Stochastic Hamiltonians Research Articles

Exact description of quantum stochastic models as quantum resistors

We study the transport properties of generic out-of-equilibrium quantum systems connected to fermionic reservoirs. We develop a new method, based on an expansion of the current in terms of the inverse system size and out of equilibrium formulations such as the Keldysh technique and the Meir-Wingreen formula. Our method allows a simple and compact derivation of the current for a large class of systems showing diffusive/ohmic behavior. In addition, we obtain exact solutions for a large class of quantum stochastic Hamiltonians (QSHs) with time and space dependent noise, using a self consistent Born diagrammatic method in the Keldysh representation. We show that these QSHs exhibit diffusive regimes which are encoded in the Keldysh component of the single particle Green's function. The exact solution for these QSHs models confirms the validity of our system size expansion ansatz, and its efficiency in capturing the transport properties. We consider in particular three fermionic models: i) a model with local dephasing ii) the quantum simple symmetric exclusion process model iii) a model with long-range stochastic hopping. For i) and ii) we compute the full temperature and dephasing dependence of the conductance of the system, both for two- and four-points measurements. Our solution gives access to the regime of finite temperature of the reservoirs which could not be obtained by previous approaches. For iii), we unveil a novel ballistic-to-diffusive transition governed by the range and the nature (quantum or classical) of the hopping. As a by-product, our approach equally describes the mean behavior of quantum systems under continuous measurement.

Strategies to simulate dephasing-assisted quantum transport on digital quantum computers

Simulating charge and energy transfer in extended molecular networks requires an effective model to include the environment because it significantly affects the quantum dynamics. A prototypical effect known as environment-assisted quantum transport (ENAQT) consists in the enhancement of the transfer efficiency by the interaction with an environment. A simple description of this phenomenon is obtained by a quantum master equation describing a quantum walk over the molecular network in the presence of inter-site decoherence. We consider the problem of simulating the dynamics underlying ENAQT in a digital quantum computer. Two different quantum algorithms are introduced, the first one based on stochastic Hamiltonians and the second one based on a collision scheme. We test both algorithms by simulating ENAQT in a small molecular network on a quantum computer emulator and provide a comparative analysis of the two approaches. Both algorithms can be implemented in a memory efficient encoding with the number of required qubits scaling logarithmically with the size of the simulated system while the number of gates increases quadratically. We discuss the algorithmic quantum trajectories generated by the two simulation strategies showing that they realize distinct unravellings of the site-dephasing master equation. In our approach, the non-unitary dynamics of the open system is obtained through effective representations of the environment, paving the way to digital quantum simulations of quantum transport influenced by structured environments.

Stochastic homogenization and effective Hamiltonians of Hamilton–Jacobi equations in one space dimension: the double-well case

Stochastic homogenization and effective Hamiltonians of Hamilton–Jacobi equations in one space dimension: the double-well case

Robustness of exceptional-point-based sensors against parametric noise: The role of Hamiltonian and Liouvillian degeneracies

Recent experiments have demonstrated the feasibility of exploiting spectral singularities in open quantum and wave systems, so-called exceptional points, for sensors with strongly enhanced sensitivity. Here, we study theoretically the influence of classical parametric noise on the performance of such sensors. Within a Lindblad-type formalism for stochastic Hamiltonians we discuss the resolvability of frequency splittings and the dynamical stability of the sensor, and show that these properties are interrelated. Of central importance are the different features of exceptional points in the spectra of the Hamiltonian and the corresponding Liouvillian. Two realistic examples, a parity-time-symmetric dimer and a whispering-gallery microcavity with asymmetric backscattering, illustrate the findings.

Decoherence in Conformal Field Theory

Noise sources are ubiquitous in Nature and give rise to a description of quantum systems in terms of stochastic Hamiltonians. Decoherence dominates the noise-averaged dynamics and leads to dephasing and the decay of coherences in the eigenbasis of the fluctuating operator. For energy-diffusion processes stemming from fluctuations of the system Hamiltonian the characteristic decoherence time is shown to be proportional to the heat capacity. We analyze the decoherence dynamics of entangled CFTs and characterize the dynamics of the purity, and logarithmic negativity, that are shown to decay monotonically as a function of time. The converse is true for the quantum Renyi entropies. From the short-time asymptotics of the purity, the decoherence rate is identified and shown to be proportional to the central charge. The fixed point characterizing long times of evolution depends on the presence degeneracies in the energy spectrum. We show how information loss associated with decoherence can be attributed to its leakage to an auxiliary environment and discuss how gravity duals of decoherence dynamics in holographic CFTs looks like in AdS/CFT. We find that the inner horizon region of eternal AdS black hole is highly squeezed due to decoherence.

Landau–Zener transitions in coupled qubits: Effects of coloured noise

Abstract The feasibility of stochastic Hamiltonians for interacting qubits to deliver consistent quantum speedups in quantum adiabatic optimisation remains an open question. This paper studies theoretically the noisy Landau–Zener model of a system of two interacting qubits. Exact analytic results are obtained for all transition probabilities via nonstationary perturbation technique, even where semiclassical trajectories interfere. Where the system is driven by slow classical Gaussian noise, destructive interference of the trajectories results in forbidden transitions. However, in the fast noise regime, these transitions have non-zero probabilities. We elucidate the roles of noise parameters on the decoherence of coupled qubits.

Speed of propagation for Hamilton–Jacobi equations with multiplicative rough time dependence and convex Hamiltonians

We show that the initial value problem for Hamilton–Jacobi equations with multiplicative rough time dependence, typically stochastic, and convex Hamiltonians satisfies finite speed of propagation. We prove that in general the range of dependence is bounded by a multiple of the length of the “skeleton” of the path, that is a piecewise linear path obtained by connecting the successive extrema of the original one. When the driving path is a Brownian motion, we prove that its skeleton has almost surely finite length. We also discuss the optimality of the estimate.

Stochastic Hamiltonians for correlated electron models

Microscopically conserving reduced models of many-body systems have a long, highly successful history. Established theories of this type are the random-phase approximation for Coulomb fluids and the particle-particle ladder model for nuclear matter. There are also more physically comprehensive approximations such as the induced-interaction and parquet theories. Notwithstanding their explanatory power, some theories have lacked an explicit Hamiltonian from which all significant system properties, static and dynamic, emerge canonically. This absence can complicate evaluation of the conserving sum rules, essential consistency checks on the validity of any model. In a series of papers Kraichnan introduced a stochastic embedding procedure to generate explicit Hamiltonians for common approximations for the full many-body problem. Existence of a Hamiltonian greatly eases the task of securing fundamental identities in such models. I revisit Kraichnan's method to apply it to correlation theories for which such a canonical framework has not been available. I exhibit Hamiltonians for more elaborate correlated models incorporating both long-range screening and short-range scattering phenomena. These are relevant to the study of strongly interacting electrons and condensed quantum systems broadly.

Stochastic and Quasi-Stochastic Hamiltonians for Long-Time Nonadiabatic Molecular Dynamics.

In the condensed-matter environments, the vibronic Hamiltonian that describes nonadiabatic dynamics often appears as an erratic entity, and one may assume it can be generated stochastically. This property is utilized to formulate novel stochastic and quasi-stochastic vibronic Hamiltonian methodologies, which open a new route to long-time excited state dynamics in atomistic solid-state systems at negligible computational cost. Using a model mimicking a typical solid-state material in noisy environment, general conclusions regarding the simulation of nonadiabatic dynamics are obtained: (1) including bath is critical to complete excited state relaxation; (2) a totally stochastic modulation of energies and couplings has a net effect of no bath and inhibits relaxation; (3) including a single or several dominant electron-phonon modes may be insufficient to complete the excited state relaxation; (4) only the multiple modes, even those that have negligible weights, can represent both the deterministic modulation of system's Hamiltonian and stochastic effects of bath.

Mixing Properties of Stochastic Quantum Hamiltonians

Random quantum processes play a central role both in the study of fundamental mixing processes in quantum mechanics related to equilibration, thermalisation and fast scrambling by black holes, as well as in quantum process design and quantum information theory. In this work, we present a framework describing the mixing properties of continuous-time unitary evolutions originating from local Hamiltonians having time-fluctuating terms, reflecting a Brownian motion on the unitary group. The induced stochastic time evolution is shown to converge to a unitary design. As a first main result, we present bounds to the mixing time. By developing tools in representation theory, we analytically derive an expression for a local k-th moment operator that is entirely independent of k, giving rise to approximate unitary k-designs and quantum tensor product expanders. As a second main result, we introduce tools for proving bounds on the rate of decoupling from an environment with random quantum processes. By tying the mathematical description closely with the more established one of random quantum circuits, we present a unified picture for analysing local random quantum and classes of Markovian dissipative processes, for which we also discuss applications.

Lindbladians for controlled stochastic Hamiltonians

We construct Lindbladians associated with controlled stochastic Hamiltonians in the weak coupling regime. This construction allows us to determine the power spectrum of the noise from measurements of dephasing rates. Moreover, by studying the derived equation it is possible to optimize the control as well as to test numerical algorithms that solve controlled stochastic Schrödinger equations. A few examples are worked out in detail.

Exact and approximate correctors for stochastic Hamiltonians: the 1-dimensional case

We perform a qualitative investigation of critical Hamilton–Jacobi equations, with stationary ergodic Hamiltonian, in dimension 1. We show the existence of approximate correctors, give characterizing conditions for the existence of correctors, provide Lax-type representation formulae and establish comparison principles. The results are applied to look into the corresponding effective Hamiltonian and to study a homogenization problem. In the analysis a crucial role is played by tools from stochastic geometry such as, for instance, closed random stationary sets.

Towards an understanding of decoherence in ion traps

Two mechanisms of decoherence in internal states of trapped ions are studied, specially related to the experiment [Science 291 (2001) 1013]. Stochastic Hamiltonians are applied to follow the evolution of different states. The decoherence freedom of a subspace is discussed, and the experimental results reanalised.

Robust stochastic maximum principle for multi-model worst case optimization

This paper develops a version of the robust maximum principle applied to the minimax Mayer problem formulated for stochastic differential equations with a control-dependent diffusion term. The parametric families of first and second order adjoint stochastic processes are introduced to construct the corresponding Hamiltonian formalism. The Hamiltonian function used for the construction of the robust optimal control is shown to be equal to the sum of the standard stochastic Hamiltonians corresponding to each possible value of the parameter. The cost function is defined on a finite horizon and contains the mathematical expectation of a terminal term. A terminal condition, given by a vector function, is also considered. The optimal control strategies, adapted for available information, for the wide class of multi-model systems given by a stochastic differential equation with parameters from a given finite set are constructed. This problem belongs to the class of minimax stochastic optimization problems. The proof is based on the recent results obtained for deterministic minimax Mayer problem by Boltyanski and Poznyak as well as on the results of Zhou and of Yong and Zhou, obtained for stochastic maximum principle for non-linear stochastic systems with a single-valued parameter. Two illustrative examples, dealing with production planning and reinsurance-dividend management, conclude this study.

Robust stochastic maximum principle: Complete proof anddiscussions

This paper develops a version of Robust Stochastic Maximum Principle (RSMP) applied to the Minimax Mayer Problem formulated for stochastic differential equations with the control‐dependent diffusion term. The parametric families of first and second order adjoint stochastic processes are introduced to construct the corresponding Hamiltonian formalism. The Hamiltonian function used for the construction of the robust optimal control is shown to be equal to the Lebesque integral over a parametric set of the standard stochastic Hamiltonians corresponding to a fixed value of the uncertain parameter. The paper deals with a cost function given at finite horizon and containing the mathematical expectation of a terminal term. A terminal condition, covered by a vector function, is also considered. The optimal control strategies, adapted for available information, for the wide class of uncertain systems given by an stochastic differential equation with unknown parameters from a given compact set, are constructed. This problem belongs to the class of minimax stochastic optimization problems. The proof is based on the recent results obtained for Minimax Mayer Problem with a finite uncertainty set [14,43‐45] as well as on the variation results of [53] derived for Stochastic Maximum Principle for nonlinear stochastic systems under complete information. The corresponding discussion of the obtain results concludes this study.

Robust optimal control for minimax stochastic linear quadratic problem

The robust maximum principle applied to the minimax linear quadratic problem is derived for stochastic differential equations containing a control-dependent diffusion term. The parametric families of the first and second order adjoint stochastic processes are obtained to construct the corresponding Hamiltonian formalism. The Hamiltonian function used for the construction of the robust optimal control is shown to be equal to the sum of the standard stochastic Hamiltonians corresponding to each value of the uncertain parameter from a given finite set. The cost function is considered on a finite horizon (contains the mathematical expectation of both an integral and a terminal term) and on an infinite one (a time-averaged losses function). These problems belong to the class of minimax stochastic optimization problems. It is shown that the construction of the minimax optimal controller can be reduced to an optimization problem on a finitedimensional simplex and consists in the analysis of the dependence of Riccati equation solution on the weight parameters to be found.

On the ubiquity of matrix-product states in one-dimensional stochastic processes with boundary interactions

Recently, it has been shown that the zero-energy eigenstate – corresponding to the stationary state – of a stochastic Hamiltonian with nearest-neighbour interaction in the bulk and single-site boundary terms, can generically be written in the form of a so-called matrix-product state. We generalize this result to stochastic Hamiltonians with arbitrary, but finite, interaction range. As an application two different particle-hopping models with three-site bulk interaction are studied. For these models which can be interpreted as cellular automata for traffic flow, we present exact solutions for periodic boundary conditions and some suitably chosen boundary interactions.

Quantum Zeno effect in atomic Bragg scattering

We propose an experiment to observe the quantum Zeno effect in atomic Bragg scattering. The quantum Zeno effect is the inhibition of the free evolution of a system when that system is subject to a decohering measurement process. This effect is usually studied theoretically in an idealized two-level system, though this system has been difficult to realize in practice. The coherent population exchange between the forward and Bragg beams provides an ideal two-level system, though as there is no practical scheme for continuously monitoring the motion of an atom we include decoherence by adding noise to the laser. Using the method of stochastic Hamiltonians we show that the noise suppresses tunneling in the two-state system and, in the large noise limit, the system can freeze in its initial state.

T-duality transformation and universal structure of noncritical string field theory

We discuss a $T$-duality transformation for the $c=1/2$ matrix model for the purpose of studying duality transformations in a possible toy example of nonperturbative frameworks of string theory. Our approach is to first investigate the scaling limit of the Schwinger-Dyson equations and the stochastic Hamiltonian in terms of the dual variables and then compare the results with those using the original spin variables. It is shown that the $c=1/2$ model in the scaling limit is $T$-duality symmetric in the sphere approximation. In the case of the standard two-matrix model, however, the duality symmetry is violated when the higher-genus effects are taken into account, due to the nonsymmetrical appearence of global ${\mathbf{Z}}_{2}$ vector fields corresponding to nontrivial homology cycles. Some universal properties of the stochastic Hamiltonians which play an important role in discussing the scaling limit and have been discussed in a previous work by Sugino and Yoneya are refined in both the original and dual formulations. We also report a number of new explicit results for various amplitudes containing macroscopic loop operators.

Effect of noise and modulation on the reflection of atoms from an evanescent wave.

We consider the reflection of cold atoms from a temporally modulated evanescent wave, with laser intensity noise, including stochastic surface adsorption. The stochastic surface adsorption is explicitly modeled by means of quantum trajectories while the effect of noise is modeled using the method of stochastic Hamiltonians. The results show that noise destroys quantum features such as interference and splitting, which is especially rapid for semiclassical states. For small noise, modulation can still produce a splitting of the atomic beam, with added dispersion resulting from heating of atoms. In order to distinguish the quantum features, a classical analysis is also presented. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.