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arXiv:1309.7835 · Quantum Information and Computation

Stability of point spectrum for three-state quantum walks on a line

M. Štefaňák, Iva Bezděková, Igor Jex, Stephen Mark Barnett

Published Oct 1, 2014• 11 citations
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Abstract

Evolution operators of certain quantum walks possess, apart from the continuous part, also a point spectrum. The existence of eigenvalues and the corresponding stationary states lead to partial trapping of the walker in the vicinity of the origin. We analyze the stability of this feature for three-state quantum walks on a line subject to homogenous coin deformations. We find two classes of coin operators that preserve the point spectrum. These new classes of coins are generalizations of coins found previously by different methods and shed light on the rich spectrum of coins that can drive discrete-time quantum walks.

DOI
10.26421/qic14.13-14-11

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Evolution operators of certain quantum walks possess, apart from the continuous part, also a point spectrum. The existence of eigenvalues and the corresponding stationary states lead to partial trapping of the walker in the vicinity of the origin. We analyze the stability of this feature for three-state quantum walks on a line subject to homogenous coin deformations. We find two classes of coin operators that preserve the point spectrum. These new classes of coins are generalizations of coins found previously by different methods and shed light on the rich spectrum of coins that can drive discrete-time quantum walks.
Mathematical analysis of the spectral properties of the time-evolution operator in quantum walks is essential for understanding key dynamical behaviors such as localization and long-term evolution. The inhomogeneous three-state case, in particular, poses substantial analytical challenges due to its higher internal degrees of freedom and the absence of translational invariance. We develop a general framework for the spectral analysis of three-state quantum walks on the one-dimensional lattice with arbitrary time-evolution operators. Our approach is based on a transfer-matrix formulation that reduces the infinite-dimensional eigenvalue problem to a tractable system of two-dimensional recursions, enabling exact characterization of eigenstates. This framework applies broadly to space-inhomogeneous models, including those with finite defects and two-phase structures. We rigorously derive necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of point spectrum, along with a complete description of the corresponding eigenvalues and eigenstates, which are known to underlie quantum localization phenomena. Furthermore, we give a complete spectral decomposition—discrete spectrum, flat-band eigenvalues (of infinite multiplicity), and absolutely continuous spectrum—with explicit characterization of each component. Using this method, we perform exact numerical analyses of the Fourier walk with spatial inhomogeneity, revealing the emergence of localization despite its delocalized nature in the homogeneous case. Our results provide mathematical tools and physical insights into the structure of quantum walks, offering a systematic path for identifying and characterizing localized quantum states in complex quantum systems.
One of the unique features of discrete-time quantum walks is called trapping, meaning the inability of the quantum walker to completely escape from its initial position, although the system is translationally invariant. The effect is dependent on the dimension and the explicit form of the local coin. A four-state discrete-time quantum walk on a square lattice is defined by its unitary coin operator, acting on the four-dimensional coin Hilbert space. The well-known example of the Grover coin leads to a partial trapping, i.e., there exists some escaping initial state for which the probability of staying at the initial position vanishes. On the other hand, some other coins are known to exhibit strong trapping, where such an escaping state does not exist. We present a systematic study of coins leading to trapping, explicitly construct all such coins for discrete-time quantum walks on the two-dimensional square lattice, and classify them according to the structure of the operator and the manifestation of the trapping effect. We distinguish three types of trapping coins exhibiting distinct dynamical properties, as exemplified by the existence or nonexistence of the escaping state and the area covered by the spreading wave packet.
We analyze the role of dimensionality in the time evolution of discrete-time quantum walks through the example of the three-state walk on a two-dimensional triangular lattice. We show that the three-state Grover walk does not lead to trapping (localization) or recurrence to the origin, in sharp contrast to the Grover walk on the two-dimensional square lattice. We determine the power-law scaling of the probability at the origin with the method of stationary phase. We prove that only a special subclass of coin operators can lead to recurrence, and there are no coins that lead to localization. The propagation for the recurrent subclass of coins is quasi-one dimensional.
In this Chapter, we present some interesting properties of quantum walks on the line.We concentrate our attention in the emergence of invariance and provide some insights into the ultimate origin of the observed behavior.In the first part of the Chapter, we review the building blocks of the quantum-mechanical version of the standard random walk in one dimension.The most distinctive difference between random and quantum walks is the replacement of the random coin in the former by the action of a unitary operator upon some internal property of the later.We provide explicit expressions for the solution to the problem when the most general form for the homogeneous unitary operator is considered, and we analyze several key features of the system as the presence of symmetries or stationary limits.After that, we analyze the consequences of letting the properties of the coin operator change from site to site, and from time step to time step.In spite of this lack of homogeneity, the probabilistic properties of the motion of the walker can remain unaltered if the coin variability is chosen adequately.Finally, we show how this invariance can be connected to the gauge freedom of electromagnetism.
Discrete time quantum walks (DTQWs) are nontrivial generalizations of random walks with a broad scope of applications. In particular, they can be used as computational primitives, and they are suitable tools for simulating other quantum systems. DTQWs usually spread ballistically due to their quantumness. In some cases, however, they can remain localized at their initial state (trapping). The trapping and other fundamental properties of DTQWs are determined by the choice of the coin operator. We introduce and analyze a type of walks driven by a coin class leading to strong trapping, complementing the known list of walks. This class of walks exhibits a number of exciting properties with possible applications ranging from light pulse trapping in a medium to topological effects and quantum search.
We perform a finite-time scaling analysis over the detrapping point of a three-state quantum walk on the line. The coin operator is parametrized by ρ that controls the wave packet spreading velocity. The input state prepared at the origin is set as a symmetric linear combination of two eigenstates of the coin operator with a characteristic mixing angle θ, one of them being the component that results in full spreading occurring at θ_{c}(ρ) for which no fraction of the wave packet remains trapped near the initial position. We show that relevant quantities, such as the survival probability and the participation ratio assume single parameter scaling forms at the vicinity of the detrapping angle θ_{c}. In particular, we show that the participation ratio grows linearly in time with a logarithmic correction, thus, shedding light on previous reports of sublinear behavior.