A quantum walk with a delocalized initial state: contribution from a coin-flip operator

A unit evolution step of discrete-time quantum walks is determined by both a coin-flip operator and a position-shift operator. The behavior of quantum walkers after many steps delicately depends on the coin-flip operator and an initial condition of the walk. To get the behavior, a lot of long-time limit distributions for the quantum walks starting with a localized initial state have been derived. In the present paper, we compute limit distributions of a 2-state quantum walk with a delocalized initial state, not a localized initial state, and discuss how the walker depends on the coin-flip operator. The initial state induced from the Fourier series expansion, which is called the $(\alpha,\beta)$ delocalized initial state in this paper, provides different limit density functions from the ones of the quantum walk with a localized initial state.Comment: International Journal of Quantum Information, Vol.11, No.5, 1350053 (2013

Quantum Walks on the Line with Phase Parameters

In this paper, a study on discrete-time coined quantum walks on the line is presented. Clear mathematical foundations are still lacking for this quantum walk model. As a step towards this objective, the following question is being addressed: {\it Given a graph, what is the probability that a quantum walk arrives at a given vertex after some number of steps?} This is a very natural question, and for random walks it can be answered by several different combinatorial arguments. For quantum walks this is a highly non-trivial task. Furthermore, this was only achieved before for one specific coin operator (Hadamard operator) for walks on the line. Even considering only walks on lines, generalizing these computations to a general SU(2) coin operator is a complex task. The main contribution is a closed-form formula for the amplitudes of the state of the walk (which includes the question above) for a general symmetric SU(2) operator for walks on the line. To this end, a coin operator with parameters that alters the phase of the state of the walk is defined. Then, closed-form solutions are computed by means of Fourier analysis and asymptotic approximation methods. We also present some basic properties of the walk which can be deducted using weak convergence theorems for quantum walks. In particular, the support of the induced probability distribution of the walk is calculated. Then, it is shown how changing the parameters in the coin operator affects the resulting probability distribution.Comment: In v2 a small typo was fixed. The exponent in the definition of N_j in Theorem 3 was changed from -1/2 to 1. 20 pages, 3 figures. Presented at 10th Asian Conference on Quantum Information Science (AQIS'10). Tokyo, Japan. August 27-31, 201

Crossovers induced by discrete-time quantum walks

We consider crossovers with respect to the weak convergence theorems from a discrete-time quantum walk (DTQW). We show that a continuous-time quantum walk (CTQW) and discrete- and continuous-time random walks can be expressed as DTQWs in some limit. At first we generalize our previous study [Phys. Rev. A \textbf{81}, 062129 (2010)] on the DTQW with position measurements. We show that the position measurements per each step with probability $p \sim 1/n^\beta$ can be evaluated, where $n$ is the final time and $0<\beta<1$. We also give a corresponding continuous-time case. As a consequence, crossovers from the diffusive spreading (random walk) to the ballistic spreading (quantum walk) can be seen as the parameter $\beta$ shifts from 0 to 1 in both discrete- and continuous-time cases of the weak convergence theorems. Secondly, we introduce a new class of the DTQW, in which the absolute value of the diagonal parts of the quantum coin is proportional to a power of the inverse of the final time $n$. This is called a final-time-dependent DTQW (FTD-DTQW). The CTQW is obtained in a limit of the FTD-DTQW. We also obtain the weak convergence theorem for the FTD-DTQW which shows a variety of spreading properties. Finally, we consider the FTD-DTQW with periodic position measurements. This weak convergence theorem gives a phase diagram which maps sufficiently long-time behaviors of the discrete- and continuous-time quantum and random walks.Comment: 14 pages, 1 figur

Probability distributions and weak limit theorems of quaternionic quantum walks in one dimension

The discrete-time quantum walk (QW) is determined by a unitary matrix whose component is complex number. Konno (2015) extended the QW to a walk whose component is quaternion.We call this model quaternionic quantum walk (QQW). The probability distribution of a class of QQWs is the same as that of the QW. On the other hand, a numerical simulation suggests that the probability distribution of a QQW is different from the QW. In this paper, we clarify the difference between the QQW and the QW by weak limit theorems for a class of QQWs.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures, Interdisciplinary Information Sciences (in press

Quantum walks and orbital states of a Weyl particle

The time-evolution equation of a one-dimensional quantum walker is exactly mapped to the three-dimensional Weyl equation for a zero-mass particle with spin 1/2, in which each wave number k of walker's wave function is mapped to a point \vec{q}(k) in the three-dimensional momentum space and \vec{q}(k) makes a planar orbit as k changes its value in [-\pi, \pi). The integration over k providing the real-space wave function for a quantum walker corresponds to considering an orbital state of a Weyl particle, which is defined as a superposition (curvilinear integration) of the energy-momentum eigenstates of a free Weyl equation along the orbit. Konno's novel distribution function of quantum-walker's pseudo-velocities in the long-time limit is fully controlled by the shape of the orbit and how the orbit is embedded in the three-dimensional momentum space. The family of orbital states can be regarded as a geometrical representation of the unitary group U(2) and the present study will propose a new group-theoretical point of view for quantum-walk problems.Comment: REVTeX4, 9 pages, 1 figure, v2: Minor corrections made for publication in Phys.Rev.