We present a formulation of feedback in quantum systems in which the best estimates of the dynamical variables are obtained continuously from the measurement record, and fed back to control the system. We apply this method to the problem of cooling and confining a single quantum degree of freedom, and compare it to current schemes in which the measurement signal is fed back directly in the manner usually considered in existing treatments of quantum feedback. Direct feedback may be combined with feedback by estimation, and the resulting combination, performed on a linear system, is closely analogous to classical LQG control theory with residual feedback.
Measurement and feedback control are essential features of quantum science, with applications ranging from quantum technology protocols to information-to-work conversion in quantum thermodynamics. Theoretical descriptions of feedback control are typically given in terms of stochastic equations requiring numerical solutions, or are limited to linear feedback protocols. Here we present a formalism for continuous quantum measurement and feedback, both linear and nonlinear. Our main result is a quantum Fokker-Planck master equation describing the joint dynamics of a quantum system and a detector w…
Using the example of the Jaynes-Cummings model, we present a comparison between time-delayed coherent feedback mediated by reservoirs with continuous and discrete mode structures and work out their qualitative differences. In contrast to the discrete-mode case, the continuous-mode case results in the well-known single-delay dynamics which can, e.g., stabilize Rabi oscillations. The discrete-mode case, however, shows population trapping, not present in the continuous-mode model. Given these differences, we discuss the cavity output spectra and show how these characteristic properties are spectr…
Based on tensor network realizations of path integrals reducing exponential memory scaling to polynomial efficiency and a Liouville space implementation of a time-discrete quantum memory, we investigate a quantum system simultaneously exposed to two structured reservoirs. For this purpose, we employ a numerically exact quasi-2D tensor network combining both diagonal and off-diagonal system-reservoir interactions with a twofold memory for continuous and discrete retardation effects. As a possible example, we study the non-Markovian dynamical interplay between discrete photonic feedback and stru…
We consider the problem of frequency estimation for a single bosonic field evolving under a squeezing Hamiltonian and continuously monitored via homodyne detection. In particular, we exploit reinforcement learning techniques to devise feedback control strategies achieving increased estimation precision. We show that the feedback control determined by the neural network greatly surpasses in the long-time limit the performances of both the "no-control" strategy and the standard "open-loop control" strategy, which we considered as benchmarks. We indeed observe how the devised strategy is able to …
We address the quantum search of a target node on a cycle graph by means of a quantum walk assisted by continuous measurement and feedback. Unlike previous spatial search approaches, where the oracle is described as a projector on the target state, we instead consider a dynamical oracle implemented through a feedback Hamiltonian. In particular, our protocol is able to drive the walker to a desired target node. The idea is based on continuously monitoring the position of the quantum walker on the graph and then to apply a unitary feedback operation based on the information obtained from measure…
We demonstrate a new feedback algorithm to cool a single neutral atom trapped inside a standing-wave optical cavity. The algorithm is based on parametric modulation of the confining potential at twice the natural oscillation frequency of the atom, in combination with fast and repetitive atomic position measurements. The latter serve to continuously adjust the modulation phase to a value for which parametric excitation of the atomic motion is avoided. Cooling is limited by the measurement back action which decoheres the atomic motion after only a few oscillations. Nonetheless, applying this fee…
This study is aimed at investigating the feasibility of generating quantum entanglement between macroscopic mechanical mirrors in optomechanical systems while under continuous measurement and feedback control. We carefully derive a covariance matrix for mechanical mirrors in a steady state, employing the Kalman filtering problem with an assumed dominant cavity photon dissipation, such that the common and differential modes of the mirrors are squeezed by the action of measuring the output light beams. We demonstrate that entanglement between the mechanical mirrors is generated when the states o…
Developments over the last two decades have opened the path towards quantum technologies in many quantum systems, such as cold atoms, trapped ions, cavity-quantum electrodynamics (QED), and circuit-QED. However the fragility of quantum states to the effects of measurement and decoherence still poses one of the greatest challenges in quantum technology. An imperative capability in this path is quantum feedback, as it enhances the control possibilities and allows for prolonging coherence times through quantum error correction. While changing parameters from shot to shot of an experiment or proce…
Thermodynamics of Ahn--Doherty--Landahl Continuous Quantum Error Correction
University of Southern California（南加州大学）；National University of Singapore（新加坡国立大学）；Los Alamos National Laboratory（洛斯阿拉莫斯国家实验室）；PUC-Rio（天主教里约热内卢 Pontifical 大学）
While the fluctuation theorem in classical systems has been thoroughly generalized under various feedback control setups, an intriguing situation in quantum systems, namely under continuous feedback, remains to be investigated. In this work, we derive the generalized fluctuation theorem under continuous quantum measurement and feedback. The essence for the derivation is to newly introduce the operationally meaningful information, which we call quantum-classical-transfer (QC-transfer) entropy. QC-transfer entropy can be naturally interpreted as the quantum counterpart of transfer entropy that i…
As an application of the simultaneous and continuous measurement of noncommutative observables formulated in our previous paper [C. Jiang and G. Watanabe, Phys. Rev. A 102, 062216 (2020)], we propose a scheme to generate the pure ideal quadrature-squeezed state in a one-dimensional harmonic oscillator system by the feedback control based on such type of measurement of noncommutative quadrature observables. We find that, by appropriately setting the strengths of the measurement and the feedback control, the pure ideal quadrature-squeezed state with arbitrary squeezedness can be produced. This i…
Feedback control mechanisms are ubiquitous in science and technology, and play an essential role in regulating physical, biological and engineering systems. The standard second law of thermodynamics does not hold in the presence of measurement and feedback. Most studies so far have extended the second law for discrete, Markovian feedback protocols; however, non-Markovian feedback is omnipresent in processes where the control signal is applied with a non-negligible delay. Here, we experimentally investigate the thermodynamics of continuous, time-delayed feedback control using the motion of an o…
We study synchronization of a quantum van der Pol oscillator with a harmonic drive and demonstrate that quantum synchronization can be enhanced by performing continuous homodyne measurement on an additional bath linearly coupled to the oscillator and applying feedback control to the oscillator. The phase coherence of the oscillator is increased by reducing quantum fluctuations via the continuous measurement, whereas the measurement backaction inevitably induces fluctuations around the phase-locking point. We propose a simple feedback policy for suppressing measurement-induced fluctuations by a…
In this paper, we consider stochastic master equations describing the evolutions of quantum systems interacting with electromagnetic fields undergoing continuous-time measurements. In particular, we study feedback control of quantum spin-1/2 systems in the case of unawareness of initial states and in presence of measurement imperfections. We prove that the fidelity between the actual quantum filter and its associated estimated filter converges to one under appropriate assumption on the feedback controller. This shows the asymptotic convergence of such filters. In addition, for spin-J systems, …
We address the standard quantum error correction using the three-qubit bit-flip code, yet in continuous-time. This entails rendering a target manifold of quantum states globally attractive. Previous feedback designs could feature spurious equilibria, or resort to discrete kicks pushing the system away from these equilibria to ensure global asymptotic stability. We present a new approach that consists of introducing controls driven by Brownian motions. Unlike the previous methods, the resulting closed-loop dynamics can be shown to stabilize the target manifold exponentially. We further present …
