arXiv subjects

Asghar Ullah

Publications and source records attributed to Asghar Ullah.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Collective-dissipation-induced dark and metastable-like states for enhanced quantum battery performance

We investigate the role of symmetry-protected dark states and metastable-like frozen states in the autonomous charging dynamics of open quantum batteries described by a transverse-field Ising model. By comparing local and collective dissipation over a range of system sizes, temperatures, and magnetic phases, we demonstrate that collective dissipation generates symmetry-protected dark states together with a much larger set of frozen (metastable) states, forming an extended protected Hilbert space. We derive the multiplicity of the collective dark sector analytically, showing that it follows the Catalan sequence for even system sizes, while such states are absent for odd sizes. Our results show that collective dissipation can enhance ergotropy and charging power, with its advantage depending on temperature, magnetic phase, and system size. While the number of dark and frozen states is identical in the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases, the achievable ergotropy differs substantially because of the different spectral locations of these protected states. In particular, the antiferromagnetic configuration exhibits considerably larger extractable work owing to the favorable positioning of the protected subspaces within the many-body energy spectrum. Finally, we analyze the active Hilbert-space fraction and show that metastable protection provides an effective mechanism for suppressing dissipative losses while preserving efficient charging pathways. These results establish the dark-state and frozen-state sectors as key resources for optimizing the performance of open quantum batteries through engineered dissipation.

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arXiv2026

Topological Engine Monitor: Persistent Homology-Based Fault Detection in Finite-Time Quantum Engines

The reliable operation of finite-time quantum heat engines is fundamentally limited by control imperfections that induce nonadiabatic phase accumulation and quantum friction, degrading the stability of the thermodynamic cycle. Traditional monitoring relies on energetic observables such as instantaneous cycle work; however, under finite-time driving, these quantities exhibit strong fluctuations, obscuring reliable single-shot fault detection without extensive statistical averaging. Here, we apply a topological data analysis (TDA)-based approach to establish a non-invasive, purely geometric framework for diagnosing control failures in finite-time quantum Otto engines. We construct time-delay embeddings from weak measurements and map the dynamics into persistent homology diagrams. We define a scalar quality index based on Wasserstein and Bottleneck distances that tracks control degradation and anticipates cyclic failure. By encoding topology via persistence images and silhouettes, we achieve highly robust classification of degraded operation across diverse noise profiles. We benchmark the TDA-based approach (topological engine monitor, TEM) against a standard multi-feature statistical baseline (spectral-statistical monitor, SSM) across progressively realistic noise settings, from global timing jitter to correlated adiabatic noise and coherence injection. We find that as noise becomes more localized and realistic, the conventional SSM approach degrades while the TEM remains robust. Finally, a pixel-wise Pearson correlation analysis reveals that the method captures microscopic signatures of quantum friction. Our results demonstrate the potential of topology-based diagnostics for non-ideal quantum thermodynamic devices.

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arXiv2026

Enhancing low-temperature quantum thermometry and magnetometry via quadratic interactions in optomechanical-like systems

Standard optomechanical sensors operating in the low-temperature regime often face fundamental precision limits imposed by vacuum fluctuations. Here, we demonstrate that moving beyond conventional radiation-pressure interactions and exploiting quadratic coupling can surpass these limits, generating intrinsic squeezing and non-Gaussian features in the probe state. We study quantum thermometry and magnetometry in a coupled two-resonator system, focusing on the estimation of a thermal bath temperature and an external magnetic field. The resonators are assumed to be in thermal equilibrium with a common bath, while a weak magnetic field acts on one of the resonators. We perform measurements on a single resonator, which serves as the probe for estimating both parameters. We compute the quantum Fisher information of the probe for two different interaction models between the resonators. Our results show that the counter-rotating terms in the quadratic interaction naturally induce squeezing at intermediate coupling and strong non-Gaussian correlations as the coupling increases further. These effects yield orders-of-magnitude enhancement in sensitivity in the low-temperature and weak-field regimes compared to standard radiation-pressure couplings. Finally, we investigate multiparameter estimation and find that, although the optimal measurements remain compatible, statistical correlations between parameters prevent the simultaneous estimation of temperature and magnetic field from attaining single-parameter precision.

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arXiv2025

Harnessing Floquet dynamics for selective metrology in few-qubit systems

Periodically driven quantum systems can function as highly selective parameter filters. We demonstrate this capability in a finite-size, three-qubit system described by the transverse-field Floquet Ising model. In this system, we identify a period-doubling (PD) dynamical phase that exhibits a stark asymmetry in metrological sensitivity to the magnetic field applied on the qubits and to the coupling strength between the qubits. The PD phase originates from $\pi$-pairing, where the initial state exhibits strong overlap with $\pi$-paired Floquet eigenstates, leading to robust period-doubled dynamics and enhanced metrological sensitivity. The analysis of quantum Fisher information reveals that the PD regime significantly enhances precision for estimating the Ising interaction strength while simultaneously suppressing sensitivity to the transverse magnetic field. Conversely, non-PD regimes are optimal for sensing the transverse field. This filtering effect is robust for larger system sizes and is quantifiable using experimentally accessible observables, such as magnetization and two-qubit correlations, via the classical Fisher information. Our work shows that distinct dynamical regimes in finite-size Floquet systems can be harnessed for targeted quantum sensing.

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arXiv2025

Optimizing quantum sensing networks via genetic algorithms and deep learning

We investigate the optimization of graph topologies for quantum sensing networks designed to estimate weak magnetic fields. The sensors are modeled as spin systems governed by a transverse-field Ising Hamiltonian in thermal equilibrium at low temperatures. Using a genetic algorithm (GA), we evolve network topologies to maximize a perturbative spectral sensitivity measure, which serves as the fitness function for the GA. For the best-performing graphs, we compute the corresponding quantum Fisher information (QFI) to assess the ultimate bounds on estimation precision. To enable efficient scaling, we use the GA-generated data to train a deep neural network, allowing extrapolation to larger graph sizes where direct computation becomes prohibitive. Our results show that while both the fitness function and QFI initially increase with system size, the QFI exhibits a clear non-monotonic behavior - saturating and eventually declining beyond a critical graph size. This reflects the loss of superlinear scaling of the QFI, as the narrowing of the energy gap signals a crossover to classical scaling of the QFI with system size. The effect is reminiscent of the microeconomic law of diminishing returns: beyond an optimal graph size, further increases yield reduced sensing performance. This saturation and decline in precision are particularly pronounced under Kac scaling, where both the QFI and spin squeezing plateau or degrade with increasing system size. We also attribute observed even-odd oscillations in the spectral sensitivity measure and QFI to quantum interference effects in spin phase space, as confirmed by our phase-space analysis. These findings highlight the critical role of optimizing interaction topology - rather than simply increasing network size - and demonstrate the potential of hybrid evolutionary and learning-based approaches for designing high-performance quantum sensors.

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arXiv2025

Optimal strategies for transient and equilibrium quantum thermometry using Gaussian and non-Gaussian probes

We study temperature estimation using quantum probes, including single-mode initial states and two-mode states generated via stimulated parametric down-conversion in a nonlinear crystal at finite temperature. We explore both transient and equilibrium regimes and compare the performance of Gaussian and non-Gaussian probe states for temperature estimation. In the non-equilibrium regime, we show that single-mode non-Gaussian probe states - such as Fock, odd cat, and Gottesman-Kitaev-Preskill states - can significantly enhance the speed of estimation, particularly at short interaction times. In the two-mode setting, entangled states such as the two-mode squeezed vacuum, NOON state, and entangled cat state can enable access to temperature information at earlier times. In the equilibrium regime, we analyze temperature estimation using two-mode squeezed thermal states, which outperform single-mode strategies. We evaluate practical measurement strategies and find that energy-based observables yield optimal precision, population difference observables provide near-optimal precision, while quadrature-based measurements are suboptimal. The precision gain arises from squeezing, which suppresses fluctuations in the population difference.

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arXiv2025

Single-qubit probes for temperature estimation in the presence of collective baths

We study the performance of single-qubit probes for temperature estimation in the presence of collective baths. We consider a system of two qubits, each locally dissipating into its own bath while being coupled to a common bath. In this setup, we investigate different scenarios for temperature estimation of both the common and local baths. First, we explore how the precision of a single-qubit probe for estimating the common bath temperature can be enhanced by collective effects arising from the shared bath itself, particularly when the second qubit is in resonance with the probe. Interestingly, we find that the presence of local baths on each qubit can either jeopardize or, if these baths are sufficiently cold, enhance this precision. Next, we demonstrate a remote temperature sensing scheme in which one qubit acts as a probe to estimate the temperature of a local bath affecting the other qubit, by leveraging their indirect interaction through the common bath. This approach enables remote temperature sensing without directly coupling the probe to the target qubit or its local environment, thereby minimizing potential disturbances and practical challenges. Notably, we show that the collective Lamb shift, induced by the common bath, plays a crucial role in enabling remote temperature sensing by generating qubit-qubit correlations, even in the case of non-interacting qubits.

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arXiv2025

Configuration-dependent precision in magnetometry and thermometry using multi-qubit quantum sensors

We study the performance of quantum sensors composed of four qubits arranged in different geometries for magnetometry and thermometry. The qubits interact via the transverse-field Ising model with both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic couplings, maintained in thermal equilibrium with a heat bath under an external magnetic field. Using quantum Fisher information, we evaluate the metrological precision of these sensors. For ferromagnetic couplings, weakly connected graphs (e.g., the chain graph, P_4) perform optimally in estimating weak magnetic fields, whereas highly connected graphs (e.g., the complete graph, K_4) excel at strong fields. Conversely, K_4 achieves the highest sensitivity for temperature estimation in the weak-field regime. In the antiferromagnetic case, we uncover a fundamental trade-off dictated by spectral degeneracy: configurations with non-degenerate energy spectra - such as the pan-like graph (three qubits in a triangle with the fourth attached) - exhibit strong magnetic field sensitivity due to their pronounced response to perturbations. In contrast, symmetric structures like the square graph, featuring degenerate energy levels (particularly ground-state degeneracy), are better suited for precise thermometry. Notably, our four-qubit sensors achieve peak precision in the low-temperature, weak-field regime. Finally, we introduce a spectral sensitivity measure that quantifies energy spectrum deformations under small perturbations, providing a simple heuristic indicator of metrological sensitivity.

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arXiv2025

Quantum metrology of a structured reservoir

Accurately characterizing the properties of structured reservoirs is a key challenge in quantum systems and is of great importance for advances in quantum metrology and sensing. In this work, we employ a two-level system (qubit) as a probe, which is coupled to a structured reservoir consisting of an ancilla qubit and a Markovian environment modeled as a thermal bath. By exploiting non-Markovian dynamics, we systematically investigate the effectiveness of different interaction types between the probe and ancilla for estimating critical parameters, including temperature, ancilla frequency, and system-bath coupling strength. We quantify the precision of parameter estimation using quantum Fisher information (QFI) and analyze the system dynamics in both transient and steady-state regimes. Our findings demonstrate that non-Markovianity substantially enhances parameter estimation in the transient regime, with specific interactions facilitating sustained information backflow and yielding higher QFI values. However, the performance of these interactions is contingent on the parameter under estimation and the operational regime. For instance, certain interactions become prominent in the transient regime but exhibit diminished utility in the steady state, whereas others maintain their effectiveness even at equilibrium. These results stress the importance of judiciously selecting interactions adapted to specific estimation objectives and operational regimes.

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arXiv2025

Quantum thermometry for ultralow temperatures using probe and ancilla qubit chains

We propose a scheme to enhance the range and precision of ultralow temperature measurements by employing a probe qubit coupled to a chain of ancilla qubits. Specifically, we analyze a qubit chain governed by Heisenberg $XX$ and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interactions. The precision limits of temperature measurements are characterized through the evaluation of quantum Fisher information (QFI). Our findings demonstrate that the achievable precision bounds, as well as the number of peaks in the QFI as a function of temperature, can be controlled by adjusting the number of ancilla qubits and the system's model parameters. These results are interpreted in terms of the influence of energy transitions on the range and the number of QFI peaks as a function of temperature. This study highlights the potential of the probe qubit-ancilla chain system as a powerful and precise tool for quantum thermometry in the ultralow temperature regime.

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arXiv2024

Mixing thermal coherent states for precision and range enhancement in quantum thermometry

The unavoidable interaction between thermal environments and quantum systems typically leads to the degradation of quantum coherence, which can be fought against by reservoir engineering. We propose the realization of a special mixture of thermal coherent states by coupling a thermal bath with a two-level system that is longitudinally coupled to a resonator. We find that the state of the resonator is a special mixture of two oppositely displaced thermal coherent states, whereas the two-level system remains thermal. This observation is verified by evaluating the second-order correlation coefficient for the resonator state. Moreover, we reveal the potential benefits of employing the mixture of thermal coherent states of the resonator in quantum thermometry. In this context, the resonator functions as a probe to measure the unknown temperature of a bath mediated by a two-level system, strategically bridging the connection between the two. Our results show that the use of an ancillary-assisted probe may enhance the precision and broaden the applicable temperature range.

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arXiv2024

Quantum thermometry with an optomechanical system

We present a quantum thermometry method utilizing an optomechanical system composed of an optical field coupled to a mechanical resonator for measuring the unknown temperature of a thermal bath. To achieve this, we connect a thermal bath to the mechanical resonator and perform measurements on the optical field, serving as a probe thermometer. Using the open quantum systems approach, we numerically calculate the quantum Fisher information for the probe. We find that, in specific parameter regimes, the system exhibits clusters of densely packed energy eigenstates interspaced with substantial energy gaps. This clustering of energy levels results in quasi-degeneracy within these energy eigenstate groups and hence widens the operational range of temperature estimation. Moreover, thermal sensitivity, especially at low temperatures, can be further boosted by appropriately tuning the essential system parameters.

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arXiv2023

Low-temperature quantum thermometry boosted by coherence generation

The precise measurement of low temperatures is significant for both the fundamental understanding of physical processes and technological applications. In this work, we present a method for low-temperature measurement that improves thermal range and sensitivity by generating quantum coherence in a thermometer probe. Typically, in temperature measurements, the probes thermalize with the sample being measured. However, we use a two-level quantum system, or qubit, as our probe and prevent direct probe access to the sample by introducing a set of ancilla qubits as an interface. We describe the open system dynamics of the probe using a global master equation and demonstrate that while the ancilla-probe system thermalizes with the sample, the probe \textit{per se} evolves into a nonthermal steady state due to nonlocal dissipation channels. The populations and coherences of this steady state depend on the sample temperature, allowing for precise and wide-range low-temperature estimation. We characterize the thermometric performance of the method using quantum Fisher information and show that the quantum Fisher information can exhibit multiple and higher peaks at different low temperatures with increasing quantum coherence and the number of ancilla qubits. Our analysis reveals that the proposed approach, using a nonthermal qubit thermometer probe with temperature-dependent quantum coherence generated by a multiple qubit interface between a thermal sample and the probe qubit, can enhance the sensitivity of temperature estimation and broaden the measurable low-temperature range.

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arXiv2021

Dynamics of quantum Fisher information in a squeezed thermal bath

In this paper, the dynamics of quantum Fisher information of a qubit interacting with a squeezed thermal environment are studied. The optimal initial state of the qubit, the temperature of the environment, and the interaction time, which maximize quantum Fisher information are obtained. Based on the ohmicity of the environment, we compare the dynamics of quantum Fisher information in ohmic, sub-ohmic, and super-ohmic regimes of the environment. Moreover, it is shown that the precise estimation of parameters is robust against squeezing.

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