0000000000800054
AUTHOR
Sabrina Maniscalco
Robust non-Markovianity in ultracold gases
We study the effect of thermal fluctuations on a probe qubit interacting with a Bose-Einstein condensed (BEC) reservoir. The zero-temperature case was studied in [Haikka P et al 2011 Phys. Rev. A 84 031602], where we proposed a method to probe the effects of dimensionality and scattering length of a BEC based on its behavior as an environment. Here we show that the sensitivity of the probe qubit is remarkably robust against thermal noise. We give an intuitive explanation for the thermal resilience, showing that it is due to the unique choice of the probe qubit architecture of our model.
Symmetry-based canonical dressing of a bidimensionally trapped and laser-driven ion
Abstract We present a detailed and exact construction of a unitary operator accomplishing the diagonalization of an effective quadratic radiation-matter interaction model describing a bidimensionally trapped and appropriately laser-driven ion. The possibility of applying the same mathematical method to other effective radiation-matter interaction model is briefly put into evidence.
A Realistic Proposal for the Observation of Zeno Phenomena in the Dynamics of Trapped Ions
A realistic experimental scheme for the observation of a continuous measurement Quantum Zeno Effect in the contest of single trapped ions is proposed. Our method relies on the nonlinearities characterizing the ionic Rabi frequency far from the Lamb-Dicke regime.
Quantum-state manipulation via quantum nondemolition measurements in a two-dimensional trapped ion
The quantum nondemolition measurement is applied to a two-dimensional (2D) trapped-ion model in which two laser beams drive the corresponding vibrational motions and are carrier resonant with the two-level system of the ion. The information about the ionic vibrational energy can be detected by the occupation probability of the internal electronic level. The substantial difference of the 2D model from the one-dimensional one is that two orthogonal beams have a fixed phase shift instead of statistical independence. As a result, the atomic Rabi oscillation is involved in the coherent superposition of two sub-Rabi oscillations induced by the corresponding driving beams. This means that, in the …
Limits in the characteristic function description of non-Lindblad-type open quantum systems
In this paper I investigate the usability of the characteristic functions for the description of the dynamics of open quantum systems focussing on non-Lindblad-type master equations. I consider, as an example, a non-Markovian generalized master equation containing a memory kernel which may lead to nonphysical time evolutions characterized by negative values of the density matrix diagonal elements [S.M. Barnett and S. Stenholm, Phys. Rev. A {\bf 64}, 033808 (2001)]. The main result of the paper is to demonstrate that there exist situations in which the symmetrically ordered characteristic function is perfectly well defined while the corresponding density matrix loses positivity. Therefore no…
Microscopic derivation of the Jaynes-Cummings model with cavity losses
In this paper we provide a microscopic derivation of the master equation for the Jaynes-Cummings model with cavity losses. We single out both the differences with the phenomenological master equation used in the literature and the approximations under which the phenomenological model correctly describes the dynamics of the atom-cavity system. Some examples wherein the phenomenological and the microscopic master equations give rise to different predictions are discussed in detail.
Quantifying, characterizing, and controlling information flow in ultracold atomic gases
We study quantum information flow in a model comprising of an impurity qubit immersed in a Bose-Einstein condensed reservoir. We demonstrate how information flux between the qubit and the condensate can be manipulated by engineering the ultracold reservoir within experimentally realistic limits. We place a particular emphasis on non-Markovian dynamics, characterized by a reversed flow of information from the background gas to the qubit and identify a controllable crossover between Markovian and non-Markovian dynamics in the parameter space of the model.
Decoherence and robustness of parity-dependent entanglement in the dynamics of a trapped ion
We study the entanglement between the 2D vibrational motion and two ground state hyperfine levels of a trapped ion, Under particular conditions this entanglement depends on the parity of the total initial vibrational quanta. We study the robustness of this quantum coherence effect with respect to the presence of non-dissipative sources of decoherence, and of an imperfect initial state preparation.
Simulating quantum Brownian motion with single trapped ions
We study the open system dynamics of a harmonic oscillator coupled with an artificially engineered reservoir. We single out the reservoir and system variables governing the passage between Lindblad type and non-Lindblad type dynamics of the reduced system's oscillator. We demonstrate the existence of conditions under which virtual exchanges of energy between system and reservoir take place. We propose to use a single trapped ion coupled to engineered reservoirs in order to simulate quantum Brownian motion.
Population trapping due to cavity losses
In population trapping the occupation of a decaying quantum level keeps a constant non-zero value. We show that an atom-cavity system interacting with an environment characterized by a non-flat spectrum, in the non-Markovian limit, exhibits such a behavior, effectively realizing the preservation of nonclassical states against dissipation. Our results allow to understand the role of cavity losses in hybrid solid state systems and pave the way to the proper description of leakage in the recently developed cavity quantum electrodynamic systems.
Simulating open quantum systems with trapped ions
This paper focuses on the possibility of simulating the open system dynamics of a paradigmatic model, namely the damped harmonic oscillator, with single trapped ions. The key idea consists in using a controllable physical system, i.e. a single trapped ion interacting with an engineered reservoir, to simulate the dynamics of other open systems usually difficult to study. The exact dynamics of the damped harmonic oscillator under very general conditions is firstly derived. Some peculiar characteristic of the system’s dynamics are then presented. Finally a way to implement with trapped ion the specific quantum simulator of interest is discussed.
Witnessing objectivity on a quantum computer
Understanding the emergence of objectivity from the quantum realm has been a long standing issue strongly related to the quantum to classical crossover. Quantum Darwinism provides an answer, interpreting objectivity as consensus between independent observers. Quantum computers provide an interesting platform for such experimental investigation of quantum Darwinism, fulfilling their initial intended purpose as quantum simulators. Here we assess to what degree current NISQ devices can be used as experimental platforms in the field of quantum Darwinism. We do this by simulating an exactly solvable stochastic collision model, taking advantage of the analytical solution to benchmark the experime…
Dynamical decoupling efficiency versus quantum non-Markovianity
We investigate the relationship between non-Markovianity and the effectiveness of a dynamical decoupling protocol for qubits undergoing pure dephasing. We consider an exact model in which dephasing arises due to a bosonic environment with a spectral density of the Ohmic class. This is parametrised by an Ohmicity parameter by changing which we can model both Markovian and non-Markovian environments. Interestingly, we find that engineering a non-Markovian environment is detrimental to the efficiency of the dynamical decoupling scheme, leading to a worse coherence preservation. We show that each dynamical decoupling pulse reverses the flow of quantum information and, on this basis, we investig…
Lindblad- and non-Lindblad-type dynamics of a quantum Brownian particle
The dynamics of a typical open quantum system, namely a quantum Brownian particle in a harmonic potential, is studied focussing on its non-Markovian regime. Both an analytic approach and a stochastic wave function approach are used to describe the exact time evolution of the system. The border between two very different dynamical regimes, the Lindblad and non-Lindblad regimes, is identified and the relevant physical variables governing the passage from one regime to the other are singled out. The non-Markovian short time dynamics is studied in detail by looking at the mean energy, the squeezing, the Mandel parameter and the Wigner function of the system.
Cavity QED with a trapped ion in a leaky cavity
The dynamics of the interaction of a quantized cavity field and the vibronic degrees of freedom of a trapped ion is studied under realistic conditions by including cavity losses, spontaneous electronic transitions, and atomic nonlinearities. As long as spontaneous electronic transitions are negligible, analytical results are derived for describing the interaction of the trapped ion and the damped cavity field in the secular approximation. Under more general conditions, when the secular approximation breaks down and spontaneous emission effects become important, the dynamics of the system is studied by quantum-trajectory methods. As an example we demonstrate that, by exploiting the nonlinear…
Macroscopic jumps of the axial angular momentum variance of a bidimensionally trapped ion
Abstract The time evolution of the axial angular momentum [Lcirc] z of an ion confined in a bidimensional trap is investigated. We find that, under suitable initial conditions, the interaction of the ion with two properly configured classical laser beams induces a peculiar dynamical behaviour of the axial angular momentum fluctuations. We show, in fact, that there exists an instant of time at which the variance of [Lcirc] z undergoes variations proportional to N 2 further to a change of one quantum only in the initial total number N ≫ 1 of vibrational quanta. The non-classical origin of these macroscopic jumps is brought to the light and carefully discussed.
Variational Gibbs State Preparation on NISQ devices
The preparation of an equilibrium thermal state of a quantum many-body system on noisy intermediate-scale (NISQ) devices is an important task in order to extend the range of applications of quantum computation. Faithful Gibbs state preparation would pave the way to investigate protocols such as thermalization and out-of-equilibrium thermodynamics, as well as providing useful resources for quantum algorithms, where sampling from Gibbs states constitutes a key subroutine. We propose a variational quantum algorithm (VQA) to prepare Gibbs states of a quantum many-body system. The novelty of our VQA consists in implementing a parameterized quantum circuit acting on two distinct, yet connected, q…
Cavity losses for the dissipative Jaynes–Cummings Hamiltonian beyond rotating wave approximation
A microscopic derivation of the master equation for the Jaynes-Cummings model with cavity losses is given, taking into account the terms in the dissipator which vary with frequencies of the order of the vacuum Rabi frequency. Our approach allows to single out physical contexts wherein the usual phenomenological dissipator turns out to be fully justified and constitutes an extension of our previous analysis [Scala M. {\em et al.} 2007 Phys. Rev. A {\bf 75}, 013811], where a microscopic derivation was given in the framework of the Rotating Wave Approximation.
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…
Nondissipative Decoherence and Entanglement in the Dynamics of a Trapped Ion
We study the robustness of the entanglement between the 2D vibrational motion and two ground state hyperfine levels of a trapped ion with respect to the presence of non-dissipative sources of decoherence.
Preparation of macroscopically distinguishable superpositions of circular or linear oscillatory states of a bidimensionally trapped ion
A simple scheme for the generation of two different classes of bidimensional vibrational Schrodinger cat-like states of an isotropically trapped ion is presented. We show that by appropriately adjusting an easily controllable parameter having a clear physical meaning, the states prepared by our procedure are quantum superpositions of either vibrational axial angular momentum eigenstates or Fock states along two orthogonal directions.
Decoherence without entanglement and quantum Darwinism
It is often assumed that decoherence arises as a result of the entangling interaction between a quantum system and its environment, as a consequence of which the environment effectively measures the system, thus washing away its quantum properties. Moreover, this interaction results in the emergence of a classical objective reality, as described by quantum Darwinism. In this Rapid Communication, we show that the idea that entanglement is needed for decoherence is imprecise. We propose a dynamical mixing mechanism capable of inducing decoherence dynamics on a system without creating any entanglement with its quantum environment. We illustrate this mechanism by introducing a simple and exactl…
Stochastic collision model approach to transport phenomena in quantum networks
Abstract Noise-assisted transport phenomena highlight the nontrivial interplay between environmental effects and quantum coherence in achieving maximal efficiency. Due to the complexity of biochemical systems and their environments, effective open quantum system models capable of providing physical insights on the presence and role of quantum effects are highly needed. In this paper, we introduce a new approach that combines an effective quantum microscopic description with a classical stochastic one. Our stochastic collision model (SCM) describes both Markovian and non-Markovian dynamics without relying on the weak coupling assumption. We investigate the consequences of spatial and tempora…
Quantum Nondemolition Measurement and Quantum State Manipulation in Two Dimensional Trapped Ion
An extension of QNDmeasuremen t of the vibrational energy of the trapped ion from one dimensional case to the bidimensional one is presented. Our approach exploits the fixed phase difference existing between the two orthogonal and appropriately configured classical laser beams determining the vibronic coupling. We in fact show that this phase difference may play the role of an adjustable external parameter which allows to optimize the measurement scheme itself in terms of both precision and sensitivity. Our proposal provides a cooling method for the trapped ion from the vibrational thermal state. Due to the coherent superposition of two sub Rabi oscillations, the Rabi frequency degeneration…
NON-MARKOVIAN DYNAMICS OF CAVITY LOSSES
We provide a microscopic derivation for the non-Markovian master equation for an atom-cavity system with cavity losses and show that they can induce population trapping in the atomic excited state, when the environment outside the cavity has a non-flat spectrum. Our results apply to hybrid solid state systems and can turn out to be helpful to find the most appropriate description of leakage in the recent developments of cavity quantum electrodynamics.
Dynamics of a single trapped ion in an optical underdamped cavity
The dynamics of a single trapped ion placed inside a high Q optical cavity is studied in presence of cavity losses and far from the Lamb-Dicke regime. In the underdamped cavity limit, analytical results for describing the dynamics of the system are derived making use of the secular approximation. Our method allows to obtain analytical expressions for the time evolution of the joint vibration-photon number distribution and for the occupation probability of the upper electronic state of the ion.
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.
Scaling of non-Markovian Monte Carlo wave-function methods
We demonstrate a scaling method for non-Markovian Monte Carlo wave-function simulations used to study open quantum systems weakly coupled to their environments. We derive a scaling equation, from which the result for the expectation values of arbitrary operators of interest can be calculated, all the quantities in the equation being easily obtainable from the scaled Monte Carlo simulations. In the optimal case, the scaling method can be used, within the weak coupling approximation, to reduce the size of the generated Monte Carlo ensemble by several orders of magnitude. Thus, the developed method allows faster simulations and makes it possible to solve the dynamics of the certain class of no…
Quantum theory of heating of a single trapped ion
The heating of trapped ions due to the interaction with a {\it quantized environment} is studied {\it without performing the Born-Markov approximation}. A generalized master equation local in time is derived and a novel theoretical approach to solve it analytically is proposed. Our master equation is in the Lindblad form with time dependent coefficients, thus allowing the simulation of the dynamics by means of the Monte Carlo Wave Function (MCWF) method.
Nonunitary generation of nonclassical states of a bidimensional harmonic oscillator
A scheme for generating quantum superpositions of macroscopically distinguishable states of the vibrational motion of a bidimensionally trapped ion is reported. We show that these states possess highly nonclassical properties controllable by an adjustable parameter simply related to the initial condition of the confined system
Misbeliefs and misunderstandings about the non-Markovian dynamics of a damped harmonic oscillator
We use the exact solution for the damped harmonic oscillator to discuss some relevant aspects of its open dynamics often mislead or misunderstood. We compare two different approximations both referred to as Rotating Wave Approximation. Using a specific example, we clarify some issues related to non--Markovian dynamics, non--Lindblad type dynamics, and positivity of the density matrix.
Entanglement control via reservoir engineering in ultracold atomic gases
We study the entanglement of two impurity qubits immersed in a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) reservoir. This open quantum system is particularly interesting because the reservoir and system parameters are easily controllable and the reduced dynamics is highly non-Markovian. We show how the model allows for interpolation between a common dephasing scenario and an independent dephasing scenario by simply modifying the wavelength of the superlattice superposed to the BEC, and how this influences the dynamical properties of the impurities. We demonstrate the existence of very rich entanglement dynamics correspondent to different values of reservoir parameters, including phenomena such as entan…
Generation of Pair Coherent States in Two-dimensional Trapped Ion
We consider a two-dimensional (2D) trapped ion model in which two laser beams drive the corresponding vibrational motions and are carrier resonant with the two-level of the ion. Due to the coherent superposition of two sub-Rabi oscillations involved in the bimodal vibrations, the Rabi frequency degeneration and offset may occur in this model. This provides the possibility of generating the pair coherent state in the 2D trapped ion.
Non-Markovian Wave Function Simulations of Quantum Brownian Motion
The non-Markovian wave function method (NMWF) using the stochastic unravelling of the master equation in the doubled Hilbert space is implemented for quantum Brownian motion. A comparison between the simulation and the analytical results shows that the method can be conveniently used to study the non-Markovian dynamics of the system.