In this paper, we consider discrete time quantum walks on graphs with coin focusing on the decentralized model, where the coin operation is allowed to change with the vertex of the graph. When the coin operations can be modified at every time step, these systems can be looked at as control systems and techniques of geometric control theory can be applied. In particular, the set of states that one can achieve can be described by studying controllability. Extending previous results, we give a characterization of the set of reachable states in terms of an appropriate Lie algebra. We then prove general results and criteria relating controllability to the algebraic and topological properties of the walk. As a consequence of these results, we prove that if the degree of the underlying graph is larger than
2N, where
N is the number of nodes, the quantum walk is always completely controllable, i.e., it is possible to having it to evolve according to an arbitrary unitary evolution. Another result is that controllability for decentralized models only depends on the graph and not on the particular quantum walk defined on it. We also provide explicit algorithms for control and quantify the number of steps needed for an arbitrary state transfer. The results of the paper are of interest in quantum information theory where quantum walks are used and analyzed in the development of quantum algorithms.
Applications of quantum walks can depend on the number, exchange symmetry and indistinguishability of the particles involved, and the underlying graph structures where they move. Here, we show that silicon photonics, by exploiting an entanglement-driven scheme, can realize quantum walks with full control over all these properties in one device. The device we realize implements entangled two-photon quantum walks on any five-vertex graph, with continuously tunable particle exchange symmetry and indistinguishability. We show how this simulates single-particle walks on larger graphs, with size and geometry controlled by tuning the properties of the composite quantum walkers. We apply the device to quantum walk algorithms for searching vertices in graphs and testing for graph isomorphisms. In doing so, we implement up to 100 sampled time steps of quantum walk evolution on each of 292 different graphs. This opens the way to large-scale, programmable quantum walk processors for classically intractable applications.
Quantum mixing is a category of processes of reaching a stationary state when starting from a single initial vertex via quantum walks. In this thesis, we introduce the quantum mixing processes based on the framework of controlled quantum walks in [DH17a]. We first discuss why Szegedy's walks are not well-suited for the quantum mixing processes. We then show that the controlled quantum walk is a suitable framework for achieving a quadratic speed-up in the quantum mixing processes, because of its relationship with interpolated walks [KMOR16] and the phase estimation algorithm [CEMM98]. Accordingly, we give two definitions of quantum mixing times via controlled quantum walks: instant quantum mixing time and average quantum mixing time. We later prove the bounds of these two quantum mixing times on complete graphs. We also prove the upper bound of the average quantum mixing times on cycle graphs. To have clearer views on the bounds of instant and average quantum mixing times, we then discuss and present the simulations of quantum mixing processes, with four types of graphs (complete graphs, cycle graphs, 2-dimensional tori and dumbbell graphs) as examples. The simulations include the quantum mixing processes with the same ~θ (an important parameter in the controlled quantum walk operator) as in [DH17a], and the suitable range of ~θ that achieves the quadratic speed-up for different types of graphs. Inspired by the quantum search algorithm via controlled quantum walks in [DH17a], we adapt this algorithm to a new algorithm of quantum mixing, which generates samples from the stationary distribution of the Markov chain, with its runtime upper bounded by the quantum hitting time, which is quadratically faster than the classical hitting process.