arXiv subjects

A. M. Souza

Publications and source records attributed to A. M. Souza.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2020

PFG NMR time-dependent diffusion coefficient analysis of confined emulsion: post drainage phase conformation

In this work, we present a characterization of phase configuration in water-saturated sintered glass bead samples after oil injection, through the analysis of time-dependent diffusion coefficients obtained from sets of one-dimensional pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG NMR) measurements, pre and post drainage. Estimates of samples surface-to-volume ratio and permeability from pre drainage PFG measurements in a water-saturated sample were compared with analytical and reported values, respectively, and a fair agreement was found in both cases. Short-time analysis of diffusion coefficients extracted from PFG measurements was used to quantify the increase in surface-to-volume ratio probed by the wetting phase after drainage. Analysis of water and oil diffusion coefficients from post drainage PFG experiments were carried out using a bi-Gaussian model, and two distinct scenarios were considered to describe fluids conformation within pores. For the case where non-wetting phase was considered to exhibit a poorly connected geometry, an analysis assuming the formation of oi-in-water droplets within pores was performed, and a Gaussian distribution of droplets radii was determined.

physics.geo-ph↗

arXiv2020

Dynamical decoupling in interacting systems: applications to signal-enhanced hyperpolarized readout

Methods that preserve coherence broadly impact all quantum information processing and metrology applications. Dynamical decoupling methods accomplish this by protecting qubits in noisy environments but are typically constrained to the limit where the qubits themselves are non-interacting. Here we consider the alternate regime wherein the inter-qubit couplings are of the same order as dephasing interactions with the environment. We propose and demonstrate a multi-pulse protocol that protects transverse spin states by suitably Hamiltonian engineering the inter-spin coupling while simultaneously suppressing dephasing noise on the qubits. We benchmark the method on 13C nuclear spin qubits in diamond, dipolar coupled to each other and embedded in a noisy electronic spin bath, and hyperpolarized via optically pumped NV centers. We observe effective state lifetimes of 13C nuclei $T_2^{\prime}\approx$2.5s at room temperature, an extension of over 4700-fold over the conventional $T_2^{\ast}$ free induction decay. The spins are continuously interrogated during the applied quantum control, resulting in 13C NMR line narrowing and an $>$500-fold boost in SNR due to the lifetime extension. Together with hyperpolarization spin interrogation is accelerated by $>10^{11}$ over conventional 7T NMR. This work suggests strategies for the dynamical decoupling of coupled qubit systems with applications in a variety of experimental platforms.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Experimental Implementation of a NMR NOON State Thermomete

Utilizing the highly correlated quantum NOON states of particles, we have implemented a proof-of-principle quantum thermometer using the NMR technique for measuring the variation of local magnetic field with the temperature variation. The system used was the star-topology system of hexafluorophosphate molecules and the thermometer showed a sensitivity of $85nT/ ^o C$. Using the hexafluorophosphate and the trimethylphosphite spin systems, we have quantified the advantage of the quantum protocol over the classical one for measuring magnetic field. The quantum protocol showed the best performance for a time evolution in the quantum circuit of $T = 20ms$, where the errors in the measurement scaled as the Heisenberg limit $1/N$.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Intrinsic bounds of a two-qudit random evolution

We investigate entangled qudits evolving under random, local $SU(d)$ operations and demonstrate that this evolution is constrained by intrinsic bounds, showing robust features of two-qudit entangled states that can be useful for fault tolerant implementations of phase gates. Our analytical results are supported by numerical simulations and confirmed by experiments on liquid-state nuclear magnetic resonance qubits.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Experimental rectification of entropy production by a Maxwell's Demon in a quantum system

Maxwell's demon explores the role of information in physical processes. Employing information about microscopic degrees of freedom, this "intelligent observer" is capable of compensating entropy production (or extracting work), apparently challenging the second law of thermodynamics. In a modern standpoint, it is regarded as a feedback control mechanism and the limits of thermodynamics are recast incorporating information-to-energy conversion. We derive a trade-off relation between information-theoretic quantities empowering the design of an efficient Maxwell's demon in a quantum system. The demon is experimentally implemented as a spin-1/2 quantum memory that acquires information, and employs it to control the dynamics of another spin-1/2 system, through a natural interaction. Noise and imperfections in this protocol are investigated by the assessment of its effectiveness. This realization provides experimental evidence that the irreversibility on a non-equilibrium dynamics can be mitigated by assessing microscopic information and applying a feed-forward strategy at the quantum scale.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

Experimental realization of the Yang-Baxter Equation via NMR interferometry

The Yang-Baxter equation is an important tool in theoretical physics, with many applications in different domains that span from condensed matter to string theory. Recently, the interest on the equation has increased due to its connection to quantum information processing. It has been shown that the Yang-Baxter equation is closely related to quantum entanglement and quantum computation. Therefore, owing to the broad relevance of this equation, besides theoretical studies, it also became significant to pursue its experimental implementation. Here, we show an experimental realization of the Yang-Baxter equation and verify its validity through a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) interferometric setup. Our experiment was performed on a liquid state Iodotrifluoroethylene sample which contains molecules with three qubits. We use Controlled-transfer gates that allow us to build a pseudo-pure state from which we are able to apply a quantum information protocol that implements the Yang-Baxter equation.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2015

Irreversibility and the arrow of time in a quenched quantum system

Irreversibility is one of the most intriguing concepts in physics. While microscopic physical laws are perfectly reversible, macroscopic average behavior has a preferred direction of time. According to the second law of thermodynamics, this arrow of time is associated with a positive mean entropy production. Using a nuclear magnetic resonance setup, we measure the nonequilibrium entropy produced in an isolated spin-1/2 system following fast quenches of an external magnetic field and experimentally demonstrate that it is equal to the entropic distance, expressed by the Kullback-Leibler divergence, between a microscopic process and its time-reverse. Our result addresses the concept of irreversibility from a microscopic quantum standpoint.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2013

Observation of environment-induced double sudden transitions in geometric quantum correlations

Correlations in quantum systems exhibit a rich phenomenology under the effect of various sources of noise. We investigate theoretically and experimentally the dynamics of quantum correlations and their classical counterparts in two nuclear magnetic resonance setups, as measured by geometric quantifiers based on trace-norm. We consider two-qubit systems prepared in Bell diagonal states, and perform the experiments in decohering environments resulting from Bell diagonal-preserving Markovian local noise. We then report the first observation of environment-induced double sudden transitions in the geometric quantum correlations, a genuinely nonclassical effect not observable in classical correlations. The evolution of classical correlations in our physical implementation reveals in turn the finite-time relaxation to a pointer basis under nondissipative decoherence, which we characterize geometrically in full analogy with predictions based on entropic measures.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2013

Constrained-DFT method for accurate energy level alignment of metal/molecule interfaces

We present a computational scheme for extracting the energy level alignment of a metal/molecule interface, based on constrained density functional theory and local exchange and correlation functionals. The method, applied here to benzene on Li(100), allows us to evaluate charge transfer energies, as well as the spatial distribution of the image charge induced on the metal surface. We systematically study the energies for charge transfer from the molecule to the substrate as function of the molecule-substrate distance, and investigate the effects arising from image charge confinement and local charge neutrality violation. For benzene on Li(100) we find that the image charge plane is located at about 1.8 Åabove the Li surface, and that our calculated charge transfer energies compare perfectly with those obtained with a classical electrostatic model having the image plane located at the same position. The methodology outlined here can be applied to study any metal/organic interface in the weak coupling limit at the computational cost of a total energy calculation. Most importantly, as the scheme is based on total energies and not on correcting the Kohn-Sham quasiparticle spectrum, accurate results can be obtained with local/semi-local exchange and correlation functionals. This enables a systematic approach to convergence.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2013

Experimental Demonstration of non-Markovian Dynamics via a Temporal Bell-like Inequality

We assess non-Markovianity of a quantum open-system dynamics through the violation of temporal bell-like inequalities in a controllable Nuclear Magnetic Resonance system. We investigate experimentally the connections between the violation of the addressed temporal Bell-like inequality and the non-divisibility of the effective evolution of our system, which we fully characterize in a broad range of experimentally controllable regimes. Finally, we investigate the link between our approach and Leggett-Garg-like inequalities based on time-translational two-time correlation functions. These results open up interesting perspectives for the effective, non-tomographic characterization of dynamical evolution by combining tools of different nature.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2011

Writing electronic ferromagnetic states in a high-temperature paramagnetic nuclear spin system

In this paper we use the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) to write eletronic states of a ferromagnetic system into a high-temperature paramagnetic nuclear spins. Through the control of phase and duration of radiofrequency pulses we set the NMR density matrix populations, and apply the technique of quantum state tomography to experimentally obtain the matrix elements of the system, from which we calculate the temperature dependence of magnetization for different magnetic fields. The effects of the variation of temperature and magnetic field over the populations can be mapped in the angles of spins rotations, carried out by the RF pulses. The experimental results are compared to the Brillouin functions of ferromagnetic ordered systems in the mean field approximation for two cases: the mean field is given by (i) $B=B_0+λM$ and (ii) $B=B_0+λM + λ^\prime M^3$, where $B_0$ is the external magnetic field, and $λ, λ^\prime$ are mean field parameters. The first case exhibits second order transition, whereas the second case has first order transition with temperature hysteresis. The NMR simulations are in good agreement with the magnetic predictions.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2011

Nuclear Spin 3=2 Electric Quadrupole Relaxation as a Quantum Computation

In this work we applied a quantum circuit treatment to describe the nuclear spin relax- ation. From the Redfield theory, we were able to describe the quadrupolar relaxation as a computational process in the case of spin 3/2 systems, through a model in which the environment is comprised by seven qubits and three different quantum noise channels. The interaction between the environment and the spin 3/2 nuclei is then described by a quantum circuit fully compatible with the Redfield theory of relaxation. Theoretical predictions are compared to experimental data, a short review of quantum channels and relaxation in NMR qubits is also present.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2011

Environment-induced sudden transition in quantum discord dynamics

Non-classical correlations play a crucial role in the development of quantum information science. The recent discovery that non-classical correlations can be present even in separable (unentangled) states has broadened this scenario. This generalized quantum correlation has been increasing relevance in several fields, among them quantum communication, quantum computation, quantum phase transitions, and biological systems. We demonstrate here the occurrence of the sudden-change phenomenon and immunity against some sources of noise for the quantum discord and its classical counterpart, in a room temperature nuclear magnetic resonance setup. The experiment is performed in a decohering environment causing loss of phase relations among the energy eigenstates and exchange of energy between system and environment, resulting in relaxation to a Gibbs ensemble.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2009

Normalization procedure for relaxation studies in NMR quantum information processing

NMR quantum information processing studies rely on the reconstruction of the density matrix representing the so-called pseudo-pure states (PPS). An initially pure part of a PPS state undergoes unitary and non-unitary (relaxation) transformations during a computation process, causing a "loss of purity" until the equilibrium is reached. Besides, upon relaxation, the nuclear polarization varies in time, a fact which must be taken into account when comparing density matrices at different instants. Attempting to use time-fixed normalization procedures when relaxation is present, leads to various anomalies on matrices populations. On this paper we propose a method which takes into account the time-dependence of the normalization factor. From a generic form for the deviation density matrix an expression for the relaxing initial pure state is deduced. The method is exemplified with an experiment of relaxation of the concurrence of a pseudo-entangled state, which exhibits the phenomenon of sudden death, and the relaxation of the Wigner function of a pseudo-cat state.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2009

Finite size analysis of a two-dimensional Ising model within a nonextensive approach

In this work we present a thorough analysis of the phase transitions that occur in a ferromagnetic 2D Ising model, with only nearest-neighbors interactions, in the framework of the Tsallis nonextensive statistics. We performed Monte Carlo simulations on square lattices with linear sizes L ranging from 32 up to 512. The statistical weight of the Metropolis algorithm was changed according to the nonextensive statistics. Discontinuities in the m(T) curve are observed for $q\leq 0.5$. However, we have verified only one peak on the energy histograms at the critical temperatures, indicating the occurrence of continuous phase transitions. For the $0.5<q\leq 1.0$ regime, we have found continuous phase transitions between the ordered and the disordered phases, and determined the critical exponents via finite-size scaling. We verified that the critical exponents $α$, $β$ and $γ$ depend on the entropic index $q$ in the range $0.5<q\leq 1.0$ in the form $α(q)=(10 q^{2}-33 q+23)/20$, $β(q)=(2 q-1)/8$ and $γ(q)=(q^{2}-q+7)/4$. On the other hand, the critical exponent $ν$ does not depend on $q$. This suggests a violation of the scaling relations $2 β+γ=d ν$ and $α+2 β+γ=2$ and a nonuniversality of the critical exponents along the ferro-paramagnetic frontier.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2009

Entanglement temperature in molecular magnets composed of S-spin dimers

In the present work, we investigate the quantum thermal entanglement in molecular magnets composed of dimers of spin $S$, using an Entanglement Witness built from measurements of magnetic susceptibility. An entanglement temperature, $T_{e}$, is then obtained for some values of spin $S$. From this, it is shown that $T_{e}$ is proportional to the intradimer exchange interaction $J$ and that entanglement appears only for antiferromagnetic coupling. The results are compared to experiments carried on three isostructural materials: KNaMSi$_{4}$O$_{10}$ (M$=$Mn, Fe or Cu).

quant-ph↗

arXiv2009

Entanglement and Bell's inequality violation above room temperature in metal carboxylates

In the present work we show that a special family of materials, the metal carboxylates, may have entangled states up to very high temperatures. From magnetic susceptibility measurements, we have estimated the critical temperature below which entanglement exists in the cooper carboxylate \{Cu$_2$(O$_2$CH)$_4$\}\{Cu(O$_2$CH)$_2$(2-methylpyridine)$_2$\}, and we have found this to be above room temperature ($T_e \sim 630$ K). Furthermore, the results show that the system remains maximally entangled until close to $\sim 100$ K and the Bell's inequality is violated up to nearly room temperature ($\sim 290$ K).

quant-ph↗

arXiv2007

NMR Analog of Bell's Inequalities Violation Test

In this paper we present an analog of the Bell's inequalities violation test for $N$ qubits to be performed in a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) quantum computer. This can be used to simulate or predict results for different Bell's inequalities tests, with distinct configurations and larger number of qubits. To demonstrate our scheme, we implemented a simulation of the violation of Clauser, Horne, Shimony and Holt (CHSH) inequality using a two qubit NMR system and compared the results to those of a photon experiment. The experimental results are well described by Quantum Mechanics theory and a Local Realistic Hidden Variables model which was specially developed for NMR. That is why we refer to this experiment as a {\it simulation} of the Bell's inequality violation. Our result shows explicitly how both theories can be compatible to each other due the detection loophole. In the last part of this work we discuss the possibility of testing fundamental features of quantum mechanics using NMR with highly polarized spins, where a strong discrepancy between quantum mechanics and hidden variables models can be expected.

quant-ph↗