Classical computation relies heavily on information manipulation. Each component of a hardware needs to communicate with others, and this is done by encoding information into strings of bits and application of logical operations. When dealing with quantum technologies, there arises a new set of paradigms and devices, based on manipulations of qubits, the quantum analogues of conventional bits. This work investigates the generation and distribution of quantum entanglement, a uniquely non-classical correlation, across spin chains, which serve as promising platforms for quantum information processing. We systematically compare two distinct entanglement generation protocols: Protocol 1 (P1), based on alternating weak and strong couplings that create a band structure enabling an effective trimer-model approximation, and Protocol 2 (P2), which employs symmetric boundary couplings and virtual excitations to establish a direct effective interaction between the chain ends. Our results demonstrate that a protocol based on virtual excitations and optimized boundary couplings consistently outperforms its counterpart in speed, achieved entanglement, and robustness against fabrication imperfections and noise. Furthermore, by employing effective model reductions and open quantum systems techniques we provide a comprehensive framework for understanding the resilience of distributed entanglement in solid-state quantum devices. The characteristics of the virtual-coupling protocol highlight its potential for experimental implementation in scalable quantum technologies.
Classical computation relies heavily on information manipulation. Each component of a hardware needs to communicate with others, and this is done by encoding information into strings of bits and application of logical operations. When dealing with quantum technologies, there arises a new set of paradigms and devices, based on manipulations of qubits, the quantum analogues of conventional bits. This work investigates the generation and distribution of quantum entanglement, a uniquely non-classical correlation, across spin chains, which serve as promising platforms for quantum information processing. We systematically compare two distinct entanglement generation protocols: Protocol 1 (P1), based on alternating weak and strong couplings that create a band structure enabling an effective trimer-model approximation, and Protocol 2 (P2), which employs symmetric boundary couplings and virtual excitations to establish a direct effective interaction between the chain ends. Our results demonstrate that a protocol based on virtual excitations and optimized boundary couplings consistently outperforms its counterpart in speed, achieved entanglement, and robustness against fabrication imperfections and noise. Furthermore, by employing effective model reductions and open quantum systems techniques we provide a comprehensive framework for understanding the resilience of distributed entanglement in solid-state quantum devices. The characteristics of the virtual-coupling protocol highlight its potential for experimental implementation in scalable quantum technologies.
One of the most essential processes in classical computation is that related to the information manipulation; each component or register of a computer needs to communicate to others by exchanging information encoded in bits and transforming it through logical operations. Hence the theoretical study of methods for information transfer and processing in classical information theory is of fundamental importance for telecommunications and computer science, along with study of errors and robustness of such proposals. When adding the quantum ingredient, there arises a whole new set of paradigms and devices, based on manipulations of \\emph{qubits}, the quantum analogues of conventional data bits. Such systems can show enormous advantage against their classical analogues, but at the same time present a whole new set of technical and conceptual challenges to overcome. The full and detailed understanding of quantum processes and studies of theoretical models and devices therefore provide the first logical steps to the future technological exploitation of these new machines. In this line, this thesis focuses on spin chains as such theoretical models, formed by series of coupled qubits that can be applied to a wide range of physical systems, and its several potential applications as quantum devices. In this work spin chains are presented as reliable devices for quantum communication with high transfer fidelities, entanglement generation and distribution over distant parties and protected storage of quantum information. Methods to design these tools to have some robustness against errors and noise are provided, giving optimism for future quantum technologies.
Reliable quantum communication and/or processing links between modules are a necessary building block for various quantum processing architectures. Here we consider a spin-chain system with alternating strength couplings and containing three defects, which impose three domain walls between topologically distinct regions of the chain. We show that---in addition to its useful, high-fidelity, quantum state transfer properties---an entangling protocol can be implemented in this system, with optional localization and storage of the entangled states. We demonstrate both numerically and analytically that, given a suitable initial product-state injection, the natural dynamics of the system produces a maximally entangled state at a given time. We present detailed investigations of the effects of fabrication errors, analyzing random static disorder both in the diagonal and off-diagonal terms of the system Hamiltonian. Our results show that the entangled state formation is very robust against perturbations of up to $\ensuremath{\sim}10%$ the weaker chain coupling, and also robust against timing injection errors. We propose a further protocol, which manipulates the chain in order to localize and store each of the entangled qubits. The engineering of a system with such characteristics would thus provide a useful device for quantum information processing tasks involving the creation and storage of entangled resources.
This thesis is concerned with the collective dynamics in different spin chains and spin ensembles in solid-state materials. The focus is on the manipulation of electron spins, through spin-spin and spin-photon couplings controlled by voltage potentials or electromagnetic fields. A brief review of various systems is provided to describe the possible physical implementation of the ideas, and also outlines the basis of the adopted effective interaction models. The first two ideas presented explore the collective behaviour of non-interacting spin chains with external couplings. One focuses on mapping the identical state of spin-singlet pairs in two currents onto two distant, static spins downstream, creating distributed entanglement that may be accessed. The other studies a quantum memory consisting of an array of non-interacting, static spins, which may encode and decode multiple flying spins. Both chains could effectively 'enhance' weak couplings in a cumulative fashion, and neither scheme requires active quantum control. Moreover, the distributed entanglement generated can offer larger separation between the qubits than more conventional protocols that only exploit the tunnelling effects between quantum dots. The quantum memory can also 'smooth' the statistical fluctuations in the effects of local errors when the stored information is spread. Next, an interacting chain of static spins with nearest-neighbour interactions is introduced to connect distant end spins. Previously, it has been shown that this approach provides a cubic speed-up when compared with the direct coupling between the target spins. The practicality of this scheme is investigated by analysing realistic error effects via numerical simulations, and from that perspective relaxation of the nearest-neighbour assumption is proposed. Finally, a non-interacting electron spin ensemble is reviewed as a quantum memory to store single photons from an on-chip stripline cavity. It is then promoted to a full quantum processor, with major error effects analysed.
Quantum information science is an interdisciplinary field that investigates the principles and applications of quantum mechanics in information processing. Upcoming quantum technologies promise a range of valuable applications, including powerful simulation of complex systems, enhanced computational capabilities, high-precision sensing and metrology, and secure communication via quantum key distribution. A central concept is entanglement, a unique type of correlation between quantum systems that has no classical counterpart. Entanglement plays a pivotal role in many quantum protocols, particularly as a key resource in quantum communication, where protocols such as distributed quantum computation and secret sharing are executed in a distributed setting. Hence, distributing entanglement over long distances and manipulating it locally is essential for enabling quantum communication applications. However, the effectiveness of such applications is limited by the challenges of transmitting quantum information and maintaining precise control over quantum systems. For example, quantum information carriers, such as photons traveling through optical fibers, may be lost, or the operations performed may not be perfect. Consequently, it is crucial to develop robust tools for distributing and manipulating entanglement in distributed settings in order to fully unlock the capabilities of quantum technologies. In this thesis, we explore the influence of noise on the manipulation of entanglement in entanglement-based quantum networks. First, we examine the noise resilience of various resource states, i.e., pre-established entangled states, used to achieve bipartite or tripartite communication. This is followed by an analysis of a fully asymmetric network scenario, incorporating the noise introduced by the delays from classical messaging within the quantum network. We then propose classical communication protocols to achieve bipartite communication and evaluate their noise impact under the optimization of the arrangement of the pre-established entanglement. In addition, we propose an alternative approach to quantum repeaters, a key device for entanglement distribution, based on growing multipartite states, allowing entanglement to be recycled and patched. All investigations have been carried out employing a novel formalism, also developed in this thesis, for efficiently and accurately simulating noisy quantum processes on classical hardware, with broader applicability beyond quantum communication.
Abstract Entanglement is a crucial resource for quantum information processing, and so protocols to generate high-fidelity entangled states on various hardware platforms are in demand. While spin chains have been extensively studied to generate entanglement, graph structures also have such potential; however, only a few classes of graphs have been explored for this specific task. In this paper, we apply a particular coupling scheme involving two different coupling strengths to a graph of two interconnected 3×3 3 × 3 square graphs such that it effectively contains three defects. We show how this structure allows generation of a Bell state whose fidelity depends on the chosen coupling ratio. We apply partitioned graph theory in order to reduce the dimension of the graph and show that, using a reduced graph or a reduced chain, we can still simulate the same protocol with identical dynamics. Finally, we investigate how fabrication errors affect the entanglement generation protocol and how the different equivalent structures are affected, finding that for some specific coupling ratios they are extremely robust.
Quantum information science (QIS) is an interdisciplinary field that explores the principles and applications of quantum mechanics in information processing, communication and computation. QIS leverages the unique properties of quantum systems such as entanglement and superposition to develop new ways of encoding, transmitting and manipulating information. Eventhough quantum technologies hold enormous promises for quantum processing or quantum communication, their potential is still limited by the ability to transmit quantum information and control quantum systems with high precision. Distributing entanglement over large distances holds vast potential for communication applications. However, the inherent fragility of entangled states presents a significant challenge in their distribution. In Part I of this thesis, we investigate the distribution of entanglement over noisy channels. Concerning bipartite entanglement, we introduce novel hardware-agnostic protocols and tools for various tasks that are relevant for reliable quantum communication in the context of quantum computing, including entanglement purification, entanglement verification and fidelity witnessing. Our protocols rely on auxiliary high-dimensional entangled systems to gather non-local information and on new approaches that use but do not consume all available resources. These new tools enhance the performance of our protocols compared to previous strategies, working particularly well for the verification of entangled states where without using auxiliary resources an exponential improvement even with ``optimal'' strategies is obtained. We also investigate the distribution of tripartite entanglement. On the one hand, we extend our protocols to operate with GHZ states, and on the other hand, we develop a new entanglement swapping protocol and enhance the only known entanglement purification protocol for W states. These two strategies collectively enable us to introduce the first quantum repeater for W states. In Part II of the thesis, we explore quantum processing architectures based on logically encoded systems. We investigate many-body systems subject to non-tunable distant-dependent interactions. We demonstrate how using logical encodings we can execute multiqubit non-local gates in a controlled manner solely using local control. This method presents different functionalities which can be exploited for various applications. (1) Efficient way to control the interaction topology of the system, which we use for quantum control where we show how a logical system can be used to control another system by mediating non-local interactions. Based on this functionality, we also develop a quantum simulator with enhanced performance compared to prior methodologies. (2) Interactions resilient against position fluctuations of the system. We demonstrate a significant enhancement in entangling gate fidelities in different systems subjected to thermal noise. (3) Amplification of interactions. We exploit this capability to design a modular quantum computing architecture, which uses multipartite entanglement to implement different intermodular gates.