arXiv subjects

A. Avella

Publications and source records attributed to A. Avella.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2021

Anomalous weak values via a single photon detection

Is it possible that a measurement of a spin component of a spin-1/2 particle yields the value 100? In 1988 Aharonov, Albert and Vaidman argued that upon pre- and postselection of particular spin states, weakening the coupling of a standard measurement procedure ensures this paradoxical result. This theoretical prediction, called weak value, was realized in numerous experiments, but its meaning remains very controversial, since its "anomalous" nature, i.e. the possibility to exceed the eigenvalues range, as well as its "quantumness" are debated. We address these questions by presenting the first experiment measuring anomalous weak values with just a single click, without any statistics. The measurement uncertainty is significantly smaller than the gap between the measured weak value and the nearest eigenvalue. Beyond clarifying the meaning of weak values, this result represents a breakthrough in understanding quantum measurement foundations, paving the way to further applications of weak values to quantum photonics.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2020

Improving resolution-sensitivity trade off in sub-shot noise imaging

One of the challenges of quantum technologies is realising the quantum advantage, predicted for ideal systems, in real applications, which have to cope with decoherence and inefficiencies. In quantum metrology, sub-shot-noise imaging (SSNI) and sensing methods can provide genuine quantum enhancement in realistic situations. However, wide field SSNI schemes realized so far suffer a trade-off between the resolution and the sensitivity gain over classical counterpart: small pixels or integrating area, are necessary to achieve high imaging resolution, but larger pixels allow a better detection efficiency of quantum correlations, which means a larger quantum advantage. Here we show how the SSNI protocol can be optimized to significantly improve the resolution without giving up the quantum advantage in the sensitivity. We show a linear resolution improvement (up to a factor 3) with respect to the simple protocol used in previous demonstrations.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2020

Non-monogamy of spatio-temporal correlations and the black hole information loss paradox

Pseudo-density matrices are a generalisation of quantum states and do not obey monogamy of quantum correlations. Could this be the solution to the paradox of information loss during the evaporation of a black hole? In this paper we discuss this possibility, providing a theoretical proposal to extend quantum theory with these pseudo-states to describe the statistics arising in black-hole evaporation. We also provide an experimental demonstration of this theoretical proposal, using a simulation in optical regime, that tomographically reproduces the correlations of the pseudo-density matrix describing this physical phenomenon.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

Emergence of a metallic meta-stable phase induced by electrical current in Ca_2RuO_4

A comprehensive study of the behavior of the Mott insulator Ca_2RuO_4 under electrical current drive is performed by combining two experimental probes: the macroscopic electrical transport and the microscopic X-Ray diffraction. The resistivity, rho, vs electric current density, J, and temperature, T , rho(J,T), resistivity map is drawn. In particular, the meta-stable state, induced between the insulating and the metallic thermodynamic states by current biasing Ca_2RuO_4 single crystals, is investigated. Such an analysis, combined with the study of the resulting RuO_6 octahedra energy levels, reveals that a metallic crystal phase emerges in the meta-stable regime. The peculiar properties of such a phase, coexisting with the well-established orthorhombic insulating and tetragonal metallic phases, allow to explain some of the unconventional and puzzling behaviors observed in the experiments, as a negative differential resistivity.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Theoretical description and experimental simulation of quantum entanglement near open time-like curves via pseudo-density operators

Closed timelike curves are striking predictions of general relativity allowing for time-travel. They are afflicted by notorious causality issues (e.g. grandfather's paradox). Quantum models where a qubit travels back in time solve these problems, at the cost of violating quantum theory's linearity - leading e.g. to universal quantum cloning. Interestingly, linearity is violated even by open timelike curves (OTCs), where the qubit does not interact with its past copy, but is initially entangled with another qubit. Non-linear dynamics is needed to avoid violating entanglement monogamy. Here we propose an alternative approach to OTCs, allowing for monogamy violations. Specifically, we describe the qubit in the OTC via a pseudo-density operator - a unified descriptor of both temporal and spatial correlations. We also simulate the monogamy violation with polarization-entangled photons, providing a pseudo-density operator quantum tomography. Remarkably, our proposal applies to any space-time correlations violating entanglement monogamy, such as those arising in black holes.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

The composite operator method route to the 2D Hubbard model and the cuprates

In this review paper, we illustrate a possible route to obtain a reliable solution of the 2D Hubbard model and an explanation for some of the unconventional behaviours of underdoped high-$T_\text{c}$ cuprate superconductors within the framework of the composite operator method. The latter is described exhaustively in its fundamental philosophy, various ingredients and robust machinery to clarify the reasons behind its successful applications to many diverse strongly correlated systems, controversial phenomenologies and puzzling materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

Experiment Investigating the Connection between Weak Values and Contextuality

Weak value measurements have recently given rise to a large interest for both the possibility of measurement amplification and the chance of further quantum mechanics foundations investigation. In particular, a question emerged about weak values being proof of the incompatibility between Quantum Mechanics and Non-Contextual Hidden Variables Theories (NCHVT). A test to provide a conclusive answer to this question was given in [M. Pusey, Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 200401 (2014)], where a theorem was derived showing the NCHVT incompatibility with the observation of anomalous weak values under specific conditions. In this paper we realize this proposal, clearly pointing out the strict connection between weak values and the contextual nature of Quantum Mechanics.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Determining the Quantum Expectation Value by Measuring a Single Photon

Quantum mechanics, one of the keystones of modern physics, exhibits several peculiar properties, differentiating it from classical mechanics. One of the most intriguing is that variables might not have definite values. A complete quantum description provides only probabilities for obtaining various eigenvalues of a quantum variable. These and corresponding probabilities specify the expectation value of a physical observable, which is known to be a statistical property of an ensemble of quantum systems. In contrast to this paradigm, we demonstrate a unique method allowing to measure the expectation value of a physical variable on a single particle, namely, the polarisation of a single protected photon. This is the first realisation of quantum protective measurements.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

Emergent ultrafast phenomena in correlated oxides and heterostructures

The possibility of investigating the dynamics of solids on timescales faster than the thermalization of the internal degrees of freedom has disclosed novel non-equilibrium phenomena that have no counterpart at equilibrium. Transition metal oxides (TMOs) provide an interesting playground in which the correlations among the charges in the metal $d$-orbitals give rise to a wealth of intriguing electronic and thermodynamic properties involving the spin, charge, lattice and orbital orders. Furthermore, the physical properties of TMOs can be engineered at the atomic level, thus providing the platform to investigate the transport phenomena on timescales of the order of the intrinsic decoherence time of the charge excitations. Here, we review and discuss three paradigmatic examples of transient emerging properties that are expected to open new fields of research: i) the creation of non-thermal magnetic states in spin-orbit Mott insulators; ii) the possible exploitation of quantum paths for the transport and collection of charge excitations in TMO-based few-monolayers devices; iii) the transient wave-like behavior of the temperature field in strongly anisotropic TMOs.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2016

Towards joint reconstruction of noise and losses in quantum channels

The calibration of a quantum channel, i.e. the determination of the transmission losses affecting it, is definitely one of the principal objectives in both the quantum communication and quantum metrology frameworks. Another task of the utmost relevance is the identification, e.g. by extracting its photon number distribution, of the noise potentially present in the channel. Here we present a protocol, based on the response of a photon-number-resolving detector at different quantum efficiencies, able to accomplish both of these tasks at once, providing with a single measurement an estimate of the transmission losses as well as the photon statistics of the noise present in the exploited quantum channel. We show and discuss the experimental results obtained in the practical implementation of such protocol, with different kinds and levels of noise.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2015

Measuring incompatible observables of a single photon

One of the most intriguing aspects of Quantum Mechanics is the impossibility of measuring at the same time observables corresponding to non-commuting operators. This impossibility can be partially relaxed when considering joint or sequential weak values evaluation. Indeed, weak measurements have been a real breakthrough in the quantum measurement framework that is of the utmost interest from both a fundamental and an applicative point of view. Here we show how we realized, for the first time, a sequential weak value evaluation of two incompatible observables on a single photon.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2015

Magneto-optical imaging technique for hostile environment: the ghost imaging approach

We develop a new approach in magneto-optical imaging (MOI), applying for the first time a ghost imaging (GI) protocol to perform Faraday microscopy. MOI is of the utmost importance for the investigation of magnetic properties of material samples, through Weiss domains shape, dimension and dynamics analysis. Nevertheless, in some extreme conditions such as e. g. cryogenic temperatures or high magnetic fields application, there exists a lack of domains images due to the difficulty in creating an efficient imaging system in such environments. Here we present an innovative MOI technique that separates the imaging optical path from the one illuminating the object. The technique is based on thermal light GI and exploits correlations between light beams to retrieve the image of magnetic domains. As a proof of principle, the proposed technique is applied to the Faraday magneto-optical observation of the remanence domain structure of an yttrium iron garnet sample.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2014

Positive Operator-Valued Measure reconstruction of a beam-splitter tree based photon-number-resolving detector

Here we present a reconstruction of the Positive Operator-Value Measurement of a photon-number-resolving detector comprised of three 50:50 beamsplitters in a tree configuration, terminated with four single-photon avalanche detectors. The four detectors' outputs are processed by an electronic board that discriminates detected photon number states from 0 to 4 and implements a "smart counting" routine to compensate for dead time issues at high count rates.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2013

Quantum and classical characterization of single/few photon detectors

This paper's purpose is to review the results recently obtained in the Quantum Optics labs of the National Institute of Metrological Research (INRIM) in the field of single- and few-photon detectors calibration, from both the classical and quantum viewpoint. In the first part of the paper is presented the calibration of a single-photon detector with absolute methods, while in the second part we focus on photon-number-resolving detectors, discussing both the classical and quantum characterization of such devices.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2012

Review on recent groundbreaking experiments on quantum communication with orthogonal states

In recent years Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) has emerged as the most paradigmatic example of Quantum technology allowing the realization of intrinsically secure communication links over hundreds of kilometers. Beyond its commercial interest QKD also has high conceptual relevance in the study of quantum information theory and the foundations of quantum mechanics. In particular, the discussion on the minimal resources needed in order to obtain absolutely secure quantum communication is yet to be concluded. Here we present an overview on our last experimental results concerning two novel quantum cryptographic schemes which do not require some of the most widely accepted conditions for realizing QKD. The first is Goldenberg-Vaidman protocol \cite{v}, in which even if only orthogonal states (that in general can be cloned without altering the state) are used, any eavesdropping attempt is detectable. The second is N09 protocol \cite{no} which, being based on the quantum counterfactual effect, does not even require any actual photon transmission in the quantum channel between the parties for the communication.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2011

Self consistent, absolute calibration technique for photon number resolving detectors

Well characterized photon number resolving detectors are a requirement for many applications ranging from quantum information and quantum metrology to the foundations of quantum mechanics. This prompts the necessity for reliable calibration techniques at the single photon level. In this paper we propose an innovative absolute calibration technique for photon number resolving detectors, using a pulsed heralded photon source based on parametric down conversion. The technique, being absolute, does not require reference standards and is independent upon the performances of the heralding detector. The method provides the results of quantum efficiency for the heralded detector as a function of detected photon numbers. Furthermore, we prove its validity by performing the calibration of a Transition Edge Sensor based detector, a real photon number resolving detector that has recently demonstrated its effectiveness in various quantum information protocols.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2009

Entanglement Properties and Phase Diagram of the Two-Orbital Atomic Hubbard Model

We study the two-orbital Hubbard model in the limit of vanishing kinetic energy. The phase diagram in the $V-J$ plane, with $V$ and $J$ denoting the interorbital hybridization and exchange coupling respectively, at half filling is obtained. A singlet(dimer)-triplet transition is found for a critical value of the ratio $V/J.$ The entropy of formation, both in the mode and in the particle picture, presents a jump as the same critical line in conformity with the suggested relation between criticality and entanglement.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2007

Entanglement in the 1D extended anisotropic Heisenberg model

We present a study of entanglement in the case of the 1D extended anisotropic Heisenberg model. We investigate two quantum phase transitions (QPTs) within the previously found ergodicity phase diagram [E. Plekhanov, A. Avella, and F. Mancini Phys. Rev. B \textbf{74}, 115120 (2006)]. Our calculations are done by means of the numerically exact Lanczos method at T=0, followed by a finite-size scaling. As a measure of entanglement we use the concurrence for two spins out of the system. We conclude from our studies that these QPTs are accompanied by a qualitative entanglement change.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗