Finite-time Dynamics Research Articles

Finite-Time Dynamics of an Entanglement Engine: Current, Fluctuations and Kinetic Uncertainty Relations.

Entanglement engines are autonomous quantum thermal machines designed to generate entanglement from the presence of a particle current flowing through the device. In this work, we investigate the functioning of a two-qubit entanglement engine beyond the steady-state regime. Within a master equation approach, we derive the time-dependent state, the particle current, as well as the associated current correlation functions. Our findings establish a direct connection between coherence and internal current, elucidating the existence of a critical current that serves as an indicator for entanglement in the steady state. We then apply our results to investigate kinetic uncertainty relations (KURs) at finite times. We demonstrate that there is more than one possible definition for KURs at finite times. Although the two definitions agree in the steady-state regime, they lead to different parameter ranges for violating KUR at finite times.

A Dyson Brownian Motion Model for Weak Measurements in Chaotic Quantum Systems

We consider a toy model for the study of monitored dynamics in many-body quantum systems. We study the stochastic Schrödinger equation resulting from continuous monitoring with a rate Γ of a random Hermitian operator, drawn from the Gaussian unitary ensemble (GUE) at every time t. Due to invariance by unitary transformations, the dynamics of the eigenvalues {λα}α=1n of the density matrix decouples from that of the eigenvectors, and is exactly described by stochastic equations that we derive. We consider two regimes: in the presence of an extra dephasing term, which can be generated by imperfect quantum measurements, the density matrix has a stationary distribution, and we show that in the limit of large size n→∞ it matches with the inverse-Marchenko–Pastur distribution. In the case of perfect measurements, instead, purification eventually occurs and we focus on finite-time dynamics. In this case, remarkably, we find an exact solution for the joint probability distribution of λ’s at each time t and for each size n. Two relevant regimes emerge: at short times tΓ=O(1), the spectrum is in a Coulomb gas regime, with a well-defined continuous spectral distribution in the n→∞ limit. In that case, all moments of the density matrix become self-averaging and it is possible to exactly characterize the entanglement spectrum. In the limit of large times tΓ=O(n), one enters instead a regime in which the eigenvalues are exponentially separated log(λα/λβ)=O(Γt/n), but fluctuations ∼O(Γt/n) play an essential role. We are still able to characterize the asymptotic behaviors of the entanglement entropy in this regime.

Full counting statistics of charge in quenched quantum gases

Unless constrained by symmetry, measurement of an observable on an ensemble of identical quantum systems returns a distribution of values which are encoded in the full counting statistics. While the mean value of this distribution is important for determining certain properties of a system, the full distribution can also exhibit universal behavior. In this paper we study the full counting statistics of particle number in one-dimensional interacting Bose and Fermi gases which have been quenched far from equilibrium. In particular, we consider the time evolution of the Lieb-Liniger and Gaudin-Yang models quenched from a Bose-Einstein condensate initial state and calculate the full counting statistics of the particle number within a subsystem. We show that the scaled cumulants of the charge in the initial state and at long times are simply related and, in particular, the latter are independent of the model parameters. Using the quasiparticle picture we obtain the full time evolution of the cumulants and find that although their end points are fixed, the finite-time dynamics depends strongly on the model parameters. We go on to construct the scaled cumulant generating functions and from this determine the limiting charge probability distributions at long time which are shown to exhibit distinct, nontrivial, and non-Gaussian fluctuations and large deviations. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Effective light cone and digital quantum simulation of interacting bosons

The speed limit of information propagation is one of the most fundamental features in non-equilibrium physics. The region of information propagation by finite-time dynamics is approximately restricted inside the effective light cone that is formulated by the Lieb-Robinson bound. To date, extensive studies have been conducted to identify the shape of effective light cones in most experimentally relevant many-body systems. However, the Lieb-Robinson bound in the interacting boson systems, one of the most ubiquitous quantum systems in nature, has remained a critical open problem for a long time. This study reveals a tight effective light cone to limit the information propagation in interacting bosons, where the shape of the effective light cone depends on the spatial dimension. To achieve it, we prove that the speed for bosons to clump together is finite, which in turn leads to the error guarantee of the boson number truncation at each site. Furthermore, we applied the method to provide a provably efficient algorithm for simulating the interacting boson systems. The results of this study settle the notoriously challenging problem and provide the foundation for elucidating the complexity of many-body boson systems.

Distinguishing between deterministic oscillations and noise

AbstractTime-dependent dynamics is ubiquitous in the natural world and beyond. Effectively analysing its presence in data is essential to our ability to understand the systems from which it is recorded. However, the traditional framework for dynamics analysis is in terms of time-independent dynamical systems and long-term statistics, as opposed to the explicit tracking over time of time-localised dynamical behaviour. We review commonly used analysis techniques based on this traditional statistical framework—such as the autocorrelation function, power-spectral density, and multiscale sample entropy—and contrast to an alternative framework in terms of finite-time dynamics of networks of time-dependent cyclic processes. In time-independent systems, the net effect of a large number of individually intractable contributions may be considered as noise; we show that time-dependent oscillator systems with only a small number of contributions may appear noise-like when analysed according to the traditional framework using power-spectral density estimation. However, methods characteristic of the time-dependent finite-time-dynamics framework, such as the wavelet transform and wavelet bispectrum, are able to identify the determinism and provide crucial information about the analysed system. Finally, we compare these two frameworks for three sets of experimental data. We demonstrate that while techniques based on the traditional framework are unable to reliably detect and understand underlying time-dependent dynamics, the alternative framework identifies deterministic oscillations and interactions.

Interaction-enhanced quantum heat engine

We study a minimal quantum Otto heat engine, where the working medium consists of an interacting few-body system in a harmonic trap. This allows us to consider the interaction strength as an additional tunable parameter during the work strokes. We calculate the figures of merit of this engine as a function of the temperature and show clearly in which parameter regimes the interactions assist in engine performance. We also study the finite-time dynamics and the subsequent tradeoff between the efficiency and the power, comparing the interaction-enhanced cycle with the case where the system remains scale-invariant.

Hydrodynamic Theory of the Connected Spectral form Factor

One manifestation of quantum chaos is a random-matrix-like fine-grained energy spectrum. Prior to the inverse level spacing time, random matrix theory predicts a “ramp” of increasing variance in the connected part of the spectral form factor. However, in realistic quantum chaotic systems, the finite-time dynamics of the spectral form factor is much richer, with the pure random matrix ramp appearing only at sufficiently late time. In this article, we present a hydrodynamic theory of the connected spectral form factor prior to the inverse level spacing time. We first derive a general formula for the spectral form factor of a system with almost-conserved sectors in terms of return probabilities and spectral form factors within each sector. Next we argue that the theory of fluctuating hydrodynamics can be adapted from the usual Schwinger-Keldysh contour to the periodic time setting needed for the spectral form factor, and we show explicitly that the general formula is recovered in the case of energy diffusion. We also initiate a study of interaction effects in this modified hydrodynamic framework and show how the Thouless time defined as the time required for the spectral form factor to approach the pure random matrix result is controlled by the slow hydrodynamics modes. We then extend the formalism to Floquet systems, where a ramp is expected but with a different coefficient, and we derive a crossover formula from the Hamiltonian ramp to the Floquet ramp when the Floquet drive is weak. Taken together, these results establish an effective field theory of chaotic spectral correlations which predicts the random matrix ramp at late time and computes corrections to it at earlier times.6 MoreReceived 15 December 2020Revised 12 January 2022Accepted 10 February 2022DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.12.021009Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.Published by the American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasQuantum chaosPhysical Systems1-dimensional spin chainsTechniquesRandom matrix theorySachdev-Ye-Kitaev modelU(N) symmetryCondensed Matter, Materials & Applied PhysicsNonlinear DynamicsFluid Dynamics

Parallelism of the finite-time dynamics method based on GPU

Parallelism of the finite-time dynamics method based on GPU

Convergence Guarantees for Discrete Mode Approximations to Non-Markovian Quantum Baths.

Non-Markovian effects are important in modeling the behavior of open quantum systems arising in solid-state physics, quantum optics as well as in study of biological and chemical systems. The non-Markovian environment is often approximated by discrete bosonic modes, thus mapping it to a Lindbladian or Hamiltonian simulation problem. While systematic constructions of such modes have been previously proposed, the resulting approximation lacks rigorous and general convergence guarantees. In this Letter, we show that under some physically motivated assumptions on the system-environment interaction, the finite-time dynamics of the non-Markovian open quantum system computed with a sufficiently large number of modes is guaranteed to converge to the true result. Furthermore, we show that this approximation error typically falls off polynomially with the number of modes. Our results lend rigor to classical and quantum algorithms for approximating non-Markovian dynamics.

Finite-time quantum Stirling heat engine

We study the thermodynamic performance of a finite-time non-regenerative quantum Stirling-like cycle used as a heat engine. We consider specifically the case in which the working substance (WS) is a two-level system (TLS). The Stirling cycle is made of two isochoric transformations separated by a compression and an expansion stroke during which the WS is in contact with a thermal reservoir. To describe these two strokes we derive a non-Markovian master equation which allows to study the real-time dynamics of a driven open quantum system with arbitrary fast driving. Following the real-time dynamics of the WS using this master equation, the endpoints of the isotherms can deviate from the equilibrium thermal states. The role of this deviation in the performance of the heat engine is addressed. We found that the finite-time dynamics and thermodynamics of the cycle depend non-trivially on the different time scales at play. In particular, driving the WS at a time scale comparable to the resonance time of the bath enhances the performance of the cycle and allows for an efficiency higher than the efficiency of the quasistatic cycle, but still below the Carnot bound. However, by adding thermalization of the WS with the baths at the end of compression/expansion processes one recovers the conventional scenario in which efficiency decreases by speeding up the processes. In addition, the performance of the cycle is dependent on the compression/expansion speeds asymmetrically, which suggests new freedom in optimizing quantum heat engines. The maximum output power and the maximum efficiency are obtained almost simultaneously when the real-time endpoints of the compression/expansion processes are considered instead of the equilibrium thermal endpoint states. However, the net extractable work always declines by speeding up the drive.

The enhanced sampling in parallel finite-time dynamics method with replica exchange

The finite-time dynamical method is an effective tool studying phase transition in many-body systems. We design a parallel version of this method based on replica exchange whose probability is deduced from Langevin equation. The configuration swaps between different replicas enhance the importance sampling in parallel and control the fluctuation, leading to the conspicuous improvement for the simulation efficiency. The computational performance with configuration exchange is above 3 times as high as the calculation effect without the exchange on five current CPU cores. In addition, this parallel algorithm is used to simulate the two- and three-dimensional Ising model and obtain compatible exponents with that from theoretical solutions and numerical simulations from references, verifying the reliability of the scheme.

Work-distribution quantumness and irreversibility when crossing a quantum phase transition in finite time

The thermodynamic behavior of out-of-equilibrium quantum systems in finite-time dynamics encompasses the description of energy fluctuations, which dictates a series of system's physical properties. In addition, strong interactions in many-body systems strikingly affect the energy-fluctuation statistics along a non-equilibrium dynamics. By driving transient currents to oppose the precursor to metal-Mott insulator transition in a diversity of dynamical regimes, we show how increasing correlations dramatically affect the statistics of energy fluctuations and consequently the quantum work distribution of finite Hubbard chains. Statistical properties of such distributions, as its skewness, that changes dramatically across the transition, can be related to irreversibility and entropy production. Even close to adiabaticity, the quasi quantum phase transition hinders equilibration, increasing the process irreversibility, and inducing strong quantum features in the quantum work distribution. In the Mott-insulating phase the work fluctuation-dissipation balance gets modified, with the irreversible entropy production dominating over work fluctuations. The effect of an interaction-driven quantum-phase-transition on thermodynamics quantities and irreversibility has to be considered in the design of protocols in small scale devices for application in quantum technology. Eventually, such many-body effects can also be employed in work extraction and refrigeration protocols at quantum scale.

Subdiffusion in the Anderson model on the random regular graph

We study the finite-time dynamics of an initially localized wave-packet in the Anderson model on the random regular graph (RRG). Considering the full probability distribution $\Pi(x,t)$ of a particle to be at some distance $x$ from the initial state at time $t$, we give evidence that $\Pi(x,t)$ spreads sub-diffusively over a range of disorder strengths, wider than a putative non-ergodic phase. We provide a detailed analysis of the propagation of $\Pi(x,t)$ in space-time $(x,t)$ domain, identifying four different regimes. These regimes in $(x,t)$ are determined by the position of a wave-front $X_{\text{front}}(t)$, which moves sub-diffusively to the most distant sites $X_{\text{front}}(t) \sim t^{\beta}$ with an exponent $\beta < 1$. We support our numerical results by a self-consistent semiclassical picture of wavepacket propagation relating the exponent $\beta$ with the relaxation rate of the return probability $\Pi(0,t) \sim e^{-\Gamma t^\beta}$. Importantly, the Anderson model on the RRG can be considered as proxy of the many-body localization transition (MBL) on the Fock space of a generic interacting system. In the final discussion, we outline possible implications of our findings for MBL.

Nonadiabatic single-qubit quantum Otto engine

According to Clausius formulation of the second law of thermodynamics, for any thermal machine withdrawing heats $Q_{1,2}$ from two heat reservoirs at temperatures $T_{1,2}$, it holds $Q_1/T_1+Q_2/T_2 \leq 0$. Combined with the observation that the quantity $Q_1+Q_2$ is the work $W$ done by the system, that inequality tells that only 4 possible operation modes are possible for the thermal machine, namely heat engine [E], refrigerator [R], thermal accelerator [A] and heater [H]. We illustrate their emergence in the finite time operation of a quantum Otto engine realised with a single qubit. We first focus on the ideal case when isothermal and thermally-insulated strokes are well separated, and give general results as well as results pertaining to the specific finite-time Landau-Zener dynamics. We then present realistic results pertaining to the solid-state experimental implementation proposed by Karimi and Pekola [Phys. Rev. B \textbf{94} (2016) 184503]. That device is non-adiabatic both in the quantum mechanical sense and in the thermodynamical sense. Oscillations in the power extracted from the baths due to coherent LZ tunnelling at too low temperatures are observed that might hinder the robustness of the operation of the device against experimental noise on the control parameters.

Theoretical analysis of spectral lineshapes from molecular dynamics

Conventional methods for calculating anharmonic phonon properties are computationally expensive. To address this issue, a theoretical approach was developed for the accelerated calculation of vibrational lineshapes for spectra obtained from finite-time molecular dynamics. The method gives access to the effect of anharmonicity-induced frequency shift and lifetime, as well as simulation broadening. For a toy model we demonstrate at least an order of magnitude reduction in the number of simulation steps needed to obtain converged vibrational properties in nearly all cases considered as compared to the standard extraction procedure. The theory is also illustrated for graphene, hexagonal boron nitride, and silicon at the density functional theory level, with up to nearly a factor of 9 reduction in the required simulation time to reach convergence in the vibrational frequencies and lifetimes. In general, we expect the newly developed method to outperform the standard procedure when the anharmonicity is sufficiently weak so that well-defined renormalized phonon quasiparticles emerge. Our extension of signal analysis to material vibrations represents a state-of-the-art advance in calculating temperature-dependent phonon properties and could be implemented in computational materials discovery packages that search for thermoelectric materials for instance, since the thermal conductivity contribution to ZT depends strongly on these characteristics.

Self-similar vortex reconnection

As shown by Crow in 1970, the evolution of two almost parallel vortex filaments with opposite circulation exhibits a long-wave instability. Ultimately, the symmetric mode increases its amplitude reconnecting both filaments and ending into the formation of an almost periodic structure of vortex rings. This is a universal process, which appears in a wide range of scales: from the vortex trails behind an airplane to a microscopic scale of superfluids and Bose–Einstein condensates. In this paper, I will focus on the vortex reconnection for the latter case by employing Gross–Pitaevskii theory. Essentially, I focus on the well-known laws of interaction and motion of vortex filaments. By means of numerical simulations, as well as theoretically, I show that a self-similar finite-time dynamics manifests near the reconnection time. A self-similar profile is selected showing excellent agreement with numerical simulations.

Phase transition behavior in three-dimensional Gaussian distribution random-field Ising model with finite-time dynamics method

We present a dynamical numerical study on a three-dimensional (3D) Gaussian distribution random-field Ising model in a wide range of disorder strengths by means of the finite-time dynamics method. By validating the Rushbrooke scaling law and analyzing the variation of exponents with disorder amplitudes, the asymptotic critical regime controlled by a hysteresis fixed point is identified with exponents , , and . The phase transition is found to be continuous and there is not a tricritical point in this version of Gaussian distribution. Moreover, our results support that the hysteresis and zero-temperature fixed points belong to a different universality class.

The Impact of Coupling Function on Finite‐Time Synchronization Dynamics of Multi‐Weighted Complex Networks with Switching Topology

This paper is not only concerned with the problem of finite‐time synchronization control for a class of nonlinear coupling multi‐weighted complex networks (NCMWCNs) with switching topology but also an attempt at using the derived results and Lyapunov stability theory to study the impact of nonlinear coupling function on finite‐time synchronization dynamics of the raised network model. Firstly, different from the existing related results, based on the existing and new finite‐time theories, two finite‐time synchronization controllers are, respectively, designed to make the considered network achieve finite‐time synchronization. Secondly, according to the obtained results, several finite‐time synchronization dynamics criteria are established to show that nonlinear coupled function and the switching of outer‐coupling matrix are how to impact finite‐time synchronization dynamics. Finally, two illustrated examples are provided to verify the effectiveness of theoretical results proposed in this paper.

Lyapunov Exponents and Correlation Decay for Random Perturbations of Some Prototypical 2D Maps

To illustrate the more tractable properties of random dynamical systems, we consider a class of 2D maps with strong expansion on large—but non-invariant—subsets of their phase spaces. In the deterministic case, such maps are not precluded from having sinks, as derivative growth on disjoint time intervals can be cancelled when stable and unstable directions are reversed. Our main result is that when randomly perturbed, these maps possess positive Lyapunov exponents commensurate with the amount of expansion in the system. We show also that initial conditions converge exponentially fast to the stationary state, equivalently time correlations decay exponentially fast. These properties depend only on finite-time dynamics, and do not involve parameter selections, which are necessary for deterministic maps with nonuniform derivative growth.

Nonequilibrium work energy relation for non-Hamiltonian dynamics.

Recent years have witnessed major advances in our understanding of nonequilibrium processes. The Jarzynski equality, for example, provides a link between equilibrium free energy differences and finite-time nonequilibrium dynamics. We propose a generalization of this relation to non-Hamiltonian dynamics, relevant for active matter systems, continuous feedback, and computer simulation. Surprisingly, this relation allows us to calculate the free energy difference between the desired initial and final equilibrium states using arbitrary dynamics. As a practical matter, this dissociation between the dynamics and the initial and final states promises to facilitate a range of techniques for free energy estimation in a single universal expression.