196 research outputs found
Data and codes for Orozco-Ruiz et al. "Quantum control without quantum states"
Simulation data and analytic structure constants for the paper "Quantum control without quantum states" by Modesto Orozco-Ruiz, Nguyen Le, and Florian Mintert
Optimized three-level quantum transfers based on frequency-modulated optical excitations
The difficulty in combining high fidelity with fast operation times and robustness against sources of noise is the central challenge of most quantum control problems, with immediate implications for the realization of quantum devices. We theoretically propose a protocol, based on the widespread stimulated Raman adiabatic passage technique, which achieves these objectives for quantum state transfers in generic three-level systems. Our protocol realizes accelerated adiabatic following through the application of additional control fields on the optical excitations. These act along frequency sidebands of the principal adiabatic pulses, dynamically counteracting undesired transitions. The scheme facilitates experimental control, not requiring new hardly-accessible resources. We show numerically that the method is efficient in a very wide set of control parameters, bringing the timescales closer to the quantum speed limit, also in the presence of environmental disturbance. These results hold for complete population transfers and for many applications, e.g., for realizing quantum gates, both for optical and microwave implementations. Furthermore, extensions to adiabatic passage problems in more-level systems are straightforward
Quantum control by effective counterdiabatic driving
We review a scheme for the systematic design of quantum control protocols based on shortcuts to adiabaticity in few-level quantum systems. The adiabatic dynamics is accelerated by introducing high-frequency modulations in the control Hamiltonian, which mimic a time-dependent counterdiabatic correction. We present a number of applications for the high-fidelity realization of quantum state transfers and quantum gates based on effective counterdiabatic driving, in platforms ranging from superconducting circuits to Rydberg atoms
Dynamical enhancement of spatial entanglement in massive particles
We discuss dynamical enhancement of entanglement in a driven Bose-Hubbard model and find an enhancement of two orders of magnitude from the ground state value which is robust against fluctuations in experimental parameters
Quantumness in optomechanics
Cavity optomechanics has become an established and equally promising branch in quantum optics. Thanks to the interaction between matter and electromagnetic radiation, it has proved to be an optimal platform for a range of scopes, from weak force sensing to the study of non-classicality of mechanical motion. Besides, the capability to isolate genuine quantum features of the interaction represents a test ground to address many important questions regarding decoherence, quantum-to-classical transitions and the interface between quantum mechanics and gravity.
The first part of the research embedded in this thesis is addressed towards the clear identification and characterisation of quantum features in optomechanics. The main model we will refer to is a deformable Fabry-P\'erot cavity where one of the two mirrors moves under the radiation pressure of light. After having properly assessed the quantum peculiarities of the system, and also having revised some intakes from past literature, we will focus on the study of mechanical non-linearities, as they have been proved to be a key resource to bring out and enhance quantum properties. These investigations provide the basis to eventually propose a method to deterministically prepare and measure macroscopic quantum superposition states of the movable mirror. Such massive quantum states play a key role to inspect the foundations of physics, e.g. to test the collapse of the wave function and phenomenological models of quantum gravity, as well as to develop new enhanced quantum technologies.Open Acces
Optimal control of nonclassical light in optomechanics
Nonclassical light stands out for its ability to improve quantum metrology, cryptography, and optical
quantum computation. Yet, generation of certain types of nonclassical light, especially Fock states,
remains a considerable challenge. Optomechanical systems, characterized by a nonlinear interac-
tion between light and a mechanical oscillator, have emerged as a promising avenue to address this
challenge. However, these systems also introduce challenges due to the intricate interplay between
mechanical and optical components, and the interference of cavity dissipation. This thesis introduces
innovative driving strategies that address the two limitations.
First, a driving scheme is proposed to generate separable optomechanical states, while maintaining the
nonlinear nature of the system dynamics. This is illustrated with driving profiles leading to an optical
two-photon Fock state and its superpositions with the vacuum. While the study mainly focuses on an
ideal situation where the system dissipations are neglected, I also show that the fidelity of the final
states remain high even when perturbed by the environment.
Then, I consider a more general case where the optical dissipation is no longer negligible. A novel
driving scheme is crafted to suppress destructive interference of Fock state amplitudes of more than a
single photon. As a result, strong photon-blockade effect can be realized in a time orders of magnitude
shorter than in existing schemes that achieve photon blockade in the steady state. Moreover, the driving
scheme provides the flexibility to adjust the duration of photon blockade, as well as to increase the
single-photon occupation at the cost of weaker photon blockade.
Towards the end, the existing study is extended to include the dynamics of external components. In
the study, I consider a simple case where leaked light is directed into a resonant cavity. The range
of system parameters where the output cavity also experiences pronounced photon blockade is then
identified.Open Acces
Detection and typicality of bound entangled states
We derive an explicit analytic estimate for the entanglement of a large class of bipartite quantum states, which extends into bound entanglement regions. This is done by using an efficiently computable concurrence lower bound, which is further employed to numerically construct a volume of 3 x 3 bound entangled states.
Complete positivity of non-Markovian quantum dynamics
The hierarchy equations of motion provide an elegant formalism for the description of non-Markovian quantum dynamics, which has successfully been applied to a broad variety of physical problems ranging from light-harvesting complexes to resonant tunnelling junctions. When these equations are derived from microscopic models of system and environment, then they typically expand to an infinite series of coupled differential equations. The truncation of this series is accompanied by an approximation of the dynamics and can give rise to a violation of complete positivity.
The goal of this thesis is to investigate under what conditions a set of hierarchy equations of motion induces completely positive dynamics. Such conditions are in particular crucial for a phenomenological understanding of the equations of motion. Several approaches to this problem are proposed and compared for classical systems before a generalisation to quantum mechanical problems is carried out. The main result is a concise set of operator inequalities that are sufficient for complete positivity and that can be implemented efficiently in terms of a semi-definite program. The applicability of this technique is demonstrated by various explicit examples.
For truncated hierarchy equations for which a violation of complete positivity is inevitable the framework is extended such that the degree of this violation can be estimated and the validity of the truncation can be gauged. In particular in the presence of initial system-environment correlations a dynamical process can also be considered physically reasonable, when the time evolution is not completely positive and it is shown how hierarchy equations that describe such scenarios can be identified. Eventually, the framework is altered such that it gives rise to conditions on hierarchy equations that are sufficient not only for completely positive but even Markovian dynamics.Open Acces
Optimal implementation of quantum channels on noisy hardware
Experimental progress in the development of quantum computers has now led to the establishment of controllable devices at scales approaching those necessary for quantum advantage. As such, a considerable amount of interest has grown around developing practical strategies for implementing useful algorithms on these platforms, a task which is made difficult by the considerable noise rates of current implementations. This thesis expands upon this work, developing strategies for implementing high-fidelity gates on noisy superconducting qubits. Throughout, the practical utility of the strategies is prioritised, with their viability verified through implementations on real hardware.
First, a variational quantum gate optimisation (VQGO) routine is developed that utilises quantum control to maximise an implemented gate's fidelity. To do this, a novel fidelity measure, the fidelity is developed, analysed and established to be more practical than state-of-the-art fidelity measures for this purpose. This practicality is demonstrated experimentally through the successful optimisation of a three qubit gate.
The VQGO scheme is then extended by developing a pulse-level control scheme that takes advantage of the natural entangling operations in the experimental device. This is highly successful, yielding very high fidelity two and three qubit gates, although it is found that parameter drift precludes the scheme from realising a more complex Floquet-engineered gate.
Finally, the analysis of the physics underpinning the experimental platform is extended through the development of a characterisation and calibration protocol aimed at facilitating analogue quantum simulations on the device. The viability of the platform for such a purpose is experimentally assessed against a set of necessary criteria, during which two unexpected noise sources are identified and characterised. The characterisation and calibration protocols are shown to be practical and useful, with the viability of the platform for analogue quantum simulation being contingent on the development of strategies for overcoming these noise sources.Open Acces
Optimally driven quantum systems
Periodically driven quantum systems offer an exceptional platform for quantum simulations due to the possibility to approximate their dynamics in terms of time-independent effective Hamiltonians. This, together with the recent experimental advances, has situated driven systems at center stage of engineered quantum-mechanical devices.
The aim of this thesis is to develop theoretical methods in order to design optimal quantum simulations with driven systems. By applying the derived tools to experimentally relevant models, the applicability and significance of the methods are furthermore demonstrated.
First, we introduce a method to derive accurate effective Hamiltonians by merging two seemingly unrelated tools: Floquet theory and flow equations. With this, the required analytical identification of the effective Hamiltonian in terms of the system's parameters is achieved.
Second, we identify structural properties that determine the accessible effective dynamics of a system of particles on shaken optical lattices, which is arguably one of the most remarkable systems for many-body quantum simulations. In particular, we identify fundamental symmetries of the underlying lattice geometry that determine the emergence of new tunneling processes.
Third, we develop an optimal control scheme to design polychromatic driving protocols that optimally simulate specifically targeted dynamics. We apply this scheme to demonstrate an optimal realization of Raman transitions with a Lambda system, a building block in many quantum simulations. Then, we employ it to implement a topological Chern insulator through suitably engineering the geometry-dependent tunneling of particles on a shaken hexagonal lattice. Hereby, a realistic route to experimentally test strongly-correlated topological phases of matter is provided.
By determining structural properties of driven systems and suitable driving protocols, the methods described in this thesis open substantial possibilities for the development of optimal quantum simulations and, ultimately, reliable quantum technologies.Open Acces
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