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arXiv:2308.12516 · New Journal of Physics

Controlled transport in chiral quantum walks on graphs

Yi-Cong Yu, Xiaoming Cai

Published Aug 1, 2023• 1 citation
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Abstract We investigate novel transport properties of chiral continuous-time quantum walks (CTQWs) on graphs. By employing a gauge transformation, we demonstrate that CTQWs on chiral chains are equivalent to those on non-chiral chains, but with additional momenta from initial wave packets. This explains the novel transport phenomenon numerically studied in (Khalique et al 2021 New J. Phys. 23 083005). Building on this, we delve deeper into the analysis of chiral CTQWs on the Y-junction graph, introducing phases to account for the chirality. The phase plays a key role in controlling both asymmetric transport and directed complete transport among the chains in the Y-junction graph. We systematically analyze these features through a comprehensive examination of the chiral CTQW on a Y-junction graph. Our analysis shows that the CTQW on Y-junction graph can be modeled as a combination of three wave functions, each of which evolves independently on three effective open chains. By constructing a lattice scattering theory, we calculate the phase shift of a wave packet after it interacts with the potential-shifted boundary. Our results demonstrate that the interplay of these phase shifts leads to the observed enhancement and suppression of quantum transport. The explicit condition for directed complete transport or 100 % efficiency is analytically derived. Our theory has applications in building quantum versions of binary tree search algorithms.

DOI
10.1088/1367-2630/acec90

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Abstract We investigate novel transport properties of chiral continuous-time quantum walks (CTQWs) on graphs. By employing a gauge transformation, we demonstrate that CTQWs on chiral chains are equivalent to those on non-chiral chains, but with additional momenta from initial wave packets. This explains the novel transport phenomenon numerically studied in (Khalique et al 2021 New J. Phys. 23 083005). Building on this, we delve deeper into the analysis of chiral CTQWs on the Y-junction graph, introducing phases to account for the chirality. The phase plays a key role in controlling both asymmetric transport and directed complete transport among the chains in the Y-junction graph. We systematically analyze these features through a comprehensive examination of the chiral CTQW on a Y-junction graph. Our analysis shows that the CTQW on Y-junction graph can be modeled as a combination of three wave functions, each of which evolves independently on three effective open chains. By constructing a lattice scattering theory, we calculate the phase shift of a wave packet after it interacts with the potential-shifted boundary. Our results demonstrate that the interplay of these phase shifts leads to the observed enhancement and suppression of quantum transport. The explicit condition for directed complete transport or 100 % efficiency is analytically derived. Our theory has applications in building quantum versions of binary tree search algorithms.
Abstract Quantum transport across discrete structures is a relevant topic that can be suitably studied in the context of continuous-time quantum walks. The addition of phase degrees of freedom, leading to chiral quantum walks, can also account for directional transport on graphs with loops. We discuss criteria for quantum transport and study the enhancement that can be achieved with chiral quantum walks on chain-like graphs, exploring different topologies for the chain units and optimizing over the phases. We select three candidate structures with optimal performances and we investigate their transport behaviour with Krylov reduction. While one of them can be reduced to a weighted line with minor couplings modulation, the other two are truly chiral quantum walks, with enhanced transport probability over long chain structures.
Continuous-time quantum walks (CTQWs) provide a valuable model for quantum transport, universal quantum computation, and quantum spatial search, among others. Recently, the empowering role of new degrees of freedom in the Hamiltonian generator of CTQWs, which are the complex phases along the loops of the underlying graph, was acknowledged for its interest in optimizing or suppressing transport on specific topologies. We argue that the quantum-classical distance, a figure of merit which was introduced to capture the difference in dynamics between a CTQW and its classical, stochastic counterpart, guides the optimization of parameters of the Hamiltonian to achieve better quantum transport on cycle graphs and spatial search for the quantum speed limit without an oracle on complete graphs, the latter also implying fast uniform mixing. We compare the variations of this quantity with the 1-norm of coherence and the inverse participation ratio, showing that the quantum-classical distance is linked to both, but in a topology-dependent relation, which is key to spot the most interesting quantum evolution in each case.
Abstract Continuous-time quantum walks (CTQWs) provide a versatile framework for exploring quantum transport on graphs. In this work, we investigate how the introduction of edge-weight modulation at a single vertex can suppress its occupation probability. We show that when the edges connected to the root vertex are enhanced by a factor J , the probability of detecting the walker at this vertex decays as 1/J21/J^21/J2 1 / J 2 , provided the initial state has no components on the vertex itself or its nearest neighbors. We derive the full eigenvalue and eigenvector structure of this system, revealing that the suppression arises from the decoupling of two symmetric line subgraphs and the destructive interference of higher-order contributions. The analysis is extended to tree graphs, where we demonstrate the same scaling behavior and identify the role of local graph geometry in controlling vertex probabilities. These results suggest edge-weight modulation as a mechanism for manipulating transport pathways in CTQWs, with potential applications in quantum information transfer and state engineering, and may serve as a probe of decoherence effects in open quantum systems.
This paper investigates continuous-time quantum walks on directed bipartite graphs based on a graph's adjacency matrix. We prove that on bipartite graphs, probability transport between the two node partitions can be completely suppressed by tuning a model parameter $\ensuremath{\alpha}$. We provide analytic solutions to the quantum walks for the star and circulant graph classes that are valid for an arbitrary value of the number of nodes NNN, time ttt, and the model parameter $\ensuremath{\alpha}$. We discuss quantitative and qualitative aspects of quantum walks based on directed graphs and their undirected counterparts. Numerical simulations of quantum walks on circulant graphs show complex interference phenomena and how complete suppression of transport is achieved near $\ensuremath{\alpha}=\ensuremath{\pi}/2$. By proving two mirror symmetries around $\ensuremath{\alpha}=0$ and $\ensuremath{\pi}/2$ we show that these quantum walks have a period of $\ensuremath{\pi}$ in $\ensuremath{\alpha}$. We show that undirected edges lose their effect on the quantum walk at $\ensuremath{\alpha}=\ensuremath{\pi}/2$ and present non-bipartite graphs that exhibit suppression of transport. Finally, we analytically compute the Hamiltonians of quantum walks on the directed ring graph.
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.
We derive analytical results for continuous-time quantum walks from a new class of initial states with tunable delocalization. The dynamics are governed by a Hamiltonian with complex hopping amplitudes. We provide closed-form equations for key observables, revealing three notable findings: (1) the emergence of directed quantum transport from completely unbiased initial conditions; (2) a quantum backfire effect, where greater initial delocalization enhances short-time spreading but counterintuitively induces a comparatively smaller long-time spreading after a crossing time tcrosst_{\mathrm{cross}}tcross​; and (3) an exact characterization of survival probability, showing that the transition to an enhanced t−3t^{-3}t−3 decay is a fine-tuned effect. Our work establishes a comprehensive framework for controlling quantum transport through the interplay between intermediate initial delocalization and Hamiltonian phase.