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arXiv:quant-ph/0205025 · Physical Review A

Entanglement properties of the harmonic chain

K. Audenaert, Jens Eisert, Martin Bodo Plenio, Reinhard F. Werner

Published Oct 30, 2002• 408 citations
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Abstract

We study the entanglement properties of a closed chain of harmonic oscillators that are coupled via a translationally invariant Hamiltonian, where the coupling acts only on the position operators. We consider the ground state and thermal states of this system, which are Gaussian states. The entanglement properties of these states can be completely characterized analytically when one uses the logarithmic negativity as a measure of entanglement.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.66.042327

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We study the entanglement properties of a closed chain of harmonic oscillators that are coupled via a translationally invariant Hamiltonian, where the coupling acts only on the position operators. We consider the ground state and thermal states of this system, which are Gaussian states. The entanglement properties of these states can be completely characterized analytically when one uses the logarithmic negativity as a measure of entanglement.
Harmonic chains are used as a model in quantum information theory for ion traps and simple solid state systems. Entanglement is a quantum effect in which observations made on one object instantaneously affect measurement outcomes on the other. This study investigates interparticle entanglement in finite chains of coupled harmonic oscillators as a function of the vibrational modes, mode excitations, and bipartition of oscillators. The methods used and results extend previous work for the Gaussian ground state to excited states. Entanglement is analyzed by calculating the purity of the reduced density matrix of the combined wavefunctions of the oscillators in the chain, tracing over subensembles. Analytic and numerical results for a varying effective spring constants between the particles and number of particles in the chain are presented. Interesting correlations between the symmetries of the vibrational modes and their excitations, and the symmetries of the partitions were discovered. Results show that higher excitation numbers result in higher entanglement. Adding energy to the modes will never decrease entanglement, however, the relationship between energy and entanglement is not simple. Different combinations of mode energy excitations will produce the same entanglement, even if the total energy of the system differs. Patterns indicate that the combination of symmetry in mode shapes and partition determines excitation number purity equivalence classes.
We study the entanglement in a chain of harmonic oscillators driven out of equilibrium by preparing the two sides of the system at different temperatures, and subsequently joining them together. The steady state is constructed explicitly and the logarithmic negativity is calculated between two adjacent segments of the chain. We find that, for low temperatures, the steady-state entanglement is a sum of contributions pertaining to left-and right-moving excitations emitted from the two reservoirs. In turn, the steady-state entanglement is a simple average of the Gibbs-state values and thus its scaling can be obtained from conformal field theory. A similar averaging behaviour is observed during the entire time evolution. As a particular case, we also discuss a local quench where both sides of the chain are initialized in their respective ground states.
We study the entanglement in a chain of harmonic oscillators driven out of equilibrium by preparing the two sides of the system at different temperatures, and subsequently joining them together. The steady state is constructed explicitly and the logarithmic negativity is calculated between two adjacent segments of the chain. We find that, for low temperatures, the steady-state entanglement is a sum of contributions pertaining to left- and right-moving excitations emitted from the two reservoirs. In turn, the steady-state entanglement is a simple average of the Gibbs-state values and thus its scaling can be obtained from conformal field theory. A similar averaging behaviour is observed during the entire time evolution. As a particular case, we also discuss a local quench where both sides of the chain are initialized in their respective ground states.
In the framework of the theory of open systems based on completely positive quantum dynamical semigroups, we give a description of the dynamics of entanglement for a system consisting of two uncoupled harmonic oscillators interacting with a thermal environment. Using the Peres–Simon necessary and sufficient criterion for separability of two-mode Gaussian states, we describe the evolution of entanglement in terms of the covariance matrix for a Gaussian input state. For some values of the temperature of the environment, the state keeps for all times its initial type: separable or entangled. In other cases, entanglement generation, entanglement sudden death or a repeated collapse and revival of entanglement takes place. We determine the asymptotic Gaussian maximally entangled mixed states (GMEMS) and their corresponding asymptotic maximal logarithmic negativity.
Using the theory of open systems based on completely positive quantum dynamical semigroups, we describe the dynamics of entanglement for a system consisting of two uncoupled harmonic oscillators interacting with a thermal reservoir. Using Peres-Simon necessary and sufficient criterion for separability of two-mode Gaussian states, we describe the evolution of entanglement in terms of the covariance matrix for a Gaussian input state. For some values of the temperature of environment, the state keeps for all times its initial type - separable or entangled. In other cases, entanglement generation, entanglement sudden death or a repeated collapse and revival of entanglement take place. We analyze also the time evolution of the logarithmic negativity, which characterizes the degree of quantum entanglement.