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Physical Review A

Simulating a quantum walk with classical optics

Diego Francisco, Claudio Iemmi, Juan Pablo Paz, Silvia Adriana Ledesma

Published Nov 16, 2006• 26 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We present an optical module to simulate one step of a quantum walk algorithm. The quantum state of a system with a $2N$-dimensional Hilbert space is encoded in the spatial distribution of the amplitude of the electromagnetic field in a plane. In such spatial encoding, the probability amplitude of each state of a basis is associated with the complex electromagnetic amplitude in a given slice of the laser wave front. We discuss the design and operation of an optical module that is used to implement one step of a quantum walk algorithm. Using this module, composed by standard optical elements, the evolution of the quantum state corresponds to the application of a Hadamard gate on a single qubit (representing the two-dimensional quantum coin) followed by a displacement of the $N$-dimensional quantum walker conditioned on the state of the coin. We show the actual implementation of the method and discuss its characteristics and limitations.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.74.052327

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We present an optical module to simulate one step of a quantum walk algorithm. The quantum state of a system with a 2N2N2N-dimensional Hilbert space is encoded in the spatial distribution of the amplitude of the electromagnetic field in a plane. In such spatial encoding, the probability amplitude of each state of a basis is associated with the complex electromagnetic amplitude in a given slice of the laser wave front. We discuss the design and operation of an optical module that is used to implement one step of a quantum walk algorithm. Using this module, composed by standard optical elements, the evolution of the quantum state corresponds to the application of a Hadamard gate on a single qubit (representing the two-dimensional quantum coin) followed by a displacement of the NNN-dimensional quantum walker conditioned on the state of the coin. We show the actual implementation of the method and discuss its characteristics and limitations.
A classical optics setup to simulate the quantum teleportation process is presented. The analogy is based on the possibility of encoding a quantum state of a system with a 2N-dimensional Hilbert space as an image in the input of an optical system. The probability amplitude of each state of a basis is associated with the complex amplitude of the electromagnetic field in a given region of the laser wavefront. Temporal evolutions are represented as changes of the complex amplitude of the field when the wavefront is modified by different optical elements. The classical optics representation of quantum state as images and of universal quantum gates as optical processors is shown. The design and operation of an optical module that is used to simulate the quantum teleportation process are discussed. Experimental results where the teleportation of a one qbit state is simulated are shown.
Recently, classical optics based systems to emulate quantum information processing have been proposed. The analogy is based on the possibility of encoding a quantum state of a system with a 2N‐dimensional Hilbert space as an image in the input of an optical system. The probability amplitude of each state of a certain basis is associated with the complex amplitude of the electromagnetic field in a given slice of the laser wavefront. Temporal evolution is represented as the change of the complex amplitude of the field when the wavefront pass through a certain optical arrangement. Different modules that represent universal gates for quantum computation have been implemented. For instance, unitary operations acting on the qbits space (or U(2) gates) are represented by means of two phase plates, two spherical lenses and a phase grating in a typical image processing set up. In this work, we present CNOT gates which are emulated by means of a cube prism that splits a pair of adjacent rays incoming from the input image. As an example of application, we present an optical module that can be used to simulate the quantum teleportation process. We also show experimental results that illustrate the validity of the analogy. Although the experimental results obtained are promising and show the capability of the system for simulate the real quantum process, we must take into account that any classical simulation of quantum phenomena, has as fundamental limitation the impossibility of representing non local entanglement. In this classical context, quantum teleportation has only an illustrative interpretation.
We propose a different implementation of discrete-time quantum walks for a neutral atom in an array of optical microtraps or an optical lattice. We analyze a one-dimensional walk in position space, with the coin, the additional qubit degree of freedom that controls the displacement of the quantum walker, implemented as a spatially delocalized qubit, i.e., the coin is also encoded in position space. We analyze the dependence of the quantum walk on temperature and experimental imperfections such as shaking in the trap positions. Finally, combining a spatially delocalized qubit and a hyperfine qubit, we also give a scheme to realize a quantum walk on a two-dimensional square lattice with the possibility of implementing different coin operators.
We experimentally implement a quantum walk on a circle in position space. Using a different arrangement of linear optical elements, our experiment realizes clockwise-cycling and counterclockwise-cycling walks. Periodic evolutions in quantum walks on three- and four-node circles with uniform coin flipping for each step and a localized initial walker state are observed, and the full revival of the walker+coin state occurs. Coherent information encoded in the coin state shows the periodic collapse and revival due to the interaction between the coin and walker. The technology to realize clockwise-cycling and counterclockwise-cycling walks can be expanded to simulate a quantum walk on a circle with arbitrary nodes.
Classical optics can be used to efficiently implement certain quantum information processing tasks with a high degree of control, for example, one-dimensional quantum walks through the space of orbital angular momentum of light directed by its polarization. To explore the potential of quantum information processing with classical light, we here suggest a method to realize ddd-dimensional quantum walks with classical optics---an important step towards robust implementation of certain quantum algorithms. In this scheme, different degrees of freedom of light, such as frequency, orbital angular momentum, and time bins, represent different directions for the walker while the coin to decide which direction the walker takes is realized by employing the polarization combined with different light paths.
We present the first robust implementation of a coined quantum walk over five steps using only passive optical elements. By employing a fiber network loop we keep the amount of required resources constant as the walker's position Hilbert space is increased. We observed a non-Gaussian distribution of the walker's final position, thus characterizing a faster spread of the photon wave packet in comparison to the classical random walk. The walk is realized for many different coin settings and initial states, opening the way for the implementation of a quantum-walk-based search algorithm.