Pure Steady State Research Articles

Multiqubit quantum state preparation enabled by topology optimization

Using topology optimization, we inverse-design nanophotonic cavities enabling the preparation of pure states of pairs and triples of quantum emitters. Our devices involve moderate values of the dielectric constant, operate under continuous laser driving, and yield fidelities to the target (Bell and W) states approaching unity for distant qubits (several natural wavelengths apart). In the fidelity optimization procedure, our algorithm generates entanglement by maximizing the dissipative coupling between the emitters, which allows the formation of multipartite pure steady states in the driven-dissipative dynamics of the system. Our findings open the way toward the efficient and fast preparation of multiqubit quantum states with engineered features, with potential applications for nonclassical light generation, and quantum sensing and metrology.

Universal Time-Entanglement Trade-Off in Open Quantum Systems

We demonstrate a surprising connection between pure steady-state entanglement and relaxation time scales in an extremely broad class of Markovian open systems, where two (possibly many-body) systems, A and B, interact locally with a common dissipative environment. This setup also encompasses a broad class of adaptive quantum dynamics based on continuous measurement and feedback. As steady-state entanglement increases, there is generically an emergent strong symmetry that leads to a dynamical slow-down. Using this, we can prove rigorous bounds on relaxation times set by steady-state entanglement. We also find that this time must necessarily diverge for maximal entanglement. To test our bound, we consider the dynamics of a random ensemble of local Lindbladians that support pure steady states, finding that the bound does an excellent job of predicting how the dissipative gap varies with the amount of entanglement. Our work provides general insights into how dynamics and entanglement are connected in open systems and has specific relevance to quantum reservoir engineering. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

How is photon-blockade breakdown different from optical bistability? A neoclassical story

The photon-blockade breakdown bistability can be intuitively explained invoking the energy spectrum of the interacting qubit-mode system. Yet, the neoclassical solution of the driven-dissipative Jaynes-Cummings model has been shown to capture several key aspects of the phenomenon. In this paper, we set out to compare a fully quantum solution with the neo- and semiclassical solutions. Although the neoclassical theory is founded on the assumption of a pure partial state for the qubit, it is not simply the γ→0 limit of the semiclassical theory, the semi- versus neoclassical duality being a case of non-commutativity of limits. Furthermore, we show that the neoclassical predictions still hold in the case of a small qubit decay. Tracing the bistable behavior for different detunings, we show that it is robust over a significant range of Δ values. We demonstrate that the aptitude of the neoclassical description is founded on the high quantum purity of the bright state of the photon-blockade breakdown bistability, which sharply differentiates this phenomenology from conventional optical bistability. It is thereby demonstrated that driven-dissipative dynamics can produce closely separable pure steady states in an interacting bipartite.

Lossy Micromaser Battery: Almost Pure States in the Jaynes-Cummings Regime.

We consider a micromaser model of a quantum battery, where the battery is a single mode of the electromagnetic field in a cavity, charged via repeated interactions with a stream of qubits, all prepared in the same non-equilibrium state, either incoherent or coherent, with the matter-field interaction modeled by the Jaynes-Cummings model. We show that the coherent protocol is superior to the incoherent one, in that an effective pure steady state is achieved for generic values of the model parameters. Finally, we supplement the above collision model with cavity losses, described by a Lindblad master equation. We show that battery performances, in terms of stored energy, charging power, and steady-state purity, are slightly degraded up to moderated dissipation rate. Our results show that micromasers are robust and reliable quantum batteries, thus making them a promising model for experimental implementations.

Approximate scaling of the SSFP steady state.

It is shown that the steady state of rapid, TR-periodic steady-state free precession (SSFP) sequences at small to moderate flip angles exhibits a universal, approximate scaling law with respect to variations of . Implications for the accuracy and precision of relaxometry experiments are discussed. The approximate scaling law is derived from and numerically tested against known analytical solutions. To assess the attainable estimator precision in a typical relaxometry experiment, we calculate the Cramér-Rao bound (CRB) and perform Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. The approximate universal scaling holds well up to moderate flip angles. For pure steady state relaxometry, we observe a significant precision penalty for simultaneous estimation of and , whereas good estimates can be obtained without even knowing the correct actual flip angle. Simultaneous estimation of and from a set of SSFP steady states alone is not advisable. Apart from separate measurements, the problem can be addressed by adding transient state information, but, depending on the situation, residual effects due to the scaling may still require some attention.

Dissipative preparation of fractional Chern insulators

We report on the numerically exact simulation of the dissipative dynamics governed by quantum master equations that feature fractional quantum Hall states as unique steady states. In particular, for the paradigmatic Hofstadter model, we show how Laughlin states can be to good approximation prepared in a dissipative fashion from arbitrary initial states by simply pumping strongly interacting bosons into the lowest Chern band of the corresponding single-particle spectrum. While pure (up to topological degeneracy) steady states are only reached in the low-flux limit or for extended hopping range, we observe a certain robustness regarding the overlap of the steady state with fractional quantum Hall states for experimentally well-controlled flux densities. This may be seen as an encouraging step towards addressing the long-standing challenge of preparing strongly correlated topological phases in quantum simulators.

Dissipative preparation of many-body Floquet Chern insulators

Considering coupling to a microstructured bath as a relaxation mechanism in a periodically driven dissipative Haldane model, we establish that the system may be tuned to a stroboscopic topological steady state at all finite temperatures. The amplitude and frequency of the periodic drive is so chosen that the Floquet Hamiltonian describing the Haldane model at stroboscopic instants of time in the unitary situation is topologically nontrivial. We establish that in the stroboscopic steady state, the system reaches a thermal state of the Floquet Hamiltonian at a controlled temperature. Further, it is observed that even with a coupling to a bath, remarkably a Chern insulator can indeed be prepared in a Chern nontrivial pure steady state which is expected to exhibit a stroboscopic bulk-boundary correspondence. Using the nonuniqueness of the macroscopic bulk electric polarization of a Chern insulator in its topological phase, we propose a generalized Chern invariant that reflects the topology of out-of-equilibrium many-body stroboscopic states of the Haldane model even in a dissipative ambience. The generalized topology of dynamical Chern insulators being dependent on single-particle correlations is expected to manifest in experiments probing many-body quantum observables.

Algorithm for tailoring a quadratic lattice with a local squeezed reservoir to stabilize generic chiral states with nonlocal entanglement

We demonstrate a new approach to the generation of custom entangled many-body states through reservoir engineering, using the symmetry properties of bosonic lattice systems coupled to a local squeezed reservoir. We outline an algorithm where, beginning with a desired set of squeezing correlations, one uses the symmetry to constrain the Hamiltonian and find a lattice configuration which stabilizes a pure steady state realizing these correlations. We demonstrate how to use this process to stabilize two unique pure states with non-local correlations that could be useful for quantum information applications. First, we show how drive a square lattice into a product state of entangled quadruplets of sites. Second, using a bisected system, we generate a steady state where local measurements in one half of the lattice herald a pure delocalized state in the second half.

Dissipative generation of pure steady states and a gambler's ruin problem

We consider an open quantum system, with dissipation applied only to a part of its degrees of freedom, evolving via a quantum Markov dynamics. We demonstrate that, in the Zeno regime of large dissipation, the relaxation of the quantum system towards a pure quantum state is linked to the evolution of a classical Markov process towards a single absorbing state. The rates of the associated classical Markov process are determined by the original quantum dynamics. Extension of this correspondence to absorbing states with internal structure allows us to establish a general criterion for having a Zeno-limit nonequilibrium stationary state of arbitrary finite rank. An application of this criterion is illustrated in the case of an open XXZ spin-1/2 chain dissipatively coupled at its edges to baths with fixed and different polarizations. For this system, we find exact nonequilibrium steady-state solutions of ranks 1 and 2.

Convergence to pure steady states of linear quantum systems

We study the convergence of density operators of linear quantum systems towards their steady states in trace norm. We give compact and intuitive necessary and sufficient conditions for such linear quantum systems to have pure Gaussian steady states in terms of the Hamiltonian and coupling operators. Furthermore, using the nullifiers concept in Gu et al (2009 Phys. Rev. A 79), we show that set of the nullifiers of these states are spanned by the coupling operators and other operators obtained via the commutation of Hamiltonian and coupling operators.

Entangled pure steady states in harmonic chains with a two-mode squeezed reservoir

We study theoretically a finite harmonic chain where the two central oscillators are damped into a two-mode squeezed reservoir. By suitably choosing the Hamiltonian of the chain, the entire chain can be stabilized into a pure entangled steady state, even if it starts in a mixed state. We identify a condition on the system parameters such that the corresponding chain evolves into a pure steady state. We then proceed to parametrize a class of stabilizable pure states. Our approach is based on reservoir engineering and is particularly applicable to optomechanical systems and superconducting quantum circuits.

Obtaining pure steady states in nonequilibrium quantum systems with strong dissipative couplings

Dissipative preparation of a pure steady state usually involves a commutative action of a coherent and a dissipative dynamics on the target state. Namely, the target pure state is an eigenstate of both the coherent and dissipative parts of the dynamics. We show that working in the Zeno regime, i.e. for infinitely large dissipative coupling, one can generate a pure state by a non commutative action, in the above sense, of the coherent and dissipative dynamics. A corresponding Zeno regime pureness criterion is derived. We illustrate the approach, looking at both its theoretical and applicative aspects, in the example case of an open $XXZ$ spin-$1/2$ chain, driven out of equilibrium by boundary reservoirs targeting different spin orientations. Using our criterion, we find two families of pure nonequilibrium steady states, in the Zeno regime, and calculate the dissipative strengths effectively needed to generate steady states which are almost indistinguishable from the target pure states.

Quantum spin dimers from chiral dissipation in cold-atom chains.

We consider the nonequilibrium dynamics of a driven dissipative spin chain with chiral coupling to a one-dimensional (1D) bosonic bath, and its atomic implementation with a two-species mixture of cold quantum gases. The reservoir is represented by a spin-orbit coupled 1D quasicondensate of atoms in a magnetized phase, while the spins are identified with motional states of a separate species of atoms in an optical lattice. The chirality of reservoir excitations allows the spins to couple differently to left- and right-moving modes, which in our atomic setup can be tuned from bidirectional to purely unidirectional. Remarkably, this leads to a pure steady state in which pairs of neighboring spins form dimers that decouple from the remainder of the chain. Our results also apply to current experiments with two-level emitters coupled to photonic waveguides.

The dynamics of utility in the neoclassical OLG model

This paper develops a method to study how life-cycle utility of a sequence of cohorts converges to its steady state level in the neoclassical 2-period overlapping generations model. This method allows to characterize utility changes associated with marginal variations in exogenous policy parameters along the entire transition path between two steady states. At the same time, it is not more complicated than a pure steady state analysis. Moreover, it can be applied to economies for which an explicit solution of the transition path is not available.

The Dynamics of Utility in the Neoclassical OLG Model

This paper develops a method to study how life-cycle utility of a sequence of cohorts converges towards its steady state level in the neoclassical two-generations-overlapping model. This method allows to characterize utility changes associated with variations in exogenous policy parameters along the entire transition path between two steady states. At the same time it is not more complicated than a pure steady state analysis. Moreover, it can be applied to economies for which an explicit solution of the transition path is not available.

Pure Gaussian state generation via dissipation: a quantum stochastic differential equation approach

Recently, the complete characterization of a general Gaussian dissipative system having a unique pure steady state was obtained. This result provides a clear guideline for engineering an environment such that the dissipative system has a desired pure steady state such as a cluster state. In this paper, we describe the system in terms of a quantum stochastic differential equation (QSDE) so that the environment channels can be explicitly dealt with. Then, a physical meaning of that characterization, which cannot be seen without the QSDE representation, is clarified; more specifically, the nullifier dynamics of any Gaussian system generating a unique pure steady state is passive. In addition, again based on the QSDE framework, we provide a general and practical method to implement a desired dissipative Gaussian system, which has a structure of quantum state transfer.

Dissipation-induced pure Gaussian state

This paper provides some necessary and sufficient conditions for a generalMarkovian Gaussian master equation to have a unique pure steady state. The conditions are described by simple matrix equations; thus the so-called environment engineering problem for pure-Gaussian-state preparation can be straightforwardly dealt with in the linear algebraic framework. In fact, based on one of those conditions, for an arbitrary given pure Gaussian state,we obtain a complete parametrization of the Gaussian master equation having that state as a unique steady state; this leads to a systematic procedure for engineering a desired dissipative system.We demonstrate some examples including Gaussian cluster states.

Nonlinear dynamics in one dimension: A criterion for coarsening and its temporal law

We develop a general criterion about coarsening for some classes of nonlinear evolution equations describing one-dimensional pattern-forming systems. This criterion allows one to discriminate between the situation where a coarsening process takes place and the one where the wavelength is fixed in the course of time. An intermediate scenario may occur, namely "interrupted coarsening." The power of the criterion on which a brief account has been given [Politi and Misbah, Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 090601 (2004)], and which we extend here to more general equations, lies in the fact that the statement about the occurrence of coarsening, or selection of a length scale, can be made by only inspecting the behavior of the branch of steady state periodic solutions. The criterion states that coarsening occurs if lambda'(A)>0 while a length scale selection prevails if lambda'(A)<0, where lambda is the wavelength of the pattern and A is the amplitude of the profile (prime refers to differentiation). This criterion is established thanks to the analysis of the phase diffusion equation of the pattern. We connect the phase diffusion coefficient D(lambda) (which carries a kinetic information) to lambda'(A), which refers to a pure steady state property. The relationship between kinetics and the behavior of the branch of steady state solutions is established fully analytically. Another important and new result which emerges here is that the exploitation of the phase diffusion coefficient enables us to determine in a rather straightforward manner the dynamical coarsening exponent. Our calculation, based on the idea that |D(lambda)| approximately lambda2/t, is exemplified on several nonlinear equations, showing that the exact exponent is captured. We are not aware of another method that so systematically provides the coarsening exponent. Contrary to many situations where the one-dimensional character has proven essential for the derivation of the coarsening exponent, this idea can be used, in principle, at any dimension. Some speculations about the extension of the present results are outlined.

Parametrization of the feedback Hamiltonian realizing a pure steady state

Feedback control is expected to considerably protect quantum states against decoherence caused by interaction between the system and environment. Especially, Markovian feedback scheme developed by Wiseman can modify the properties of decoherence and eventually recover the purity of the steady state of the corresponding master equation. This paper provides a condition for which the modified master equation has a pure steady state. By applying this condition to a two-qubit system, we obtain a complete parametrization of the feedback Hamiltonian such that the steady state becomes a maximally entangled state.

Social security as Markov equilibrium in OLG models

This paper studies the characteristics of intergenerational transfers in a standard overlapping generations model with short lived governments that care about the welfare of young generations only. A number of authors have shown that simple intergenerational games, in which in each period the current young generation plays as a dictator, are able to deliver political equilibria with social security even if the underlying competitive equilibrium is not dynamically inefficient. These authors have either derived pure steady state results or have relied on subgame-perfectness. This paper extends these results deriving Markov subgame perfect equilibria (i.e. that depend only upon the period t state variable, which is the stock of capital). Non-Markov subgame perfect equilibria assume agents know all the past history of the game; they cannot predict when the social security system will emerge and whether or not it will eventually emerge; they prescribe that generations that never deviated may be punished. Markov equilibria, placing more restrictions on the structure of the game, are able to deliver solutions that do not suffer from these drawbacks. As the paper shows, however, Markov strategies may produce unstable dynamics.