1,126 research outputs found
Characterization of classical Gaussian processes using quantum probes
We address the use of a single qubit as a quantum probe to characterize the
properties of classical noise. In particular, we focus on the characterization
of classical noise arising from the interaction with a stochastic field
described by Gaussian processes. The tools of quantum estimation theory allow
us to find the optimal state preparation for the probe, the optimal interaction
time with the external noise, and the optimal measurement to effectively
extract information on the noise parameter. We also perform a set of simulated
experiments to assess the performances of maximum likelihood estimator, showing
that the asymptotic regime, where the estimator is unbiased and efficient, is
approximately achieved after few thousands repeated measurements on the probe
system.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Phys. Lett.
Quantum correlations in continuos-time quantum walks of two indistinguishable particles
We evaluate the degree of quantum correlation between two fermions (bosons)
subject to continuous time quantum walks in a one-dimensional ring lattice with
periodic boundary conditions. In our approach, no particle-particle interaction
is considered. We show that the interference effects due to exchange symmetry
can result into the appearance of non-classical correlations. The role played
onto the appearance of quantum correlations by the quantum statistics of the
particles, the boundary conditions, and the partition of the system is widely
investigated. Quantum correlations also been investigated in a model mimicking
the ballistic evolution of two indistinguishable particles in a 1D continuous
space structure. Our results are consistent with recent quantum optics and
electron quantum optics experiments where the showing up of two-particle
non-classical correlations has been observed even in the absence of mutual
interaction between the particles.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure
Non-Markovian continuous-time quantum walks on lattices with dynamical noise
We address the dynamics of continuous-time quantum walks on one-dimensional
disordered lattices inducing dynamical noise in the system. Noise is described
as time-dependent fluctuations of the tunneling amplitudes between adjacent
sites, and attention is focused on non-Gaussian telegraph noise, going beyond
the usual assumption of fast Gaussian noise. We observe the emergence of two
different dynamical behaviors for the walker, corresponding to two opposite
noise regimes: slow noise (i.e. strong coupling with the environment) confines
the walker into few lattice nodes, while fast noise (weak coupling) induces a
transition between quantum and classical diffusion over the lattice. A phase
transition between the two dynamical regimes may be observed by tuning the
ratio between the autocorrelation time of the noise and the coupling between
the walker and the external environment generating the noise. We also address
the non-Markovianity of the quantum map by assessing its memory effects, as
well as evaluating the information backflow to the system. Our results suggest
that the non-Markovian character of the evolution is linked to the dynamical
behavior in the slow noise regime, and that fast noise induces a Markovian
dynamics for the walker.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figure
Continuous-time quantum walks on dynamical percolation graphs
We address continuous-time quantum walks on graphs in the presence of time-
and space-dependent noise. Noise is modeled as generalized dynamical
percolation, i.e. classical time-dependent fluctuations affecting the tunneling
amplitudes of the walker. In order to illustrate the general features of the
model, we review recent results on two paradigmatic examples: the dynamics of
quantum walks on the line and the effects of noise on the performances of
quantum spatial search on the complete and the star graph. We also discuss
future perspectives, including extension to many-particle quantum walk, to
noise model for on-site energies and to the analysis of different noise
spectra. Finally, we address the use of quantum walks as a quantum probe to
characterize defects and perturbations occurring in complex, classical and
quantum, networks.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in EPL Perspective
Quantum Probes for Ohmic Environments at Thermal Equilibrium
It is often the case that the environment of a quantum system may be
described as a bath of oscillators with Ohmic density of states. In turn, the
precise characterization of these classes of environments is a crucial tool to
engineer decoherence or to tailor quantum information protocols. Recently, the
use of quantum probes in characterizing Ohmic environments at zero-temperature
has been discussed, showing that a single qubit provides precise estimation of
the cutoff frequency. On the other hand, thermal noise often spoil quantum
probing schemes, and for this reason we here extend the analysis to complex
system at thermal equilibrium. In particular, we discuss the interplay between
thermal fluctuations and time evolution in determining the precision
{attainable by} quantum probes. Our results show that the presence of thermal
fluctuations degrades the precision for low values of the cutoff frequency,
i.e. values of the order (in natural units). For larger
values of decoherence is mostly due to the structure of environment,
rather than thermal fluctuations, such that quantum probing by a single qubit
is still an effective estimation procedure.Comment: Entropy, special issue on Open Quantum Systems (OQS) for quantum
technologies (S. Lorenzo and M. G. Palma, Eds
Microscopic description for the emergence of collective dissipation in extended quantum systems
Practical implementations of quantum technology are limited by unavoidable
effects of decoherence and dissipation. With achieved experimental control for
individual atoms and photons, more complex platforms composed by several units
can be assembled enabling distinctive forms of dissipation and decoherence, in
independent heat baths or collectively into a common bath, with dramatic
consequences for the preservation of quantum coherence. The cross-over between
these two regimes has been widely attributed in the literature to the system
units being farther apart than the bath's correlation length. Starting from a
microscopic model of a structured environment (a crystal) sensed by two bosonic
probes, here we show the failure of such conceptual relation, and identify the
exact physical mechanism underlying this cross-over, displaying a sharp
contrast between dephasing and dissipative baths. Depending on the frequency of
the system and, crucially, on its orientation with respect to the crystal axes,
collective dissipation becomes possible for very large distances between
probes, opening new avenues to deal with decoherence in phononic baths
Quantum probes for the cutoff frequency of Ohmic environments
Quantum probing consists of suitably exploiting a simple, small, and
controllable quantum system to characterize a larger and more complex system.
Here, we address the estimation of the cutoff frequency of the Ohmic spectral
density of a harmonic reservoir by quantum probes. To this aim, we address the
use of single-qubit and two-qubit systems and different kinds of coupling with
the bath of oscillators. We assess the estimation precision by the quantum
Fisher information of the sole quantum probe as well as the corresponding
quantum signal-to-noise ratio. We prove that, for most of the values of the
Ohmicity parameter, a simple probe such as a single qubit is already optimal
for the precise estimation of the cutoff frequency. Indeed for those values,
upon considering a two-qubit probe either in a Bell or in separable state, we
do not find improvement to the estimation precision. However, we also showed
that there exist few conditions where employing two qubits in a Bell state
interacting with a common bath is more suitable for precisely estimating the
cutoff frequency.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, 1 tabl
Experimental estimation of quantum discord for polarization qubit and the use of fidelity to assess quantum correlations
We address the experimental determination of entropic quantum discord for
systems made of a pair of polarization qubits. We compare results from full and
partial tomography and found that the two determinations are statistically
compatible, with partial tomography leading to a smaller value of discord for
depolarized states. Despite the fact that our states are well described, in
terms of fidelity, by families of depolarized or phase-damped states, their
entropic discord may be largely different from that predicted for these classes
of states, such that no reliable estimation procedure beyond tomography may be
effectively implemented. Our results, together with the lack of an analytic
formula for the entropic discord of a generic two-qubit state, demonstrate that
the estimation of quantum discord is an intrinsically noisy procedure. Besides,
we question the use of fidelity as a figure of merit to assess quantum
correlations
Noisy quantum walks of two indistinguishable interacting particles
We investigate the dynamics of continuous-time two-particle quantum walks on
a one-dimensional noisy lattice. Depending on the initial condition, we show
how the interplay between particle indistinguishability and interaction
determines distinct propagation regimes. A realistic model for the environment
is considered by introducing non-Gaussian noise as time-dependent fluctuations
of the tunneling amplitudes between adjacent sites. We observe that the
combined effect of particle interaction and fast noise (weak coupling with the
environment) provides a faster propagation compared to the noiseless case. This
effect can be understood in terms of the band structure of the Hubbard model,
and a detailed analysis as a function of both noise and system parameters is
presented.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure
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