We introduce quantum walks with a time-dependent coin, and show how they include, as a particular case, the generalized quantum walk recently studied by Wojcik et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 180601 (2004)] which exhibits interesting dynamical localization and quasiperiodic dynamics. Our proposal allows for a much easier implementation of this particularly rich dynamics than the original one. Moreover, it allows for an additional control on the walk, which can be used to compensate for phases appearing due to external interactions. To illustrate its feasibility, we discuss an example using an optical cavity. We also derive an approximated solution in the continuous limit (long-wavelength approximation) which provides physical insight about the process.
We introduce quantum walks with a time-dependent coin, and show how they include, as a particular case, the generalized quantum walk recently studied by Wojcik et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 180601 (2004)] which exhibits interesting dynamical localization and quasiperiodic dynamics. Our proposal allows for a much easier implementation of this particularly rich dynamics than the original one. Moreover, it allows for an additional control on the walk, which can be used to compensate for phases appearing due to external interactions. To illustrate its feasibility, we discuss an example using an optical cavity. We also derive an approximated solution in the continuous limit (long-wavelength approximation) which provides physical insight about the process.
We provide an explanation of recent experimental results of Xue et al. [P. Xue, R. Zhang, H. Qin, X. Zhan, Z. H. Bian, J. Li, and B. C. Sanders, Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 140502 (2015)], where full revivals in a time-dependent quantum walk model with a periodically changing coin are found. Using methods originally developed for ``electric'' walks with a space-dependent, rather than a time-dependent, coin, we provide a full explanation of the observations of Xue et al. We extend the analysis from periodic time dependence to quasiperiodic behavior with periods incommensurate to the step size. Spectral analysis, one of the principal tools for the study of electric walks, fails for time-dependent systems, but we find qualitative propagation behavior of the time-dependent system in close analogy to the electric case.
Quantum walk research has mainly focused on evolutions due to repeated applications of time-independent unitary coin operators. However, the idea of controlling the single particle evolution using time-dependent unitary coins has still been a subject of multiple studies as it not only hosts interesting possibilities for quantum information processing but also opens a much richer array of phenomena including static and dynamic localizations. So far, such studies have been performed only for single quantum walkers. In case of multi-walker systems, time-dependent coins may generate measurable phenomena not described by the single-particle model, due to entanglement and interaction among the walkers. In this context, we present here a thorough numerical study of an one dimensional system of two quantum walkers exhibiting rich collective dynamics controlled by simple time-dependent unitary coins proposed in [Phys. Rev. A \textbf{80}, 042332(2009)] and [Phys. Rev. A \textbf{73},062304(2006)]. We study how the interplay of coin time-dependence, simple interaction schemes, entanglement and the relative phase between the coin states of the particles influences the evolution of the quantum walk. The results show that the system offers a rich variety of collective dynamical behavior while being controlled by time dependent coins. In particular, we find and characterize fascinating two-body localization phenomena with tunable quasiperiodic dynamics of correlations and entanglements which are quantities of quantum origin.
We show that a quantum-state transfer, previously studied as a continuous-time process in networks of interacting spins, can be achieved within the model of discrete-time quantum walks with a position-dependent coin. We argue that, due to additional degrees of freedom, discrete-time quantum walks allow one to observe effects which cannot be observed in the corresponding continuous-time case. First, we study a discrete-time version of the engineered coupling protocol due to Christandl et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 187902 (2004)] and then we discuss the general idea of conversion between continuous-time quantum walks and discrete-time quantum walks.
The study of quantum walk processes has been widely divided into two standard variants, the discrete-time quantum walk (DTQW) and the continuous-time quantum walk (CTQW). The connection between the two variants has been established by considering the limiting value of the coin operation parameter in the DTQW, and the coin degree of freedom was shown to be unnecessary [F. W. Strauch, Phys. Rev. A 74, 030301(R) (2006)]. But the coin degree of freedom is an additional resource which can be exploited to control the dynamics of the QW process. In this paper we present a generic quantum walk model using a quantum coin-embedded unitary shift operation UC. The standard version of the DTQW and the CTQW can be conveniently retrieved from this generic model, retaining the features of the coin degree of freedom in both variants.
Quantum walks are more than tools for building quantum algorithms. They have been used effectively to model and simulate quantum dynamics in many complex physical processes. Particularly, a variant of discrete-time quantum walk known as split-step quantum walk is closely related to Dirac cellular automata and topological insulators, whose realizations rely on position-dependent control of evolution operators. Owing to the ease of manipulating multiple degrees of freedom of photons, we provide an optical setup of split-step operators which, in combination with position-dependent coin (PDC) operation, can accomplish a table-top setup of generalized split-step walks. Also, we propose an optical implementation for PDC operation that allows, for instance, realizing electric quantum walks, control localization dynamics, and emulate space-time curvature effects. In addition, we propose a setup to realize any t -step split-step quantum walk involving 2 J -plates, 2 variable waveplates, a half-waveplate, an optical switch, and an optical delay line.
We study the dynamics of a generalization of quantum coin walk on the line which is a natural model for a diffusion modified by quantum or interference effects. In particular, our results provide surprisingly simple explanations to phenomena observed by Bouwmeester et al. (Phys. Rev. A, 61, 13410 (1999)) in their optical Galton board experiment, and a description of a stroboscopic quantum walks given by Buershaper and Burnett (quant-ph/0406039) through numerical simulations. We also provide heuristic explanations for the behavior of our model which show, in particular, that its dynamics can be viewed as a discrete version of Bloch oscillations.