There are presently two models for quantum walks on graphs. The "coined" walk uses discrete time steps, and contains, besides the particle making the walk, a second quantum system, the coin, that determines the direction in which the particle will move. The continuous walk operates with continuous time. Here a third model for a quantum walk is proposed, which is based on an analogy to optical interferometers. It is a discrete-time model, and the unitary operator that advances the walk one step depends only on the local structure of the graph on which the walk is taking place. No quantum coin is introduced. This type of walk allows us to introduce elements, such as phase shifters, that have no counterpart in classical random walks. Walks on the line and cycle are discussed in some detail, and a probability current for these walks is introduced. The relation to the coined quantum walk is also discussed. The paper concludes by showing how to define these walks for a general graph.
Multiple bosons undergoing coherent evolution in a coupled network of sites constitute a so-called quantum walk system. The simplest example of such a two-particle interference is the celebrated Hong-Ou-Mandel interference. When scaling to larger boson numbers, simulating the exact distribution of bosons has been shown, under reasonable assumptions, to be exponentially hard. We analyze the feasibility and expected performance of a globally connected superconducting resonator based quantum walk system, using the known characteristics of state-of-the-art components. We simulate the sensitivity o…
We perform generalized measurements of a qubit by realizing the qubit as a coin in a photonic quantum walk and subjecting the walker to projective measurements. Our experimental technique can be used to realize photonically any rank-1 single-qubit positive operator-valued measure via constructing an appropriate interferometric quantum-walk network and then projectively measuring the walker's position at the final step.
We show that the coined quantum walk on a line can be understood as an interference phenomenon, can be classically implemented, and indeed already has been. The walk is essentially two independent walks associated with the different coin sides, coupled only at initiation. There is a simple analogy between the evolution of walker positions and the propagation of light in a dispersive optical fiber.
We present an interferometric scheme producing orbital entanglement in a quantum Hall system upon electron-hole pair emission via tunneling. The proposed setup is an electronic version of the optical interferometer proposed by Cabello et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 040401 (2009)], and is feasible with present technology. It requires single-channel propagation and a single primary source. We discuss the creation of entanglement and its detection by the violation of a Bell inequality.
We propose an implementation scheme for the continuous-time quantum walk using a diatomic molecule and an optical frequency comb. We show an analogy between the quantum walk and the cascade rotational transitions induced by the optical frequency comb whose frequency peaks are tuned to the pure rotational transitions in the molecule. The strategy to compensate for the centrifugal distortion of the real molecule is also demonstrated.
Experimental observations of quantum walks in one dimension have provided many exciting applications in quantum computing, while recent theoretical investigation of single phase defect in these system points towards interesting phenomena associated with bounds states. Here we obtain analytical solutions of quantum walk with a general quantum coin in one dimension with multiple defects, with new prediction on the condition for zero reflectance for scattering state, and the existence of an analogy to the Ramsauer effect for multiple defects. We also show the transition from the zero reflectance …
A novel bulk optics scheme for quantum walks is presented. It consists of a one-dimensional lattice built on two concatenated displaced Sagnac interferometers that make it possible to reproduce all the possible trajectories of an optical quantum walk. Because of the closed loop configuration, the interferometric structure is intrinsically stable in phase. Moreover, the lattice structure is highly configurable, as any phase component perceived by the walker is accessible, and finally, all output modes can be measured at any step of the quantum walk evolution. We report here on the experimental …
A quantum walk is a time-homogeneous quantum-mechanical process on a graph defined by analogy to classical random walk. The quantum walker is a particle that moves from a given vertex to adjacent vertices in quantum superposition. Here we consider a generalization of quantum walk to systems with more than one walker. A continuous-time multi-particle quantum walk is generated by a time-independent Hamiltonian with a term corresponding to a single-particle quantum walk for each particle, along with an interaction term. Multi-particle quantum walk includes a broad class of interacting many-body s…
High-dimensional biphoton states are promising resources for quantum applications, ranging from high-dimensional quantum communications to quantum imaging. A pivotal task is fully characterising these states, which is generally time-consuming and not scalable when projective measurement approaches are adopted. However, new advances in coincidence imaging technologies allow for overcoming these limitations by parallelising multiple measurements. Here, we introduce biphoton digital holography, in analogy to off-axis digital holography, where coincidence imaging of the superposition of an unknown…
Quantum walks constitute a versatile platform for simulating transport phenomena on discrete graphs including topological material properties while providing a high control over the relevant parameters at the same time. To experimentally access and directly measure the topological invariants of quantum walks we implement the scattering scheme proposed by Tarasinski et al.[Phys. Rev. A 89, 042327 (2014)] in a photonic time multiplexed quantum walk experiment. The tunable coin operation provides opportunity to reach distinct topological phases, and accordingly to observe the corresponding topolo…
Quantum walk is one of the main tools for quantum algorithms. Defined by analogy to classical random walk, a quantum walk is a time-homogeneous quantum process on a graph. Both random and quantum walks can be defined either in continuous or discrete time. But whereas a continuous-time random walk can be obtained as the limit of a sequence of discrete-time random walks, the two types of quantum walk appear fundamentally different, owing to the need for extra degrees of freedom in the discrete-time case. In this article, I describe a precise correspondence between continuous- and discrete-time q…
We provide an explanation of recent experimental results of Xue et al., where full revivals in a time-dependent quantum walk model with a periodically changing coin are found. Using methods originally developed for "electric" walks with a space-dependent, rather than a time-dependent coin, we provide a full explanation of the observations of Xue et al. We extend the analysis from periodic time-dependence to quasi-periodic behaviour with periods incommensurate to the step size. Spectral analysis, one of the principal tools for the study of electric walks, fails for time-dependent systems, but w…
It was recently pointed out that identifiability of quantum random walks and hidden Markov processes underlie the same principles. This analogy immediately raises questions on the existence of hidden states also in quantum random walks and their relationship with earlier debates on hidden states in quantum mechanics. The overarching insight was that not only hidden Markov processes, but also quantum random walks are finitary processes. Since finitary processes enjoy nice asymptotic properties, this also encourages to further investigate the asymptotic properties of quantum random walks. Here, …
Inspired by the classical phenomenon of random walk, the concept of quantum walk has emerged recently as a powerful platform for the dynamical simulation of complex quantum systems, entanglement production and universal quantum computation. Such a wide perspective motivates a renewing search for efficient, scalable and stable implementations of this quantum process. Photonic approaches have hitherto mainly focused on multi-path schemes, requiring interferometric stability and a number of optical elements that scales quadratically with the number of steps. Here we report the experimental realiz…
The "quantum walk" has emerged recently as a paradigmatic process for the dynamic simulation of complex quantum systems, entanglement production and quantum computation. Hitherto, photonic implementations of quantum walks have mainly been based on multi-path interferometric schemes in real space. Here, we report the experimental realization of a discrete quantum walk taking place in the orbital angular momentum space of light, both for a single photon and for two simultaneous photons. In contrast to previous implementations, the whole process develops in a single light beam, with no need of in…
We present a new method to obtain the first-order temporal correlation function, $g^{(1)} (τ)$, of the light scattered by an assembly of point-like quantum scatterers, or equivalently its spectral power distribution. This new method is based on the mirror-assisted backscattering interferometric setup. The contrast of its angular fringes was already linked in the past to the convolution of $g^{(1)} (τ)$ for different Rabi frequencies taking into account the incoming spatial intensity profile of the probe beam, but we show here that by simply adding a half waveplate to the interferometer in a sp…
Describing a particle in an external electromagnetic field is a basic task of quantum mechanics. The standard scheme for this is known as "minimal coupling", and consists of replacing the momentum operators in the Hamiltonian by modified ones with an added vector potential. In lattice systems it is not so clear how to do this, because there is no continuous translation symmetry, and hence there are no momenta. Moreover, when time is also discrete, as in quantum walk systems, there is no Hamiltonian, only a unitary step operator. We present a unified framework of gauge theory for such discrete …
We consider quantum random walks (QRW) on the integers, a subject that has been considered in the last few years in the framework of quantum computation. We show how the theory of CMV matrices gives a natural tool to study these processes and to give results that are analogous to those that Karlin and McGregor developed to study (classical) birth-and-death processes using orthogonal polynomials on the real line. In perfect analogy with the classical case the study of QRWs on the set of non-negative integers can be handled using scalar valued (Laurent) polynomials and a scalar valued measure on…
We study quantum Markov chains on graphs, described by completely positive maps, following the model due to S. Gudder (J. Math. Phys. 49, 072105, 2008) and which includes the dynamics given by open quantum random walks as defined by S. Attal et al. (J. Stat. Phys. 147:832-852, 2012). After reviewing such structures we examine a quantum notion of mean time of first visit to a chosen vertex. However, instead of making direct use of the definition as it is usually done, we focus on expressions for such quantity in terms of generalized inverses associated with the walk and most particularly the so…
We make use of matrix representations of completely positive maps in order to study open quantum dynamics on graphs, with emphasis on quantum walks and the associated trajectories obtained via a monitoring of the position. We discuss the discrete and continuous time setting and consider the statistics of particles located on a vertex with some internal degree of freedom. Other classes of semigroup generators, such as graph-induced generators are also considered. In the case of primitive quantum channels we present expressions of the mean hitting time for a particle to reach a vertex in terms o…
It is possible to construct artificial spacetime geometries for light by using intense laser pulses that modify the spatiotemporal properties of an optical medium. Here we theoretically investigate experimental possibilities for studying spacetime metrics of the form $\textrm{d}s^2=c^2\textrm{d}t^2-η(t)^2\textrm{d}x^2$. By tailoring the laser pulse shape and medium properties, it is possible to create a refractive index variation $n=n(t)$ that can be identified with $η(t)$. Starting from a perturbative solution to a generalised Hopfield model for the medium described by an $n=n(t)$ we provide …
