Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2004.07731 · Communications Physics

Experimental data from a quantum computer verifies the generalized Pauli exclusion principle

Scott E. Smart, David Schuster, David A. Mazziotti

Published Jan 31, 2019• 25 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Abstract “What are the consequences… that Fermi particles cannot get into the same state…” R. P. Feynman wrote of the Pauli exclusion principle, “In fact, almost all the peculiarities of the material world hinge on this wonderful fact.” In 1972 Borland and Dennis showed that there exist powerful constraints beyond the Pauli exclusion principle on the orbital occupations of Fermi particles, providing important restrictions on quantum correlation and entanglement. Here we use computations on quantum computers to experimentally verify the existence of these additional constraints. Quantum many-fermion states are randomly prepared on the quantum computer and tested for constraint violations. Measurements show no violation and confirm the generalized Pauli exclusion principle with an error of one part in one quintillion.

DOI
10.1038/s42005-019-0110-3

Related papers

Open quantum system violates generalized Pauli constraints on quantum device

Irma Avdic, LeeAnn M. Sager-Smith, David A. Mazziotti

Abstract The Pauli exclusion principle governs the fundamental structure and function of fermionic systems from molecules to materials. Nonetheless, when such a fermionic system is in a pure state, it is subject to additional restrictions known as the generalized Pauli constraints (GPCs). Here we verify experimentally the violation of the GPCs for an open quantum system using data from a superconducting-qubit quantum computer. We prepare states of systems with three-to-seven qubits directly on the quantum device and measure the one-fermion reduced density matrix (1-RDM) from which we can test the GPCs. We find that the GPCs of the 1-RDM are sufficiently sensitive to detect the openness of the 3-to-7 qubit systems in the presence of a single-qubit environment. Results confirm experimentally that the openness of a many-fermion quantum system can be decoded from only a knowledge of the 1-RDM with potential applications from quantum computing and sensing to noise-assisted energy transfer.

Communications Physics•Jul 17, 2023•3 citations

Recent progress on fermionic exchange symmetry

Carlos L. Benavides-Riveros

Postulated by Wolfgang Pauli in 1925 to explain the electronic structure of atoms and molecules, the exclusion principle establishes an upper bound of 1 for the fermionic natural occupation numbers (ni ≤ 1), thereby allowing no more than one electron in each quantum state. This is nothing more than a necessary and sufficient condition for a 1-body reduced density matrix to be the contraction of an N-body density matrix, provided that the sum of such occupations equals the number of particles. The pure N-representability problem asks whether given natural occupation numbers can arise from an antisymmetric pure N-particle state. Recent progress on such a problem establishes a systematic approach to a set of stronger constraints on the natural occupation numbers, not implied by the exclusion principle. In fact, for a pure quantum system the natural occupations satisfy a set of linear inequalities, known as generalized Pauli constraints, of the form with . This generalization of the Pauli exclusion principle has been widely used in many-body physics to study the influence of the fermionic exchange symmetry, beyond the original Pauli principle. In this chapter we review recent applications of the generalized Pauli exclusion principle and discuss some of the open problems.

Chemical modelling•Feb 9, 2018•4 citations

Influence of the fermionic exchange symmetry beyond Pauli's exclusion principle

Felix Tennie, Vlatko Vedral, Christian Schilling

Pauli's exclusion principle has a strong impact on the properties of most fermionic quantum systems. Remarkably, the fermionic exchange symmetry implies further constraints on the one-particle picture. By exploiting those generalized Pauli constraints, we derive a measure which quantifies the influence of the exchange symmetry beyond Pauli's exclusion principle. It is based on a geometric hierarchy induced by the exclusion principle constraints. We provide a proof of principle by applying our measure to a simple model. In that way, we conclusively confirm the physical relevance of the generalized Pauli constraints and show that the fermionic exchange symmetry can have an influence on the one-particle picture beyond Pauli's exclusion principle. Our findings provide a perspective on fermionic multipartite correlation since our measure allows one to distinguish between static and dynamic correlations.

arXiv:1509.00358•Physical Review A•Feb 24, 2017•23 citations

Experimental proposal to probe the extended Pauli principle

Lucas Hackl, Dayang Li, Nika Akopian +1 more

All matter is made up of fermions, one of the fundamental type of particles in nature. Fermions follow the Pauli exclusion principle, stating that two or more identical fermions cannot occupy the same quantum state. Antisymmetry of the fermionic wave function, however, implies additional constraints on the natural occupation numbers. These constraints depend on the dimensionality and purity of the system and have so far not been explored experimentally in a fermionic system to our best knowledge. Here we propose an experiment in a multi-quantum-dot system capable of producing the highly entangled fermionic states necessary to reach the regime, where these additional constraints become dominant and can be probed. The type and strength of the required multifermion entanglement provides barriers to reaching deep into this regime. Transcending these barriers thus serves as a testing ground for the capabilities of future fermionic quantum information processing as well as quantum computer architectures based on fermionic states. All operations in our proposal are based on all-optical gates presented in Li and Akopian [arXiv:2107.05960 (2021)]. We simulate our state preparation procedures in realistic structures, including all main decoherence sources, and find fidelities above 0.97.

arXiv:2107.05961•Physical Review A•Jul 19, 2023•4 citations

Irrelevance of the Pauli principle in distant correlations between identical fermions

Fedor Herbut, Milan Vujičić

Distant correlation experiments with identical fermions (e.g. protons, as in the work of Lamehi-Rachti and Mittig 1976) require a theory which includes the Pauli principle. This fact makes an immediate application of the usual quantum mechanical distant correlation theories impossible, because the exclusion principle precludes the interpretation of particles as subsystems. Utilising the fact that the measuring apparata (for one-particle measurements) are in two non-overlapping spatial regions, it is shown that there exists a mapping preserving all the relevant physical information that allows a transformation to a distinct-particle picture, in which the particles can be naturally treated as subsystems, and the relevant observables have the usual simple form. It is argued that, due to the existence of this mapping, the Pauli non-local correlations do not contribute to distant correlations between identical fermions. A negentropy measure of distant correlations is introduced and discussed. It is demonstrated that they are necessarily of dynamical origin.

Journal of Physics A Mathematical and General•Nov 11, 1987•21 citations

Experimental tests of quantum mechanics: Pauli exclusion principle violation and spontaneous collapse models

Catalina Curceanu, Sergio Bartalucci, Angelo Bassi +24 more

The Pauli exclusion principle (PEP) is one of the basic principles of the modern physics. Being at the very basis of our understanding of matter, it spurs, presently, a lively debate on its possible limits, deeply rooted in the very foundations of Quantum Field Theory. Therefore, it is extremely important to test the limits of its validity. Quon theory provides a suitable mathematical framework of possible violation of PEP, where the violation parameter q translates into a probability of violating PEP. Experimentally, setting a bound on PEP violation means confining the violation parameter to a value very close to either 1 (for bosons) or −1 (for fermions). The VIP (VIolation of the Pauli exclusion principle) experiment established a limit on the probability that PEP is violated by electrons, using the method of searching for PEP forbidden atomic transitions in copper. We describe the experimental method, the obtained results, both in terms of the q-parameter from quon theory and as probability of PEP violation, we briefly discuss them and present future plans to go beyond the actual limit by upgrading the experimental technique using vetoed new spectroscopical fast Silicon Drift Detectors. We also mention the possibility of using a similar experimental technique to search for eventual X-rays, generated in the spontaneous collapse models.

AIP conference proceedings•Jan 1, 2012•0 citations
Abstract “What are the consequences… that Fermi particles cannot get into the same state…” R. P. Feynman wrote of the Pauli exclusion principle, “In fact, almost all the peculiarities of the material world hinge on this wonderful fact.” In 1972 Borland and Dennis showed that there exist powerful constraints beyond the Pauli exclusion principle on the orbital occupations of Fermi particles, providing important restrictions on quantum correlation and entanglement. Here we use computations on quantum computers to experimentally verify the existence of these additional constraints. Quantum many-fermion states are randomly prepared on the quantum computer and tested for constraint violations. Measurements show no violation and confirm the generalized Pauli exclusion principle with an error of one part in one quintillion.
Abstract The Pauli exclusion principle governs the fundamental structure and function of fermionic systems from molecules to materials. Nonetheless, when such a fermionic system is in a pure state, it is subject to additional restrictions known as the generalized Pauli constraints (GPCs). Here we verify experimentally the violation of the GPCs for an open quantum system using data from a superconducting-qubit quantum computer. We prepare states of systems with three-to-seven qubits directly on the quantum device and measure the one-fermion reduced density matrix (1-RDM) from which we can test the GPCs. We find that the GPCs of the 1-RDM are sufficiently sensitive to detect the openness of the 3-to-7 qubit systems in the presence of a single-qubit environment. Results confirm experimentally that the openness of a many-fermion quantum system can be decoded from only a knowledge of the 1-RDM with potential applications from quantum computing and sensing to noise-assisted energy transfer.
Postulated by Wolfgang Pauli in 1925 to explain the electronic structure of atoms and molecules, the exclusion principle establishes an upper bound of 1 for the fermionic natural occupation numbers (ni ≤ 1), thereby allowing no more than one electron in each quantum state. This is nothing more than a necessary and sufficient condition for a 1-body reduced density matrix to be the contraction of an N-body density matrix, provided that the sum of such occupations equals the number of particles. The pure N-representability problem asks whether given natural occupation numbers can arise from an antisymmetric pure N-particle state. Recent progress on such a problem establishes a systematic approach to a set of stronger constraints on the natural occupation numbers, not implied by the exclusion principle. In fact, for a pure quantum system the natural occupations satisfy a set of linear inequalities, known as generalized Pauli constraints, of the form with . This generalization of the Pauli exclusion principle has been widely used in many-body physics to study the influence of the fermionic exchange symmetry, beyond the original Pauli principle. In this chapter we review recent applications of the generalized Pauli exclusion principle and discuss some of the open problems.
Pauli's exclusion principle has a strong impact on the properties of most fermionic quantum systems. Remarkably, the fermionic exchange symmetry implies further constraints on the one-particle picture. By exploiting those generalized Pauli constraints, we derive a measure which quantifies the influence of the exchange symmetry beyond Pauli's exclusion principle. It is based on a geometric hierarchy induced by the exclusion principle constraints. We provide a proof of principle by applying our measure to a simple model. In that way, we conclusively confirm the physical relevance of the generalized Pauli constraints and show that the fermionic exchange symmetry can have an influence on the one-particle picture beyond Pauli's exclusion principle. Our findings provide a perspective on fermionic multipartite correlation since our measure allows one to distinguish between static and dynamic correlations.
All matter is made up of fermions, one of the fundamental type of particles in nature. Fermions follow the Pauli exclusion principle, stating that two or more identical fermions cannot occupy the same quantum state. Antisymmetry of the fermionic wave function, however, implies additional constraints on the natural occupation numbers. These constraints depend on the dimensionality and purity of the system and have so far not been explored experimentally in a fermionic system to our best knowledge. Here we propose an experiment in a multi-quantum-dot system capable of producing the highly entangled fermionic states necessary to reach the regime, where these additional constraints become dominant and can be probed. The type and strength of the required multifermion entanglement provides barriers to reaching deep into this regime. Transcending these barriers thus serves as a testing ground for the capabilities of future fermionic quantum information processing as well as quantum computer architectures based on fermionic states. All operations in our proposal are based on all-optical gates presented in Li and Akopian [arXiv:2107.05960 (2021)]. We simulate our state preparation procedures in realistic structures, including all main decoherence sources, and find fidelities above 0.97.
Distant correlation experiments with identical fermions (e.g. protons, as in the work of Lamehi-Rachti and Mittig 1976) require a theory which includes the Pauli principle. This fact makes an immediate application of the usual quantum mechanical distant correlation theories impossible, because the exclusion principle precludes the interpretation of particles as subsystems. Utilising the fact that the measuring apparata (for one-particle measurements) are in two non-overlapping spatial regions, it is shown that there exists a mapping preserving all the relevant physical information that allows a transformation to a distinct-particle picture, in which the particles can be naturally treated as subsystems, and the relevant observables have the usual simple form. It is argued that, due to the existence of this mapping, the Pauli non-local correlations do not contribute to distant correlations between identical fermions. A negentropy measure of distant correlations is introduced and discussed. It is demonstrated that they are necessarily of dynamical origin.
The Pauli exclusion principle (PEP) is one of the basic principles of the modern physics. Being at the very basis of our understanding of matter, it spurs, presently, a lively debate on its possible limits, deeply rooted in the very foundations of Quantum Field Theory. Therefore, it is extremely important to test the limits of its validity. Quon theory provides a suitable mathematical framework of possible violation of PEP, where the violation parameter q translates into a probability of violating PEP. Experimentally, setting a bound on PEP violation means confining the violation parameter to a value very close to either 1 (for bosons) or −1 (for fermions). The VIP (VIolation of the Pauli exclusion principle) experiment established a limit on the probability that PEP is violated by electrons, using the method of searching for PEP forbidden atomic transitions in copper. We describe the experimental method, the obtained results, both in terms of the q-parameter from quon theory and as probability of PEP violation, we briefly discuss them and present future plans to go beyond the actual limit by upgrading the experimental technique using vetoed new spectroscopical fast Silicon Drift Detectors. We also mention the possibility of using a similar experimental technique to search for eventual X-rays, generated in the spontaneous collapse models.