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Friday 4 September

Quantum Physics

Compiling the 2D Fermi-Hubbard ground-state energy estimation algorithm for active volume quantum architectures

As quantum computing enters the early fault-tolerant era, circuit compilation choices will increasingly depend on details of the underlying architecture rather than solely optimizing for generic proxies such as non-Clifford count. We present an active-volume-aware compilation of the ground-state energy estimation algorithm for the two-dimensional Fermi-Hubbard model using quantum phase estimation and Trotterized time evolution. The proposed compilation reduces the active volume across $L\times L$ square lattices with $L=4$ to $20$, achieving up to a $3.9\times$ reduction over prior work optimized for non-Clifford cost. As a by-product of these compilation improvements, the resulting circuits also achieve state-of-the-art Toffoli counts, with a ~$2\times$ reduction for the $L=20$ case. Lastly, the active volume architecture and recent execution scheduling advances provide a means of translating these reduction trends into runtime. This demonstrates the increasing importance of architecture-aware compilation for practical early fault-tolerant quantum computing.
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All authors Harriet Apel, Athena Caesura, Carys Harvey, Sam Heavey, Angus Kan, Jessica Lemieux, Ryan Levy, Sam Pallister, Joseph Peetz, William Pol, Sukin Sim, William A. Simon, Mark Steudtner, Gideon Uchehara

Quantum Physics

SAR and InSAR Change Detection with Quantum Generative Models

Change detection in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) underpins disaster response, infrastructure monitoring and land-use enforcement. Detection is limited by the background estimator, which conventionally forms a conditional expectation directly from observed pixel statistics and degrades where those statistics are sparse, including the regime produced by the heavy-tailed marginals of sub-meter-resolution radars. In this work, we integrate state-of-the-art satellite imagery with quantum machine learning on IonQ trapped-ion-based quantum processors. By replacing the empirical conditional with a quantum circuit Born machine (QCBM)-sampled generative model in Copula space, we substantially improve change detection on sparse real-world images. On Capella Space satellite image acquisitions, the generative estimator matches conventional methods when the observed statistics are adequate, and substantially outperforms them when they are not. Executing the trained model on IonQ trapped-ion based hardware reproduces the results of the ideal and noisy simulations and demonstrates up to par, or even better, performance with the classical state-of-the-art methods. For a SAR dataset of an airport, QPU circuit evaluations for both training and inference achieved a maximized filtered F1 score of 0.32, compared with 0.16 and 0.24 for the two classical baselines. For an InSAR dataset of a volcanic lava flow, all three methods reached a maximum filtered F1 of approximately 0.66. These experiments demonstrate the feasibility of executing a QCBM-based background estimator on trapped-ion hardware. We further demonstrate that the QCBM method successfully extends to interferometric coherence data, achieving performance comparable to classical approaches.
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All authors Samwel K. Sekwao, Shaunak De, Alexis Hocken, Scott Staniewicz, Evgeny Epifanovsky, Craig Stringham, Gordon Farquharson, Martin Roetteler, Panagiotis Kl. Barkoutsos, Jason Iaconis

Quantum Physics

Memory-Optimal Sequential Synthesis of Multimode Gaussian Transformations

In modular quantum computing architectures, communication between hardware modules is mediated by traveling qumodes sent through transmission lines. Each output qumode interacts with the emitting module only once through a beam-splitter-type interaction and becomes inaccessible to that module after emission. Information required for subsequent outputs must therefore remain in long-lived memory qumodes. For a prescribed multimode Gaussian transformation on $N$ qumodes, this work determines the minimum memory cost for any given emission order, constructs an explicit sequential protocol attaining this minimum, and develops a greedy method for identifying memory-efficient emission orders. The transformation is represented by a symplectic matrix $S$, specified either directly or through a Gaussian gate sequence. The exact minimum memory cost is obtained from the ranks of submatrices of $S$ and further reduces to a support-based counting rule whose computational cost is linear in the size of the support data. When $S$ is specified directly, a matrix-based protocol attains the minimum memory cost. If instead $S$ is specified through a gate sequence, the original gates can be reused without additional synthesis, although the resulting memory usage need not be minimal. Gaussian transformations with local support on a $D$-dimensional cubic lattice can be realized sequentially with $O(N^{(D-1)/D})$ memory qumodes. The protocols also apply to non-Gaussian inputs, including GKP and cat states, and thereby provide an explicit, resource-efficient scheme for intermodule communication in modular architectures for universal continuous-variable quantum computation.
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Quantum Physics

Quantum-State Texture Dynamics: Theory and Experiment

Quantum-state texture (QST) has found applications in several fields from quantum foundations and computation to quantum criticality. However, a general theory of QST dynamics under arbitrary physical processes remains unavailable, limiting both its practical application and experimental exploration. Here, we demonstrate that the QST response to an arbitrary finite-dimensional channel is fully encoded in the dual evolution of a single reference state. This description yields necessary and sufficient conditions for texture preservation and implies exact conservation under all free-unital dynamics. Using a nuclear magnetic resonance quantum processor, we experimentally verify these predictions across distinct channel classes. Furthermore, we show that local QST measurements provide an operational signature of entangling gates in circuit layers. Our results establish quantum-state texture as a resource and a practical diagnostic tool in quantum information processing.
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All authors Carlos H. S. Vieira, Xinfang Nie, Dawei Lu, Fernando Parisio

Quantum Physics

Quantum Optimisation for Protein-Protein Interaction Network Alignment

Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network alignment combines topological and sequence information to identify conserved modules across species, but global alignment remains challenging: heuristics sacrifice optimality, while exact methods lack scalability. We model the alignment as a weighted maximum common induced subgraph problem and reformulate it through the modular product graph to a minimum-weight vertex cover on the complement, with node weights carrying sequence similarity. To solve this problem, we develop a hybrid framework combining kernelisation, branch-and-bound, and seven Quantum Approximate Optimisation Algorithm (QAOA) formulations. These formulations differ in how the cover constraints are enforced, from penalty terms in the cost Hamiltonian to mixers confined to the feasible subspace. For single round QAOA, we derive closed-form expressions for the expected cost of four circulant mixer variants, enabling performance characterisation without circuit simulation. Applied to synthetic and real-world networks reduced to KEGG pathways, the QAOA formulations achieve high topological conservation on the aligned core while at least maintaining biological conservation comparable to leading classical aligners, at the cost of reduced node coverage. Across selected KEGG pathways, the aligned subnetworks retain disease-associated proteins, preserving biologically relevant information. Cheaper formulations leave more edges uncovered, while enforcing feasibility in the mixer raises circuit depth by one to two orders of magnitude. Together, these results highlight the potential of quantum optimisation for PPI network alignment and the resource trade-offs that will shape its scalability as quantum hardware matures.
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All authors Merle Stahl, Robert J. Banks, Matthias Traube, Josua Unger, Wolfgang Lechner, Jan Baumbach, Mhaned Oubounyt

Quantum Physics

TETRIS-Q: Tiling-based Effective Transient-fault Reduction on Interleaved Superconducting Qubits

The struggle of the hour in quantum computing research is achieving effective suppression of the error mechanisms induced by the interaction of external radiation with superconducting quantum devices. Despite the rapid advancements in quantum error correction (QEC) of recent years, radiation-induced faults are yet to be fully addressed. These events are known to be the cause of simultaneous correlated defects in qubits that lie onto a single substrate, ultimately jeopardising QEC code effectiveness. In this paper, we propose to selectively combine substrate-level phonon barriers and QEC interleaving via a planar-mesh tiling algorithm, TETRIS-Q, reaching efficient and effective suppression of radiation events. Our cross-layer solution comes at no extra cost in terms of QEC code execution or decoding time. We model and simulate radiation-induced transient faults over a plethora of barrier and QEC interleaving configurations. Through more than 51 million quantum circuit simulations, we show peak logical error reductions of more than $99.8 \%$, together with an $80\%$ reduction of the observable transient duration with permeable barriers. We find that sparser tiling can reach comparable performance to single qubit tiling, prompting cost reductions of upwards of $87 \%$ in barrier tracing. By leveraging independent QEC code interleaving, we measure up to one order of magnitude average logical error rate reductions without the use of permeable barriers, and up to three orders of magnitude with the joint usage of barriers.
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All authors Marzio Vallero, Gioele Casagranda, Flavio Vella, Paolo Rech

Quantum Physics

The marginal is pretty good

One-shot information theory measures often require an optimization over states, but the form of these optimizers can be complicated or depend on the initial problem in nonlinear ways. In this note, we show that in many instances using the marginal instead of the optimal state is sufficiently good and only changes the result by a small factor. We prove that for the Petz–Rényi and sandwiched–Rényi divergences of order $\alpha\in(0,1)$, replacing the optimizing state on $B$ by the marginal $\rho_B$ results in a multiplicative overhead of at most $1/\alpha$.
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All authors Lukas Schmitt, Gui-Long Jiang, Shi-Bing Li, Joseph M. Renes

2609.05225 · 4 Sep · 12 pages, Gui-Long Jiang and Shi-Bing Li added as authors, Theorem 3.1 now holds for $\alpha \in(0,1)$ (instead of $[1/2,1)$), Theorem 4.1 and 4.2 show the same statement for the sandwiched Rényi divergence. This generalizes the previous result that only worked for $\alpha=1/2$ and special classes of states

Quantum Physics

A double-resonator coupler for high-fidelity two-qubit gates between superconducting qubits

Tunable couplers have enabled two-qubit gate fidelities in superconducting quantum processors to approach $99.9\%$, yet simultaneously suppressing residual interactions and maintaining flexible qubit-frequency allocation remain central challenges for scaling. Here, we propose a double-resonator coupler (DRC) consisting of two resonators interconnected by a single Josephson junction and a capacitor. The hybridized resonator modes provide two mediated exchange paths whose interference controls the qubit-qubit interaction. The DRC enables complete cancellation of residual $ZZ$ interaction for qubit-qubit detunings well outside the straddling regime, even in the absence of direct qubit-qubit coupling, thereby relaxing constraints on frequency allocation and qubit placement. Away from the idle point, the same circuit provides a strong $ZZ$ interaction of approximately $70\,\mathrm{MHz}$, enabling a $20\,\mathrm{ns}$ controlled-Z gate with simulated coherent infidelity below $10^{-5}$. These results establish the DRC as a flexible single-junction coupler architecture for high-fidelity superconducting quantum processors.
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All authors Seunghyeon Jin, Seungha Woo, Shinyoung Hwang, June-Young M. Lee, Jeongmin Shim, Sunje Kim, Dae Seok Han, Jaeho Shin, Eunjong Kim

Quantum Physics

Optimal inequalities for completely bounded polynomials and the limitations of quantum query algorithms

We consider the problem of establishing limitations on the power of quantum query algorithms via the completely bounded polynomial method. In particular, we prove several optimal functional inequalities involving different notions of completely bounded polynomials. These inequalities lead to limiting theorems for the power of quantum query algorithms that improve on prior works. 1. An optimal root-influence bound for block-multilinear polynomials. Prior work showed that block-multilinear polynomials $p$ of degree $t$ satisfy a root-influence bound, $\|p\|_{\text{cb}}\geq \sum_i \sqrt{\mathrm{Inf}_i[p]}/t^2$, which is stronger than the bound appearing in the Aaronson-Ambainis conjecture. We find the optimal constant in that inequality: $\|p\|_{\text{cb}}\geq \sum_i \sqrt{\mathrm{Inf}_i[p]}/t$. Since the amplitudes of quantum algorithms that query disjoint blocks of inputs-such as $t$-fold forrelation- are block-multilinear polynomials with $\|p\|_{\text{cb}}\leq 1,$ our inequality shows that they satisfy $t\geq \sum_i\sqrt{\mathrm{Inf}_i[p]}$. We prove that this inequality yields both a more efficient classical simulation than prior results based on the Aaronson-Ambainis argument, and a qualitative improvement: all classical queries are nonadaptive. 2. Optimal Fourier growth of the highest level of quantum query algorithms. We show that for every polynomial $p$ defined on $\{-1,1\}^n$ of degree $2t$, the Fourier Growth at the level $2t,$ namely $\|\widehat p_{2t}\|_{\ell_1}$, satisfies $\|\widehat p_{2t}\|_{\ell_1}\leq (en/(2t-1))^{\frac{2t-1}{2}}\|p\|_{\text{cb}}$. This is optimal up to the factor $e$, as witnessed by $2t$-fold forrelation. As quantum query algorithms that make $t$ queries (to the whole input) satisfy $\|p\|_{\text{cb}}\leq 1$, this yields a Fourier growth bound for these algorithms, partially resolving a question by Girish (STOC, 2026).
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Quantum Physics

AxQM: A Textbook-Scale Benchmark for Formal Proof Synthesis in a Library of Finite-Dimensional Quantum Mechanics

Formalizing mathematics in a proof assistant, where a machine checks every definition, statement and proof, has set a new standard of rigor. Large language models are now capable of formalizing autonomously, even at the scale of whole textbooks. We bring this standard of rigor to physics, where theoretical arguments carry idealizations that are rarely stated fully, and any logical gaps could have a cascading effect on interdependent results. Recognizing the need to evaluate autoformalization systems for physics, we release AxQM, 1,019 kernel-checkable proof-synthesis tasks over 479 items drawn from the textbook Quantum Computation and Quantum Information by Nielsen and Chuang. The tasks are stated in a custom Lean library of finite-dimensional quantum mechanics. By task count, it is the largest proof-synthesis benchmark in physics by a factor of four. AxQM is derived from a near-complete formalization of the formal portions of the textbook, so every task is guaranteed a solution, which we keep private. Grading of the benchmark is done deterministically by the Lean kernel, which checks that the proof compiles, that no sorry appears in it or in any declaration it depends on, and that it introduces no new axioms.
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All authors Weichen Winston Yin, Jacob M. Taylor, Dirk R. Englund, Frank H.L. Koppens

Quantum Physics

Fanout Complexity of Symmetric Boolean Functions in $\mathsf{QAC}^0$

Whether $\mathsf{QAC}^0$ can compute $\mathtt{PARITY}_n$ remains open. Computing $\mathtt{PARITY}_n$ is equivalent to implementing $\mathtt{FANOUT}_n$ under $\mathsf{QAC}^0$ reductions. This raises a more general question: for an arbitrary symmetric Boolean function $f:\{0,1\}^n\to\{0,1\}$, what fanout size is necessary and sufficient for computing $f$ in $\mathsf{QAC}^0$? We show that the answer is exactly the transition radius $\rho(f)$: computing $f$ and implementing $\mathtt{FANOUT}_{\rho(f)}$ are equivalent under $\mathsf{QAC}^0$ reductions. In particular, if $\rho(f)\ge n^\delta$ for some constant $\delta>0$, then computing $f$ is $\mathsf{QAC}^0_{\mathrm{f}}$-complete. Combined with Paturi's theorem, our characterization implies that if $\mathtt{PARITY}_n \notin \mathsf{QAC}^0$, then any Boolean function in $\mathsf{QAC}^0$ of approximate degree $n^{1/2+\Omega(1)}$ must be nonsymmetric.
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Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from cond-mat.str-el

Environment-assisted transport in a strongly correlated boundary-driven Fermi-Hubbard chain

We study steady-state transport in a one-dimensional Fermi-Hubbard chain coupled to particle reservoirs at the boundaries and to local dephasing baths at each site, using the time-evolving block decimation (TEBD) method to solve the Lindblad master equation. In the absence of dephasing, the current exhibits two well-separated maxima as a function of the boundary driving rate, reflecting the distinct charge and spin energy scales of the strongly correlated regime. Upon introducing dephasing, we find two distinct dephasing-induced transport-enhancement regimes, in contrast to the single enhancement previously reported for spinless fermions. Analysis of the non-equilibrium steady state in the Hamiltonian eigenbasis reveals that the two regimes originate from distinct dephasing-induced redistribution processes: the first involves redistribution within the uppermost Hubbard band, while the second involves transitions between Hubbard bands. Our results demonstrate how many-body correlations shape the interplay between coherent driving, dephasing, and quantum Zeno physics in strongly correlated open systems.
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Quantum Physics

Non-local games and communication complexity with noisy entanglement

We study the impact of noise on the theories of quantum nonlocality and entanglement-assisted communication complexity. We consider non-local games and entanglement-assisted communication complexity in a model where Alice and Bob may share arbitrarily many noisy EPR pairs. We study four noise models: depolarizing noise, unital noise, biased reset noise, and erasure noise. Our results are as follows: 1. We upper bound the value of the CHSH game under all these noise models in terms of the noise parameter, without any assumptions on the measurements used in the strategy. 2. We prove a parallel repetition theorem for general non-local games under all noise models except biased reset noise; we prove an improved parallel repetition theorem for unique games. Our parallel repetition rate is smaller than the quantum parallel repetition rate for CHSH in a nontrivial noise regime. 3. Using our unique-game parallel repetition theorem and a relation defined by the CHSH game, we prove a separation between communication complexity with noisy vs noiseless entanglement. This implies an $\Omega(n)$ two-way communication lower bound for distilling $n$ EPR pairs from noisy EPR pairs, in the same nontrivial noise regime. 4. We show that any interactive entanglement-assisted communication protocol can be simulated by an SMP communication protocol with noisy shared randomness, with an exponential blowup in communication. This generalizes a known result on the simulation of noiseless shared randomness with noisy shared randomness. 5. We show a polynomial lower bound on the number of copies of noisy EPR pairs required to compute the Equality function with constant communication, under all four noise models. The previous result gives a matching upper bound, and moreover, this answers an open question in the literature on whether logarithmically many noisy shared bits suffice for communication.
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Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from cond-mat.stat-mech

On the growth of operator entanglement in brickwork circuits with Yang–Baxter gates

We study the operator entanglement of local operators in one-dimensional brickwork circuits whose two-site gate satisfies the braid relation; throughout this work, we call such a gate a Yang–Baxter gate. We establish upper bounds for several structured, overlapping classes of Yang–Baxter gates. We show that the operator Schmidt rank remains uniformly bounded in time for all qubit Yang–Baxter gates and, in arbitrary local dimension, for permutation gates obtained from non-degenerate Yang–Baxter maps. We also show that it grows at most polynomially for involutive dual-unitary Yang–Baxter gates and for arbitrary phase dressings of permutation gates obtained from non-degenerate Yang–Baxter maps. These results imply, respectively, constant and logarithmic upper bounds on the operator entanglement. Conversely, we construct a seven-state involutive Yang–Baxter gate without dual unitarity and a one-site operator whose exact operator Schmidt rank grows exponentially, although the corresponding operator entropies remain undetermined. Entanglement growth in the general Yang–Baxter case remains open. All proofs and selected examples were constructed by ChatGPT 5.6 Sol.
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Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from cs.CR

Operational Roles of QRNG-Derived Quantum Entropy in Bitcoin Proof-of-Work Architectures

Replacing classical entropy with QRNG output does not change honest Bitcoin PoW success probability when candidate headers remain distinct. The original contribution of this paper is a reproducible benchmark that locates and measures the operational value of quantum entropy in hybrid quantum-classical mining infrastructure through two scheduler-level observables, the entropy-efficiency factor $\eta$ and the reboot-diversity index $\rho$. Monte Carlo and scheduler simulations with confidence intervals show parity for competent deterministic and strong-classical baselines, while QRNG value emerges in assurance-oriented scenarios involving correlated restart faults, namespace reuse, and entropy provenance. The study is therefore positioned as a simulation-based validation framework rather than as a device-level QRNG demonstration; hardware-in-the-loop validation with recorded or live QRNG streams is identified as the next experimental step.
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Quantum Physics

Impact of Data Loss in Postprocessing on Training and Inference of Quantum Neural Networks

As quantum hardware scales to larger devices, the classical software layers that interface with it must evolve in step. Postprocessing routines developed and tested primarily in simulator settings can encode assumptions that no longer hold on utility-scale devices, leading to data loss that can be difficult to detect from high-level model outputs alone. We present a case study of SamplerQNN, the sampling-based quantum neural network class in the Qiskit Machine Learning library. Here, the postprocessing method applies a filter that assumes measurement bit-strings are in virtual qubit space. On our quantum hardware runs, where bit-strings span over 100 physical qubits, this filter led to the loss of 85 to 99.6% of valid measurement shots, depending on the transpiler's qubit placement. The resulting probability vector is unnormalised, allowing distorted prediction and loss values to propagate through the model without an API-level warning. We demonstrate the impact across five experiments on two IBM backends: for inference, accuracy drops from 0.94 to 0.39 on the same raw measurements; for training, the loss signal is compressed by 22 to 27$\times$, substantially reducing the sensitivity of the optimiser to the objective landscape. The behaviour arises in all released versions of the library (0.8.4 to 0.9.0). We implemented a layout-based marginalisation fix, merged into the GitHub codebase as Pull Request \#1041, that makes SamplerQNN postprocessing forward-compatible with current and upcoming hardware.
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All authors Soraya V. Panambalom, Edoardo Altamura, Nick Chancellor, Jonte R. Hance

Quantum Physics

Qlippy: A Retrieval-Augmented GenAI Assistant for Reproducible Quantum Workflows and Experiment Tracking

Quantum software development is iterative and error-prone. Noisy hardware and repeated re-execution make experiment tracking, provenance, and reproducibility essential, yet these practices are hard to adopt because of tooling complexity and the specialized knowledge they demand. General-purpose language models can help but tend to hallucinate and lack grounding in domain-specific tooling. We present Qlippy, a retrieval-augmented GenAI assistant embedded in the development environment that grounds its responses in a curated corpus of quantum-software-engineering knowledge. Qlippy explains reproducibility and provenance concepts in context and augments existing Qiskit programs with MLflow-based experiment tracking aligned to the QProv schema. By separating knowledge from model parameters, grounding gives explicit control over the scope and provenance of the assistant's responses and reduces reliance on model scale, which points toward low-cost, privacy-preserving local deployment.
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Quantum Physics

Hadamard Rigidity of Positive Sojourn Time Distributions for Rotation Coins

We study the distribution of the positive sojourn time for a one-dimensional two state quantum walk, conditioned on return to the origin. Konno showed that, for the Hadamard walk, this conditional distribution is exactly uniform at times divisible by $4$. In this paper, we investigate whether this finite time exact uniformity characterizes the Hadamard coin within the family of rotation coins. For a fixed initial state, we prove that the following three conditions are equivalent for rotation coins: the conditional distribution is exactly uniform at time $8$; the conditional distribution is exactly uniform at every time $4m$ with $m\ge2$; and the coin is the Hadamard coin. Thus, the uniformity phenomenon found by Konno is characterized as a rigidity phenomenon of the Hadamard coin within the rotation coin family. The proof uses a matrix-valued generating function for paths returning to the origin. We analyze the algebraic structure arising from an absorbing process on the half line. Finally, by comparing low degree coefficients at time $8$, we show that exact uniformity forces the rotation coin to be the Hadamard coin.
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Quantum Physics

Lindblad Multiproduct Formulas

We introduce Lindblad Multiproduct Formulas: a quantum error mitigation technique that uses two-dimensional tensor networks contracted with loop-corrected belief propagation. The quantities required to implement the error mitigation scheme that are evaluated with tensor networks can be less computationally expensive to calculate than the expectation values themselves, thus allowing for the possibility of applying our method to certain systems for which tensor network methods may struggle to calculate the observable quantities of interest. The workflow incorporates Clifford rescaling techniques and outputs an estimated error bar. We apply our method to a model of two-dimensional discrete time crystals studied previously and implement it on $65$ qubits arranged in a $3\!\times\!3$ heavy-hexagonal topology on the quantum computer ibm_basquecountry. We show that a GPU implementation of the classical part of our workflow achieves a speedup of up to $5.6\times$.
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All authors Niall F. Robertson, Andrea D'Urbano, Anton Dekusar, Max Rossmannek, Eric D. Switzer, James R. Garrison, Nicolas Lorente, Igor Pasichnyk, Paolo D'Alberto, Muhammad Osama, Zachary Streeter, Yasuko Eckert, Constantinos Evangelinos, Sergiy Zhuk

Quantum Physics

Learning unknown stabilizer codes using product measurements

Efficiently characterizing quantum error correcting codes is a key challenge on the path to fault-tolerant quantum computation. Stabilizer codes, a central class of such codes, are defined by a set of stabilizer generators. Here, we present an algorithm that uses random single-qubit measurements to learn the stabilizer generators of any stabilizer code from $N$ copies of stabilizer states in its codespace, requiring no prior knowledge of the code's structure. This also enables verification that a device implements its intended code. We derive a lower bound on $N$ needed to recover the stabilizer generators with high probability, together with a bound on the algorithm's overall probability of success. When applied to quantum low-density parity-check (qLDPC) codes, a leading candidate for practical fault-tolerant architectures, our approach requires a number of states that scales polylogarithmically with $n$, the number of qubits.
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Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from physics.hist-ph

From the Light Quantum to the Photon: The Evolution of a Physical Concept

This work examines the physical and conceptual evolution of the light quantum from Planck's blackbody theory to the theoretical and experimental developments that led to the quantization of the electromagnetic field. The present study shows that the decisive transition occurred in Einstein's quantum theory of radiation (1916-1917). Absorption, stimulated emission, and spontaneous emission were formulated as elementary probabilistic mechanisms whose statistical balance alone reproduces the blackbody spectrum. In particular, spontaneous emission requires the emission of a light quantum, thereby implicitly proving its physical necessity before its theoretical status was clarified. At the same time, the already existing term photon began to acquire a stable usage following Lewis's 1926 proposal and became increasingly associated with Einstein's light quantum. By the mid-1920s, the central problem had shifted from whether light quanta were physically required to how radiation could be incorporated into the emerging quantum-mechanical formalism. This transition marks a key stage, illustrating how initial debates about the existence of light quanta gave way to their integration into a comprehensive theoretical structure. The resulting asymmetry between the novel quantum description of matter and the still-classical description of radiation, called into question by the phenomenon of spontaneous emission, identifies the physical problem that led to the quantization of the electromagnetic field.
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All authors Aaron Collavini, Valentina Bologna, Francesco Longo, Stefano Ansoldi, Fulvio Parmigiani

Quantum Physics

Microkelvin resolution thermometry at the nanometre scale

Accurate temperature readings of transient events at the nanometer scale are challenging due to the low sensitivity of available sensors. Nanodiamonds containing nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers have been used for nanoscale thermometry in complex environments, including inside living cells. However, their performance has been limited by short coherence times and low photon counts. In this work, we use isotopically-purified dual-NV nanodiamonds and a bespoke quantum sensing chip to showcase an order of magnitude improvement in temperature measurement sensitivity compared with previous reports. We demonstrate robust temperature measurements with an error of 682 $\mu$K, experimental sensitivities below 50 mK/$\surd \text{Hz}$ and a shot-noise limited sensitivity of 9.6 mK/$\surd \text{Hz}$. To confirm the utility of these high-performance nanothermometers, we quantify the temperature change induced by the thermometry measurement itself, specifically the optical excitation laser used to probe the NV spin state. In addition, we observe directly at the nanometre scale the transient heating caused by the exothermic mixing of dimethyl sulfoxide in water. Sub-millikelvin resolution and millikelvin sensitivity thermometry unlock the possibility of monitoring minute thermal fluctuations in living systems and assessing catalyst performance at the nanometre scale.
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All authors Jack W. Hart, Soham Pal, Julien R. E. Roth, Katie Ninham, Abbie H. Aleksandrova, Xander Peetroons, Soumen Mandal, Oliver A. Williams, Gavin W. Morley, Mete Atature, Helena S. Knowles

Quantum Physics

Ancilla mediated steady-state engineering in open quantum systems

Engineering the properties of a reservoir and its coupling to a quantum system is a powerful tool for simulating quantum thermodynamic processes and for generating otherwise inaccessible steady states. Yet tailoring both the reservoir and its coupling within a single platform remains challenging. Here we introduce a platform, in which an ancilla qubit mediates the coupling of a target system to a reservoir, providing independent control over the interaction form, coupling strength, and effective reservoir temperature. Our implementation uses the electron spin of a single nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond as the ancilla and a proximal $^{13}$C nuclear spin as the target. By alternating engineered unitary interactions with dissipative ancilla resets, we realize dynamics naturally described by a collision model, enabling straight-forward tracking of the work, heat, coherence, and entropy generated at every collision. We experimentally demonstrate conventional thermalization and also realize anti-thermalization: the stabilization of the target system in a temperature opposite to that of its reservoir. Finally, harnessing this steady-state engineering, we utilize the nuclear spin as a quantum battery, achieving a steady-state ergotropy exceeding $70\%$ of the theoretical maximum.
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All authors Soham Pal, Karen Hovhannisyan, Omri Porat, Shovan Dutta, Janet Anders, Helena Knowles

Quantum Physics

Neural networks learn to reconstruct multipartite entanglement from quantum marginals

Different sets of local correlations are not equivalent: some fragments of reduced data uniquely determine a global quantum state, while others leave it ambiguous. The quantum marginal problem asks whether a collection of reduced density matrices uniquely determines a compatible global quantum state. Although generic quantum states are uniquely specified by suitable sets of marginals, different collections of marginals are not equally informative: some uniquely determine the global state, whereas others leave it ambiguous. Identifying when uniqueness holds, and reconstructing the global state from partial information, remains computationally demanding and experimentally challenging. We show that information about the multipartite entanglement class and reconstructability in four-qubit systems is compactly encoded in small sets of two- and three-qubit marginals. Using semidefinite programming, we chart the reconstructability landscape across 49 inequivalent SLOCC entanglement classes and show that uniqueness strongly depends on both entanglement structure and marginal order. Neural networks trained only on reduced density matrices learn this structure directly. They accurately classify marginal reconstructability and, when uniqueness holds, reconstruct the full four-qubit density matrix with high fidelity from two- and three-qubit marginals. We benchmark the approach on a four-qubit nuclear magnetic resonance quantum processor and demonstrate that reconstructions from experimentally measured marginals remain faithful despite phase damping and control imperfections. Our results show that neural networks can learn when local correlations uniquely specify a global quantum state, and reveal how global quantum structure is encoded in reduced data.
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Quantum Physics

Transition between weak and strong measurements in the presence of post-selection

In the weak measurement regime, post-selection can result in the observation of anomalous weak values, seemingly contradicting the eigenvalue statistics observed when the measurement interaction is strong. Here, we investigate the dependence of meter statistics on measurement strength in a post-selected measurement. We find that the meter statistics in the intermediate regime between weak and strong measurements is nearly independent of measurement strength and show that, in this regime, the system performs a measurement of momentum on the meter. The transition between weak and strong measurements is explained by a reversal of the roles of the system and the meter, where the post-selection acts as a readout of information about the meter.
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Quantum Physics

Shapley Valuation of Finite-Copy Quantum Data Depends on Physical Access

Data valuation asks how learning utility should be attributed to training data contributors. Most classical formulations begin after data have become reusable records, so the physical readout of the data is effectively fixed. Finite-copy quantum data are different: unknown states are consumable physical systems, and the same supplied states and downstream task can yield different Shapley values under different physical access models. Our framework makes this dependence explicit by treating physical access as a component of quantum data valuation itself. We establish an exact connection between physical-access advantage and contributor-level data valuation. For nested access models, we prove that the maximal downstream utility gain enabled by richer physical access exactly determines the largest symmetric Shapley ranking-reversal margin. More generally, for arbitrary access-model pairs, including non-nested ones, we derive an exact geometric characterization of the possible shifts of the full Shapley attribution vector. For fixed learning pipelines, we further obtain an operational Shapley-observable representation for finite-copy valuation. Numerical experiments demonstrate that identical quantum samples can receive different values and rankings when only the physical access model is changed. These results establish that quantum data value is not an intrinsic property of the underlying states alone, but emerges from the interaction between quantum states, physical access, and the downstream learning task.
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Quantum Physics · Cross-listed from physics.atom-ph

Analytical model for polarization transfer during gas-phase collision events in spin-exchange optical pumping: Spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ $^{129}$Xe versus spin-$\frac{3}{2}$ $^{131}$Xe

Spin-exchange optical pumping (SEOP) is a method for producing spin-hyperpolarized noble gas nuclei, such as 129Xe and 131Xe, which are used in various magnetic resonance applications from fundamental physics to quantum sensing and medical imaging. In SEOP, optically polarized alkali-metal atoms transfer their spin polarization to the noble gas nuclei in gas-phase collision events via the hyperfine coupling (HFC) between the alkali valence electron and the noble gas nucleus. While the polarization transfer physics of spin $I = 1/2$ nuclei, such as 129Xe, is relatively well understood, that of spin $I > 1/2$ nuclei, such as 131Xe ($I = 3/2$), has been far less studied, and no rigorous theoretical model has been presented to date. To this end, we derive a simple analytical model for the upper limit, neglecting relaxation, of the SEOP polarization transfer, applicable to noble gases with arbitrary nuclear spin. Analytical evaluation of the Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff expansion for the time evolution of the spin density operator $\hat{\rho}(t)$ reveals that only even-order terms in the HFC contribute to the polarization transfer, with the leading-order quadratic term being the most significant. We obtain a result similar to that derived for the spin-exchange cross section by Herman [Phys. Rev. 137, A 1062 (1965)], but in a more general framework for the time evolution of $\hat{\rho}(t)$ that is also more familiar to magnetic resonance researchers. The model is applied to understand the difference in the polarization transfer efficiency between 129Xe and 131Xe, yielding results in agreement with previous experiments. We also validate the model by comparison to detailed numerical multiscale simulations of the SEOP process, where full quantum-chemically computed spin Hamiltonians sampled from molecular dynamics simulations of the gas-phase collision events are used to propagate the spin dynamics.
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Quantum Physics

Nitrogen Vacancy Centers in Diamond for Quantum Biosensing: Magnetometry Techniques, Platforms and Applications

Quantum sensing using nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond has emerged as a powerful platform for detecting ultra-low magnetic fields under ambient conditions. Owing to their long spin coherence times, optical addressability, and compatibility with aqueous environments, it has found widespread applications in biosensing and bio-imaging. This review presents the fundamental principles and recent advances in NV-based quantum magnetometry for biosensing applications, with a particular focus on measurements in aqueous medium and at cellular and molecular length scales. We discuss the underlying spin physics of NV centers and highlight two primary detection modalities: optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) and T1 relaxometry-based sensing and how these approaches aids in the detection of both static magnetic fields and dynamic magnetic noise arising from biological processes. The review explores key application areas, including nanoscale nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), monitoring of neural activity, detection of abnormal or rogue cells using NV-based platforms etc. In addition, strategies for enhancing sensitivity, such as surface functionalization of nanodiamonds, femtosecond (fs) laser-written photonic structures, and integration with microfluidic and lab-on-chip systems have also been discussed in depth. We also address the critical challenges, including surface-induced decoherence, charge-state instability, and signal-to-noise limitations in biofluids associated with NV-based biosensing applications. Finally, we outline future prospects, highlighting how NV-based magnetic biosensing provides a promising pathway for translating quantum sensing technologies into practical biomedical applications.
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All authors Sirsendu Ghosal, Umakant Prajapati, Sachin Negi, Saifian Farooq Bhat, Thejas B, Vibhav Bharadwaj

Quantum Physics

One Bit of Collective Information Is Worth N ln 2 Bits of Local Information in a Many-Body Quantum Battery

Charging a quantum battery through a collective non-adiabatic stroke stores energy in a shared bosonic mode, but part remains locked in correlations with the collective spin and is inaccessible to cyclic unitaries acting on the mode alone. A demon holding one bit can unlock this energy, quantified by the daemonic ergotropy. We investigate the value of one bit and its dependence on where the information is obtained. Two protocols are compared at matched stored energy and matched information, using balanced two-outcome measurements carrying exactly one bit. We find that one bit about the collective coordinate unlocks N ln(2) times as much work as one bit about a single ion. For three stored-energy settings and N = 4-24, the measured scaling exponent is 0.990 +/- 0.043, while double extrapolation gives a prefactor of 0.69298 +/- 0.00044, within 0.02% of ln(2). To leading order, the daemonic gain equals nu mu^2 times the between-outcome variance of Jx, verified numerically to 1.3%. A balanced single-ion measurement resolves 1/4 of this variance, whereas a balanced collective split resolves (ln(2)/4)N. The microscopic origin of the prefactor remains open; a Gaussian median-split estimate of 1/(2pi) is excluded by 9%. One bit recovers a constant fraction of the locked energy independent of N and yields roughly twice as much work per bit as a complete readout, indicating strong diminishing returns. We also show that unnormalized gain comparisons can reverse the conclusion and that the break-even ion number does not collapse onto the Dicke superradiant threshold when the mode frequency is varied.
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Quantum Physics

Strong-Drive Limits in Josephson Circuits: From Chaos to an Unbound-Resonance Threshold

Strong microwave drives enable fast measurement and parametric control in superconducting circuits but can induce transitions out of the intended low-energy manifold. We develop a unified description of strong-drive limits in flux- and charge-driven Josephson circuits across drive frequency and dc flux bias. Using classical phase-space analysis and Floquet–Markov simulations, we identify distinct low- and high-frequency mechanisms. At low frequency, we characterize bound-state resonances and separatrix chaos and find that the flux-drive chaos threshold depends strongly on dc flux bias. At high frequency, these mechanisms are suppressed, and the dissipative steady state transfers from the central bound-state sector to outer resonances formed by above-barrier running trajectories. The resulting unbound-resonance threshold is nearly independent of drive frequency and circuit parameters over the regime studied and is controlled primarily by dc flux bias. Coherent simulations show that parametric operation persists beyond this threshold, but at a reduced rate, setting an effective upper bound on the achievable operation speed. We derive analytical criteria for both thresholds, validate them numerically, and experimentally confirm the predicted dc-bias dependence of the low-frequency threshold in a flux-driven SQUID. We also determine the timescales for transfer into the unbound-resonance regime and relaxation back to the bound-state manifold after the drive is removed. Finally, we relate the stability limits to a complementary picture based on the junction critical current and extend the framework to multitone drives and inductively shunted circuits. Together, these results identify the mechanisms limiting strong driving and suggest routes to extend the stable operating range of Josephson circuits.
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