Quantum State Transfer Research Articles

Experimental realization of a three-photon asymmetric maximally entangled state and its application to quantum state transfer.

Quantum entanglement is crucial for quantum information processing, prominently used in quantum communication, computation, and metrology. Recent studies have shifted toward high-dimensional entangled states, offering greater information capacity and enabling more complex applications. Here, we experimentally prepared a three-photon asymmetric maximally entangled state, comprising two two-dimensional photons and one four-dimensional photon. Using this state, we conducted a proof-of-principle experiment, successfully transferring a four-dimensional quantum state from two photons to another photon with fidelities ranging from 0.78 to 0.86. These results exceed theoretical limits, demonstrating genuine four-dimensional quantum state transfer. The asymmetric entangled state demonstrated here holds promise for future quantum networks as a quantum interface facilitating information transfer across quantum systems with different dimensions.

Topological Phase and Tunable Quantum State Transfer of Su–Schrieffer–Heeger Chain with an Embedded Quantum Ring

AbstractAn extended Su–Schrieffer–Heeger (SSH) model consisting of an SSH chain with an embedded quantum ring (QR) is investigated. In the case of two SSH chains with a symmetric distribution with respect to QR, by calculating the real‐space winding number and energy spectrum, the hopping amplitude‐induced topological phase is discovered. The probability distributions of gap states and the relationship between energy and magnetic flux prove the existence of the Aharonov–Bohm effect in the QR. Moreover, in the case of asymmetric distribution, the model possesses a zero‐energy mode within the energy gap, and it is found that it can realize quantum state transfer. By adjusting the connection site between the right SSH chain and QR, the direction of the output port can be flexibly engineered. Furthermore, it is shown that high‐fidelity quantum state transfer can still be achieved with the increasing of the system size. The tunable quantum state transfer based on the zero‐energy mode can be equivalent to a topological tunable directional switch with properties of non‐directional transfer. This work provides an approach for studying topological phase transition and tunable topological devices in an SSH chain with an embedded QR.

Enhanced quantum state transfer by circumventing quantum chaotic behavior

The ability to realize high-fidelity quantum communication is one of the many facets required to build generic quantum computing devices. In addition to quantum processing, sensing, and storage, transferring the resulting quantum states demands a careful design that finds no parallel in classical communication. Existing experimental demonstrations of quantum information transfer in solid-state quantum systems are largely confined to small chains with few qubits, often relying upon non-generic schemes. Here, by using a superconducting quantum circuit featuring thirty-six tunable qubits, accompanied by general optimization procedures deeply rooted in overcoming quantum chaotic behavior, we demonstrate a scalable protocol for transferring few-particle quantum states in a two-dimensional quantum network. These include single-qubit excitation, two-qubit entangled states, and two excitations for which many-body effects are present. Our approach, combined with the quantum circuit’s versatility, paves the way to short-distance quantum communication for connecting distributed quantum processors or registers, even if hampered by inherent imperfections in actual quantum devices.

Continuous-Time Quantum Walk in Glued Trees: Localized State-Mediated Almost Perfect Quantum-State Transfer.

In this work, the dynamics of a quantum walker on glued trees is revisited to understand the influence of the architecture of the graph on the efficiency of the transfer between the two roots. Instead of considering regular binary trees, we focus our attention on leafier structures where each parent node could give rise to a larger number of children. Through extensive numerical simulations, we uncover a significant dependence of the transfer on the underlying graph architecture, particularly influenced by the branching rate (M) relative to the root degree (N). Our study reveals that the behavior of the walker is isomorphic to that of a particle moving on a finite-size chain. This chain exhibits defects that originate in the specific nature of both the roots and the leaves. Therefore, the energy spectrum of the chain showcases rich features, which lead to diverse regimes for the quantum-state transfer. Notably, the formation of quasi-degenerate localized states due to significant disparities between M and N triggers a localization process on the roots. Through analytical development, we demonstrate that these states play a crucial role in facilitating almost perfect quantum beats between the roots, thereby enhancing the transfer efficiency. Our findings offer valuable insights into the mechanisms governing quantum-state transfer on trees, with potential applications for the transfer of quantum information.

Engineering multiform quantum state transfers and topological devices in a splicing Su–Schrieffer–Heeger chain

We propose to implement the various kinds of topological quantum state transfers (QSTs) in a splicing Su–Schrieffer–Heeger (SSH) chain, where the transfer forms vary with the introduction of the on-site potential and are distinguished by different output ports. The splicing SSH chain without the on-site potential shows an interface symmetry in chain configuration and supports a zero-energy gap state to realize a symmetric state transfer from the central site to the two ends with equal probabilities. After introducing the on-site potential on one end or two ends, we further obtain two asymmetric versions of the splicing SSH chain. The existence of the on-site potential leads to the transformation of the zero-energy gap state into a nonzero gap state, and the nonzero gap state exhibits different distribution characteristics in two asymmetric versions. Accordingly, three QST channels with different forms in a splicing SSH chain are designed, each of which possesses the robustness against the disorder of the couplings and the inaccuracy of the evolution time. In addition, we demonstrate the scalability of a multiform QST protocol with high fidelity. The protocol with different transfer forms is expected to realize diverse functional quantum devices, which effectively improves the utilization of a splicing SSH chain and economizes the physical resource.

Control of Qubit Dynamics Using Reinforcement Learning

The progress in machine learning during the last decade has had a considerable impact on many areas of science and technology, including quantum technology. This work explores the application of reinforcement learning (RL) methods to the quantum control problem of state transfer in a single qubit. The goal is to create an RL agent that learns an optimal policy and thus discovers optimal pulses to control the qubit. The most crucial step is to mathematically formulate the problem of interest as a Markov decision process (MDP). This enables the use of RL algorithms to solve the quantum control problem. Deep learning and the use of deep neural networks provide the freedom to employ continuous action and state spaces, offering the expressivity and generalization of the process. This flexibility helps to formulate the quantum state transfer problem as an MDP in several different ways. All the developed methodologies are applied to the fundamental problem of population inversion in a qubit. In most cases, the derived optimal pulses achieve fidelity equal to or higher than 0.9999, as required by quantum computing applications. The present methods can be easily extended to quantum systems with more energy levels and may be used for the efficient control of collections of qubits and to counteract the effect of noise, which are important topics for quantum sensing applications.

Quantum state transfer on 2D lattices: A low-energy effective Hamiltonian approach

We investigate the transfer of arbitrary single qubit states through a rectangular 2D lattice hosting the isotropic Heisenberg model under a magnetic field along the z direction, where the spin-spin interaction strengths along the vertical sublattices, referred to as rungs, are much stronger than the interactions along other sublattices. Using the rung-rung interaction as perturbation, the model can be mapped to an effective 1D model, and the transfer of low-energy rung states from one rung to another can be represented by a transfer of an arbitrary single-qubit state from one lattice site to another on the 1D effective lattice defined by the effective 1D Hamiltonian. Exploiting this, we propose protocols for transferring arbitrary single-qubit states from one lattice site to another by using specific encoding (decoding) of the single-qubit state into (from) the rung states. We demonstrate that this protocol leads to a quantum advantage in the single-qubit state transfer.

Virtual Photon-Mediated Quantum State Transfer and Remote Entanglement between Spin Qubits in Quantum Dots Using Superadiabatic Pulses.

Spin qubits in semiconductor quantum dots are an attractive candidate for scalable quantum information processing. Reliable quantum state transfer and entanglement between spatially separated spin qubits is a highly desirable but challenging goal. Here, we propose a fast and high-fidelity quantum state transfer scheme for two spin qubits mediated by virtual microwave photons. Our general strategy involves using a superadiabatic pulse to eliminate non-adiabatic transitions, without the need for increased control complexity. We show that arbitrary quantum state transfer can be achieved with a fidelity of 95.1% within a 60 ns short time under realistic parameter conditions. We also demonstrate the robustness of this scheme to experimental imperfections and environmental noises. Furthermore, this scheme can be directly applied to the generation of a remote Bell entangled state with a fidelity as high as 97.6%. These results pave the way for fault-tolerant quantum computation on spin quantum network architecture platforms.

Remote cross-resonance gate between superconducting fixed-frequency qubits

High-fidelity quantum state transfer and remote entanglement between superconducting fixed-frequency qubits have not yet been realized. In this study, we propose an alternative remote cross-resonance gate. Considering multiple modes of a superconducting coaxial cable connecting qubits, we must find conditions under which the cross-resonance gate operates with a certain accuracy even in the presence of qubit frequency shifts due to manufacturing errors. For 0.25- and 0.5 m cables, remote cross-resonance gates with a concurrence of >99.9% in entanglement generation are obtained even with ±10 MHz frequency shifts. For a 1 m cable with a narrow mode spacing, a concurrence of 99.5% is achieved by reducing the coupling between the qubits and cable. The optimized echoed raised-cosine pulse duration is 150–400 ns, which is similar to the operation time of cross-resonance gates between neighboring qubits on a chip. The dissipation through the cable modes does not considerably affect the obtained results. Such high-precision quantum interconnects pave the way not only for scaling up quantum computer systems but also for nonlocal connections on a chip.

Controlled State Transfer in Central Spin Models

In the recent literature, various aspects of the transfer of quantum states by spin chains have been thoroughly investigated. Part of the existing study is devoted to the problem of optimal control, with the goal of achieving a highly reliable information/state transfer for a given time T. In general, achieving this goal is not an easy task in the case of (open) quantum systems. Various approaches have been developed and applied, including Krotov’s method to study the problem. It is a gradient-based method used here to study the problem of state transfer control in central spin models. Our results show that with Krotov’s method, it is possible to find an optimal control form that allows for very-high-fidelity state transfer in the central spin models we have developed. Our results will be of interest for a better understanding of the non-trivial effects of the classical world on the quantum world, which have been discussed in the form of various new effects, including the Epstein effect, in the recent literature.

A scalable cavity-based spin–photon interface in a photonic integrated circuit

A central challenge in quantum networking is transferring quantum states between different physical modalities, such as between flying photonic qubits and stationary quantum memories. One implementation entails using spin–photon interfaces that combine solid-state spin qubits, such as color centers in diamond, with photonic nanostructures. However, while high-fidelity spin–photon interactions have been demonstrated on isolated devices, building practical quantum repeaters requires scaling to large numbers of interfaces yet to be realized. Here, we demonstrate integration of nanophotonic cavities containing tin-vacancy (SnV) centers in a photonic integrated circuit (PIC). Out of a six-channel quantum microchiplet (QMC), we find four coupled SnV-cavity devices with an average Purcell factor of ∼7. Based on system analyses and numerical simulations, we find with near-term improvements this multiplexed architecture can enable high-fidelity quantum state transfer, paving the way toward building large-scale quantum repeaters.

Highly Efficient Transfer of Quantum State and Robust Generation of Entanglement State Around Exceptional Lines (Laser Photonics Rev. 18(4)/2024)

Highly Efficient Transfer of Quantum State and Robust Generation of Entanglement State Around Exceptional Lines (Laser Photonics Rev. 18(4)/2024)

Topologically Protected Synthesizing of Fock States in a Circuit Quantum Electrodynamics Architecture

The preparation of Fock states is important for quantum information storage and processing. Herein, a two‐step protocol with topological protection for multi‐photon Fock states synthesizing in a circuit quantum electrodynamics (QED) architecture is presented. Due to photon number‐dependent vacuum Rabi splitting, the dynamics of the Jaynes–Cummings ladder in the resonant regime can be equivalent to a spin‐1/2 chain while a multi‐frequency microwave pulse is applied. Based on the topologically assisted quantum state transfer (QST)technique, multi‐photon Fock states can be conditionally generated. This method significantly reduces the complexity of experimental manipulation compared with previous multi‐step methods and is more robust as a result of topological protection. Furthermore, the protocol indicates that the circuit QED architecture could potentially provide a platform to explore the exotic phase in condensed matter.

Interplay between topology and localization on superconducting circuits

Topological insulators occupy a prominent position in the realm of condensed matter physics. Nevertheless, the presence of strong disorder has the potential to disrupt the integrity of topological states, leading to the localization of all states. This study delves into the intricate interplay between topology and localization within the one-dimensional Su–Schrieffer–Heeger (SSH) model, which incorporates controllable off-diagonal quasi-periodic modulations on superconducting circuits. Through the application of external alternating current (ac) magnetic fluxes, each transmon undergoes controlled driving, enabling independent tuning of all coupling strengths. Within a framework of this model, we construct comprehensive phase diagrams delineating regions characterized by extended topologically nontrivial states, critical localization, and co-existing topological and critical localization phases. The paper also addresses the dynamics of qubit excitations, elucidating distinct quantum state transfers resulting from the intricate interplay between topology and localization. Additionally, we propose a method for detecting diverse quantum phases utilizing existing experimental setups.

Deterministic All-Optical Quantum Teleportation of Four Degrees of Freedom.

Quantum teleportation, disembodied transfer of the unknown quantum state between two locations, has been experimentally demonstrated for both discrete and continuous variable states in one degree of freedom (DOF). Generally, multiple DOFs are needed to fully characterize a quantum state. Therefore, to implement intact quantum teleportation, multiple DOFs of quantum state should be teleported simultaneously. Recently, teleporting a single photon encoded in two DOFs has been experimentally demonstrated in discrete variable regime. However, the teleportation of more than two DOFs remains unexplored. Here, by utilizing continuous variable hyperentanglement in four DOFs (azimuthal and radial indexes of Laguerre-Gaussian mode, frequency, and polarization), we experimentally demonstrate deterministic all-optical quantum teleportation of four DOFs. Moreover, we experimentally construct 24 parallel teleportation channels. Our results pave the way for deterministically implementing multiple-DOF quantum communication protocols.

Quantum state transfer through system-environment correlation

Quantum state transfer protocol based on system-environment correlation is studied. Different from that in protocol of quantum teleportation, in the present transfer protocol, parties do not share entangled state initially. The state factors are transmitted among parties through their common memory-environment. Explicitly, with the generation of system-environment correlation, state factors parameterized on the probe system can be transmitted to the environment by performing proper projective measurement on the probe system. Then after knowing the results of former measurements, other parties can estimate the state factors by preparing proper detectors that evolve with the memory environment for a proper period of time. In this regard, quantum state is transmitted among different parties through system-environment correlation. Since quantum decoherence appears along with the generation of system-environment correlation, using the present transfer protocol, one can transmit quantum state even after the characteristic time of quantum decoherence.

Inverse engineering for robust state transport along a spin chain via low-energy subspaces

Quantum state transfer (QST) plays a central role in the field of quantum computation and communication, but its quality will be deteriorated by the ubiquitous variations and noise in quantum systems. Here we propose robust and nonadiabatic protocols for transmitting quantum state across a strongly coupled spin chain, especially in the presence of unwanted disorders in the couplings. To this end, we approximately map the low-energy subspaces of the odd-size Heisenberg chain to a two-level system, and derive the sensitivity of the final fidelity with respect to systematic deviations or time-varying fluctuations. Subsequently, leveraging the flexibility of the inverse-engineering technique, we optimize the state-transfer robustness concerning these perturbations individually. The resulting schemes allow for more stable QST than the original accelerated schemes and only require manipulating the two boundary couplings instead of the whole system, which open up the possibility of fast and robust information transfer in spin-based quantum systems.

Quantum control by effective counterdiabatic driving

We review a scheme for the systematic design of quantum control protocols based on shortcuts to adiabaticity in few-level quantum systems. The adiabatic dynamics is accelerated by introducing high-frequency modulations in the control Hamiltonian, which mimic a time-dependent counterdiabatic correction. We present a number of applications for the high-fidelity realization of quantum state transfers and quantum gates based on effective counterdiabatic driving, in platforms ranging from superconducting circuits to Rydberg atoms.

Directional emission in an on-chip acoustic waveguide

Integrated acoustic circuits leverage guided acoustic waves for applications ranging from radio frequency filters to quantum state transfer, biochemical sensing, and nanomechanical computing. In many applications, it is desirable to have a method for unidirectional acoustic wave emission. In this work, we demonstrate directional emission in an integrated single-mode, on-chip membrane waveguide, demonstrating over 99.9% directional suppression and reconfigurable directionality. This avoids both loss and unwanted crosstalk, allowing the creation of more complex and compact phononic circuits.

Scalable Quantum Spin Networks from Unitary Construction

AbstractSpin network (SN) systems can be used to achieve quantum state transfer with high fidelity and to generate entanglement. A new approach to design spin‐chain‐based spin network systems, for short‐range quantum information processing and phase‐sensing, has been proposed recently in Advanced Quantum Technologies. In this paper, the scalability of such systems is investigated, by designing larger SN systems that can be used for longer‐range quantum information tasks, such as connecting together quantum processors. Furthermore, more complex SN designs, which can produce different types of entangled states, are presented. Simulations of disorder effects show that even such larger SN systems are robust against realistic levels of disorder.