We study the dynamics of photonic quantum circuits consisting of nodes coupled by quantum channels. We are interested in the regime where the time delay in communication between the nodes is significant. This includes the problem of quantum feedback, where a quantum signal is fed back on a system with a time delay. We develop a matrix product state approach to solve the quantum stochastic Schrödinger equation with time delays, which accounts in an efficient way for the entanglement of nodes with the stream of emitted photons in the waveguide, and thus the non-Markovian character of the dynamics. We illustrate this approach with two paradigmatic quantum optical examples: two coherently driven distant atoms coupled to a photonic waveguide with a time delay, and a driven atom coupled to its own output field with a time delay as an instance of a quantum feedback problem.
We study the dynamics of photonic quantum circuits consisting of nodes coupled by quantum channels. We are interested in the regime where the time delay in communication between the nodes is significant. This includes the problem of quantum feedback, where a quantum signal is fed back on a system with a time delay. We develop a matrix product state approach to solve the quantum stochastic Schrödinger equation with time delays, which accounts in an efficient way for the entanglement of nodes with the stream of emitted photons in the waveguide, and thus the non-Markovian character of the dynamics. We illustrate this approach with two paradigmatic quantum optical examples: two coherently driven distant atoms coupled to a photonic waveguide with a time delay, and a driven atom coupled to its own output field with a time delay as an instance of a quantum feedback problem.
We study photonic circuits consisting of cold-atom ensembles coupled to light modes of optical nanofibres and long lengths of connecting or feedback fibres, such that the propagation time of light along these fibres is comparable to the timescale of the atomic dynamics. This provides a non-Markovian setting for quantum dynamics and feedback. The fibre-based platform enables implementation of a simple configuration for time-delayed quantum feedback where light emitted from the atoms propagates along a length of fibre and is reflected back towards the atoms by a fibre bragg grating (FBG). We will present the initial results of our experiments.
In this paper, we develop a novel method to solve problems involving quantum optical systems coupled to coherent quantum feedback loops featuring time delays. Our method is based on exact mappings of such non-Markovian problems to equivalent Markovian driven dissipative quantum many-body problems. In this work, we show that the resulting Markovian quantum many-body problems can be solved (numerically) exactly and efficiently using tensor network methods for a series of paradigmatic examples, consisting of driven quantum systems coupled to waveguides at several distant points. In particular, we show that our method allows solving problems in so far inaccessible regimes, including problems with arbitrary long time delays and arbitrary numbers of excitations in the delay lines. We obtain solutions for the full real-time dynamics as well as the steady state in all these regimes. Finally, motivated by our results, we develop a novel mean-field approach, which allows us to find the solution semianalytically, and we identify parameter regimes where this approximation is in excellent agreement with our tensor network results. Published by the American Physical Society 2024
The dynamics of waveguide-QED systems involving coherent time-delayed feedback give rise to a hierarchy of multitime correlations within the Heisenberg picture due to the induced non-Markovianity. We propose to perform a projection onto a complete set of states in the Hilbert space to decompose the multitime correlations into single-time matrix elements. To illustrate the procedure, we consider the paradigmatic example of a two-level system that couples to a semi-infinite waveguide and interacts with quantum light pulses. Our approach complements the range of available methods as it allows calculating the dynamics under the inclusion of additional dissipation channels in a numerically exact and efficient manner for multiphoton pulses of arbitrary shape where memory requirements are known in advance.
Abstract We study the scattering of photons propagating in a semi-infinite waveguide terminated by a mirror and interacting with a quantum emitter. This paradigm constitutes an example of coherent quantum feedback, where light emitted towards the mirror gets redirected back to the emitter. We derive an analytical solution for the scattering of two-photon states, which is based on an exact resummation of the perturbative expansion of the scattering matrix, in a regime where the time delay of the coherent feedback is comparable to the timescale of the quantum emitter’s dynamics. We compare the results with numerical simulations based on matrix product state techniques simulating the full dynamics of the system, and extend the study to the scattering of coherent states beyond the low-power limit.
This thesis discusses the dynamics of quantum-optical systems located in complex, non-markovian photonic environments, using numerical simulations as well as analytical derivations. The main focus lies on time-delayed quantum-coherent feedback effects of the Pyragas type, in analogy to effects well-known in classical physics. Time-delayed feedback is treated as a specific kind of a non-markovian environment. Additionally, the control of qubit entanglement in optical cavities is studied. The thesis consists of three main parts: After an overview of the important concepts of quantum optics, advanced methods for the description and numerical treatment of time-delayed quantum-coherent feedback are presented. The main focus lies on the development of a pseudomode-based approach, which describes time-delayed feedback as the coupling to a complex network of lossy harmonic oscillators. Additionally, further methods for numerical simplification are presented, in particular nonlinear expectation value dynamics for the treatment of arbitrary non-markovian reservoirs, as well as the use of input-output theory for time-delayed feedback. In the second part, applications of time-delayed feedback to control quantum statistics are discussed. First it is demonstrated that time-delayed feedback can be used to create and sustain entanglement between coupled qubits. This approach will then be extended to larger networks of qubits. Afterwards, feedback control is applied to nonlinear quantum-optical systems: It is shown how to use it for the stabilization of Fock states in a cavity containing a Kerr medium, and this analysis is expanded to a cavity containing a two-level system. Furthermore, it is shown how time-delayed feedback can be used to control and enhance the entanglement of photons emitted in a biexciton cascade. In the third and last part, the non-equilibrium dynamics of qubits coupled to a photonic environment consisting of high-Q cavities subject to periodic driving are discussed. First, the connection between bistability and entanglement in a cavity containing two qubits is analyzed. Next a setup of two coupled cavities, containing a qubit each, is examined. The influence of a third cavity in between the two other cavities, simulating a delay line, is analyzed. Furthermore, a protocol is developed on how to overcome dephasing between the two qubits, using a resonant Raman scattering process. It is shown that this protocol can create and sustain high values of entanglement, and is ready to be extended to systems of more than two qubits.
To continue developing quantum technologies, such as quantum computing, quantum communication and quantum cryptography, we need reliable sources of quantum states of light. These quantum states of light can come in many forms; single photons, entangled pairs, bunched and anti-bunched light, all have uses in current quantum technologies, but for the best performance, this light must maintain its coherence. Time-delayed coherent feedback is a passive feedback method proposed for waveguide quantum electrodynamic systems to improve their performance and unlock new quantum optical phenomena. Additionally, due to its underlying non-Markovian dynamics, feedback is also an interesting theoretical problem to study. In this thesis, we use a quantum trajectory discretized waveguide (QTDW) model to simulate feedback dynamics and investigate its effects in a variety of applications. Originally proposed by Whalen in 2018, we develop the QTDW model beyond its initial implementation to now calculate quantum correlation functions, output spectra, waiting time distributions, and single photon source figures of merit. First, we present an explanation of quantum trajectory theory which is used to model the time dynamics in the QTDW approach, and discuss feedback in the linear regime to highlight the differences between Markovian and non-Markovian dynamics with coherent feedback. We next present nonlinear spectra and multi-photon effects from coherent feedback highlighting how the typical Mollow triplet is dressed by the feedback to create new resonances in the output field. This is followed by a collaborative theory and experiment work which observed our predicted non-Markovian signatures in the nonlinear output spectrum along with new non-Markovian phenomena in the linear regime. We then investigate how pulse-triggered single photon sources can be improved through the inclusion of a time-delayed coherent feedback, presenting the possible improvement to the performance figures of merit. Lastly, the modeling techniques developed for single photon sources with feedback are used to compare the performance of three new off-resonant driving techniques for on-demand single photon sources. These findings show time-delayed coherent feedback is an excellent degree of control to include in future waveguide quantum electrodynamic systems to unlock better performance and new phenomena in the system under investigation.