Protecting quantum resources via frequency modulation of qubits in leaky cavities

Finding strategies to preserve quantum resources in open systems is nowadays a main requirement for reliable quantum-enhanced technologies. We address this issue by considering structured cavities embedding qubits driven by a control technique known as frequency modulation. We first study a single qubit in a lossy cavity to determine optimal modulation parameters and qubit-cavity coupling regime allowing a gain of four orders of magnitude concerning coherence lifetimes. We relate this behavior to the inhibition of the qubit effective decay rate rather than to stronger memory effects (non-Markovianity) of the system. We then exploit these findings in a system of noninteracting qubits embedde…

Remote entanglement distribution in a quantum network via multinode indistinguishability of photons

Quantum networking relies on entanglement distribution between distant nodes, typically realized by swapping procedures. However, entanglement swapping is a demanding task in practice, mainly because of limited effectiveness of entangled photon sources and Bell-state measurements necessary to realize the process. Here we experimentally activate a remote distribution of two-photon polarization entanglement superseding the need for initial entangled pairs and traditional Bell-state measurements. This alternative procedure is accomplished thanks to the controlled spatial indistinguishability of four independent photons in three separated nodes of the network, which enables us to perform locali…

Proof-of-Principle Direct Measurement of Particle Statistical Phase

The symmetrization postulate in quantum mechanics is formally reflected in the appearance of an exchange phase governing the symmetry of identical-particle global states under particle swapping. Many indirect measurements of this fundamental phase have been reported thus far, but a direct observation has been achieved only recently for photons. Here, we propose a general scheme capable of directly measuring the exchange phase of any type of particle (bosons, fermions, or anyons), exploiting the operational framework of spatially localized operations and classical communication. We experimentally implement it on an all-optical platform, providing a proof of principle for different simulated …

Harnessing non-Markovian quantum memory by environmental coupling

Controlling the non-Markovian dynamics of open quantum systems is essential in quantum information technology since it plays a crucial role in preserving quantum memory. Albeit in many realistic scenarios the quantum system can simultaneously interact with composite environments, this condition remains little understood, particularly regarding the effect of the coupling between environmental parts. We analyze the non-Markovian behavior of a qubit interacting at the same time with two coupled single-mode cavities which in turn dissipate into memoryless or memory-keeping reservoirs. We show that increasing the control parameter, that is the two-mode coupling, allows for triggering and enhanci…

Observation of time-invariant coherence in a room temperature quantum simulator

The ability to live in coherent superpositions is a signature trait of quantum systems and constitutes an irreplaceable resource for quantum-enhanced technologies. However, decoherence effects usually destroy quantum superpositions. It has been recently predicted that, in a composite quantum system exposed to dephasing noise, quantum coherence in a transversal reference basis can stay protected for indefinite time. This can occur for a class of quantum states independently of the measure used to quantify coherence, and requires no control on the system during the dynamics. Here, such an invariant coherence phenomenon is observed experimentally in two different setups based on nuclear magnet…

Readout of quantum information spreading using a disordered quantum walk

We design a quantum probing protocol using quantum walks to investigate the quantum information spreading pattern. We employ quantum Fisher information as a figure of merit to quantify extractable information about an unknown parameter encoded within the quantum walk evolution. Although the approach is universal, we focus on the coherent static and dynamic disorder to investigate anomalous and classical transport as well as Anderson localization. We provide a feasible experimental strategy to implement, in principle, the quantum probing protocol based on the quantum Fisher information using a Mach–Zehnder-like interferometric setup. Our results show that a quantum walk can be considered as …

Temperature effects on quantum non-Markovianity via collision models

Quantum non-Markovianity represents memory during the system dynamics, which is typically weakened by the temperature. We here study the effects of environmental temperature on the non-Markovianity of an open quantum system by virtue of collision models. The environment is simulated by a chain of ancillary qubits that are prepared in thermal states with a finite temperature $T$. Two distinct non-Markovian mechanisms are considered via two types of collision models, one where the system $S$ consecutively interacts with the ancillas and a second where $S$ collides only with an intermediate system $S'$ which in turn interacts with the ancillas. We show that in both models the relation between …

Comparative investigation of the freezing phenomena for quantum correlations under nondissipative decoherence

We show that the phenomenon of frozen discord, exhibited by specific classes of two-qubit states under local nondissipative decoherent evolutions, is a common feature of all known bona fide measures of general quantum correlations. All those measures, despite inducing typically inequivalent orderings on the set of nonclassically correlated states, return a constant value in the considered settings. Every communication protocol which relies on quantum correlations as resource will run with a performance completely unaffected by noise in the specified dynamical conditions. We provide a geometric interpretation of this

Dynamics of Non Classically Reproducible Entanglement

We investigate when the quantum correlations of a bipartite system, under the influence of environments with memory, are not reproducible with certainty by a classical local hidden variable model. To this purpose, we compare the dynamics of a Bell inequality with that of entanglement, as measured by concurrence. We find time regions when Bell inequality is not violated even in correspondence to high values of concurrence (up to $\approx 0.8$). We also suggest that these results may be observed by adopting a modification of a recent experimental optical setup. These findings indicate that even highly entangled systems cannot be exploited with certainty in contexts where the non classical rep…

Generation of Entangled Two-Photon Binomial States in Two Spatially Separate Cavities

We propose a conditional scheme to generate entangled two-photon generalized binomial states inside two separate single-mode high-Q cavities. This scheme requires that the two cavities are initially prepared in entangled one-photon generalized binomial states and exploits the passage of two appropriately prepared two-level atoms one in each cavity. The measurement of the ground state of both atoms is finally required when they exit the cavities. We also give a brief evaluation of the experimental feasibility of the scheme.

Searching for exceptional points and inspecting non-contractivity of trace distance in (anti-) PT -symmetric systems

Non-Hermitian systems with parity-time ($\mathcal{PT}$) symmetry and anti-$\mathcal{PT}$ symmetry give rise to exceptional points (EPs) with intriguing properties related to, e.g., chiral transport and enhanced sensitivity, due to the coalescence of eigenvectors. In this paper, we propose a powerful and easily computable tool, based on the Hilbert-Schmidt speed (HSS), which does not require the diagonalization of the evolved density matrix, to detect exactly the EPs and hence the critical behavior of the (anti-)$\mathcal{PT}\!-$symmetric systems, especially high-dimensional ones. Our theoretical predictions, made without the need for modification of the Hilbert space, which is performed by …

Indistinguishability as a quantum information resource by localized measurements

Quantum networks are typically made of identical subsystems. Exploiting indistinguishability as a direct quantum resource would thus be highly desirable. We show this is achievable by spatially localized measurements, enabling teleportation and entanglement swapping protocols.

Unified view of correlations using the square-norm distance

The distance between a quantum state and its closest state not having a certain property has been used to quantify the amount of correlations corresponding to that property. This approach allows a unified view of the various kinds of correlations present in a quantum system. In particular, using relative entropy as a distance measure, total correlations can be meaningfully separated into a quantum part and a classical part thanks to an additive relation involving only the distances between states. Here we investigate a unified view of correlations using as a distance measure the square norm, which has already been used to define the so-called geometric quantum discord. We thus also consider…

Spin-echo entanglement protection from random telegraph noise

We analyze local spin-echo procedures to protect entanglement between two non-interacting qubits, each subject to pure-dephasing random telegraph noise. For superconducting qubits this simple model captures characteristic features of the effect of bistable impurities coupled to the device. An analytic expression for the entanglement dynamics is reported. Peculiar features related to the non-Gaussian nature of the noise already observed in the single qubit dynamics also occur in the entanglement dynamics for proper values of the ratio $g=v/\gamma$, between the qubit-impurity coupling strength and the switching rate of the random telegraph process, and of the separation between the pulses $\D…

Switching quantum memory on and off

Modifying the Markovian (memoryless) or non-Markovian (memory-keeping) nature of the environment-induced evolution of an open quantum system is crucial in quantum information theory, because it is linked to quantum memory control. A recent work (Brito and Werlang 2015 New J. Phys. 17 072001) shows that such a goal can be achieved without operating on unaccessible environmental features. In fact, transitions between Markovian and non-Markovian regimes of a qubit dynamics can be induced on demand if the qubit is coupled to a controlled auxiliary system. This is a step towards the improvement of quantum devices, aiming at exploiting dynamical memory effects by an external control.

Activating remote entanglement in a quantum network by local counting of identical particles

Quantum information and communication processing within quantum networks usually employs identical particles. Despite this, the physical role of quantum statistical nature of particles in large-scale networks remains elusive. Here, we show that just the indistinguishability of fermions makes it possible a new mechanism of entanglement transfer in many-node quantum networks. This process activates remote entanglement among distant sites, which do not share a common past, by only locally counting identical particles and classical communication. These results constitute the key achievement of the present technique and open the way to a more stable multistage transfer of nonlocal quantum correl…

Enhancing nonclassical bosonic correlations in a Quantum Walk network through experimental control of disorder

The presence of disorder and inhomogeneities in quantum networks has often been unexpectedly beneficial for both quantum and classical resources. Here, we experimentally realize a controllable inhomogenous Quantum Walk dynamics, which can be exploited to investigate the effect of coherent disorder on the quantum correlations between two indistinguishable photons. Through the imposition of suitable disorder configurations, we observe two photon states which exhibit an enhancement in the quantum correlations between two modes of the network, compared to the case of an ordered Quantum Walk. Different configurations of disorder can steer the system towards different realizations of such an enha…

Validity of Landauer principle and quantum memory effects via collision models

We study the validity of Landauer principle in the non-Markovian regime by means of collision models where the intracollisions inside the reservoir cause memory effects generating system-environment correlations. We adopt the system-environment correlations created during the dynamical process to assess the effect of non-Markovianity on the Landauer principle. Exploiting an exact equality for the entropy change of the system, we find the condition for the violation of the Landauer principle, which occurs when the established system-environment correlations become larger than the entropy production of the system. We then generalize the study to the non-equilibrium situation where the system …

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…

Quantumness and memory of one qubit in a dissipative cavity under classical control

Hybrid quantum-classical systems constitute a promising architecture for useful control strategies of quantum systems by means of a classical device. Here we provide a comprehensive study of the dynamics of various manifestations of quantumness with memory effects, identified by non-Markovianity, for a qubit controlled by a classical field and embedded in a leaky cavity. We consider both Leggett-Garg inequality and quantum witness as experimentally-friendly indicators of quantumness, also studying the geometric phase of the evolved (noisy) quantum state. We show that, under resonant qubit-classical field interaction, a stronger coupling to the classical control leads to enhancement of quant…

Indistinguishability-enhanced entanglement recovery by spatially localized operations and classical communication

We extend a procedure exploiting spatial indistinguishability of identical particles to recover the spoiled entanglement between two qubits interacting with Markovian noisy environments. Here, the spatially localized operations and classical communication (sLOCC) operational framework is used to activate the entanglement restoration from the indistinguishable constituents. We consider the realistic scenario where noise acts for the whole duration of the process. Three standard types of noises are considered: a phase damping, a depolarizing, and an amplitude damping channel. Within this general scenario, we find the entanglement to be restored in an amount proportional to the degree of spati…

Josephson Traveling Wave Parametric Amplifiers as Non-Classical Light Source for Microwave Quantum Illumination

Abstract Detection of low-reflectivity objects can be enriched via the so-called quantum illumination procedure. In order that this quantum procedure outperforms classical detection protocols, entangled states of microwave radiation are initially required. In this paper, we discuss the role of Josephson Traveling Wave Parametric Amplifiers (JTWPAs), based on circuit-QED components, as suitable sources of a two-mode squeezed vacuum state, a special signal-idler entangled state. The obtained wide bandwidth makes the JTWPA an ideal candidate for generating quantum radiation in quantum metrology and information processing applications.

Experimental quantum entanglement and teleportation by tuning remote spatial indistinguishability of independent photons.

Quantitative control of spatial indistinguishability of identical subsystems as a direct quantum resource at distant sites has not yet been experimentally proven. We design a setup capable of tuning remote spatial indistinguishability of two independent photons by individually adjusting their spatial distribution in two distant regions, leading to polarization entanglement from uncorrelated photons. This is achieved by spatially localized operations and classical communication on photons that meet only at the detectors. The amount of entanglement depends uniquely on the degree of spatial indistinguishability, quantified by an entropic measure I , which enables teleportation with fidelities …

An optimized Bell test in a dynamical system

The best realization of a Bell test depends on parameters linked to experimental settings. We report, for a class of two-qubit states, some optimized parameters that are useful to perform an optimized Bell test in a dynamical context. The time evolution of these optimized parameters, that present finite jumps, is investigated for two qubits in separated cavities.

Universal freezing of quantum correlations within the geometric approach

Quantum correlations in a composite system can be measured by resorting to a geometric approach, according to which the distance from the state of the system to a suitable set of classically correlated states is considered. Here we show that all distance functions, which respect natural assumptions of invariance under transposition, convexity, and contractivity under quantum channels, give rise to geometric quantifiers of quantum correlations which exhibit the peculiar freezing phenomenon, i.e., remain constant during the evolution of a paradigmatic class of states of two qubits each independently interacting with a non-dissipative decohering environment. Our results demonstrate from first …

Nonlocality threshold for entanglement under general dephasing evolutions: A case study

Determining relationships between different types of quantum correlations in open composite quantum systems is important since it enables the exploitation of a type by knowing the amount of another type. We here review, by giving a formal demonstration, a closed formula of the Bell function, witnessing nonlocality, as a function of the concurrence, quantifying entanglement, valid for a system of two noninteracting qubits initially prepared in extended Werner-like states undergoing any local pure-dephasing evolution. This formula allows for finding nonlocality thresholds for the concurrence depending only on the purity of the initial state. We then utilize these thresholds in a paradigmatic …

Entanglement transfer in a noisy cavity network with parity-deformed fields

We investigate the effects of parity-deformed fields on the dynamics of entanglement transfer to distant noninteracting atomic qubits. These qubits are embedded in two distant lossy cavities connected by a leaky short-length fiber (or additional cavity). The process is studied within a single-excitation subspace, the parity-deformed cavity photons allowing the introduction of static local classical fields, which function as a control. The mechanism of state transfer is analyzed in comparison to the uncontrolled case. We find that the transfer evolution exhibits an asymmetry with respect to atom-field detuning, being sensitive to the sign of the detuning. Under a linear interaction controlle…

Quantumness and speedup limit of a qubit under transition frequency modulation

Controlling and maintaining quantum properties of an open quantum system along its evolution is essential for both fundamental and technological aims. We assess the capability of a frequency-modulated qubit embedded in a leaky cavity to exhibit enhancement of its dynamical quantum features. The qubit transition frequency is sinusoidally modulated by an external driving field. We show that a properly optimized quantum witness effectively identifies quantum coherence protection due to frequency modulation while a standard quantum witness fails. We also find an evolution speedup of the qubit through proper manipulation of the modulation parameters of the driving field. Importantly, by introduc…

Cavity-based architecture to preserve quantum coherence and entanglement

Quantum technology relies on the utilization of resources, like quantum coherence and entanglement, which allow quantum information and computation processing. This achievement is however jeopardized by the detrimental effects of the environment surrounding any quantum system, so that finding strategies to protect quantum resources is essential. Non-Markovian and structured environments are useful tools to this aim. Here we show how a simple environmental architecture made of two coupled lossy cavities enables a switch between Markovian and non-Markovian regimes for the dynamics of a qubit embedded in one of the cavity. Furthermore, qubit coherence can be indefinitely preserved if the cavit…

Robust entanglement preparation against noise by controlling spatial indistinguishability

Initialization of composite quantum systems into highly entangled states is usually a must to allow their use for quantum technologies. However, the presence of unavoidable noise in the preparation stage makes the system state mixed, thus limiting the possibility of achieving this goal. Here we address this problem in the context of identical particle systems. We define the entanglement of formation for an arbitrary state of two identical qubits within the operational framework of spatially localized operations and classical communication (sLOCC). We then introduce an entropic measure of spatial indistinguishability under sLOCC as an information resource. We show that spatial indistinguisha…

Recovering quantum correlations in classical environments without backaction: observation and interpretation

Quantum correlations (entanglement, discord, nonlo-cality) present in a composite quantum system are essential resources for quantum information processing [1, 2]. However, the exploitation of these quantum resources is jeopardized by the detrimental effects of the environment surrounding the quantum system. For instance under Markovian noise, they decay asymptotically or disappear at a finite time [3, 4]. This drawback leads one to look for conditions where quantum correlations can be recovered during the evolution. To this aim non-Markovian noise, arising from strong couplings or structured environments, has been shown to be fundamental because of its memory effects. In fact, in the case …

Foundations of quantum mechanics and their impact on contemporary society

Nearing a century since its inception, quantum mechanics is as lively as ever. Its signature manifestations, such as superposition, wave-particle duality, uncertainty principle, entanglement and nonlocality, were long confronted as weird predictions of an incomplete theory, paradoxes only suitable for philosophical discussions, or mere mathematical artifacts with no counterpart in the physical reality. Nevertheless, decades of progress in the experimental verification and control of quantum systems have routinely proven detractors wrong. While fundamental questions still remain wide open on the foundations and interpretations of quantum mechanics, its modern technological applications have …

Universality of Schmidt decomposition and particle identity

Schmidt decomposition is a widely employed tool of quantum theory which plays a key role for distinguishable particles in scenarios such as entanglement characterization, theory of measurement and state purification. Yet, it is held not to exist for identical particles, an open problem forbidding its application to analyze such many-body quantum systems. Here we prove, using a newly developed approach, that the Schmidt decomposition exists for identical particles and is thus universal. We find that it is affected by single-particle measurement localization and state overlap. We study paradigmatic two-particle systems where identical qubits and qutrits are located in the same place or in sep…

Comparison of non-Markovianity criteria in a qubit system under random external fields

We give the map representing the evolution of a qubit under the action of non-dissipative random external fields. From this map we construct the corresponding master equation that in turn allows us to phenomenologically introduce population damping of the qubit system. We then compare, in this system, the time-regions when non-Markovianity is present on the basis of different criteria both for the non-dissipative and dissipative case. We show that the adopted criteria agree both in the non-dissipative case and in the presence of population damping.

Two-qubit quantum correlations versus single-qubit population

It is considered a system made by two noninteracting qubits, initially entangled, embedded in zero-temperature bosonic independent environments. It is shown that different forms of quantum correlations for two qubits can be expressed in terms of excited state population of each single qubit. These relations are explicitly given for both entanglement and Bell function. This permits to evidence regions where there is entanglement without violation of a Bell inequality, then showing that entanglement does not necessarily witness the presence of quantum correlations nonreproducible by a classical local model, as identified by Bell inequality violations. We finally report the explicit time depen…

Optomechanical Two-Photon Hopping

The hopping mechanism plays a key role in collective phenomena emerging in many-body physics. The ability to create and control systems that display this feature is important for next generation quantum technologies. Here we study two cavities separated by a vibrating two-sided perfect mirror and show that, within currently available experimental parameters, this system displays photon-pair hopping between the two electromagnetic resonators. In particular, the two-photon hopping is not due to tunneling, but rather to higher order resonant processes. Starting from the classical problem, where the vibrating mirror perfectly separates the two sides of the cavity, we quantize the system and the…

Coherence and entanglement dynamics of vibrating qubits

We investigate the dynamics of coherence and entanglement of vibrating qubits. Firstly, we consider a single trapped ion qubit inside a perfect cavity and successively we use it to construct a bipartite system made of two of such subsystems, taken identical and noninteracting. As a general result, we find that qubit vibration can lead to prolonging initial coherence in both single-qubit and two-qubit system. However, despite of this coherence preservation, we show that the decay of the entanglement between the two qubits is sped up by the vibrational motion of the qubits. Furthermore, we highlight how the dynamics of photon-phonon correlations between cavity mode and vibrational mode, which…

Observation of time-invariant coherence in a nuclear magnetic resonance quantum simulator

The ability to live in coherent superpositions is a signature trait of quantum systems and constitutes an irreplaceable resource for quantum-enhanced technologies. However, decoherence effects usually destroy quantum superpositions. It was recently predicted that, in a composite quantum system exposed to dephasing noise, quantum coherence in a transversal reference basis can stay protected for an indefinite time. This can occur for a class of quantum states independently of the measure used to quantify coherence, and it requires no control on the system during the dynamics. Here, such an invariant coherence phenomenon is observed experimentally in two different setups based on nuclear magne…

Quantum enhancement of qutrit dynamics through driving field and photonic-band-gap crystal

A comparative study of a qutrit (three-level atomic system) coupled to a classical field in a typical Markovian reservoir (free space) and in a photonic band-gap (PBG) crystal is carried out. The aim of the study is to assess the collective impact of structured environment and classical control of the system on the dynamics of quantum coherence, non-Markovianity, and estimation of parameters which are initially encoded in the atomic state. We show that the constructive interplay of PBG material as a medium and classical driving field as a part of system results in a significant enhancement of all the quantum traits of interest, compared to the case when the driven qutrit is in a Markovian e…

Witnessing non-Markovian effects of quantum processes through Hilbert-Schmidt speed

Non-Markovian effects can speed up the dynamics of quantum systems while the limits of the evolution time can be derived by quantifiers of quantum statistical speed. We introduce a witness for characterizing the non-Markovianity of quantum evolutions through the Hilbert-Schmidt speed (HSS), which is a special type of quantum statistical speed. This witness has the advantage of not requiring diagonalization of evolved density matrix. Its sensitivity is investigated by considering several paradigmatic instances of open quantum systems, such as one qubit subject to phase-covariant noise and Pauli channel, two independent qubits locally interacting with leaky cavities, V-type and $\Lambda $-typ…

$N$ identical particles and one particle to entangle them all

In quantum information W states are a central class of multipartite entangled states because of their robustness against noise and use in many quantum processes. Their generation however remains a demanding task whose difficulty increases with the number of particles. We report a simple scalable conceptual scheme where a single particle in an ancilla mode works as entanglement catalyst of W state for other $N$ separated identical particles. A crucial novel aspect of the scheme, which exploits basically spatial indistinguishability, is its universality, being applicable without essential changes to both bosons and fermions. Our proposal represents a new paradigm within experimental preparati…

Connection among entanglement, mixedness, and nonlocality in a dynamical context

We investigate the dynamical relations among entanglement, mixedness and nonlocality, quantifed by concurrence C, purity P and maximum of Bell function B, respectively, in a system of two qubits in a common structured reservoir. To this aim we introduce the C-P-B parameter space and analyze the time evolution of the point representative of the system state in such a space. The dynamical interplay among entanglement, mixedness and nonlocality strongly depends on the initial state of the system. For a two-excitation Bell state the representative point draws a multi-branch curve in the C-P-B space and we show that a closed relation among these quantifers does not hold. By extending the known r…

Relations between entanglement and purity in non-Markovian dynamics

Knowledge of the relationships among different features of quantumness, like entanglement and state purity, is important from both fundamental and practical viewpoints. Yet, this issue remains little explored in dynamical contexts for open quantum systems. We address this problem by studying the dynamics of entanglement and purity for two-qubit systems using paradigmatic models of radiation-matter interaction, with a qubit being isolated from the environment (spectator configuration). We show the effects of the corresponding local quantum channels on an initial two-qubit pure entangled state in the concurrence-purity diagram and find the conditions which enable dynamical closed formulas of …

Memory Effects in High-Dimensional Systems Faithfully Identified by Hilbert–Schmidt Speed-Based Witness

A witness of non-Markovianity based on the Hilbert–Schmidt speed (HSS), a special type of quantum statistical speed, has been recently introduced for low-dimensional quantum systems. Such a non-Markovianity witness is particularly useful, being easily computable since no diagonalization of the system density matrix is required. We investigate the sensitivity of this HSS-based witness to detect non-Markovianity in various high-dimensional and multipartite open quantum systems with finite Hilbert spaces. We find that the time behaviors of the HSS-based witness are always in agreement with those of quantum negativity or quantum correlation measure. These results show that the HSS-based witness…

Quantum Computation with Generalized Binomial States in Cavity Quantum Electrodynamics

We study universal quantum computation in the cavity quantum electrodynamics (CQED) framework exploiting two orthonormal two-photon generalized binomial states as qubit and dispersive interactions of Rydberg atoms with high-$Q$ cavities. We show that an arbitrary qubit state may be generated and that controlled-NOT and 1-qubit rotation gates can be realized via standard atom-cavity interactions.

Validating and controlling quantum enhancement against noise by motion of a qubit

Experimental validation and control of quantum traits for an open quantum system are important for any quantum information purpose. We consider a traveling atom qubit as a quantum memory with adjustable velocity inside a leaky cavity, adopting a quantum witness as a figure of merit for quantumness assessment. We show that this model constitutes an inherent physical instance where the quantum witness does not work properly if not suitably optimized. We then supply the optimal intermediate blind measurements which make the quantum witness a faithful tester of quantum coherence. We thus find that larger velocities protect quantumness against noise, leading to lifetime extension of hybrid qubit…

Directly proving the bosonic nature of photons

A simple yet effective optical set-up, employing two controllable, indistinguishable photons, is proven to allow a direct measurement of the exchange phase due to the bosonic particle statistics.

Dynamics of quantum correlations in two-qubit systems within non-Markovian environments

Knowledge of the dynamical behavior of correlations with no classical counterpart, like entanglement, nonlocal correlations and quantum discord, in open quantum systems is of primary interest because of the possibility to exploit these correlations for quantum information tasks. Here we review some of the most recent results on the dynamics of correlations in bipartite systems embedded in non-Markovian environments that, with their memory effects, influence in a relevant way the system dynamics and appear to be more fundamental than the Markovian ones for practical purposes. Firstly, we review the phenomenon of entanglement revivals in a two-qubit system for both independent environments an…

Entanglement dynamics in superconducting qubits affected by local bistable impurities

We study the entanglement dynamics for two independent superconducting qubits each affected by a bistable impurity generating random telegraph noise (RTN) at pure dephasing. The relevant parameter is the ratio $g$ between qubit-RTN coupling strength and RTN switching rate, that captures the physics of the crossover between Markovian and non-Markovian features of the dynamics. For identical qubit-RTN subsystems, a threshold value $g_\mathrm{th}$ of the crossover parameter separates exponential decay and onset of revivals; different qualitative behaviors also show up by changing the initial conditions of the RTN. We moreover show that, for different qubit-RTN subsystems, when both qubits are …

Activation of indistinguishability-based quantum coherence for enhanced metrological applications with particle statistics imprint

Quantum coherence, an essential feature of quantum mechanics allowing quantum superposition of states, is a resource for quantum information processing. Coherence emerges in a fundamentally different way for nonidentical and identical particles. For the latter, a unique contribution exists linked to indistinguishability that cannot occur for nonidentical particles. Here, we experimentally demonstrate this additional contribution to quantum coherence with an optical setup, showing that its amount directly depends on the degree of indistinguishability, and exploiting it in a quantum phase discrimination protocol. Furthermore, the designed setup allows for simulating fermionic particles with p…

Efficient generation of N-photon binomial states and their use in quantum gates in cavity QED

A high-fidelity scheme to generate N-photon generalized binomial states (NGBSs) in a single-mode high-Q cavity is proposed. A method to construct superpositions of exact orthogonal NGBSs is also provided. It is then shown that these states, for any value of N, may be used for a realization of a controlled-NOT gate, based on the dispersive interaction between the cavity field and a control two-level atom. The possible implementation of the schemes is finally discussed.

Protecting entanglement by adjusting the velocities of moving qubits inside non-Markovian environments

Efficient entanglement preservation in open quantum systems is a crucial scope towards a reliable exploitation of quantum resources. We address this issue by studying how two-qubit entanglement dynamically behaves when two atom qubits move inside two separated identical cavities. The moving qubits independently interact with their respective cavity. As a main general result, we find that under resonant qubit-cavity interaction the initial entanglement between two moving qubits remains closer to its initial value as time passes compared to the case of stationary qubits. In particular, we show that the initial entanglement can be strongly protected from decay by suitably adjusting the velocit…

Robust entanglement preparation through spatial indistinguishability quantified by entropic measure

Initialization of composite quantum systems into highly entangled states is important to enable their use for quantum technologies. However, unavoidable noise in the preparation stage makes the system state mixed, hindering the achievement of this goal. We address this problem in the context of identical particle systems adopting the operational framework of spatially localized operations and classical communication (sLOCC). After a brief description of the formalism, we define the entanglement of formation for an arbitrary state (pure or mixed) of two identical qubits, valid for both bosons and fermions. We then introduce an entropic measure of spatial indistinguishability as an informatio…

Dealing with indistinguishable particles and their entanglement

Here we discuss a particle-based approach to deal with systems of many identical quantum objects (particles) which never employs labels to mark them. We show that it avoids both methodological problems and drawbacks in the study of quantum correlations associated to the standard quantum mechanical treatment of identical particles. The core of this approach is represented by the multiparticle probability amplitude whose structure in terms of single-particle amplitudes we here derive by first principles. To characterise entanglement among the identical particles, this new method utilises the same notions, such as partial trace, adopted for nonidentical ones. We highlight the connection betwee…

Generation schemes of entangled one and two-photon binomial states in two separate cavities

Indistinguishability of Elementary Systems as a Resource for Quantum Information Processing.

Typical elements of quantum networks are made by identical systems, which are the basic particles constituting a resource for quantum information processing. Whether the indistinguishability due to particle identity is an exploitable quantum resource remains an open issue. Here we study independently prepared identical particles showing that, when they spatially overlap, an operational entanglement exists which can be made manifest by means of separated localized measurements. We prove this entanglement is physical in that it can be directly exploited to activate quantum information protocols, such as teleportation. These results establish that particle indistinguishability is a utilizable …

Topological protection of highly entangled non-Gaussian two-photon states

Abstract We study theoretically the evolution of entangled non-Gaussian two-photon states in disordered topological lattices. Specifically, we consider spatially entangled two-photon states, modulated by Laguerre polynomials up to the 3rd order, which feature ring-shaped spatial and spectral correlation patterns. Such states are discrete analogs of photon-subtracted squeezed states, which are ubiquitous in optical quantum information processing or sensing applications. We find that, in general, a higher degree of entanglement coincides with a loss of topological protection against disorder, this is in line with previous results for Gaussian two-photon states. However, we identify a particul…

Hierarchy and dynamics of trace distance correlations

We define and analyze measures of correlations for bipartite states based on trace distance. For Bell diagonal states of two qubits, in addition to the known expression for quantum correlations using this metric, we provide analytic expressions for the classical and total correlations. The ensuing hierarchy of correlations based on trace distance is compared to the ones based on relative entropy and Hilbert-Schmidt norm. Although some common features can be found, the trace distance measure is shown to differentiate from the others in that the closest uncorrelated state to a given bipartite quantum state is not given by the product of the marginals, and further, the total correlations are s…

Unifying approach to the quantification of bipartite correlations by Bures distance

The notion of distance defined on the set of states of a composite quantum system can be used to quantify total, quantum and classical correlations in a unifying way. We provide new closed formulae for classical and total correlations of two-qubit Bell-diagonal states by considering the Bures distance. Complementing the known corresponding expressions for entanglement and more general quantum correlations, we thus complete the quantitative hierarchy of Bures correlations for Bell-diagonal states. We then explicitly calculate Bures correlations for two relevant families of states: Werner states and rank-2 Bell-diagonal states, highlighting the subadditivity which holds for total correlations…

Effects of Indistinguishability in a System of Three Identical Qubits

Quantum correlations of identical particles are important for quantum-enhanced technologies. The recently introduced non-standard approach to treat identical particles [G. Compagno et al., Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 376, 20170317 (2018)] is here exploited to show the effect of particle indistinguishability on the characterization of entanglement of three identical qubits. We show that, by spatially localized measurements in separated regions, three independently-prepared separated qubits in a pure elementary state behave as distinguishable ones, as expected. On the other hand, delocalized measurements make it emerge a measurement-induced entanglement. We then find that three independently-prepa…

Forza gravitazionale e forza elettrostatica: storia e confronto

In questo articolo viene proposta un’attività didattica riguardante il confronto tra la forza gravitazionale, ovvero la legge di gravitazione universale di Newton, e la forza elettrostatica, ovvero l’interazione tra due cariche puntiformi scoperta da Charles Coulomb. Inizialmente si introduce uno schema di progettazione didattica, rivolta a studenti del quinto anno di un liceo scientifico, basato su metodologie didattiche standard. Successivamente gli argomenti della proposta vengono trattati in dettaglio, riassumendo i passaggi storici essenziali. Infine, un confronto su scala microscopica e macroscopica dei due tipi di forze è presentato, mettendo in luce analogie e differenze utili ai fi…

Dynamics of correlations due to a phase noisy laser

We analyze the dynamics of various kinds of correlations present between two initially entangled independent qubits, each one subject to a local phase noisy laser. We give explicit expressions of the relevant quantifiers of correlations for the general case of single-qubit unital evolution, which includes the case of a phase noisy laser. Although the light field is treated as classical, we find that this model can describe revivals of quantum correlations. Two different dynamical regimes of decay of correlations occur, a Markovian one (exponential decay) and a non-Markovian one (oscillatory decay with revivals) depending on the values of system parameters. In particular, in the non-Markovia…

Entanglement dynamics of two independent cavity-embedded quantum dots

We investigate the dynamical behavior of entanglement in a system made by two solid-state emitters, as two quantum dots, embedded in two separated micro-cavities. In these solid-state systems, in addition to the coupling with the cavity mode, the emitter is coupled to a continuum of leaky modes providing additional losses and it is also subject to a phonon-induced pure dephasing mechanism. We model this physical configuration as a multipartite system composed by two independent parts each containing a qubit embedded in a single-mode cavity, exposed to cavity losses, spontaneous emission and pure dephasing. We study the time evolution of entanglement of this multipartite open system finally …

Quantum entanglement of identical particles by standard information-theoretic notions

Quantum entanglement of identical particles is essential in quantum information theory. Yet, its correct determination remains an open issue hindering the general understanding and exploitation of many-particle systems. Operator-based methods have been developed that attempt to overcome the issue. We introduce a state-based method which, as second quantization, does not label identical particles and presents conceptual and technical advances compared to the previous ones. It establishes the quantitative role played by arbitrary wave function overlaps, local measurements and particle nature (bosons or fermions) in assessing entanglement by notions commonly used in quantum information theory …

Two-qubit entanglement dynamics for two different non-Markovian environments

We study the time behavior of entanglement between two noninteracting qubits each immersed in its own environment for two different non-Markovian conditions: a high-$Q$ cavity slightly off-resonant with the qubit transition frequency and a nonperfect photonic band-gap, respectively. We find that revivals and retardation of entanglement loss may occur by adjusting the cavity-qubit detuning, in the first case, while partial entanglement trapping occurs in non-ideal photonic-band gap.

Entanglement trapping in structured environments

The entanglement dynamics of two independent qubits each embedded in a structured environment under conditions of inhibition of spontaneous emission is analyzed, showing entanglement trapping. We demonstrate that entanglement trapping can be used efficiently to prevent entanglement sudden death. For the case of realistic photonic band-gap materials, we show that high values of entanglement trapping can be achieved. This result is of both fundamental and applicative interest since it provides a physical situation where the entanglement can be preserved and manipulated, e.g. by Stark-shifting the qubit transition frequency outside and inside the gap.

Distributed correlations and information flows within a hybrid multipartite quantum-classical system

Understanding the non-Markovian mechanisms underlying the revivals of quantum entanglement in the presence of classical environments is central in the theory of quantum information. Tentative interpretations have been given by either the role of the environment as a control device or the concept of hidden entanglement. We address this issue from an information-theoretic point of view. To this aim, we consider a paradigmatic tripartite system, already realized in the laboratory, made of two independent qubits and a random classical field locally interacting with one qubit alone. We study the dynamical relationship between the two-qubit entanglement and the genuine tripartite correlations of …

Indistinguishability-enabled coherence for quantum metrology

Quantum coherence plays a fundamental and operational role in different areas of physics. A resource theory has been developed to characterize the coherence of distinguishable particles systems. Here we show that indistinguishability of identical particles is a source of coherence, even when they are independently prepared. In particular, under spatially local operations, states that are incoherent for distinguishable particles, can be coherent for indistinguishable particles under the same procedure. We present a phase discrimination protocol, in which we demonstrate the operational advantage of using two indistinguishable particles rather than distinguishable ones. The coherence due to th…

Non-Markovianity and Coherence of a Moving Qubit inside a Leaky Cavity

Non-Markovian features of a system evolution, stemming from memory effects, may be utilized to transfer, storage, and revive basic quantum properties of the system states. It is well known that an atom qubit undergoes non-Markovian dynamics in high quality cavities. We here consider the qubit-cavity interaction in the case when the qubit is in motion inside a leaky cavity. We show that, owing to the inhibition of the decay rate, the coherence of the traveling qubit remains closer to its initial value as time goes by compared to that of a qubit at rest. We also demonstrate that quantum coherence is preserved more efficiently for larger qubit velocities. This is true independently of the evol…

Entanglement robustness via spatial deformation of identical particle wave functions

We address the problem of entanglement protection against surrounding noise by a procedure suitably exploiting spatial indistinguishability of identical subsystems. To this purpose, we take two initially separated and entangled identical qubits interacting with two independent noisy environments. Three typical models of environments are considered: amplitude damping channel, phase damping channel and depolarizing channel. After the interaction, we deform the wave functions of the two qubits to make them spatially overlap before performing spatially localized operations and classical communication (sLOCC) and eventually computing the entanglement of the resulting state. This way, we show tha…

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.

Entanglement of photons in their dual wave-particle nature

Wave-particle duality is the most fundamental description of the nature of a quantum object, which behaves like a classical particle or wave depending on the measurement apparatus. On the other hand, entanglement represents nonclassical correlations of composite quantum systems, being also a key resource in quantum information. Despite the very recent observations of wave-particle superposition and entanglement, whether these two fundamental traits of quantum mechanics can emerge simultaneously remains an open issue. Here we introduce and experimentally realize a scheme that deterministically generates entanglement between the wave and particle states of two photons. The elementary tool all…

Overview on the phenomenon of two-qubit entanglement revivals in classical environments

The occurrence of revivals of quantum entanglement between separated open quantum systems has been shown not only for dissipative non-Markovian quantum environments but also for classical environments in absence of back-action. While the phenomenon is well understood in the first case, the possibility to retrieve entanglement when the composite quantum system is subject to local classical noise has generated a debate regarding its interpretation. This dynamical property of open quantum systems assumes an important role in quantum information theory from both fundamental and practical perspectives. Hybrid quantum-classical systems are in fact promising candidates to investigate the interplay…

Relativistic quantum thermometry through a moving sensor

Using a two-level moving probe, we address the temperature estimation of a static thermal bath modeled by a massless scalar field prepared in a thermal state. Different couplings of the probe to the field are discussed under various scenarios. We find that the thermometry is completely unaffected by the Lamb shift of the energy levels. We take into account the roles of probe velocity, its initial preparation, and environmental control parameters for achieving optimal temperature estimation. We show that a practical technique can be utilized to implement such a quantum thermometry. Finally, exploiting the thermal sensor moving at high velocity to probe temperature within a multiparameter-est…

Long-Time Preservation of Nonlocal Entanglement

We investigate how nonlocal entanglement, as identified by violations of a Bell inequality, may be preserved during the evolution. Our system consists of two qubits each embedded in a zero-temperature bosonic reservoir evolving independently and initially in an entangled mixed state. We show that the violation of the Bell inequality can be related to the single-qubit population of excited state in such a way that, by appropriately choosing structured environments that give rise to sufficiently high values of population trapping, long-time preservation of nonlocal entanglement can be correspondingly achieved.

Experimental recovery of quantum correlations in absence of system-environment back-action

Revivals of quantum correlations in composite open quantum systems are a useful dynamical feature against detrimental effects of the environment. Their occurrence is attributed to flows of quantum information back and forth from systems to quantum environments. However, revivals also show up in models where the environment is classical, thus unable to store quantum correlations, and forbids system-environment back-action. This phenomenon opens basic issues about its interpretation involving the role of classical environments, memory effects, collective effects and system-environment correlations. Moreover, an experimental realization of back-action-free quantum revivals has applicative rele…

Hilbert–Schmidt speed as an efficient figure of merit for quantum estimation of phase encoded into the initial state of open n-qubit systems

AbstractHilbert–Schmidt speed (HSS) is a special type of quantum statistical speed which is easily computable, since it does not require diagonalization of the system state. We find that, when both HSS and quantum Fisher information (QFI) are calculated with respect to the phase parameter encoded into the initial state of an n-qubit register, the zeros of the HSS dynamics are actually equal to those of the QFI dynamics. Moreover, the signs of the time-derivatives of both HSS and QFI exactly coincide. These findings, obtained via a thorough investigation of several paradigmatic open quantum systems, show that HSS and QFI exhibit the same qualitative time evolution. Therefore, HSS reveals its…

Dynamics of spatially indistinguishable particles and quantum entanglement protection

We provide a general framework which allows one to obtain the dynamics of $N$ noninteracting spatially indistinguishable particles locally coupled to separated environments. The approach is universal, being valid for both bosons and fermions and for any type of system-environment interaction. It is then applied to study the dynamics of two identical qubits under paradigmatic Markovian noises, such as phase damping, depolarizing and amplitude damping. We find that spatial indistinguishability of identical qubits is a controllable intrinsic property of the system which protects quantum entanglement against detrimental noise.