We propose a method to experimentally demonstrate contextuality with a family of tests for qudits. The experiment we propose uses a qudit encoded in the path of a single photon and its temporal degrees of freedom. We consider the impact of noise on the effectiveness of these tests, taking the approach of ontologically faithful noncontextuality. In this approach, imperfections in the experimental setup must be taken into account in any faithful ontological (classical) model, which limits how much the statistics can deviate within different contexts. In this way we bound the precision of the experimental setup under which ontologically faithful noncontextual models can be refuted. We further consider the noise tolerance through different types of decoherence models on different types of encodings of qudits. We quantify the effect of the decoherence on the required precision for the experimental setup in order to demonstrate contextuality in this broader sense.

Qubit state detection is an important part of a quantum computation. As the number of qubits in a quantum register increases, it is necessary to maintain high-fidelity detection to accurately measure the multiqubit state. Here we present experimental demonstration of high-fidelity detection of a multiqubit trapped-ion register with an average single-qubit detection error of 4.2(1.5) ppm and a four-qubit state detection error of 17(2) ppm, limited by the decay lifetime of the qubit, using a single-photon-sensitive camera with fast data collection, excellent temporal and spatial resolution, and low instrumental crosstalk.

An analytical expression of the angular correlation function of a pair of Lyman-$\alpha$ photons in the photodissociation of a hydrogen molecule is derived theoretically in a manner based on both atomic and molecular physics and quantum optics. The angular correlation function turns out to be expressed in terms of cosine (sine) functions of four angular variables of detectors with five coefficients. The angular correlation function is expanded in terms of the spherical harmonics for investigating which terms are involved, and we discuss the reason why they are involved. Interesting features are revealed in the expansion. We then search for a special detector arrangement where the angular-dependent terms vanish in the angular correlation function expressed in terms of the spherical harmonics. It turns out that no such detector arrangement in fact exists, but there is a special pair of detector arrangements where the angular-dependent terms vanish in the summation of two values of the angular correlation function expressed in terms of the spherical harmonics. We refer to such a pair of detector arrangements as a magic pair.

We use numerically exact quantum dynamics calculations to demonstrate universal stereoselectivity of cold collisions of ${}^2\mathrm{\Pi }$ molecules with ${}^1\mathrm{S}$-state atoms in an external electric field. We show that cold collisions of OH molecules in their low-field-seeking $f$-states, whose dipole moments are oriented against the field direction, are much more likely to lead to inelastic scattering than those of molecules oriented along the field direction, causing nearly perfect steric asymmetry in the inelastic collision cross sections. The universal nature of this effect is due to the threshold suppression of inelastic scattering between the degenerate $\pm M$ Stark sublevels of the high-field-seeking $e$-state, where $M$ is the projection of the total angular momentum of the molecule on the field axis. Above the $\mathrm{\Lambda }$-doublet threshold, the stereodynamics of inelastic atom-molecule collisions can be tuned via electric-field-induced resonances, which enable effective control of Ne $+$ OH scattering over the range of collision energies achievable in current merged beam experiments.

The frequencies of transitions between hyperfine levels of ground-state atoms can be measured with exquisite precision using magnetic-resonance techniques. This makes hyperfine transitions ideal probes of QED effects originating from the interaction of atoms with the quantized electromagnetic field. One of the most remarkable effects predicted by QED is the Casimir-Polder shift experienced by the energy levels of atoms placed near one or more dielectric objects. Here we compute the Casimir-Polder shift and the width of hyperfine transitions between ground-state Zeeman sublevels of a hydrogen atom placed in a micron-sized metallic cavity, over a range of temperatures extending from cryogenic temperatures to room temperature. Results are presented also for deuterium and tritium. We predict shifts of the hyperfine transitions frequencies of a few tens of Hz that might be measurable with present-day magnetic resonance apparatus.

High-order harmonic generation (HHG) creates coherent high-frequency radiation via the process of strong field ionization followed by recombination. Recently, a complementary approach based on frustrated tunnel ionization (FTI) was demonstrated [Yun et al., Nat. Photon. 12, 620 (2018)]. It uses spectrally separated peaks created by lower quantum number Rydberg states to produce coherent extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light. While much is understood about enhancing emission from HHG by controlling recombining electron trajectories, relatively little is known about controlling the quantum number distribution of Rydberg states. This distribution is generally believed to be determined primarily by field strength and laser frequency. We show that, in fact, it also changes significantly with the duration of the laser pulse: Increasing pulse duration depletes lower lying Rydberg states, thereby substantially decreasing EUV yield. Using electron trajectory analysis, we identify elastic recollision as the underlying cause. Our results open the door to greater control over production of coherent high-frequency radiation, by combining FTI and HHG mechanisms, and also improved the interpretation of molecular imaging experiments that rely on elastic electron recollision.

We theoretically investigate the thermodynamic stability of a normal-state Bose-Fermi mixture, with a tunable Bose-Fermi pairing interaction $-U_{\mathrm{BF}}<0$ associated with a heteronuclear Feshbach resonance, as well as a weak repulsive Bose-Bose interaction $U_{\mathrm{BB}}\ge 0$. Including strong heteropairing fluctuations associated with the former interaction within the self-consistent $T$-matrix approximation, as well as the latter within the mean-field level, we calculate the compressibility matrix, to assess the stability of this system against density fluctuations. In the weak- and the intermediate-coupling regimes with respect to $-U_{\mathrm{BF}}$, we show that an effective attractive interaction between bosons mediated by density fluctuations in the Fermi component makes the system unstable below a certain temperature $T_{\mathrm{clp}}$ (leading to density collapse). When $U_{\mathrm{BB}}=0, T_{\mathrm{clp}}$ is always higher than the Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) temperature $T_{\mathrm{c}}$. When $U_{\mathrm{BB}}>0$, the density collapse is suppressed, and the BEC transition becomes possible. It is also suppressed by the formation of tightly bound Bose-Fermi molecules when the heteropairing interaction $-U_{\mathrm{BF}}$ is strong; however, since the system may be viewed as a molecular Fermi gas in this case, the BEC transition does not also occur. Since quantum gases involving Bose atoms are known to be sensitive to interparticle correlations, our results would be useful for the study of many-body properties of a Bose-Fermi mixture in a stable manner, without facing the unwanted density collapse.

We theoretically generalize a systematic language to describe the phase-imprinting technique to investigate the dynamical generation of solitons in a one-dimensional Raman-type spin-orbit-coupled Fermi superfluid. We check our method with the simulation of time-dependent Bogoliubov–de Gennes equations and find that our method not only can generate stable dark and even gray solitons in a conventional Fermi superfluid by controlling the transferred phase jump but also is feasible to create a stable dark soliton in both BCS and topological states of a spin-orbit-coupled Fermi superfluid. We also discuss the physical implication of our method.

We demonstrate a production of large-area ${}^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) using a non-Gaussian optical dipole trap (ODT). The ODT is formed by focusing a symmetrically truncated Gaussian laser beam, and it is shown that the beam clipping causes the trap geometry to be elongated and flattened along the beam axis direction. In the clipped-Gaussian ODT, an elongated, highly oblate BEC of ${}^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ is generated with a length and width of approximately 470 and $130\mu \mathrm{m},$ respectively, where the condensate healing length is estimated to be $\xi \approx 0.25\mu \text{m}$ at the trap center. The ODT is characterized to have a quartic trapping potential along the beam axis and the atom density of the condensate is uniform within 10% over $1000\xi$ in the central region. Finally, we discuss the prospect of conducting vortex shedding experiments using the elongated condensate.

In quantum mechanics, states are described by density matrices. Though their probabilistic interpretation is rooted in ensemble theory, density matrices embody a known shortcoming. They do not completely express the physical realization of an ensemble. Conveniently, the outcome statistics of projective and positive operator-valued measurements do not depend on the ensemble realization, only on the density matrix. Here, we show how the geometric approach to quantum mechanics tracks ensemble realizations. We do so in two concrete cases of a finite-dimensional quantum system interacting with another one with (i) finite-dimensional Hilbert space, relevant for quantum thermodynamics, and (ii) infinite-dimensional Hilbert space, relevant for state-manipulation protocols.

Quantum state exchange is a quantum communication task for two users in which the users faithfully exchange their respective parts of an initial state under the asymptotic scenario. In this work, we generalize the quantum state exchange task to a quantum communication task for $M$ users in which the users circularly transfer their respective parts of an initial state. We assume that every pair of users may share entanglement resources, and they use local operations and classical communication in order to perform the task. We call this generalized task the (asymptotic) quantum state rotation. First of all, we formally define the quantum state rotation task and its optimal entanglement cost, which means the least amount of total entanglement required to carry out the task. We then present lower and upper bounds on the optimal entanglement cost, and provide conditions for zero optimal entanglement cost. Based on these results, we find out a difference between the quantum state rotation task for three or more users and the quantum state exchange task.

Kerr frequency comb generation relies on dedicated waveguide platforms that are optimized toward ultralow loss while offering comparatively limited functionality restricted to passive building blocks. In contrast to that, the silicon-photonic platform offers a highly developed portfolio of high-performance devices, but suffers from strong two-photon absorption (TPA) and subsequent free-carrier absorption (FCA) at near-infrared telecommunication wavelengths, thereby rendering Kerr comb generation a challenge. Here we present a model to investigate the impact of TPA and FCA on Kerr comb formation. Our model combines a modified version of the Lugiato-Lefever equation with a refined relation to precisely describe the fast space and time dependence of the free-carrier concentration along the circumference of the microresonator. Using this refined model, we derive conditions for modulation instability, in particular for necessary pump powers depending on TPA parameters and free-carrier lifetimes. We validate our analytical predictions by time integration and study the impact of fast free-carrier dynamics on Kerr comb formation. We find that silicon microresonators may be suitable for Kerr comb generation in the NIR, provided that the dwell time of the TPA-generated free carriers in the waveguide core is reduced by a reverse-biased $p\text{−}i\text{−}n$-junction and that the pump parameters are chosen appropriately.

The use of a uniaxial birefringent material such as lithium niobate $({\mathrm{LiNbO}}_3,\mathrm{LN})$ as the core of a microring resonator leads to coupling between transverse-electric and transverse-magnetic modes. We develop a theoretical framework to study polarization evolution inside such a resonator. We write Maxwell's equations in the form of a Schrödinger equation and use it to obtain coupled-mode equations modeling the continuous reorientation of the optic axis as light propagates inside the microring resonator. We show that the mode-coupling problem is isomorphic to a quantum-mechanical two-level system modulated in frequency and driven by a classical optical field. We analyze the polarization coupling by using the well-known techniques of quantum mechanics such as time-dependent perturbation theory, the rotating-wave approximation, and the adiabatic approximation. As an example, we consider a LN ring resonator and describe the evolution of the state of polarization of injected light along the ring's circumference.

Detuned systems can spontaneously achieve a synchronous dynamics and display robust quantum correlations in different local and global dissipation regimes. Beyond the Markovian limit, information backflow from the environment becomes a crucial mechanism whose interplay with spontaneous synchronization is unknown. Considering a model of two coupled qubits, one of which interacts with a dissipative environment, we show that non-Markovianity is highly detrimental for the emergence of synchronization, for the latter can be delayed and hindered because of the presence of information backflow. The results are obtained considering both a master equation approach and a collision model based on repeated interactions, which represents a very versatile tool to tailor the desired kind of environment.

Accurate derivatives are important for locally traversing and converging efficiently in quantum optimization landscapes. By deriving analytically exact control derivatives (gradient and Hessian) for unitary control tasks, we show here that the computational feasibility of meeting this accuracy requirement depends on the choice of propagation scheme and problem representation. Even when exact propagation is sufficiently cheap it is, perhaps surprisingly, much more efficient to optimize the (appropriately) approximate propagators: Approximations in the dynamics are traded off for significant complexity reductions in the exact derivative calculations. Importantly, past the initial analytical considerations, only standard numerical techniques are explicitly required with straightforward application to realistic systems. These results are numerically verified for two concrete problems of increasing Hilbert space dimensionality. The best schemes obtain unit fidelity to machine precision, whereas the results for other schemes are separated consistently by orders of magnitude in computation time and in worst-case ten orders of magnitude in achievable fidelity. Since these gaps continually increase with system size and complexity, this methodology allows numerically efficient optimization of very high-dimensional dynamics, e.g., in many-body contexts, operating in the high-fidelity regime.

It has been commonly believed that a polaron-to-molecule transition occurs in three-dimensional (3D) and 2D Fermi polaron systems as the attraction between the single impurity and majority fermions gets stronger. The conclusion has been drawn from the separate treatment of polaron and molecule states and thus deserves a close reexamination. In this work, we explore the physics of polarons and molecules by utilizing a unified variational Ansatz with up to two particle-hole (ph) excitations (V-2ph). We confirm the existence of a first-order transition in 3D and 2D Fermi polarons, and we show that the nature of such a transition lies in an energy competition between systems with different momenta, $\mathbf{Q}=\mathit{0}$ and $\left|\mathbf{Q}\right|=k_F$; here $\mathbf{Q}$ is defined as the momentum of a Fermi polaron system with respect to the Fermi sea of majority fermions (with Fermi momentum $k_F$). The literally proposed molecule Ansatz is identified as an asymptotic limit of the $\left|\mathbf{Q}\right|=k_F$ state in a strong-coupling regime, which implies a huge $\text{SO}\left(3\right)$ (for 3D) or $\text{SO}\left(2\right)$ (for 2D) ground-state degeneracy in this regime. The recognition of such degeneracy is crucially important for evaluating the molecule occupation in realistic systems with finite impurity density and at finite temperature. To compare with recent experiment of 3D Fermi polarons, we have calculated various physical quantities under the V-2ph framework, and we obtained results that are in good agreement with experimental data in the weak-coupling and near-resonance regime. Further, to check the validity of our conclusion in 2D, we have adopted a different variational method based on the Gaussian sample of high-order ph excitations (V-Gph), and we found the same conclusion on the nature of the polaron-molecule transition therein. For a 1D system, the V-2ph method predicts no sharp transition, and the ground state is always at the $\mathbf{Q}=\mathit{0}$ sector, consistent with the exact Bethe-Ansatz solution. The presence/absence of a polaron-molecule transition is analyzed to be closely related to the interplay effect of Pauli-blocking and ph excitations in different dimensions.

We demonstrate the interaction-induced blockade effect in an ultracold ${}^{88}\mathrm{Sr}$ gas via studying the time dynamics of a two-photon excitation to the triplet Rydberg series $5sns{}^3{S}_1$ for five different principal quantum numbers $n$ ranging from 19 to 37. By using a multipulse excitation sequence to increase the detection sensitivity, we could identify Rydberg-excitation-induced atom losses as low as $<1\%$. Based on an optical Bloch equation formalism, treating the Rydberg-Rydberg interaction on a mean-field level, the van der Waals coefficients are extracted from the observed dynamics, which agree fairly well with ab initio calculations.

The ground-state properties of two-component repulsive Fermi gases in two dimensions are investigated by means of fixed-node diffusion Monte Carlo simulations. The energy per particle is determined as a function of the intercomponent interaction strength and of the population imbalance. The regime of universality in terms of the $s$-wave scattering length is identified by comparing results for hard-disk and for soft-disk potentials. In the large imbalance regime, the equation of state turns out to be well described by a Landau-Pomeranchuk functional for two-dimensional polarons. To fully characterize this expansion, we determine the polarons' effective mass and their coupling parameter, complementing previous studies on their chemical potential. Furthermore, we extract the magnetic susceptibility from low-imbalance data, finding only small deviations from the mean-field prediction. While the mean-field theory predicts a direct transition from a paramagnetic to a fully ferromagnetic phase, our diffusion Monte Carlo results suggest that the partially ferromagnetic phase is stable in a narrow interval of the interaction parameter. This finding calls for further analyses on the effects due to the fixed-node constraint.

We analyze the collision of three particles with arbitrary mass ratio at zero collision energy, assuming arbitrary short-range potentials, and generalize the three-body scattering hypervolume $D$ first defined for identical bosons in 2008. We solve the three-body Schrödinger equation asymptotically when the three particles are far apart or one pair and a third particle are far apart, deriving two asymptotic expansions of the wave function, and the parameter $D$ appears at the order $1/B^4$, where $B$ is the overall size of the triangle formed by the particles. We then analyze the ground state energy of three such particles with vanishing or negligible two-body scattering lengths in a large periodic volume of side length $L$, where the three-body parameter contributes a term of the order $D/L^6$. From this result we derive some properties of a two-component Bose gas with negligible two-body scattering lengths: its energy density at zero temperature, the corresponding generalized Gross-Pitaevskii equation, the conditions for the stability of the two-component mixture against collapse or phase separation, and the decay rates of particle densities due to three-body recombination.

It was recently shown that wavepackets with a skewed momentum distribution exhibit a boomeranglike dynamics in the Anderson model due to Anderson localization: after an initial ballistic motion, they make a U-turn and eventually come back to their starting point. In this paper, we study the robustness of the quantum boomerang effect in various kinds of disordered and dynamical systems: tight-binding models with pseudorandom potentials, systems with band random Hamiltonians, and the kicked rotor. Our results show that the boomerang effect persists in models with pseudorandom potentials. It is also present in the kicked rotor, although in this case with a specific dependency on the initial state. On the other hand, we find that random hopping processes inhibit any drift motion of the wavepacket and, consequently, the boomerang effect. In particular, if the random nearest-neighbor hopping amplitudes have zero average, the wavepacket remains in its initial position.