum sensing and quantum information processing. While most optical studies rely on the visible fluorescence associated with the triplet transitions, the infrared singlet transition near $1042$ nm, which is typically considered dark within the singlet manifold of the NV optical cycle, provides an alternative optical channel. Here, we report wavelength-resolved optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) measurements of this infrared emission. We directly observe ODMR contrast in the $1042$ nm emission and analyze its dependence on the magnetic field. The field-dependent spectral dispersion of the ODMR signal demonstrates that the spin-state information encoded in the NV center is transcribed to the infrared singlet emission through the spin-selective intersystem crossing, in close analogy to the visible fluorescence readout. These results establish infrared ODMR as a high-fidelity optical readout pathway. Crucially, by extending spin-state transcription directly into the $1300-1600$ nm range, this work demonstrates a direct, conversion-free interface between diamond spin-qubits and standard telecommunication infrastructure, bypassing the efficiency bottlenecks of active frequency conversion and benefiting from the already well-developed technologies in this range of the electromagnetic spectrum.
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All authors B. Göblyös, S. Kollarics, R. Kucsera, D. Plitt, K. Koltai, B. G. Márkus, L. Forró, F. Simon

Quantum Physics

Decoherence of $q-$Deformed Photon Added Coherent State

In this study, we explore the behavior of photon added coherent states in a deformed harmonic oscillator subjected to dissipative decoherence. We use $q-$deformation as our nonlinear function to model our system. By adjusting the deformation parameter, we show that $q-$deformed photon added coherent state (DPACS) exhibit greater nonclassicality and resilience to decoherence compared to those of a standard harmonic oscillator. Additionally, we investigate the nonclassical properties and entanglement of DPACS under decoherence induced by interaction with a dissipative photon-loss environment.
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Quantum Physics

Blind Quantum Computation on a Modular Superconducting Processor

Current cloud-based quantum processors offer access to advanced hardware hosted on a remote server, but do not guarantee data or algorithm privacy. Blind quantum computation provides information-theoretic privacy by enabling a client to execute an algorithm without disclosing information about either the task or the final result. Here, we execute a measurement-based blind quantum computation protocol on a superconducting processor comprising two flip-chip-bonded modules, one acting as a server and the other as a client. The server generates a two-dimensional cluster state and forwards it to the client. Using this resource, the client implements a universal gate set with only adaptive single-qubit rotations and measurements. To illustrate this approach, we execute a three-qubit instance of the Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm. We analyze the server's quantum state after each rotation of a measurement-based single-qubit gate to verify that negligible information about the computation is revealed to the server, consistent with the one-way flow of information that guarantees blindness. This proof-of-principle demonstration establishes key elements of blind quantum computation in superconducting-circuit architectures, indicating that intermediate-scale implementations of blind protocols may become feasible with realistic near-term improvements in gate fidelities.
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All authors Yongxin Song, Johannes Knörzer, Kieran Dalton, Andreas Wallraff, Jean-Claude Besse

Quantum Physics

Generating Non-Decomposable Maps with Differentiable Semidefinite Programming

Positive maps that are not decomposable are a key resource in entanglement theory because they can detect bound entangled states, yet systematic methods for constructing them remain limited. We introduce an optimization framework based on differentiable semidefinite programming (SDP) for generating positive non-decomposable maps under flexible structural constraints on their Choi matrices. The method combines SDP-based certificates of non-decomposability and positivity with gradient-based optimization, enabling a systematic search over maps with different input and output dimensions. Within this framework, we generate previously unknown numerical examples, identify a parametrized family of maps arising from masked Choi matrices, and construct real non-decomposable maps. We further show that the same approach can be adapted to explore open questions in quantum information theory, including the PPT square conjecture and recently proposed eigenvalue bounds for 2-positive trace-preserving maps.
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All authors Angela Rosy Morgillo, Davide Poderini, Fabio Anselmi, Fabio Benatti, Massimiliano F. Sacchi, Chiara Macchiavello

Quantum Physics

Perfect transmission and parallel composition for quantum walks on graphs with two leads

We study scattering for continuous-time quantum walks on finite graphs with two attached leads. We derive explicit formulae for the two-terminal scattering matrix in terms of characteristic polynomials of the finite graph and its vertex-deleted subgraphs. For real-weighted two-terminal graphs, we then introduce three real quantities, $\mu_1$, $\mu_2$, and $\nu$, which are each additive under parallel composition of graphs. In these variables, perfect transmission at fixed momentum is characterized by the condition $\mu_1=\mu_2$ together with a hyperbola in the corresponding $(\mu,\nu)$-plane, whose points determine the transmission phase. This turns the search for graphs with prescribed transmission properties into a geometric vector-sum problem for smaller building blocks.
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Quantum Physics

Adaptive Window Decoding based on Spatiotemporal Complementary Gap

Real-time decoding plays a crucial role in practical fault-tolerant quantum computing. Window decoding, in which the decoding problem is divided into windows, is a promising approach. While reducing the window size is desirable for faster decoding, each window contains a buffer region whose size must typically be at least the code distance to avoid degrading the logical error rate, which limits how much the window can shrink. In this paper, we propose an adaptive decoding scheme in which window decoding is first performed with a small buffer size and a decoding confidence (soft information) is computed; if the confidence is low, the buffer size is enlarged and decoding is redone. This approach reduces the average decoding time, since most shots are decoded with a small buffer. A central challenge in realizing this scheme is that existing forms of soft information are not directly applicable to window decoding, especially with a small buffer. We address this challenge by introducing a new form of soft information, the spatiotemporal complementary gap, specifically designed for this setting. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposed scheme reduces the average buffer size by approximately 40% while maintaining the logical error rate. Beyond the reduction of average decoding time, the proposed method is also expected to contribute to reducing the reaction time for non-Clifford operations and relaxing the hardware requirements for real-time decoding.
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All authors Moeto Mishima, Riki Toshio, Kaito Kishi, Jun Fujisaki, Hirotaka Oshima, Shintaro Sato, Keisuke Fujii

Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from physics.optics

Entangled Telecom Photon Generation using Twisted Van der Waals Crystals

Nanoscale quantum light sources are essential building blocks for integrated quantum photonic systems. Here, we report a wavelength-scale entangled-photon source based on van der Waals-engineered NbOBr$_2$, and benchmark its performance for telecom-wavelength quantum light generation. By exploiting the material's second-order nonlinearity, we generate quantum-correlated photon pairs via spontaneous parametric down-conversion. We then use a 90$^{\circ}$ twisted stacking to induce quantum interference in photon-pair generation, yielding polarization-entangled photons. This approach enables tunability of the quantum optical state via control of the excitation laser polarization. We experimentally obtain entanglement fidelities exceeding 95% for Bell states, along with a high coincidence-to-accidental ratio of $\sim$335, and a brightness approximately one order of magnitude higher than recently reported telecom sources based on transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) 2D materials. These results establish twisted van der Waals engineering as a powerful platform for highly tunable, high-brightness quantum light sources at telecom wavelengths.
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All authors Nidhin Prasannan, Konstantinos Mourzidis, Vishwas Jindal, Hanting Li, Di Lin, Wenchen Yang, Deng Hu, Liu Yang, Andrea Balocchi, Delphine Lagarde, Pierre Renucci, Zhiwei Wang, Gang Wang, Xavier Marie

Quantum Physics

Fraxonium: Fractional fluxon states for qudit encoding

We propose a superconducting circuit hosting $d$ low-lying states, well separated from the rest of the spectrum, that naturally realizes a qudit system protected from leakage errors. The system represents a generalization of the fluxonium and the low-energy states are constituted by fractional fluxon states, that we call fraxons, localized in the minima of a suitably designed Josephson potential. The latter is tailored through a Fourier engineering approach, that employs multi-harmonic Josephson building block elements composed by a Josephson junction and an inductance connected in series. We present the spectrum of a $d=4$ and a $d=5$ qudit system and study in detail the qutrit case. We analyze the dipole matrix elements for coupling to radiation and propose a non-Abelian, stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) protocol for single-qutrit gates, that is particularly suited for the present system. The proposed platform opens novel perspectives in circuit engineering and quantum computing beyond the qubit paradigm.
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All authors Luca Chirolli, Valentina Brosco, Uri Vool, Gianluigi Catelani, Luigi Amico

Quantum Physics

Quantum battery optimized by parametric amplification

The parametric amplification enabled by two-photon driving constitutes a versatile platform for advanced quantum technologies. We present an optimized scheme for implementing quantum batteries (QBs) based on a superconducting circuit system, where a two-photon-driven LC resonator serves as the charger and an array of transmon qubits functions as the battery. Our results show that two-photon parametric driving exponentially enhances the effective cavity-qubit coupling, which in turn gives rise to near-degenerate energy-level structures and highly entangled quantum states. This significantly enhances the charging power and enables rapid energy transfer from the charger to the battery. Moreover, the engineered squeezed cavity mode and the associated quantum correlations effectively suppress environmentally induced decoherence, thereby delaying energy leakage and facilitating stable energy storage. The proposed scheme remains robust against practical experimental imperfections, such as parameter disorder and environmental noise, preserving its performance advantages. The work provides a feasible platform for realizing high-power, high-stability QBs and highlights the potential of parametric control in quantum energy technologies.
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Quantum Physics

Questioning the absoluteness of free choices when internalized in Wigner's friend scenarios

Wigner's thought experiment illustrates quantum theory's measurement problem by considering an observer who measures a quantum system inside a sealed lab, modeled unitarily by an outsider. Recent extensions of this thought experiment, referred to as extended Wigner's friend arguments, question how different observers can reason consistently about each other in quantum setups, and challenge the absoluteness of the outcome value obtained by the friend under a notion of locality. In this work, we present an argument against the absoluteness of free choices under the same notion of locality, using an extended Wigner's friend scenario based on the Pusey–Barrett–Rudolph theorem. Similar arguments based on other contextuality or nonlocality models are possible.
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Quantum Physics

Quantum-enabled complete RF-polarimetry with an optically-wired atomic sensor

Rydberg atomic electrometry leverages the extreme sensitivity of highly excited atoms for calibration-free electric field measurements. The technique uses a non-metallic vapor cell to link properties of an RF field to a spectroscopic readout in the optical domain. Most demonstrations have so far focused on detecting linearly-polarized fields, for which the induced splitting of dressed atomic levels is rotationally invariant. Here we report on Rydberg atomic measurements of RF fields in a general state of polarization (SOP) which we map onto the Poincaré sphere through spectroscopic fingerprints. For a Stokes vector circumnavigating a Poincaré sphere meridian, we witness a continuous transformation of the atomic eigenenergy spectrum. Because the relative positions of eigenenergies are locked in place by quantization of angular momentum, the framework is universal and calibration free. We provide a specific demonstration in rubidium, which generalizes to all systems with a single valence electron.
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All authors Matthew Chilcott, Laurits N. Stokholm, Matthew Cloutman, J. Susanne Otto, Amita B. Deb, Niels Kjærgaard

Quantum Physics

HQTN-SER: Speech Emotion Recognition with Hybrid Quantum Tensor Networks

Speech emotion recognition (SER) remains fragile in real-world conditions because emotional cues are subtle, speaker-dependent, and easily confounded by recording variability, while high-performing deep models typically rely on large and carefully curated training sets. Quantum machine learning offers an alternative way to introduce nonlinear correlation modeling with compact modules, yet existing quantum SER studies remain limited, and the impact of circuit structure is not well understood. This paper presents HQTN-SER, a hybrid quantum-classical framework that investigates how quantum tensor network connectivity can support SER under small-qubit settings. HQTN-SER introduces (i) an MPS-inspired quantum tensor network module that enforces structured interactions to model correlations in speech representations with a small number of trainable parameters, and (ii) a fusion strategy that combines quantum measurement features with a learned classical latent embedding for end-to-end emotion classification. We evaluate HQTN-SER on three public benchmarks (RAVDESS, SAVEE, and MDER) under a unified preprocessing and training protocol. The proposed model achieves test accuracies of 80.09% on RAVDESS, 78.12% on SAVEE, and 73.51% on MDER, with corresponding macro-F1 scores of 0.8012, 0.7826, and 0.7351, respectively. The model also exhibits stable convergence while using only three or four qubits, suggesting that MPS-inspired circuit structure can be an effective and hardware-aware design choice for quantum-assisted SER. These results provide a compact experimental baseline for studying structured quantum modules in affective computing.
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Quantum Physics

Spin chirality across quantum state copies detects hidden entanglement

Entanglement can hide in two fundamentally different ways. First, multi-copy correlations can carry information that no single-copy measurement on an unknown state is able to access. Second, bound entangled states possess a positive partial transpose, which makes them invisible to the Peres-Horodecki criterion and all moment inequalities that depend on it. Here we show that the moment difference between the partial transpose and purity decomposes exactly as a chirality-chirality correlator, where the relevant operator is the scalar spin chirality – the same quantity that governs chiral spin liquids and the topological Hall effect. This decomposition identifies the specific physical structure that multi-copy entanglement detection probes. Using the same controlled-SWAP circuits, we develop a multi-channel spectral classifier for bound entanglement. The classifier combines realignment spectral features with chirality corrections and achieves 99.9% recall at zero false positives across all three known 3x3 bound entangled families, compared with ~40% for the CCNR criterion alone. We also introduce a marginal-noise construction that produces CCNR-invisible bound entangled states, which the classifier detects but which remain invisible to all single-parameter criteria. We validate our approach experimentally on three IBM Quantum processors and demonstrate negativity reconstruction with mean errors of 0.002-0.027, chirality detection for pure and mixed entangled states, and bound entanglement detection across two structurally distinct families (Horodecki and chessboard) on a single gate-based superconducting processor.
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Quantum Physics

Discrete-phase-randomized mode-pairing quantum key distribution

Mode-pairing quantum key distribution (MP-QKD) protocol achieves performance beyond the repeaterless rate-transmittance bound and exhibits excellent practicality by avoiding the requirement for difficult global phase locking. However, the source side of MP-QKD still relies on the assumption of continuous phase randomization, an experimentally infeasible requirement in practice. Therefore, the practical security of the protocol cannot be fully guaranteed. In this work, we propose a discrete-phase-randomized mode-pairing quantum key distribution (DPR-MP-QKD) protocol and analyze the basis-dependence of the source side. Then, we introduce a concrete discrete version of the decoy state method that ensures the security of the DPR-MP-QKD protocol. Finally, simulation results indicate that as the number of discrete phases increases, the key rate performance of DPR-MP-QKD progressively approaches that of the continuous case, with convergence achieved at approximately 14 discrete phases. Moreover, our approach drastically lowers the demand for randomness. While conventional continuous phase randomization demands an unlimited supply of random bits, we show that merely a few bits (e.g., 4) are adequate.
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All authors Yuewei Xu, Zeyang Lu, Chan Li, Jian Long, Zhu Cao

Quantum Physics

Singular Asymptotics of SPADE in Quantum Source Discrimination

We study far-field discrimination between one and two incoherent point sources in the singular regime of weak and closely spaced emitters. Under ideal alignment, spatial-mode demultiplexing (SPADE) attains the quantum-optimal large-sample Stein exponent, but the finite-photon behavior near the one-source boundary and the effect of realistic imperfections remain less understood. Using singular learning theory, we analyze both the aligned and misaligned problems. In the aligned Gaussian case, for prior densities that are smooth and strictly positive in the physical $(\epsilon,s)$ coordinates near the singularity of the aligned model, direct imaging and SPADE share the same real log canonical threshold $\lambda=1/2$ but have different multiplicities, yielding distinct Bayes free-energy asymptotics. A fixed nonzero misalignment removes the exact support mismatch of ideal SPADE: locally, the fixed-offset binary-SPADE Kullback–Leibler function has the normal-crossing form $K\asymp\epsilon^2s^2$, giving $(\lambda,m)=(1/2,2)$ under the same prior class, as for direct imaging. The local separation scale nevertheless depends on the source-position convention. Moreover, full Hermite–Gaussian mode counting about an offset sorter axis has a reflection-induced KL-zero branch at $s^\ast=2\theta$, where the two-source alternative becomes indistinguishable from the null. Pointwise finite-$n$ binary-SPADE calculations exhibit the corresponding power collapse. These results identify measurement support, nuisance geometry, prior weighting, and identifiability as structural ingredients that must be tracked in finite-photon quantum discrimination.
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Quantum Physics

Exact Quantum Maxima of the $n$-Cycle Overlap Inequalities

We extend the three-state overlap analysis to determine the exact quantum maximum over finite-dimensional pure-state realizations of the $n$-cycle overlap inequalities, $S_n^{\max}=n\cos^2(\pi/(2n))-1$, for arbitrary cycle length $n\ge3$. The bound is saturated by an explicit family of coplanar qubit states equally spaced along a Fubini–Study geodesic, establishing dimensional saturation of the overlap-cycle hierarchy. Thus, the global optimum over all finite-dimensional pure-state realizations is already achieved in dimension two. We further show how, under ideal symmetric interferometric conditions, the overlap quantities can be inferred from pairwise fringe visibilities. The three-state case recovers the known maximum $5/4$, while the exact $n$-cycle result shows that the quantum–classical gap approaches one as $n\to\infty$, with corresponding visibility thresholds. Within generalized noncontextuality frameworks, and subject to the required operational equivalences, such violations can witness preparation contextuality.
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Quantum Physics

Nonreciprocal magnon-magnon entanglement in a spinning cavity-magnon system

Cavity-magnon systems, combining magnons and photons, offer a versatile platform for studying quantum entanglement and advancing quantum information science. In this work, we propose a scheme for generating nonreciprocal magnon-magnon entanglement in a hybrid system consisting of two yttrium iron garnet spheres coupled to a spinning whispering-gallery-mode cavity. By leveraging the magnon Kerr nonlinearity and the Sagnac effect arising from the cavity rotation, we show that the entanglement can be substantially enhanced, and the resulting entanglement exhibits pronounced nonreciprocal characteristics. Furthermore, our scheme demonstrates that the entanglement remains robust against thermal noise and persists at bath temperatures up to 100 mK. This work underscores the potential of spinning cavity-magnon systems as a versatile platform for realizing nonreciprocal quantum devices and facilitating the development of quantum technologies.
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All authors Zhisheng Xu, Mengxue Li, Chunfang Sun, Gangcheng Wang

Quantum Physics

Optimizing the preparation of Dicke states using counterdiabatic driving methods

Recently, the technique of counterdiabatic driving, which provides an effective strategy for accelerating adiabatic quantum evolution, has been widely applied in the preparation of many-body quantum states. In this work, we propose a theoretical scheme for the efficient preparation of Dicke states in a system of non-interacting two-level atoms. Our approach leverages the one-axis twisting (OAT) interaction to generate non-classical correlations and combines it with time-dependent external fields to achieve precise control over the dynamics of the system. By employing rapid adiabatic passage (RAP), it demonstrates how the system can be steered from an initial coherent spin state to a target Dicke state with high fidelity [S. C. Carrasco, M. H. Goerz, S. A. Malinovskaya, V. Vuletić, W. P. Schleich, and V. S. Malinovsky, Phys. Rev. Lett. 132, 153603 (2024)]. To further optimize the preparation process, we introduce counterdiabatic driving (CD), which suppresses non-adiabatic transitions. Numerical simulations confirm that our scheme can achieve high-fidelity Dicke states for a moderate number of particles. Our results provide a scalable and experimentally feasible approach to prepare Dicke states, with potential applications in quantum metrology, quantum communication, and quantum information processing.
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Quantum Physics

Model Checking Matrix Product States against Linear Chain Logic

Matrix product states (MPS) are a standard tensor-network representation for ground states of one-dimensional quantum many-body systems, and they underpin widely used simulation tools such as DMRG. However, while quantum model checking has been developed mainly for quantum programs and communication protocols (with properties expressed along a time axis), there is still no comparable framework for systematically verifying spatial and size-dependent properties of physical many-body states, where the key parameter is the system size. This paper takes a step toward bridging the gap. We propose Linear Chain Logic (LCL), a spatial logic designed to specify physically meaningful properties of periodic MPS families as the system size grows, such as nontriviality on rings and large-size asymptotic patterns. Our approach builds on a simple but powerful connection: every periodic MPS naturally induces a completely positive map (a quantum operation) on its virtual space, so many quantitative features of the MPS can be analysed through the repeated application of the operation. Using this perspective, we derive an effective procedure to compute the inner products of an MPS at a given size and to support richer LCL specifications, without relying on brute-force state expansion. We then develop approximate model-checking algorithms that combine sound bounding with asymptotic structural analysis, enabling scalable reasoning about large system sizes. Experiments on representative MPS families illustrate that our method can automatically verify nontriviality and detect asymptotic spatial regimes in a way that complements traditional numerical techniques.
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