Simulating Open Quantum Systems with Hamiltonian Ensembles and the Nonclassicality of the Dynamics

Precession-induced nonclassicality of the free induction decay of NV centers by a dynamical polarized nuclear spin bath

The ongoing exploration of the ambiguous boundary between the quantum and the classical worlds has spurred substantial developments in quantum science and technology. Recently, the nonclassicality of dynamical processes has been proposed from a quantum-information-theoretic perspective, in terms of witnessing nonclassical correlations with Hamiltonian ensemble simulations. To acquire insights into the quantum-dynamical mechanism of the process nonclassicality, here we propose to investigate the nonclassicality of the electron spin free-induction-decay process associated with an NV^-center. By controlling the nuclear spin precession dynamics via an external magnetic field and nuclear spin polarization, it is possible to manipulate the dynamical behavior of the electron spin, showing a transition between classicality and nonclassicality. We propose an explanation of the classicality-nonclassicality transition in terms of the nuclear spin precession axis orientation and dynamics. We have also performed a series of numerical simulations supporting our findings. Consequently, we can attribute the nonclassical trait of the electron spin dynamics to the behavior of nuclear spin precession dynamics.

Quantum Non-Markovian Environment-to-System Backflows of Information: Nonoperational vs. Operational Approaches

Quantum memory effects can be qualitatively understood as a consequence of an environment-to-system backflow of information. Here, we analyze and compare how this concept is interpreted and implemented in different approaches to quantum non-Markovianity. We study a nonoperational approach, defined by the distinguishability between two system states characterized by different initial conditions, and an operational approach, which is defined by the correlation between different outcomes associated to successive measurement processes performed over the system of interest. The differences, limitations, and vantages of each approach are characterized in detail by considering diverse system–environment models and dynamics. As a specific example, we study a non-Markovian depolarizing map induced by the interaction of the system of interest with an environment characterized by incoherent and coherent self-dynamics.

Effects of symmetry breaking of the structurally-disordered Hamiltonian ensembles on the anisotropic decoherence of qubits

It is commonly known that the dephasing in open quantum systems is due to the establishment of bipartite correlations with ambient environments, which are typically difficult to be fully characterized. Recently, a new approach of average over disordered Hamiltonian ensemble is developed and shown to be capable of describing the nonclassicality of incoherent dynamics based on inferring the nonclassical nature of the correlations. Here we further extend the approach of Hamiltonian ensemble in the canonical form to the realm of structural disorder. Under the variable separation of the probability distribution within the Hamiltonian ensemble, the geometrical structure is easily visualized and can be characterized according to the degree of symmetry. We demonstrate four degrees and investigate the effects of different types of symmetry breaking on the incoherent dynamics. We show that these effects are easily understood from the emergences of additional terms in the master equations, leading to rather general master equations and, consequently, going beyond the previous frameworks of pure dephasing or isotropic depolarization.

Distinguishing between Quantum and Classical Markovian Dephasing Dissipation

Understanding whether dissipation in an open quantum system is truly quantum is a question of both fundamental and practical interest. We consider n qubits subject to correlated Markovian dephasing and present a sufficient condition for when bath-induced dissipation can generate system entanglement and hence must be considered quantum. Surprisingly, we find that the presence or absence of time-reversal symmetry plays a crucial role: broken time-reversal symmetry is required for dissipative entanglement generation. Further, simply having nonzero bath susceptibilities is not enough for the dissipation to be quantum. We also present an explicit experimental protocol for identifying truly quantum dephasing dissipation and lay the groundwork for studying more complex dissipative systems and finding optimal noise mitigating strategies.

Canonical Hamiltonian ensemble representation of dephasing dynamics and the impact of thermal fluctuations on quantum-to-classical transition

An important mathematical tool for studying open quantum system theory, which studies the dynamics of a reduced system, is the completely positive and trace-preserving dynamical linear map parameterized by a special parameter-time. Counter-intuitively, akin to the Fourier transform of a signal in time-sequence to its frequency distribution, the time evolution of a reduced system can also be studied in the frequency domain. A recent proposed idea which studies the representation of dynamical processes in the frequency domain, referred to as canonical Hamiltonian ensemble representation (CHER), proved its capability of characterizing the noncalssical traits of the dynamics. Here we elaborate in detail the theoretical foundation within a unified framework and demonstrate several examples for further studies of its properties. In particular, we find that the thermal fluctuations are clearly manifested in the manner of broadening CHER, and consequently rendering the CHER less nonclassical. We also point out the discrepancy between the notions of nonclassicality and non-Markovianity, show multiple CHERs beyond pure dephasing, and, finally, to support the practical viability, propose an experimental realization based upon the free induction decay measurement of nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond.

Noise representations of open system dynamics

We analyze the conditions under which the dynamics of a quantum system open to a given environment can be simulated with an external noisy field that is a surrogate for the environmental degrees of freedom. We show that such a field is either a subjective or an objective surrogate; the former is capable of simulating the dynamics only for the specific system–environment arrangement, while the latter is an universal simulator for any system interacting with the given environment. Consequently, whether the objective surrogate field exists and what are its properties is determined exclusively by the environment. Thus, we are able to formulate the sufficient criterion for the environment to facilitate its surrogate, and we identify a number of environment types that satisfy it. Finally, we discuss in what sense the objective surrogate field representation can be considered classical and we explain its relation to the formation of system–environment entanglement, and the back-action exerted by the system onto environment.

Critical Behavior of the Quantum Contact Process in One Dimension

The contact process is a paradigmatic classical stochastic system displaying critical behavior even in one dimension. It features a nonequilibrium phase transition into an absorbing state that has been widely investigated and shown to belong to the directed percolation universality class. When the same process is considered in a quantum setting, much less is known. So far, mainly semiclassical studies have been conducted and the nature of the transition in low dimensions is still a matter of debate. Also, from a numerical point of view, from which the system may look fairly simple-especially in one dimension-results are lacking. In particular, the presence of the absorbing state poses a substantial challenge, which appears to affect the reliability of algorithms targeting directly the steady state. Here we perform real-time numerical simulations of the open dynamics of the quantum contact process and shed light on the existence and on the nature of an absorbing state phase transition in one dimension. We find evidence for the transition being continuous and provide first estimates for the critical exponents. Beyond the conceptual interest, the simplicity of the quantum contact process makes it an ideal benchmark problem for scrutinizing numerical methods for open quantum nonequilibrium systems.

Quantifying the nonclassicality of pure dephasing

One of the central problems in quantum theory is to characterize, detect, and quantify quantumness in terms of classical strategies. Dephasing processes, caused by non-dissipative information exchange between quantum systems and environments, provides a natural platform for this purpose, as they control the quantum-to-classical transition. Recently, it has been shown that dephasing dynamics itself can exhibit (non)classical traits, depending on the nature of the system-environment correlations and the related (im)possibility to simulate these dynamics with Hamiltonian ensembles–the classical strategy. Here we establish the framework of detecting and quantifying the nonclassicality for pure dephasing dynamics. The uniqueness of the canonical representation of Hamiltonian ensembles is shown, and a constructive method to determine the latter is presented. We illustrate our method for qubit, qutrit, and qubit-pair pure dephasing and describe how to implement our approach with quantum process tomography experiments. Our work is readily applicable to present-day quantum experiments.

The presence of processes that cannot be simulated classically in open quantum system dynamics is acknowledged, but an exact quantifier for this non-classical character is still missing. Here, the authors provide a quantitative measure of non-classicality for purely dephasing evolutions.