The geometric structure of the time evolution operator for a three-level atom is presented via Unitary Integration. The time dependence of the operator equations is recast in Many the form of real rotations.
The Bloch sphere is a familiar and useful geometrical picture of the dynamics of a single spin or two-level system's quantum evolution. The analogous geometrical picture for three-level systems is presented, with several applications. The relevant SU(3) group and su(3) algebra are eight-dimensional objects and are realized in our picture as two four-dimensional manifolds describing the time evolution operator. The first, called the base manifold, is the counterpart of the S^2 Bloch sphere, whereas the second, called the fiber, generalizes the single U(1) phase of a single spin. Now four-dimensional, it breaks down further into smaller objects depending on alternative representations that we discuss. Geometrical phases are also developed and presented for specific applications. Arbitrary time-dependent couplings between three levels or between two spins (qubits) with SU(3) Hamiltonians can be conveniently handled through these geometrical objects.
A two-sphere (``Bloch'' or ``Poincare'') is familiar for describing the dynamics of a spin-1∕2 particle or light polarization. Analogous objects are derived for unitary groups larger than SU(2) through an iterative procedure that constructs evolution operators for higher-dimensional SU(N) in terms of lower-dimensional ones. We focus, in particular, on the SU(4) of two qubits which describes all possible logic gates in quantum computation and entangled states in quantum-information sciences. For a general Hamiltonian of SU(4) with 15 parameters, and for Hamiltonians of its various subgroups so that fewer parameters suffice, we derive Bloch-like rotation of unit vectors analogous to the one familiar for a single spin in a magnetic field. The unitary evolution of a quantal spin pair is thereby expressed as rotations of real, many-dimensional vectors. Correspondingly, the manifolds involved are Bloch two-spheres along with higher dimensional manifolds such as a four-sphere for the SO(5) subgroup and an eight-dimensional Grassmannian manifold for the general SU(4). The latter may also be viewed as two, mutually orthogonal, real six-dimensional unit vectors moving on a five-sphere with an additional phase constraint. This geometrical picture for two spins provides the extension and generalization of the Bloch sphere that has proved invaluable for the understanding of the dynamics of a single spin.