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:2512.21272 · New Journal of Physics

Characterizing quantum synchronization in the van der Pol oscillator via tomogram and photon correlation

Kingshuk Adhikary, K. M. Athira, M. Rohith

quant-phSubmitted Dec 24, 2025• Announced Dec 25, 2025• 0 citations
v1 · Dec 24, 2025v2 · May 4, 2026
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We access the quantum synchronization (QS) in the steady state of a driven quantum van der Pol oscillator (vdPo) using two distinct figures of merit: (i) the nonclassical area $δ$ and (ii) the second-order correlation function $g^{(2)}(0)$, which are both viable in experimental architectures. The nonclassical area quantifier rooted in homodyne tomography, allows us to assess the nonclassical nature of the vdPo's state directly from the tomogram without requiring full state reconstruction or the Wigner function negativity. Within a well-defined parameter regime of drive strength and detuning, both $δ$ and $g^{(2)}(0)$ exhibit pronounced signatures of synchronization that complements the phase coherence between the drive and the vdPo. We derive an analytical expression for the steady-state density matrix and the corresponding tomogram of the system, valid for arbitrary strengths of the harmonic drive. Analysis of the quantum tomogram uncovers clear phase-locking behavior, enabling the identification of the synchronization region (Arnold tongue) directly in terms of experimentally measurable quantities. Furthermore, the behaviour of $g^{(2)}(0)$ provides a statistical perspective that reinforces the tomographic signatures of QS. By analyzing the interplay between these metrics, we can gain more profound insights into the underlying mechanisms that govern QS in such systems.

Journal reference
New J. Phys. 28 054511, (2026)
DOI
10.1088/1367-2630/ae6baf
Comments
12 pages, 5 figures

Related papers

Tomogram-based quantifiers of nonclassicality dynamics in Kerr and cubic media

K. M. Athira, M. J. Neethu, M. Rohith

The reliable quantification of nonclassicality in quantum states under realistic decoherence remains a central challenge in advancing quantum technologies. Conventional quantifiers such as Wigner negativity, Mandel's $Q$-parameter, nonclassical depth, etc., are often experimentally intractable, non-unique, or insensitive to key quantum signatures. We demonstrate that tomogram-based measures, the homodyne nonclassical area and sum tomographic entropy, offer a robust, experimentally accessible alternative for quantifying nonclassicality dynamics, as they can be directly obtained from optical tomograms via balanced homodyne detection, avoiding density matrix reconstruction and ensuring feasibility. We study coherent, photon-added coherent, and even coherent states evolving in Kerr and cubic nonlinear systems, with environmental effects modelled using the Lindblad master equation under amplitude and phase damping. The homodyne nonclassical area, which quantifies the excess quadrature variance beyond that of a coherent state, tracks both the onset and decay of nonclassicality, clearly identifying fractional revivals, wave packet splitting, and macroscopic superpositions. We find that amplitude damping drives a rapid monotonic decay toward the vacuum, while phase damping allows partial revival features to survive longer. Complementing this, the sum tomographic entropy derived from conjugate-quadrature tomograms captures higher-order fractional revivals and phase-space interference through persistent entropy minima under weak damping. Our results establish homodyne-based quantifiers as powerful, real-time, and experimentally viable tools for tracking nonclassical dynamics in nonlinear optical media, offering a compelling alternative to conventional, experimentally challenging measures.

quant-pharXiv:2605.03746•The European Physical Journal Plus•May 5, 2026•0 citations

Second harmonic phase locking and synchronization blockade in quadratically coupled driven quantum van der Pol oscillators

Nissi Thomas, M. Senthilvelan

We investigate the dynamics of a quadratically coupled system under the influence of an external drive applied to the second oscillator, where the coupling facilitates a high-order synchronization with phase-locking emerging in the form of 2:1 between the oscillators. Our analysis reveals a synchronization blockade in the first oscillator, characterized by the complete suppression of conventional 1:1 phase-locking with the drive. In contrast, we observe that the directly driven second oscillator synchronizes with the drive, showing 1:1 phase-locking but notably at second harmonic frequency. A classical mean-field analysis of the corresponding equations of motion reproduces this asymmetric phase-locking geometry which demonstrates that the phase-locking structure itself can be understood from the nonlinear classical dynamics. The quantum analysis, however, reveals the microscopic origin of the synchronization blockade. Furthermore, we show that the system exhibits mutual synchronization when both the oscillators satisfies the resonance condition, enabling coherent energy exchange facilitated by nonlinear quadratic coupling. The mutual synchronization shows synchronized regimes and also subtle suppression of synchronized regimes near resonance occurring due to spectral splitting of the energy states. Using perturbation analysis of the master equation within the low excitation subspace, we analyze steady-state phase distribution and synchronization measures, supported by population statistics and spectral responses. We also propose possible experimental realizations in trapped-ions and optomechanical setups. These findings highlight the crucial role of quadratic coupling in enabling nonclassical synchronization phenomena, offering deeper insights for quantum control strategies and the development of quantum information platforms.

quant-pharXiv:2608.29185•Sep 1, 2026

Single and coupled quantum van der Pol oscillators: Wigner-function dynamics, exact qutrit solutions, and synchronization

Rohitashwa Chattopadhyay, Vinayak Pendse, Shamik Gupta

We study quantum van der Pol oscillator in which single-photon pumping competes with a nonlinear two-photon dissipative channel to produce a quantum limit cycle, and the question of how two such oscillators with non-identical intrinsic frequencies synchronize in the sense of phase locking when coupled dissipatively to one another. For a single oscillator, starting from a Lindblad description of the dynamics, we derive the exact Wigner-function evolution equation, and show that its Fokker--Planck approximation admits in the appropriate regime an equivalent classical Itô stochastic description that reproduces remarkably well the full Lindblad dynamics. Notably, the stochastic approach provides an efficient means of capturing system dynamics in the semiclassical regime, where a large number of energy eigenstates contribute and direct numerical simulations become computationally demanding. Restricting to the three lowest Fock states and using a parity symmetry, we obtain in closed form the stationary-state density matrix and its Wigner-function representation that displays pronounced nonclassical features. For two non-identical oscillators, we study the full Lindblad dynamics numerically and characterize synchronization through the stationary-state order parameter as a function of frequency mismatch and dissipative coupling. We find that increasing the effective nonlinear dissipative strength suppresses the synchronized region. Restricting the two oscillators to the three-level qutrit subspace, a parity symmetry reduces the stationary-state problem to an exact $41$-dimensional linear system, allowing to compute the synchronization order parameter. In this reduced description, results in the limit of large dissipation agree closely with those from the full dynamics, while exhibiting in the limit of small dissipation a double-peak synchronization structure accompanied by a phase reversal.

quant-pharXiv:2610.19904•Oct 15, 2026•0 citations

Kerr Induced Control of Synchronization and Quantum State Recovery in a Driven van der Pol Oscillator

Amir Hossein Houshmand Almani, Ali Mortezapour, Alireza Nourmandipour

We investigate how Kerr nonlinearity modifies quantum synchronization in a squeezed quantum van der Pol oscillator. We show that the Kerr interaction produces an amplitude-dependent frequency shift that drives a saddle-node bifurcation, transforming the classical phase-space structure from bistable to monostable dynamics. In the quantum regime, this transition manifests as systematic frequency pulling and spectral broadening, while the steady-state Wigner function reveals a continuous correspondence between the quantum state and the semiclassical attractor despite finite quantum fluctuations. By constructing global synchronization phase diagrams in the squeezing--Kerr parameter space, we uncover a remarkably linear dependence of the critical squeezing strength required to maintain phase locking on the Kerr nonlinearity. We further demonstrate that the synchronization boundary does not coincide with the crossover between super- and sub-Poissonian photon statistics, showing that synchronization and photon-number statistics characterize distinct aspects of the quantum steady state. These results provide quantitative design principles for controlling quantum synchronization through Kerr nonlinearity, with potential relevance to trapped-ion, superconducting-circuit, and optomechanical platforms.

quant-pharXiv:2609.05672•Sep 8, 2026•0 citations

Controllable phase-dependent Wigner-function negativity at steady state via parametric driving and feedback

Jiahua Li, Chunling Ding, Ying Wu

Generating the negative Wigner functions where the corresponding Wigner states are nonclassical has been recognized as a powerful tool for successfully performing quantum information and computing protocols beyond the scope of classical computers. Here, we present the possibility to generate and engineer the negative Wigner function at a steady state using parametric (two-photon) driving and homodyne-based feedback in a quantum van der Pol (vdP) oscillator. Specifically, we employ a quantum master equation approach for calculating the Wigner function of the vdP oscillator field in phase space and, furthermore, quantifying its negativity content. We clearly show that the negative-value magnitudes, regions, and shapes of the Wigner function can be effectively tuned by the parametric driving phase and the parametric driving amplitude, as well as the feedback coefficient within a large range. We identify different contributions of these involved parameters to the Wigner-function negativity. In the present scheme, more complex quantum coherence and interference phenomena are introduced via the parametric driving and feedback, which stabilizes the phase of the vdP oscillator field and renders the capability to generate the negative Wigner function. Therefore, the enhanced Wigner-function negativity can be achieved under these optimized system parameters. Our in-depth study provides insight into the formation and in situ control of the desirable Wigner nonclassical states. The obtained results are not limited to the vdP oscillator systems and should be generally applicable to other coherent coupled systems within the reach of modern experimental facilities.

Journal of Applied Physics•Mar 24, 2021•5 citations

Quantum spin van der Pol oscillator: Spin-based limit-cycle oscillator exhibiting quantum synchronization

Yuzuru Kato, Hiroya Nakao

We introduce a quantum spin van der Pol (vdP) oscillator as a prototypical model of quantum spin-based limit-cycle oscillators, which coincides with the quantum optical vdP oscillator in the high-spin limit. The system is described as a noisy limit-cycle oscillator in the semiclassical regime at large spin numbers, exhibiting frequency entrainment to a periodic drive. Even in the smallest spin-1 case, mutual synchronization, Arnold tongues, and entanglement tongues in two dissipatively coupled oscillators, and collective synchronization in all-to-all coupled oscillators are clearly observed. The proposed quantum spin vdP oscillator will provide a useful platform for analyzing quantum spin synchronization.

arXiv:2409.08791•Physical Review Research•Sep 25, 2025•1 citation
We access the quantum synchronization (QS) in the steady state of a driven quantum van der Pol oscillator (vdPo) using two distinct figures of merit: (i) the nonclassical area δδδ and (ii) the second-order correlation function g(2)(0)g^{(2)}(0)g(2)(0), which are both viable in experimental architectures. The nonclassical area quantifier rooted in homodyne tomography, allows us to assess the nonclassical nature of the vdPo's state directly from the tomogram without requiring full state reconstruction or the Wigner function negativity. Within a well-defined parameter regime of drive strength and detuning, both δδδ and g(2)(0)g^{(2)}(0)g(2)(0) exhibit pronounced signatures of synchronization that complements the phase coherence between the drive and the vdPo. We derive an analytical expression for the steady-state density matrix and the corresponding tomogram of the system, valid for arbitrary strengths of the harmonic drive. Analysis of the quantum tomogram uncovers clear phase-locking behavior, enabling the identification of the synchronization region (Arnold tongue) directly in terms of experimentally measurable quantities. Furthermore, the behaviour of g(2)(0)g^{(2)}(0)g(2)(0) provides a statistical perspective that reinforces the tomographic signatures of QS. By analyzing the interplay between these metrics, we can gain more profound insights into the underlying mechanisms that govern QS in such systems.
The reliable quantification of nonclassicality in quantum states under realistic decoherence remains a central challenge in advancing quantum technologies. Conventional quantifiers such as Wigner negativity, Mandel's QQQ-parameter, nonclassical depth, etc., are often experimentally intractable, non-unique, or insensitive to key quantum signatures. We demonstrate that tomogram-based measures, the homodyne nonclassical area and sum tomographic entropy, offer a robust, experimentally accessible alternative for quantifying nonclassicality dynamics, as they can be directly obtained from optical tomograms via balanced homodyne detection, avoiding density matrix reconstruction and ensuring feasibility. We study coherent, photon-added coherent, and even coherent states evolving in Kerr and cubic nonlinear systems, with environmental effects modelled using the Lindblad master equation under amplitude and phase damping. The homodyne nonclassical area, which quantifies the excess quadrature variance beyond that of a coherent state, tracks both the onset and decay of nonclassicality, clearly identifying fractional revivals, wave packet splitting, and macroscopic superpositions. We find that amplitude damping drives a rapid monotonic decay toward the vacuum, while phase damping allows partial revival features to survive longer. Complementing this, the sum tomographic entropy derived from conjugate-quadrature tomograms captures higher-order fractional revivals and phase-space interference through persistent entropy minima under weak damping. Our results establish homodyne-based quantifiers as powerful, real-time, and experimentally viable tools for tracking nonclassical dynamics in nonlinear optical media, offering a compelling alternative to conventional, experimentally challenging measures.
We investigate the dynamics of a quadratically coupled system under the influence of an external drive applied to the second oscillator, where the coupling facilitates a high-order synchronization with phase-locking emerging in the form of 2:1 between the oscillators. Our analysis reveals a synchronization blockade in the first oscillator, characterized by the complete suppression of conventional 1:1 phase-locking with the drive. In contrast, we observe that the directly driven second oscillator synchronizes with the drive, showing 1:1 phase-locking but notably at second harmonic frequency. A classical mean-field analysis of the corresponding equations of motion reproduces this asymmetric phase-locking geometry which demonstrates that the phase-locking structure itself can be understood from the nonlinear classical dynamics. The quantum analysis, however, reveals the microscopic origin of the synchronization blockade. Furthermore, we show that the system exhibits mutual synchronization when both the oscillators satisfies the resonance condition, enabling coherent energy exchange facilitated by nonlinear quadratic coupling. The mutual synchronization shows synchronized regimes and also subtle suppression of synchronized regimes near resonance occurring due to spectral splitting of the energy states. Using perturbation analysis of the master equation within the low excitation subspace, we analyze steady-state phase distribution and synchronization measures, supported by population statistics and spectral responses. We also propose possible experimental realizations in trapped-ions and optomechanical setups. These findings highlight the crucial role of quadratic coupling in enabling nonclassical synchronization phenomena, offering deeper insights for quantum control strategies and the development of quantum information platforms.
We study quantum van der Pol oscillator in which single-photon pumping competes with a nonlinear two-photon dissipative channel to produce a quantum limit cycle, and the question of how two such oscillators with non-identical intrinsic frequencies synchronize in the sense of phase locking when coupled dissipatively to one another. For a single oscillator, starting from a Lindblad description of the dynamics, we derive the exact Wigner-function evolution equation, and show that its Fokker--Planck approximation admits in the appropriate regime an equivalent classical Itô stochastic description that reproduces remarkably well the full Lindblad dynamics. Notably, the stochastic approach provides an efficient means of capturing system dynamics in the semiclassical regime, where a large number of energy eigenstates contribute and direct numerical simulations become computationally demanding. Restricting to the three lowest Fock states and using a parity symmetry, we obtain in closed form the stationary-state density matrix and its Wigner-function representation that displays pronounced nonclassical features. For two non-identical oscillators, we study the full Lindblad dynamics numerically and characterize synchronization through the stationary-state order parameter as a function of frequency mismatch and dissipative coupling. We find that increasing the effective nonlinear dissipative strength suppresses the synchronized region. Restricting the two oscillators to the three-level qutrit subspace, a parity symmetry reduces the stationary-state problem to an exact 414141-dimensional linear system, allowing to compute the synchronization order parameter. In this reduced description, results in the limit of large dissipation agree closely with those from the full dynamics, while exhibiting in the limit of small dissipation a double-peak synchronization structure accompanied by a phase reversal.
We investigate how Kerr nonlinearity modifies quantum synchronization in a squeezed quantum van der Pol oscillator. We show that the Kerr interaction produces an amplitude-dependent frequency shift that drives a saddle-node bifurcation, transforming the classical phase-space structure from bistable to monostable dynamics. In the quantum regime, this transition manifests as systematic frequency pulling and spectral broadening, while the steady-state Wigner function reveals a continuous correspondence between the quantum state and the semiclassical attractor despite finite quantum fluctuations. By constructing global synchronization phase diagrams in the squeezing--Kerr parameter space, we uncover a remarkably linear dependence of the critical squeezing strength required to maintain phase locking on the Kerr nonlinearity. We further demonstrate that the synchronization boundary does not coincide with the crossover between super- and sub-Poissonian photon statistics, showing that synchronization and photon-number statistics characterize distinct aspects of the quantum steady state. These results provide quantitative design principles for controlling quantum synchronization through Kerr nonlinearity, with potential relevance to trapped-ion, superconducting-circuit, and optomechanical platforms.
Generating the negative Wigner functions where the corresponding Wigner states are nonclassical has been recognized as a powerful tool for successfully performing quantum information and computing protocols beyond the scope of classical computers. Here, we present the possibility to generate and engineer the negative Wigner function at a steady state using parametric (two-photon) driving and homodyne-based feedback in a quantum van der Pol (vdP) oscillator. Specifically, we employ a quantum master equation approach for calculating the Wigner function of the vdP oscillator field in phase space and, furthermore, quantifying its negativity content. We clearly show that the negative-value magnitudes, regions, and shapes of the Wigner function can be effectively tuned by the parametric driving phase and the parametric driving amplitude, as well as the feedback coefficient within a large range. We identify different contributions of these involved parameters to the Wigner-function negativity. In the present scheme, more complex quantum coherence and interference phenomena are introduced via the parametric driving and feedback, which stabilizes the phase of the vdP oscillator field and renders the capability to generate the negative Wigner function. Therefore, the enhanced Wigner-function negativity can be achieved under these optimized system parameters. Our in-depth study provides insight into the formation and in situ control of the desirable Wigner nonclassical states. The obtained results are not limited to the vdP oscillator systems and should be generally applicable to other coherent coupled systems within the reach of modern experimental facilities.
We introduce a quantum spin van der Pol (vdP) oscillator as a prototypical model of quantum spin-based limit-cycle oscillators, which coincides with the quantum optical vdP oscillator in the high-spin limit. The system is described as a noisy limit-cycle oscillator in the semiclassical regime at large spin numbers, exhibiting frequency entrainment to a periodic drive. Even in the smallest spin-1 case, mutual synchronization, Arnold tongues, and entanglement tongues in two dissipatively coupled oscillators, and collective synchronization in all-to-all coupled oscillators are clearly observed. The proposed quantum spin vdP oscillator will provide a useful platform for analyzing quantum spin synchronization.