Quantum walks (QWs) describe the evolution of quantum systems on graphs. An intrinsic degree of freedom---called the coin and represented by a finite-dimensional Hilbert space---is associated with each node. Scalar quantum walks are QWs with a one-dimensional coin. We propose a general strategy allowing one to construct scalar QWs on a broad variety of graphs, which admit embedding in Eulidean spaces, thus having a direct geometric interpretation. After reviewing the technique that allows one to regroup cells of nodes into new nodes, transforming finite spatial blocks into internal degrees of freedom, we prove that no QW with a two-dimensional coin can be derived from an isotropic scalar QW in this way. Finally, we show that the Weyl and Dirac QWs can be derived from scalar QWs in spaces of dimension up to three, via our construction.
Quantum walks (QWs) describe the evolution of quantum systems on graphs. An intrinsic degree of freedom---called the coin and represented by a finite-dimensional Hilbert space---is associated to each node. Scalar quantum walks are QWs with a one-dimensional coin. We propose a general strategy allowing one to construct scalar QWs on a broad variety of graphs, which admit embedding in Eulidean spaces, thus having a direct geometric interpretation. After reviewing the technique that allows one to regroup cells of nodes into new nodes, transforming finite spatial blocks into internal degrees of freedom, we prove that no QW with a two-dimensional coin can be derived from an isotropic scalar QW in this way. Finally we show that the Weyl and Dirac QWs can be derived from scalar QWs in spaces of dimension up to three, via our construction.
Quantum walks (QWs) describe particles evolving coherently on a graph. The internal degree of freedom corresponds to a Hilbert space, called a coin system. We consider QWs on Cayley graphs of some group
G. In the literature, investigations concerning infinite
G have been focused on graphs corresponding to
G=Zd with a coin system of dimension 2, whereas for a one-dimensional coin (so-called scalar QWs) only the case of finite
G has been studied. Here we prove that the evolution of a scalar QW with
G infinite Abelian is trivial, providing a thorough classification of this kind of walks. Then we consider the infinite dihedral group ${D}_{\ensuremath{\infty}}$, that is, the unique non-Abelian group
G containing a subgroup $H\ensuremath{\cong}\mathbb{Z}$ with two cosets. We characterize the class of QWs on the Cayley graphs of ${D}_{\ensuremath{\infty}}$, and, via a coarse-graining technique, we show that it coincides with the class of spinorial walks on
Z which satisfies parity symmetry. This class of QWs includes the Weyl and the Dirac QWs. Remarkably, there exist also spinorial walks that are not coarse graining of a scalar QW, such as the Hadamard walk.
A quantum walk, \emph{i.e.}, the quantum evolution of a particle on a graph, is termed \emph{scalar} if the internal space of the moving particle (often called the coin) has dimension one. Here, we study the existence of scalar quantum walks on Cayley graphs, which are built from the generators of a group. After deriving a necessary condition on these generators for the existence of a scalar quantum walk, we present a general method to express the evolution operator of the walk, assuming homogeneity of the evolution. We use this necessary condition and the subsequent constructive method to investigate the existence of scalar quantum walks on Cayley graphs of groups presented with two or three generators. In this restricted framework, we classify all groups -- in terms of relations between their generators -- that admit scalar quantum walks, and we also derive the form of the most general evolution operator. Finally, we point out some interesting special cases, and extend our study to a few examples of Cayley graphs built with more than three generators.
A discrete-time quantum walk (DTQW) is a lattice model of a single particle whose two-component internal state is repeatedly mixed by a unitary "coin" and shifted in space, chirality by chirality. In this work, we present a framework for coupling such a walk to a background electromagnetic (U(1)) gauge field. Instead of introducing traditional link variables common to the existing literature, we embed the gauge phase directly within the coin operator already required by the free walk, thereby eliminating the need for extra local degrees of freedom. We demonstrate this construction in two stages: first, using only coin phases to generate a purely spatial potential (A_1) while structurally forcing the temporal potential (A_0) to vanish (the temporal, or Weyl, gauge); and second, incorporating a single post-shift phase to recover a fully general potential (A_mu = (A_0, A_1). In both regimes, we show that the gauge transformation law for the coin phases is rigorously forced by the consistency requirement between the left- and right-moving sectors rather than assumed. We verify the construction non-perturbatively through the exact lattice dispersion relation, the walk’s convergence rate to the continuum Dirac equation, and its intrinsic avoidance of the fermion doubling problem.
We consider the Weyl quantum walk in 3+1 dimensions, that is a discrete-time walk describing a particle with two internal degrees of freedom moving on a Cayley graph of the group [Formula: see text], which in an appropriate regime evolves according to Weyl's equation. The Weyl quantum walk was recently derived as the unique unitary evolution on a Cayley graph of [Formula: see text] that is homogeneous and isotropic. The general solution of the quantum walk evolution is provided here in the position representation, by the analytical expression of the propagator, i.e. transition amplitude from a node of the graph to another node in a finite number of steps. The quantum nature of the walk manifests itself in the interference of the paths on the graph joining the given nodes. The solution is based on the binary encoding of the admissible paths on the graph and on the semigroup structure of the walk transition matrices.This article is part of the themed issue 'Second quantum revolution: foundational questions'.
A discrete-time quantum walk (QW) is essentially a unitary operator driving the evolution of a single particle on the lattice. Some QWs have familiar physics PDEs as their continuum limit. Some slight generalization of them (allowing for prior encoding and larger neighbourhoods) even have the curved spacetime Dirac equation, as their continuum limit. In the (1+1)− dimensional massless case, this equation decouples as scalar transport equations with tunable speeds. We characterise and construct all those QWs that lead to scalar transport with tunable speeds. The local coin operator dictates that speed; we provide concrete techniques to tune the speed of propagation, by making use only of a finite number of coin operators-differently from previous models, in which the speed of propagation depends upon a continuous parameter of the quantum coin. The interest of such a discretization is twofold : to allow for easier experimental implementations on the one hand, and to evaluate ways of quantizing the metric field, on the other.