We present a numerical study of measurement-induced suppressionof coherent tunneling in a two-level quantum system subject to repeated projective monitoring. The dynamics are simulated using astochastic quantum-trajectory (Monte-Carlo) unraveling which reproduces the dephasing dynamics of a continuously monitored system.We introduce an effective measurement rate γ ≈ pmeas/dt and demonstrate a monotonic reduction of the escaped population as a functionof γ/∆, where ∆ is the coherent tunneling amplitude. For a fixedevolution time T = π/2, we observe a clear transition to the quantumZeno regime for γ ≫ ∆. A log–log analysis of the large-γ data reveals an asymptotic scaling close to Pesc ∝ γ−1, in agreement withthe strong-measurement limit of the corresponding Lindblad masterequation. Our results provide a compact and programmable numericalplatform for investigating measurement-controlled tunneling dynamicsand Zeno-based control using gate-level quantum simulation frameworks.
We present a numerical study of measurement-induced suppressionof coherent tunneling in a two-level quantum system subject to repeated projective monitoring. The dynamics are simulated using astochastic quantum-trajectory (Monte-Carlo) unraveling which reproduces the dephasing dynamics of a continuously monitored system.We introduce an effective measurement rate γ ≈ pmeas/dt and demonstrate a monotonic reduction of the escaped population as a functionof γ/∆, where ∆ is the coherent tunneling amplitude. For a fixedevolution time T = π/2, we observe a clear transition to the quantumZeno regime for γ ≫ ∆. A log–log analysis of the large-γ data reveals an asymptotic scaling close to Pesc ∝ γ−1, in agreement withthe strong-measurement limit of the corresponding Lindblad masterequation. Our results provide a compact and programmable numericalplatform for investigating measurement-controlled tunneling dynamicsand Zeno-based control using gate-level quantum simulation frameworks.
Abstract We present a numerical study of measurement-induced suppression of coherent tunneling in a two-level quantum system subject to re peated projective monitoring. The dynamics are simulated using a stochastic quantum-trajectory (Monte-Carlo) unraveling which repro duces the dephasing dynamics of a continuously monitored system. We introduce an effective measurement rate γ ≈ pmeas/dt and demon strate a monotonic reduction of the escaped population as a function of γ/∆, where ∆ is the coherent tunneling amplitude. For a fixed evolution time T = π/2, we observe a clear transition to the quantum Zeno regime for γ ≫ ∆. A log–log analysis of the large-γ data re veals an asymptotic scaling close to Pesc ∝ γ−1, in agreement with the strong-measurement limit of the corresponding Lindblad master equation. Our results provide a compact and programmable numerical platform for investigating measurement-controlled tunneling dynamics and Zeno-based control using gate-level quantum simulation frame works.
This is a theoretical thesis in the area of quantum measurement theory. Due to the extensive breadth of this field we choose to narrow our focus to examine a particular problem - the quantum Zeno effect (defined below). Quantum measurement theory is introduced in Chap. 1, using the terminology of effects and operations. This approach allows an operational definition of such terms as a state vector, an ensemble, and a measurement device (for instance), and a consideration of interactions between quantum systems and inaccurate measurement devices. We further introduce the quantum trajectories approach to consider the evolution of an individual quantum system subject to measurement. The quantum Zeno effect is introduced in Chap. 2. Any quantum treatment of a measurement interaction must consider the measurement backaction onto the measured system and this backaction will disrupt the free evolution of the system. The quantum Zeno effect occurs in the strong measurement limit where the measurement backaction totally freezes the evolution of the system, thus rendering the measurement useless. The effect is introduced via projective measurements of two level systems subject to measurement of level populations. At this stage we are able to discuss the main questions addressed by this thesis, and present its structure in Chap. 2. We then develop a new measurement model for the interaction between a system and a measurement device in Chap. 3. Our motivation in doing this is to better model the usual laboratory meter, and in our approach the meter dynamics are such that it relaxes towards an appropriate readout of the system parameter of interest. The irreducible quantum noise of the meter introduces fluctuations that drive the stochastic dynamical collapse of the system wavefunction. In our model, the measured system dynamics (if treated selectively) are described by a stochastic, nonlinear Schroedinger equation. A double well system subject to position measurement provides a natural first application for this model. This is done in Chap. 4 where we monitor the coherent tunnelling of a particle from one well to the other. The advantage afforded by considering this system is that it displays differing regimes where the measurement observable (position) is approximated as possessing either, respectively, a continuous or a discrete eigenvalue structure. Thus, we use this one model to explore the quantum Zeno effect in both measurement regimes. The above treatment is of a theoretical measurement model. In Chap. 5 we turn to consider a recent experimental test of the quantum Zeno effect which examined the dynamics of a two level atom subject to pulsed measurements of atomic level populations. We treat a slightly modified experiment in a fully continuous measurement regime. By first unravelling the optical Bloch equations, and second, using the quantum trajectories approach we demonstrate the existence of certain measurement regimes where there is a quantum Zeno effect, and other regimes where no measurement of the atomic populations is being effected at all. Through these results we demonstrate the importance of making a full analysis of the system-detector interaction before any conclusions can be made. In the remainder of the thesis we propose further possible tests of the quantum Zeno effect. In Chap. 6 the evolution of a Rydberg atom exchanging one photon with a single cavity mode subject to measurement is examined. The measurement is made by monitoring the photon number occupancy of the cavity mode using a beam of Rydberg atoms configured so as to perform phase sensitive detection. In the limit of frequent monitoring we show that the free oscillation of the atomic inversion is disrupted, and the atom is trapped close to its initial state. This is the quantum Zeno effect. In Chap. 7 we realize the Zeno effect on two possible systems. We consider first, a two level Jaynes-Cumming atom interacting with a cavity mode, and second, two electromagnetic modes configured as a multi-level parametric frequency converter. These systems interact with another cavity mode via a quadratic coupling system based on four wave mixing, and constructed to be a quantum nondemolition measurement of the photon number. This mode is damped to the environment thus effecting a measurement of the system populations. Again we show that this interaction, can manifest the quantum Zeno effect. Our explicit modelling of the system-detector interaction enables us to show how the effect depends on the resolution time of the detector. Finally, we consider a proposed measurement of the square of the quadrature phase of an electromagnetic mode in Chap. 8. Here, a three mode interaction mediated by a second order nonlinear susceptibility is considered. One mode, the pump, is prepared in a feedback generated photon number state to give insight into the role of pump noise. The other two modes are treated as an angular momentum system, and we show that photon counting on the two mode rotation system effects the above mentioned measurement. In addition, this measurement provides a direct measure of the second order squeezing of the signal. With that we finish our investigation of the quantum Zeno effect using the techniques of quantum measurement theory. However, in the epilogue [Chap. 9] we note that no thesis in quantum measurement theory would be complete without some consideration of the ``meaning attributed to the theory. In the epilogue we take a novel historical approach and examine the method by which metaphysical theories are formed to draw conclusions regarding quantum metaphysics.
In the quantum Zeno effect, quantum measurements can block the coherent oscillation of a two level system by freezing its state to one of the measurement eigenstates. The effect is conventionally controlled by the measurement frequency. Here we study the development of the Zeno regime as a function of the measurement strength for a continuous partial measurement. We show that the onset of the Zeno regime is marked by a cascade of transitions in the system dynamics as the measurement strength is increased. Some of these transitions are only apparent in the collective behavior of individual quantum trajectories and are invisible to the average dynamics. They include the appearance of a region of dynamically inaccessible states and of singularities in the steady-state probability distribution of states. These predicted dynamical features, which can be readily observed in current experiments, show the coexistence of fundamentally unpredictable quantum jumps with those continuously monitored and reverted in recent experiments.
We present a theoretical and numerical study of measurement-induced phase transitions and quantum Zeno dynamics in continuously monitored open many-body systems. Moving beyond closed unitary systems, we investigate the competition between chaotic unitary evolution and continuous weak measurements by employing the stochastic Schrödinger equation (quantum jump Monte Carlo) formalism and non-hermitian effective Hamiltonians. Our analysis examines the transition from area-law to volume-law entanglement scaling, mutual information properties, and the critical scaling hypothesis near the measurement-rate threshold. Furthermore, we derive original analytical estimates for the quantum correlation damping decrement in the regime of strong Zeno suppression and validate the theoretical findings using stochastic trajectory numerical simulation protocols with finite-size scaling.
The quantum-Zeno and anti-Zeno effects (QZE/AZE) are known for a long time, in a quantum system with coupled levels, the measurement of a particular level population can lead to either acceleration (i.e. AZE) or retardation (i.e. QZE) of its population transfer to other levels. Here we consider how one can control the population flow from a coupled quantum state by measurement at a particular time, and what system parameters are responsible for that. We propose a framework for analysis of quantum Zeno dynamics based on time-dependent density matrix perturbation theory. This framework allows us to clearly separate state populations from their coherences and to predict appearance of either QZE or AZE. We illustrate our analysis on two model systems: 1) two coupled levels and 2) a level coupled to a continuum. In both cases dynamics of quantum coherences play a crucial role, and perturbative considerations allow us to predict the effect of projective measurements. In addition, we have extended our consideration to a closely related coherent control scenario, a unitary transformation flipping a sign of a state in a coherent superposition describing the system wavefunction.
In studies of the quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno effects, it is usual to consider rapid projective measurements with equal time intervals being performed on the system to check whether or not the system is in the initial state. These projective measurements are selective measurements in the sense that the measurement results are read out and only the case where all the measurement results correspond to the initial state is considered in the analysis of the effect of the measurements. In this paper, we extend such a treatment to consider the effect of repeated non-selective projective measurements - only the final measurement is required to correspond to the initial state, while we do not know the results of the intermediate measurements. We present a general formalism to derive the effective decay rate of the initial quantum state with such nonselective measurements. Importantly, we show that there is a difference between using non-selective projective measurements and the usual approach of considering only selective measurements only if we go beyond the weak system-environment coupling regime in models other than the usual population decay models. As such, we then apply our formalism to investigate the quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno effects for three exactly solvable system-environment models: a single two-level system undergoing dephasing, a single two-level system interacting with an environment of two-level systems and a large spin undergoing dephasing. Our results show that the quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno effects in the presence of non-selective projective measurements can differ very significantly as compared to the repeated selective measurement scenario.