Quantum state transfer in the presence of nonhomogeneous external potentials

Abstract

Heisenberg-type spin models in the limit of a low number of excitations are useful tools to study basic mechanisms in strongly correlated and magnetic systems. Many of these mechanisms can be experimentally tested using ultracold atoms. Here, we discuss the implementation of a quantum state transfer protocol in a tight-binding chain in the presence of an inhomogeneous external potential. We show that it can be used to extend the parameter range in which high fidelity state transfer can be achieved beyond the well established weak-coupling regime. Among the class of mirror-reflecting potentials that allow for high-fidelity quantum state transfer, the harmonic case is especially relevant because it allows us to formulate a proposal for the experimental implementation of the protocol in the context of optical lattices.