0000000000208144
AUTHOR
Giuliano Benenti
Entanglement dynamics and relaxation in a few-qubit system interacting with random collisions
The dynamics of a single qubit interacting by a sequence of pairwise collisions with an environment consisting of just two more qubits is analyzed. Each collision is modeled in terms of a random unitary operator with a uniform probability distribution described by the uniform Haar measure. We show that the purity of the system qubit as well as the bipartite and the tripartite entanglement reach time averaged equilibrium values characterized by large instantaneous fluctuations.These equilibrium values are independent of the order of collision among the qubits. The relaxation to equilibrium is analyzed also in terms of an ensemble average of random collision histories. Such average allows for…
Experimental on-demand recovery of entanglement by local operations within non-Markovian dynamics
In many applications entanglement must be distributed through noisy communication channels that unavoidably degrade it. Entanglement cannot be generated by local operations and classical communication (LOCC), implying that once it has been distributed it is not possible to recreate it by LOCC. Recovery of entanglement by purely local control is however not forbidden in the presence of non-Markovian dynamics, and here we demonstrate in two all-optical experiments that such entanglement restoration can even be achieved on-demand. First, we implement an open-loop control scheme based on a purely local operation, without acquiring any information on the environment; then, we use a closed-loop s…
ERGODICITY IN RANDOMLY COLLIDING QUBITS
The dynamics of a single qubit randomly colliding with an environment consisting of just two qubits is discussed. It is shown that the system reaches an equilibrium state which coincides with a pure random state of three qubits. Furthermore the time average and the ensemble averages of the quantities used to characterize the approach to equilibrium (purity and tangles) coincide, a signature of ergodic behavior.
Reversible and irreversible dynamics of a qubit interacting with a small environment
We analyze the dynamics of a system qubit interacting by means a sequence of pairwise collisions with an environment consisting of just two qubits. We show that the density operator of the qubits approaches a common time averaged equilibrium state, characterized by large fluctuations, only for a random sequence of collisions. For a regular sequence of collisions the qubitstates of the system and of the reservoir undergo instantaneous periodic oscillations and do not relax to a common state. Furthermore we show that pure bipartite entanglement is developed only when at least two qubits are initially in the same purestate while otherwise also genuine multipartite entanglement builds up.
Extracting work from random collisions: A model of a quantum heat engine
We study the statistical distribution of the ergotropy and of the efficiency of a single-qubit battery ad of a single-qubit Otto engine, respectively fuelled by random collisions. The single qubit, our working fluid, is assumed to exchange energy with two reservoirs, a non-equilibrium "hot" reservoir and a zero temperature cold reservoir. The interactions between the qubit and the reservoirs is described in terms of a collision model of open system dynamics. The qubit interacts with the non-equilibrium reservoir (a large ensemble of qudits all prepared in the same pure state) via random unitary collisions and with the cold reservoir (a large ensemble of qubits in their ground state) via a p…
Relaxation due to random collisions with a many-qudit environment
We analyze the dynamics of a system qudit of dimension mu sequentially interacting with the nu-dimensional qudits of a chain playing the ore of an environment. Each pairwise collision has been modeled as a random unitary transformation. The relaxation to equilibrium of the purity of the system qudit, averaged over random collisions, is analytically computed by means of a Markov chain approach. In particular, we show that the steady state is the one corresponding to the steady state for random collisions with a single environment qudit of effective dimension nu_e=nu*mu. Finally, we numerically investigate aspects of the entanglement dynamics for qubits (mu=nu=2) and show that random unitary …
Recovering entanglement by local operations
We investigate the phenomenon of bipartite entanglement revivals under purely local operations in systems subject to local and independent classical noise sources. We explain this apparent paradox in the physical ensemble description of the system state by introducing the concept of "hidden" entanglement, which indicates the amount of entanglement that cannot be exploited due to the lack of classical information on the system. For this reason this part of entanglement can be recovered without the action of non-local operations or back-transfer process. For two noninteracting qubits under a low-frequency stochastic noise, we show that entanglement can be recovered by local pulses only. We al…
Hidden entanglement in the presence of random telegraph dephasing noise
Entanglement dynamics of two noninteracting qubits, locally affected by random telegraph noise at pure dephasing, exhibits revivals. These revivals are not due to the action of any nonlocal operation, thus their occurrence may appear paradoxical since entanglement is by definition a nonlocal resource. We show that a simple explanation of this phenomenon may be provided by using the (recently introduced) concept of "hidden" entanglement, which signals the presence of entanglement that may be recovered with the only help of local operations.
Hidden entanglement, system-environment information flow and non-Markovianity
It is known that entanglement dynamics of two noninteracting qubits, locally subjected to classical environments, may exhibit revivals. A simple explanation of this phenomenon may be provided by using the concept of hidden entanglement, which signals the presence of entanglement that may be recovered without the help of nonlocal operations. Here we discuss the link between hidden entanglement and the (non-Markovian) flow of classical information between the system and the environment.