We propose a method to prepare and verify spatial quantum superpositions of a nanometer-sized object separated by distances of the order of its size. This method provides unprecedented bounds for objective collapse models of the wave function by merging techniques and insights from cavity quantum optomechanics and matter-wave interferometry. An analysis and simulation of the experiment is performed taking into account standard sources of decoherence. We provide an operational parameter regime using present-day and planned technology.

Recent experiments on the shear viscosity $\eta$ in a unitary Fermi gas fail to see the theoretically predicted upturn in $\eta$ at the lower $T$. In this Letter, we compute $\eta$ in a fashion which is demonstrably consistent with conservation laws and, in the process, provide an understanding of recent experiments. We show that this disagreement with prior theories cannot be readily attributed to the trap, since (via edge effects) trap-averaged viscosities will be larger than their homogeneous counterparts. The small values of $\eta$ we find can be simply understood; they reflect the fact that the Goldstone bosons (phonons) do not couple to transverse probes such as $\eta$, and fermionic excitations, which determine the viscosity, are necessarily absent in the ground state.

We introduce a systematic framework to calculate the bipartite entanglement entropy of a spatial subsystem in a one-dimensional quantum gas which can be mapped into a noninteracting fermion system. To show the wide range of applicability of the proposed formalism, we use it for the calculation of the entanglement in the eigenstates of periodic systems, in a gas confined by boundaries or external potentials, in junctions of quantum wires, and in a time-dependent parabolic potential.

The simulation of quantum correlations with finite nonlocal resources, such as classical communication, gives a natural way to quantify their nonlocality. While multipartite nonlocal correlations appear to be useful resources, very little is known on how to simulate multipartite quantum correlations. We present a protocol that reproduces tripartite Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger correlations with bounded communication: 3 bits in total turn out to be sufficient to simulate all equatorial Von Neumann measurements on the tripartite Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state.

Universal logarithmic terms in the entanglement entropy appear at quantum critical points (QCPs) in one dimension (1D) and have been predicted in 2D at QCPs described by 2D conformal field theories. The entanglement entropy in a strip geometry at such QCPs can be obtained via the “Shannon entropy” of a 1D spin chain with open boundary conditions. The Shannon entropy of the $XXZ$ chain is found to have a logarithmic term that implies, for the QCP of the square-lattice quantum dimer model, a logarithm with universal coefficient $\pm 0.25$. However, the logarithm in the Shannon entropy of the transverse-field Ising model, which corresponds to entanglement in the 2D Ising conformal QCP, is found to have a singular dependence on the replica or Rényi index resulting from flows to different boundary conditions at the entanglement cut.

Quantum simulation can beat current classical computers with minimally a few tens of qubits. Here we report an experimental demonstration that a small nuclear-magnetic-resonance quantum simulator is already able to simulate the dynamics of a prototype laser-driven isomerization reaction using engineered quantum control pulses. The experimental results agree well with classical simulations. We conclude that the quantum simulation of chemical reaction dynamics not computable on current classical computers is feasible in the near future.

We relate the problem of irreversibility of entanglement with the recently defined measures of quantum correlation—quantum discord and one-way quantum deficit. We show that the entanglement of formation is always strictly larger than the coherent information and the entanglement cost is also larger in most cases. We prove irreversibility of entanglement under local operations and classical communication for a family of entangled states. This family is a generalization of the maximally correlated states for which we also give an analytic expression for the distillable entanglement, the relative entropy of entanglement, the distillable secret key, and the quantum discord.

We propose an engineered reservoir inducing the relaxation of a cavity field towards nonclassical states. It is made up of two-level atoms crossing the cavity one at a time. Each atom-cavity interaction is first dispersive, then resonant, then dispersive again. The reservoir pointer states are those produced by an effective Kerr Hamiltonian acting on a coherent field. We thereby stabilize squeezed states and quantum superpositions of multiple coherent components in a cavity having a finite damping time. This robust decoherence protection method could be implemented in state-of-the-art experiments.

The equilibration dynamics of a closed quantum system is encoded in the long-time distribution function of generic observables. In this Letter we consider the Loschmidt echo generalized to finite temperature, and show that we can obtain an exact expression for its long-time distribution for a closed system described by a quantum $XY$ chain following a sudden quench. In the thermodynamic limit the logarithm of the Loschmidt echo becomes normally distributed, whereas for small quenches in the opposite, quasicritical regime, the distribution function acquires a universal double-peaked form indicating poor equilibration. These findings, obtained by a central limit theorem-type result, extend to completely general models in the small-quench regime.

We show, using an exactly solvable model, that nonlinear dynamics is induced in a double-well Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) by collisions with a thermal reservoir. This dynamics can facilitate the creation of phase or number squeezing and, at longer times, the creation of macroscopic nonclassical superposition states. Enhancement of these effects is possible by loading the reservoir atoms into an optical lattice.

Nanomagnetic memory and logic circuits are attractive integrated platforms for studying the fundamental thermodynamic limits of computation. Using the stochastic Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation, we show by direct calculation that the amount of energy dissipated during nanomagnet erasure approaches Landauer’s thermodynamic limit of $kT\ln (2)$ with high precision when the external magnetic fields are applied slowly. In addition, we find that nanomagnet systems behave according to generalized formulations of Landauer’s principle that hold for small systems and generic logic operations. In all cases, the results are independent of the anisotropy energy of the nanomagnet. Lastly, we apply our computational approach to a nanomagnet majority logic gate, where we find that dissipationless, reversible computation can be achieved when the magnetic fields are applied in the appropriate order.

We employ a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) quantum information processor to simulate the ground state of an $XXZ$ spin chain and measure its NMR analog of entanglement, or pseudoentanglement. The observed pseudoentanglement for a small-size system already displays a singularity, a signature which is qualitatively similar to that in the thermodynamical limit across quantum phase transitions, including an infinite-order critical point. The experimental results illustrate a successful approach to investigate quantum correlations in many-body systems using quantum simulators.

We consider the one-dimensional asymmetric exclusion process with particle injection and extraction at two boundaries. The model is known to exhibit four distinct phases in its stationary state. We analyze the current statistics at the first site in the low and high density phases. In the limit of infinite system size, we conjecture an exact expression for the current large deviation function.

Out-of-equilibrium disordered systems may form memories of external driving in a remarkable fashion. The system “remembers” multiple values from a series of training inputs yet “forgets” nearly all of them at long times despite the inputs being continually repeated. Here, learning and forgetting are inseparable aspects of a single process. The memory loss may be prevented by the addition of noise. We identify a class of systems with this behavior, giving as an example a model of non-Brownian suspensions under cyclic shear.

We investigate the interplay between the strong correlation and the spin-orbit coupling in the Kane-Mele-Hubbard model and obtain the qualitative phase diagram via the variational cluster approach. We identify, through an increase of the Hubbard $U$, the transition from the topological band insulator to either the spin liquid phase or the easy-plane antiferromagnetic insulating phase, depending on the strength of the spin-orbit coupling. A nontrivial evolution of the bulk bands in the topological quantum phase transition is also demonstrated.

We propose and analyze a new candidate Lyapunov function for relaxation towards general nonequilibrium steady states. The proposed functional is obtained from the large time asymptotics of time-symmetric fluctuations. For driven Markov jump or diffusion processes it measures an excess in dynamical activity rates. We present numerical evidence and we report on a rigorous argument for its monotonic time dependence close to the steady nonequilibrium or in general after a long enough time. This is in contrast with the behavior of approximate Lyapunov functions based on entropy production that when driven far from equilibrium often keep exhibiting temporal oscillations even close to stationarity.

We consider the problem of determining whether genuine multipartite entanglement was produced in an experiment, without relying on a characterization of the systems observed or of the measurements performed. We present an $n$-partite inequality that is satisfied by all correlations produced by measurements on biseparable quantum states, but which can be violated by $n$-partite entangled states, such as Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states. In contrast to traditional entanglement witnesses, the violation of this inequality implies that the state is not biseparable independently of the Hilbert space dimension and of the measured operators. Violation of this inequality does not imply, however, genuine multipartite nonlocality. We show more generically how the problem of identifying genuine tripartite entanglement in a device-independent way can be addressed through semidefinite programming.

We investigate a fundamental property of device-independent security in quantum cryptography by characterizing probability distributions which are necessarily independent of the measurement results of any eavesdropper. We show that probability distributions that are secure in this sense are exactly the extremal quantum probability distributions. This allows us to give a characterization of security in algebraic terms. We apply the method to common examples for two-party as well as multiparty setups and present a scheme for verifying security of probability distributions with two parties, two measurement settings, and two outcomes.

The most efficient modern optical communication is known as coherent communication, and its standard quantum limit is almost reachable with current technology. Though it has been predicted for a long time that this standard quantum limit could be overcome via quantum mechanically optimized receivers, such a performance has not been experimentally realized so far. Here we demonstrate the first unconditional evidence surpassing the standard quantum limit of coherent optical communication. We implement a quantum receiver with a simple linear optics configuration and achieve more than 90% of the total detection efficiency of the system. Such an efficient quantum receiver will provide a new way of extending the distance of amplification-free channels, as well as of realizing quantum information protocols based on coherent states and the loophole-free test of quantum mechanics.

We consider a cloud of fermionic atoms in an optical lattice described by a Hubbard model with an additional linear potential. While homogeneous interacting systems mainly show damped Bloch oscillations and heating, a finite cloud behaves differently: It expands symmetrically such that gains of potential energy at the top are compensated by losses at the bottom. Interactions stabilize the necessary heat currents by inducing gradients of the inverse temperature $1/T$, with $T<0$ at the bottom of the cloud. An analytic solution of hydrodynamic equations shows that the width of the cloud increases with $t^{1/3}$ for long times consistent with results from our Boltzmann simulations.