The formalism of continuous-time quantum walks on graphs has been widely used in the study of quantum transport of energy and information, as well as in the development of quantum algorithms. In experimental settings, however, there is limited control over the coupling coefficients between the different nodes of the graph (which are usually considered to be real valued), thereby restricting the types of quantum walks that can be implemented. In this paper, we apply the idea of Floquet engineering in the context of continuous-time quantum walks, i.e., we define periodically driven Hamiltonians which can be used to simulate the dynamics of certain target continuous-time quantum walks. We focus on two main applications: (i) simulating quantum walks that break time-reversal symmetry due to complex coupling coefficients and (ii) increasing the connectivity of the graph by simulating the presence of next-nearest-neighbor couplings. Our paper provides explicit simulation protocols that may be used for directing quantum transport, engineering the dispersion relation of one-dimensional quantum walks, or investigating quantum dynamics in highly connected structures.
The formalism of continuous-time quantum walks on graphs has been widely used in the study of quantum transport of energy and information, as well as in the development of quantum algorithms. In experimental settings, however, there is limited control over the coupling coefficients between the different nodes of the graph (which are usually considered to be real valued), thereby restricting the types of quantum walks that can be implemented. In this paper, we apply the idea of Floquet engineering in the context of continuous-time quantum walks, i.e., we define periodically driven Hamiltonians which can be used to simulate the dynamics of certain target continuous-time quantum walks. We focus on two main applications: (i) simulating quantum walks that break time-reversal symmetry due to complex coupling coefficients and (ii) increasing the connectivity of the graph by simulating the presence of next-nearest-neighbor couplings. Our paper provides explicit simulation protocols that may be used for directing quantum transport, engineering the dispersion relation of one-dimensional quantum walks, or investigating quantum dynamics in highly connected structures.
Quantum walks are a fundamental tool in the study of quantum information, bridging the gap between quantum computation and modelling complex systems. In this thesis, we present a software package for simulation of multiparticle continuous-time quantum walks (CTQWs) using high performance computation, and detail a method of systematic dimensionalty reduction for fermionic CTQWs. We then consider CTQW applications; proving that the single particle CTQW is unsuited for determining graph isomorphism, and proposing a CTQW-based network centrality algorithm. This algorithm is utilized in the first successful physical quantum centrality implementation. Finally, we extend our centrality algorithm to PT-symmetric directed graphs.
In quantum computing, the connectivity of qubits placed on two-dimensional chips limits the scalability and functionality of solid-state quantum computers. This paper presents two approaches to constructing complex quantum networks from simple qubit arrays, specifically grid lattices. The first approach utilizes a subset of qubits as tunable couplers, effectively yielding a range of non-trivial graph-based Hamiltonians. The second approach employs dynamic graph engineering by periodically activating and deactivating couplers, enabling the creation of effective quantum walks with longer-range couplings. Numerical simulations verify the effective dynamics of these approaches. In terms of these two approaches, we explore implementing various graphs, including cubes and fullerenes, etc, on two-dimensional lattices. These techniques facilitate the realization of analog quantum simulation, particularly continuous-time quantum walks discussed in detail in this manuscript, for different computational tasks on superconducting quantum chips despite their inherent low dimensional simple architecture.
We show how second-order Floquet engineering can be employed to realize systems in which many-body localization coexists with topological properties in a driven system. This allows one to implement and dynamically control a symmetry protected topologically ordered qubit even at high energies, overcoming the roadblock that the respective states cannot be prepared as ground states of nearest-neighbor Hamiltonians. Floquet engineering-the idea that a periodically driven nonequilibrium system can effectively emulate the physics of a different Hamiltonian-is exploited to approximate an effective three-body interaction among spins in one dimension, using time-dependent two-body interactions only. In the effective system, emulated topology and disorder coexist, which provides an intriguing insight into the interplay of many-body localization that defies our standard understanding of thermodynamics and into the topological phases of matter, which are of fundamental and technological importance. We demonstrate explicitly how combining Floquet engineering, topology, and many-body localization allows one to harvest the advantages (time-dependent control, topological protection, and reduction of heating, respectively) of each of these subfields while protecting them from their disadvantages (heating, static control parameters, and strong disorder).
Continuous-time quantum walk describes the propagation of a quantum particle (or an excitation) evolving continuously in time on a graph. As such, it provides a natural framework for modeling transport processes, e.g., in light-harvesting systems. In particular, the transport properties strongly depend on the initial state and specific features of the graph under investigation. In this paper, we address the role of graph topology, and investigate the transport properties of graphs with different regularity, symmetry, and connectivity. We neglect disorder and decoherence, and assume a single trap vertex that is accountable for the loss processes. In particular, for each graph, we analytically determine the subspace of states having maximum transport efficiency. Our results provide a set of benchmarks for environment-assisted quantum transport, and suggest that connectivity is a poor indicator for transport efficiency. Indeed, we observe some specific correlations between transport efficiency and connectivity for certain graphs, but, in general, they are uncorrelated.
Quantum walks provide a natural framework to approach graph problems with quantum computers, exhibiting speedups over their classical counterparts for tasks such as the search for marked nodes or the prediction of missing links. Continuous-time quantum walk algorithms assume that we can simulate the dynamics of quantum systems where the Hamiltonian is given by the adjacency matrix of the graph. It is known that such can be simulated efficiently if the underlying graph is row-sparse and efficiently row-computable. While this is sufficient for many applications, it limits the applicability for this class of algorithms to study real world complex networks, which, among other properties, are characterized by the existence of a few densely connected nodes, called hubs. In other words, complex networks are typically not row-sparse, even though the average connectivity over all nodes can be very small. In this work, we extend the state-of-the-art results on quantum simulation to graphs that contain a small number of hubs, but that are otherwise sparse. Hopefully, our results may lead to new applications of quantum computing to network science.
Controlling and manipulating complex many-body quantum systems will be a key ingredient \nfor the development of next-generation technologies. While the realisation of a \nuniversal quantum machine is still out of reach, in recent years experimental systems of \nultracold atoms have already evolved into a vivid field of research for quantum simulation. \nCrucially, such systems even allow for the successful quantum engineering of targeted \nmany-body systems by means of coherent periodic driving. The essential properties of \nthese Floquet systems encompass two main aspects: fast driving facilitates the simulation \nof effective static systems, and interactions lead to unique heating effects as energy is only \nconserved modulo the driving frequency. Within this thesis we theoretically study both \nof these aspects in respective model systems. \nIn part I of this thesis, we investigate the dynamics of excitations of a bosonic Mott \ninsulator in a designed one-dimensional Floquet system. Here, periodic driving in combination \nwith breaking all mirror symmetries of the system can induce directed motion of \nparticles. In the limit of small excitation densities, the effectively non-interacting quantum \nratchet determines the motion of holes and doublons in the Mott insulator and can in fact \nbe used to manipulate the dynamics of such. This little quantum machine can also be \nused to drive particles against an external force, where transport is possible but requires \nthe fulfilment of a commensurability condition for long times. \nIn part II, we discuss the role of interactions for periodically driven systems by means \nof a Floquet version of the Boltzmann equation. Starting from the Keldysh approach, \nwe develop this semiclassical formalism based on a clear separation of time scales. The \nresult is a description of the dynamics and the scattering of Floquet quasiparticles in \nsuch systems. Here, the property of discrete energy violation is naturally encoded in our \nformalism predicting the heating of interacting Floquet systems to infinite temperatures in \nthe long-time limit. As a first application of this approach, we investigate a cold atom setup \nrealising the Haldane model by means of periodic shaking. While homogeneous systems \nheat up globally, a confining potential evokes thermoelectric transport effects resulting \nfrom spatially dependent heating characteristics. Moreover, we show that the interplay \nof intrinsic heating, macroscopic diffusion and non-trivial topological properties of the \nHaldane model lead to an anomalous Floquet-Nernst effect, which describes anomalous \nparticle transport as the result of developing temperature gradients. \nIn part III, we elaborate on the quantum simulator aspect of ultracold atoms by providing \na theoretical framework for a possible simulation of a topological edge state in a \none-dimensional optical lattice. In this case, the one-dimensional Dirac equation with \nspatially varying mass is important, which captures the topological properties of a corresponding \nsystem of the BDI symmetry class. We analytically discuss such system and \ninvestigate the role of mean-field interaction effects. We also identify the emergence of \ndynamical instabilities in a realisation with bosonic atoms.