The Schrodinger equation for a macroscopic number of particles is linear in the wave function, deterministic, and invariant under time reversal. In contrast, the concepts used and calculations done in statistical physics and condensed matter physics involve stochasticity, nonlinearities, irreversibility, top-down effects, and elements from classical physics. This paper analyzes several methods used in condensed matter physics and statistical physics and explains how they are in fundamental ways incompatible with the above properties of the Schrodinger equation. The problems posed by reconciling these approaches to unitary quantum mechanics are of a similar type as the quantum measurement problem. This paper therefore argues that rather than aiming at reconciling these contrasts one should use them to identify the limits of quantum mechanics. The thermal wave length and thermal time indicate where these limits are for (quasi-)particles that constitute the thermal degrees of freedom.
The variational quantum eigensolver has been proposed as a low-depth quantum circuit that can be employed to examine strongly correlated systems on today's noisy intermediate-scale quantum computers. We examine details associated with the factorized form of the unitary coupled-cluster variant of this algorithm. We apply it to a simple strongly correlated condensed-matter system with nontrivial behavior---the four-site Hubbard model at half filling. This work show some of the subtle issues one needs to take into account when applying this algorithm in practice, especially to condensed-matter sy…
Variational principle for the time evolution operator, its usefulness in effective theories of condensed matter systems and a glimpse into the role played by the quantum geometry of unitary transformations
We study the post-quench dynamics of unitary Bose gases using a two-channel model, focusing on the effect of variations in the width of the Feshbach resonance due to density changes. We generally find that increasing the density leads to a corresponding increase in the production of closed channel molecules, a decrease in the build up of quantum depletion and a transition from linear to quadratic early-time growth of the two-body contact as well as the condensed pair fraction. Motivated by the presence of closed-channel molecules in the unitary regime, we study the embedded two-body problem fi…
Tensor network methods have progressed from variational techniques based on matrix-product states able to compute properties of one-dimensional condensed-matter lattice models into methods rooted in more elaborate states such as projected entangled pair states aimed at simulating the physics of two-dimensional models. In this work, we advocate the paradigm that for two-dimensional fermionic models, matrix-product states are still applicable to significantly higher accuracy levels than direct embeddings into one-dimensional systems allow for. To do so, we exploit schemes of fermionic mode trans…
QTris: a pedagogical board game to teach Quantum Mechanics
Università degli Studi di Napoli “Federico II”（那不勒斯费德里科二世大学）；INFN Sezione di Napoli（意大利国家核物理研究所那不勒斯分部）；Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - CNR-IFN（意大利国家研究委员会光子和纳米技术研究所）；Università degli Studi dell’Insubria（因苏布里亚大学）
Continuous unitary transformations can be used to diagonalize or approximately diagonalize a given Hamiltonian. In the last four years, this method has been applied to a variety of models of condensed matter physics and field theory. With a new generator for the continuous unitary transformation proposed in this paper one can avoid some of the problems of former applications. General properties of the new generator are derived. It turns out that the new generator is especially useful for Hamiltonians with a banded structure. Two examples, the Lipkin model, and the spin--boson model are discuss…
We present a unification of mixed-space quantum representations in Condensed Matter Physics (CMP) and Quantum Field Theory (QFT). The unifying formalism is based on being able to expand any quantum operator, for bosons, fermions, and spin systems, using a universal basis operator Y(u,v) involving mixed Hilbert spaces of P and Q, respectively, where P and Q are momentum and position operators in CMP (which can be considered as a bozonization of free Bloch electrons which incorporates the Pauli exclusion principle and Fermi-Dirac distribution), whereas these are related to the creation and annih…
We study the interactions among phonons and the phonon lifetime in a pair-condensed Fermi gas in the BEC-BCS crossover in the collisionless regime. To compute the phonon-phonon coupling amplitudes we use a microscopic model based on a generalized BCS Ansatz including moving pairs, which allows for a systematic expansion around the mean field BCS approximation of the ground state. We show that the quantum hydrodynamic expression of the amplitudes obtained by Landau and Khalatnikov apply only on the energy shell, that is for resonant processes that conserve energy. The microscopic model yields t…
We review recent progress in understanding the notion of locality in integrable quantum lattice systems. The central concept are the so-called quasilocal conserved quantities, which go beyond the standard perception of locality. Two systematic procedures to rigorously construct families of quasilocal conserved operators based on quantum transfer matrices are outlined, specializing on anisotropic Heisenberg XXZ spin-1/2 chain. Quasilocal conserved operators stem from two distinct classes of representations of the auxiliary space algebra, comprised of unitary (compact) representations, which can…
The Algebraic Bethe Ansatz (ABA) is a highly successful analytical method used to exactly solve several physical models in both statistical mechanics and condensed-matter physics. Here we bring the ABA into unitary form, for its direct implementation on a quantum computer. This is achieved by distilling the non-unitary $R$ matrices that make up the ABA into unitaries using the QR decomposition. Our algorithm is deterministic and works for both real and complex roots of the Bethe equations. We illustrate our method on the spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ XX and XXZ models. We show that using this approach on…
The Kitaev honeycomb model is a paradigm of exactly-solvable models, showing non-trivial physical properties such as topological quantum order, abelian and non-abelian anyons, and chirality. Its solution is one of the most beautiful examples of the interplay of different mathematical techniques in condensed matter physics. In this paper, we show how to derive a tensor network (TN) description of the eigenstates of this spin-1/2 model in the thermodynamic limit, and in particular for its ground state. In our setting, eigenstates are naturally encoded by an exact 3d TN structure made of fermioni…
The understanding of symmetry operations has brought enormous advancements in physics, ranging from elementary particle to condensed matter systems. In quantum mechanics, symmetry operations are described by either unitary or antiunitary operators, where the latter are unphysical transformations that cannot be realized in physical systems. So far, quantum simulators of unitary and dissipative processes, the only allowed physical dynamics, have been realized in key experiments. Here, we present an embedding quantum simulator able to encode unphysical operations in a multilevel single trapped io…
Scrambling and thermalisation are topics of intense study in both condensed matter and high energy physics. Random unitary dynamics form a simple testing-ground for our theoretical understanding of these processes. In this work, we derive exact expressions for the large $q$ limiting behaviour of a selection of $n$-point correlation functions, out-of-time-ordered correlators (OTOCs), and their moments. In the process we find a general principle that breaks OTOCs into small and easy to calculate pieces, and which can likely be deployed in a more general context.
The calculation of quantum dynamics is currently a central issue in theoretical physics, with diverse applications ranging from ultra-cold atomic Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) to condensed matter, biology, and even astrophysics. Here we demonstrate a conceptually simple method of determining the regime of validity of stochastic simulations of unitary quantum dynamics by employing a time-reversal test. We apply this test to a simulation of the evolution of a quantum anharmonic oscillator with up to $6.022\times10^{23}$ (Avogadro's number) of particles. This system is realisable as a Bose-Eins…
Quantum systems with a finite number of states at all times have been a primary element of many physical models in nuclear and elementary particle physics, as well as in condensed matter physics. Today, however, due to a practical demand in the area of developing quantum technologies, a whole set of novel tasks for improving our understanding of the structure of finite-dimensional quantum systems has appeared. In the present article we will concentrate on one aspect of such studies related to the problem of explicit parameterization of state space of an $N$-level quantum system. More precisely…
Quantum computers promise to revolutionise electronic simulations by overcoming the exponential scaling of many-electron problems. While electronic wave functions can be represented using a product of fermionic unitary operators, shallow quantum circuits for exact states have not yet been achieved. We construct universal wave functions from gate-efficient, symmetry-preserving fermionic operators by introducing an algorithm that globally optimises the wave function in the discrete ansatz design and the continuous parameter spaces. Our approach maximises the accuracy that can be obtained with ne…
Variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) is a hybrid quantum-classical technique that leverages noisy intermediate scale quantum (NISQ) hardware to obtain the minimum eigenvalue of a model Hamiltonian. VQE has so far been used to simulate condensed matter systems as well as quantum chemistry of small molecules. In this work, we employ VQE methods to obtain the ground-state energy of LiCoO$_2$, a candidate transition metal oxide used for battery cathodes. We simulate Li$_2$Co$_2$O$_4$ and Co$_2$O$_4$ gas-phase models, which represent the lithiated and delithiated states during the discharge and th…
We use magnetic flux-tubes to stabilize zero-energy modes in a lattice realization of a 2-dimensional superconductor from class D of classification table of topological condensed matter systems. The zero modes are exchanged by slowly displacing the flux-tubes and an application of the adiabatic theorem demonstrates the geometric nature of the resulting unitary time-evolution operators. Furthermore, an explicit numerical evaluation reveals that the evolutions are in fact topological, hence supplying a representation of the braid group, which turns out to be non-abelian. This physical representa…
Evolution in imaginary time is a prominent technique for finding the ground state of quantum many-body systems, and the heart of a number of numerical methods that have been used with great success in quantum chemistry, condensed matter and nuclear physics. We propose an algorithm to implement imaginary time propagation on a quantum computer. Our algorithm is devised in the context of an efficient encoding into an optimized gate, drawing on the underlying characteristics of the quantum device, of a unitary operation in an extended Hilbert space. However, we proved that for simple problems it c…
Geometric phase has found a broad spectrum of applications in both classical and quantum physics, such as condensed matter and quantum computation. In this paper we introduce an operational geometric phase for mixed quantum states, based on spectral weighted traces of holonomies, and we prove that it generalizes the standard definition of geometric phase for mixed states, which is based on quantum interferometry. We also introduce higher order geometric phases, and prove that under a fairly weak, generically satisfied, requirement, there is always a well-defined geometric phase of some order. …
According to the hypothesis of Penrose and Diosi, quantum state reduction is a manifestation of the incompatibilty of general relativity and the unitary time evolution of quantum physics. Dimensional analysis suggests that Schrodinger cat type states should collapse on measurable time scales when masses and lengths of the order of bacterial scales are involved. We analyze this hypothesis in the context of modern developments in condensed matter and cold atoms physics, aimed at realizing macroscopic quantum states. We first consider 'micromechanical' quantum states, analyzing the capacity of an…
By considering (non-relativistic) quantum mechanics as it is done in practice in particular in condensed-matter physics, it is argued that a deterministic, unitary time evolution within a chosen Hilbert space always has a limited scope, leaving a lot of room for embedding the quantum-classical transition into our current theories without recurring to difficult-to-accept interpretations of quantum mechanics. Nonunitary projections to initial and final states, the breaking of time-reversal symmetry, a change of Hilbert space, and the introduction of classical concepts such as external potentials…
Gauge theories form the foundation of modern physics, with applications ranging from elementary particle physics and early-universe cosmology to condensed matter systems. We perform quantum simulations of the unitary dynamics of a U(1) symmetric gauge field theory and demonstrate emergent irreversible behavior. The highly constrained gauge theory dynamics is encoded in a one-dimensional Bose--Hubbard simulator, which couples fermionic matter fields through dynamical gauge fields. We investigate global quantum quenches and the equilibration to a steady state well approximated by a thermal ensem…
We present an outline of a technique to associate certain methods from time optimal quantum control with various transforms on SU(3). Unitary operators are taken from certain time dependent Hamiltonians and transformation laws are derived. A methodological framework for development of solution for these types of problems with a non-simple geometric framework is presented that is generally applicable. We give an expansive overview of the field of SU(3), its meaning, purpose and context within the presented results. Exact solutions for periodic curves on SU(3) are provided, along with the operat…
The simulation of out-of-equilibrium dissipative quantum many body systems is a problem of fundamental interest to a number of fields in physics, ranging from condensed matter to cosmology. For unitary systems, tensor network methods have proved successful and extending these to open systems is a natural avenue for study. In particular, an important question concerns the possibility of approximating the critical dynamics of non-equilibrium systems with tensor networks. Here, we investigate this by performing numerical simulations of a paradigmatic quantum non-equilibrium system with an absorbi…
Quantum simulations are bound to be one of the main applications of near-term quantum computers. Quantum chemistry and condensed matter physics are expected to benefit from these technological developments. Several quantum simulation methods are known to prepare a state on a quantum computer and measure the desired observables. The most resource economic procedure is the variational quantum eigensolver (VQE), which has traditionally employed unitary coupled cluster as the ansatz to approximate ground states of many-body fermionic Hamiltonians. A significant caveat of the method is that the ini…
Ultracold atomic systems offer a unique tool for understanding behavior of matter in the quantum degenerate regime, promising studies of a vast range of phenomena covering many disciplines from condensed matter to quantum information and particle physics. Coupling these systems to quantized light fields opens further possibilities of observing delicate effects typical of quantum optics in the context of strongly correlated systems. Measurement backaction is one of the most fundamental manifestations of quantum mechanics and it is at the core of many famous quantum optics experiments. Here we s…
Dicke superrandiance is a cooperative phenomenon which arises from the collective coupling of an ensemble of atoms to the electromagnetic radiation. Here we discuss the quantifying of quantum coherence for the Dicke model of superradiance in the mean-field approximation. We found the single-atom $l_1$-norm of coherence is given by the square root of the normalized average intensity of radiation emitted by the superradiant system. This validates quantum coherence as a useful figure of merit towards the understanding of superradiance phenomenon in the mean-field approach. In particular, this res…
The detection of topological phases of matter becomes a central issue in recent years. Conventionally, the realization of a specific topological phase in condensed matter physics relies on probing the underlying surface band dispersion or quantum transport signature of a real material, which may be imperfect or even absent. On the other hand, quantum simulation offers an alternative approach to directly measure the topological invariant on a universal quantum computer. However, experimentally demonstrating high-dimensional topological phases remains a challenge due to the technical limitations…
Invariance under Lorentz transformations is fundamental to both the standard model and general relativity. Testing Lorentz-symmetry violation (LSV) via atomic systems attracts extensive interests in theory and experiment. Some recent proposals for testing LSV present that the effects of violation can be described as a local interaction. Further, the test precision of LSV can be enhanced via quantum entanglement and its quantum Fisher information (QFI) implicates that the test precision can asymptotically reach the Heisenberg limit. In general, the limited resolution of collective observables p…
A time evolution operator in the interaction picture is given by exponentiating an interaction Hamiltonian $H$. Important examples of Hamiltonians, often encountered in quantum optics, condensed matter and high energy physics, are of a general form $H=r(A^\dagger-A)$, where $A$ is a multimode boson operator and $r$ is the coupling constant. If no simple factorization formula for the evolution operator exists, the calculation of the evolution operator is a notoriously difficult problem. In this case the only available option may be to Taylor expand the operator in $r$ and act on a state of inte…
