Quantum backflow is the classically-forbidden effect pertaining to the fact that a particle with a positive momentum may exhibit a negative probability current at some space-time point. We investigate how this peculiar phenomenon extends to many-particle systems. We give a general formulation of quantum backflow for systems formed of $N$ free nonrelativistic structureless particles, either identical or distinguishable. Restricting our attention to bosonic systems where the $N$ identical bosons are in the same one-particle state allows us in particular to analytically show that the maximum achievable amount of quantum backflow in this case becomes arbitrarily small for large values of $N$.
In this work, dissipative quantum backflow is studied for a superposition of two stretched Gaussian wave packets and two identical spinless particles within the Caldirola-Kanai framework. Backflow is mainly an interference process and dissipation is not able to suppress it in the first case. For two identical spinless particles, apart from interference terms, the symmetry of the wave function seems to be crucial in this dynamics. The combined properties make bosons display this effect, even for the dissipative regime but, for fermions, backflow is not exhibited in any regime, dissipative and n…
It was known that a free, nonrelativistic particle in a superposition of positive momenta can, in certain cases, bear a negative probability current --- hence termed quantum backflow. Here, it is shown that more variations can be brought about for a free Dirac particle, particularly when negative-energy solutions are taken into account. Since any Dirac particle can be understood as an antiparticle that acts oppositely (and vice versa), quantum backflow is found to arise in the superposition (i) of a well-defined momentum but different signs of energies, or more remarkably (ii) of different sig…
Quantum backflow is usually understood as a quantum interference phenomenon where probability current of a quantum particle points in the opposite direction to particle's momentum. Here, we quantify the amount of quantum backflow for arbitrary momentum distributions, paving the way towards its experimental verification. We give examples of backflow in gravitational and harmonic potential, and discuss experimental procedures required for the demonstration using atomic gravimeters. Such an experiment would show that the probability of finding a free falling particle above initial level could gro…
In its standard formulation, quantum backflow is a classically impossible phenomenon in which a free quantum particle in a positive-momentum state exhibits a negative probability current. Recently, Miller et al. [Quantum 5, 379 (2021)] have put forward a new, "experiment-friendly" formulation of quantum backflow that aims at extending the notion of quantum backflow to situations in which the particle's state may have both positive and negative momenta. Here, we investigate how the experiment-friendly formulation of quantum backflow compares to the standard one when applied to a free particle i…
Free motion of a quantum particle with the wave function entirely comprised of plane waves with non-negative momenta may be accompanied by negative probability current, an effect called quantum backflow. The effect is weak and fragile, and has not yet been observed experimentally. Here we show that quantum backflow becomes significantly more pronounced and more amenable to experimental observation if, instead of letting the particle move along a straight line, one forces it to move in a circular ring.
General quantum backflow in realistic wave packets
School of Mathematics and Physics, Xiamen University Malaysia（马来西亚厦门大学数学与物理学院）；Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, University of Gdańsk（格但斯克大学数学、物理与信息学学院理论物理与天体物理研究所）；Section of Mathematics, University of Geneva（日内瓦大学数学系）；Quantum Physics Corner Ltd（量子物理角有限公司）
Measurable quantities that have positive values in classical dynamical systems need not to be positive in quantum theory. For example, consider a free quantum mechanical particle in one dimension. There are quantum states in which the particle's velocity is positive with probability 1, but where the probability flux for its position is locally negative; that is, while its velocity points to the right, the particle travels to the left. These effects are however small and limited in space and time by certain lower bounds, which are called "quantum inequalities". Similar effects also appear for a…
It is known that for a non-relativistic quantum particle traveling freely on the $x$-axis, the positional probability can flow in the opposite direction to the particle's velocity. The maximum possible amount of such backflow that can occur over any time interval has been determined previously as the largest positive eigenvalue of a certain hermitian observable, with the value $0.0384517\dots$, or about $4\%$ of the total probability on the line. The eigenvalue problem is now considered numerically in the more general case of states with momentum restricted to the range $p_0<p<\infty$, for any…
The quantum backflow effect is a counterintuitive behavior of the probability current of a free particle, which may be negative even for states with vanishing negative momentum component. Here we address the notion of nonclassicality arising from the backflow effect, i.e. from the negativity of the probability current, and analyze its relationships with the notion of nonclassicality based on the negativity of the Wigner function. Our results suggest that backflow is linked to a different, and in fact more restrictive, notion of nonclassicality, the negativity of the Wigner function being only …
Catalytic Stabilization of Ergotropy and Backflow Suppression in Open Many-Body Quantum Batteries
Center for Quantum Materials and Computational Condensed Matter Physics, Faculty of Science, Kunming University of Science and Technology（昆明理工大学理学院量子材料与计算凝聚态物理中心）
Magnetic tuning of quantum backflow: Schrödinger vs Pauli system
Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, College of Sciences, Institute of Physical Sciences, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw（华沙卡罗尔·斯特凡·维希尼茨基大学理学院自然科学系物理科学研究所）
We study the quantum backflow problem in the noncommutative plane. In particular, we have considered a charged particle with and without an oscillator interaction with noncommuting momentum operators and examined angular momentum backflow in each case and how they differ from each other. We also propose a probability associated with the occurence of angular momentum backflow and investigate whether or not the probability depends on a physical parameter, namely the magnetic field.
In its original formulation, quantum backflow (QB) is an interference effect that manifests itself as a negative probability transfer for free-particle states comprised of plane waves with only positive momenta. Quantum reentry (QR) is another interference effect in which a wave packet expanding from a spatial region of its initial confinement partially returns to the region in the absence of any external forces. Here we show that both QB and QR are special cases of a more general classically-forbidden probability flow for quantum states with certain position-momentum correlations. We further …
Quantum backflow is a classically forbidden effect consisting in a negative flux for states with negligible negative momentum components. It has never been observed experimentally so far. We derive a general relation that connects backflow with a critical value of the particle density, paving the way for the detection of backflow by a density measurement. To this end, we propose an explicit scheme with Bose-Einstein condensates, at reach with current experimental technologies. Remarkably, the application of a positive momentum kick, via a Bragg pulse, to a condensate with a positive velocity m…
We show that, contrary to the statements made by many authors, the backflow is not a nonclassical effect. The backflow is a characteristic feature of solutions of the wave equations: quantum and classical. We present simple solutions of the Dirac equation, Maxwell equations and equations of linearized gravity where the backflow phenomenon is clearly seen. In this work we describe backflow in relativistic theories but this phenomenon can occur in the solutions of all kinds of wave equations: quantum and classical.
Backflow is the phenomenon that the probability current of a quantum particle on the line can flow in the direction opposite to its momentum. In this article, previous investigations of backflow, pertaining to interaction-free dynamics or purely kinematical aspects, are extended to scattering situations in short-range potentials. It is shown that backflow is a universal quantum effect which exists in any such potential, and is always of bounded spatial extent in a specific sense. The effects of reflection and transmission processes on backflow are investigated, both analytically for general po…
Any realistic quantum system is inevitably subject to an external environment. This environment makes the open-system dynamics significant for many quantum tech-nologies, such as entangled-state engineering, quantum simulation, and quantum sensing. The information flow of a system to its environment usually induces a Markovian process, while the backflow of information from the environment exhibits non-Markovianity. The practical environment, usually consisting of a large number of degrees of freedom, is hard to control, despite some attempts on controllable transitions from Markovian to non-M…
We present and motivate an efficient way to include orbital dependent many--body correlations in trial wave function of real--space Quantum Monte Carlo methods for use in electronic structure calculations. We apply our new orbital--dependent backflow wave function to calculate ground state energies of the first row atoms using variational and diffusion Monte Carlo methods. The systematic overall gain of correlation energy with respect to single determinant Jastrow-Slater wave functions is competitive with the best single determinant trial wave functions currently available. The computational c…
Non-Markovian quantum effects are typically observed in systems interacting with structured reservoirs. Discrete-time quantum walks are prime example of such systems in which, quantum memory arises due to the controlled interaction between the coin and position degrees of freedom. Here we show that the information backflow that quantifies memory effects can be enhanced when the particle is subjected to uncorrelated static or dynamic disorder. The presence of disorder in the system leads to localization effects in 1-dimensional quantum walks. We shown that it is possible to infer about the natu…
We revisit the arguments underlying two well-known arrival-time distributions in quantum mechanics, viz., the Aharonov-Bohm and Kijowski (ABK) distribution, applicable for freely moving particles, and the quantum flux (QF) distribution. An inconsistency in the original axiomatic derivation of Kijowski's result is pointed out, along with an inescapable consequence of the "negative arrival times" inherent to this proposal (and generalizations thereof). The ABK free-particle restriction is lifted in a discussion of an explicit arrival-time setup featuring a charged particle moving in a constant m…
Quantum Back Flow (QBF), discovered quite a few years back, is a generic purely quantum phenomenon, in which the probability of finding a particle in a direction is non-zero (and increasing for a certain period of time) even when the particle has with certainty a velocity in the opposite direction. In this paper, we study QBF of a quantum particle across the event horizon of a Schwarzschild Black Hole. In a toy model approach, we consider a superposition of two ingoing solutions and observe the probability density and probability current. We explicitly demonstrate a non-vanishing quantum backf…
We formulate a general theory of wave-particle duality for many-body quantum states, which quantifies how wave- and particle-like properties balance each other. Much as in the well-understood single-particle case, which-way information -- here on the level of many-particle paths -- lends particle-character, while interference -- here due to coherent superpositions of many-particle amplitudes -- indicates wave-like properties. We analyze how many-particle which-way information, continuously tunable by the level of distinguishability of fermionic or bosonic, identical and possibly interacting pa…
Identical particles exhibit correlations even in the absence of inter-particle interaction, due to the exchange (anti)symmetry of the many-particle wavefunction. Two fermions obey the Pauli principle and anti-bunch, whereas two bosons favor bunched, doubly occupied states. Here, we show that the collective interference of three or more particles leads to a much more diverse behavior than expected from the boson-fermion dichotomy known from quantum statistical mechanics. The emerging complexity of many-particle interference is tamed by a simple law for the strict suppression of events in the Be…
We study quantum walks of many non-interacting particles on a beam splitter array, as a paradigmatic testing ground for the competition of single- and many-particle interference in a multi-mode system. We derive a general expression for multi-mode particle-number correlation functions, valid for bosons and fermions, and infer pronounced signatures of many-particle interferences in the counting statistics.
We port the concept of non-Markovian quantum dynamics to the many-particle realm, by a suitable decomposition of the many-particle Hilbert space. We show how the specific structure of many-particle states determines the observability of non-Markovianity by single- or many-particle observables, and discuss a realization in a readily implementable few-particle set-up.
We present an investigation of many-particle quantum walks in systems of non-interacting distinguishable particles. Along with a redistribution of the many-particle density profile we show that the collective evolution of the many-particle system resembles the single-particle quantum walk evolution when the number of steps is greater than the number of particles in the system. For non-uniform initial states we show that the quantum walks can be effectively used to separate the basis states of the particle in position space and grouping like state together. We also discuss a two-particle quantu…
In a general, multi-mode scattering setup, we show how the permutation symmetry of a many-particle input state determines those scattering unitaries which exhibit strictly suppressed many-particle transition events. We formulate purely algebraic suppression laws that identify these events and show that the many-particle interference at their origin is robust under weak disorder and imperfect indistinguishability of the interfering particles. Finally, we demonstrate that all suppression laws so far described in the literature are embedded in the general framework that we here introduce.
Many-particles quantum walks of particles obeying Bose statistics moving on graphs of various topologies are introduced. A single coin tossing commands the conditional shift operation over the whole graph. Vertices particle densities, the mean values of the phase space variables, second order spatial correlation and counting statistics are evaluated and simulated. Evidence of an universal dynamics is presented.
We conceive an all-optical representation of the dynamics of two distinct types of interacting bosons in a double well by an array of evanescently coupled photonic waveguides. Many-particle interference effects are probed for various interaction strengths by changing the relative abundance of the particle species and can be readily identified by monitoring the propagation of the light intensity across the waveguide array. In particular, we show that finite inter-particle interaction strengths reduce the many-particle interference contrast by dephasing. A general description of the many-particl…
Wavefunction correlations and density matrices for few or many particles are derived from the properties of semiclassical energy Green functions. Universal features of fixed energy (microcanonical) random wavefunction correlation functions appear which reflect the emergence of the canonical ensemble as the number of particles approaches infinity. This arises through a little known asymptotic limit of Bessel functions. Constraints due to symmetries, boundaries, and collisions between particles can be included.
We use multiple quantum (MQ) NMR dynamics of a gas of spin-carrying molecules in nanocavities at high and low temperatures for an investigation of many-particle entanglement. A distribution of MQ NMR intensities is obtained at high and low temperatures in a system of 201 spins 1/2. The second moment of the distribution, which provides a lower bound on the quantum Fisher information, sheds light on the many-particle entanglement in the system. The dependence of the many-particle entanglement on the temperature is investigated. Almost all spins are entangled at low temperatures.
While free and weakly interacting particles are well described by a a second-quantized nonlinear Schrödinger field, or relativistic versions of it, the fields of strongly interacting particles are governed by effective actions, whose quadratic terms are extremized by fractional wave equations. Their particle orbits perform universal Lévy walks rather than Gaussian random walks with perturbations.
Ab-initio variational wave functions for the time-dependent many-electron Schrödinger equation
Institute of Physics, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)（洛桑联邦理工学院物理研究所）；Center for Quantum Science and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)（洛桑联邦理工学院量子科学与工程中心）
We present a formalism to study many-particle quantum transport across a lattice locally connected to two finite, non-stationary (bosonic or fermionic) reservoirs, both of which are in a thermal state. We show that, for conserved total particle number, a system of nonlinear quantum-classical master equations describes the concurrent many-particle time evolution on the lattice and in the reservoirs. The finiteness of the reservoirs makes a macroscopic current emerge, which decreases exponentially in time, and asymptotically drives the many-particle configuration into an equilibrium state where …
We show how robust statistical features of a many-particle quantum state's two-point correlations after transmission through a multi-mode random scatterer can be used as a sensitive probe of the injected particles' mutual indistinguishability. This generalises Hong-Ou-Mandel interference as a diagnostic tool for many-particle transmission signals across multi-mode random scatterers. Furthermore, we show how, from such statistical features of the many-particle interference pattern, information can be deduced on the temporal structure of the many-particle input state, by inspection of the many-p…
We review `particle partitioning entanglement' for itinerant many-particle systems. This is defined as the entanglement between two subsets of particles making up the system. We identify generic features and mechanisms of particle entanglement that are valid over whole classes of itinerant quantum systems. We formulate the general structure of particle entanglement in many-fermion ground states, analogous to the `area law' for the more usually studied entanglement between spatial regions. Basic properties of particle entanglement are first elucidated by considering relatively simple itinerant …
We numerically investigate the minimum number of interacting particles, which is required for the onset of strong chaos in quantum systems on a one-dimensional lattice with short-range and long-range interactions. We consider multiple system sizes which are at least three times larger than the number of particles and find that robust signatures of quantum chaos emerge for as few as 4 particles in the case of short-range interactions and as few as 3 particles for long-range interactions, and without any apparent dependence on the size of the system.
We derive a many-particle inseparability criterion for mixed states using the relation between single-mode and many-particle nonclassicalities. It works very well not only in the vicinity of the Dicke states, but also for the superposition of them: superradiant ground state of finite/infinite number of particles and time evolution of single-photon superradiance. We also obtain a criterion for ensemble-field entanglement which works fine for such kind of states. Even though the collective excitations of the many-particle system is sub-Poissonian --which results in entanglement-- the wave functi…
We consider a many particle quantum system, in which each particle interacts only with its nearest neighbours. Provided that the energy per particle has an upper bound, we show, that the energy distribution of almost every product state becomes a Gaussian normal distribution in the limit of infinite number of particles. We indicate some possible applications.
We demonstrate that, in a many-particle system, particles can be strongly confined to their sites. The localization is obtained by constructing a sequence of on-site energies that efficiently suppresses resonant hopping. The time during which a many-particle state remains strongly localized in an infinite chain can exceed the reciprocal hopping frequency by $\agt 10^6$ already for a narrow energy bandwidth. The results show viability of quantum computers with time-independent qubit coupling.
