SearcharxivSearch

arXiv subjects

Daniel Braak

Publications and source records attributed to Daniel Braak.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Finite-dimensional approximations of generalized squeezing

We show unexpected behaviour in simulations of generalized squeezing performed with finite-dimensional truncations of the Fock space: even for extremely large dimension of the state space, the results depend on whether the truncation dimension is even or odd. This situation raises the question whether the simulation results are physically meaningful. We demonstrate that, in fact, the two truncation schemes correspond to two well-defined, distinct unitary evolutions whose generators are defined on different subsets of the infinite-dimensional Fock space. This is a consequence of the fact that the generalized squeezing Hamiltonian is not self-adjoint on states with finite excitations, but possesses multiple self-adjoint extensions. Furthermore, we present results on the spectrum of the squeezing Hamiltonians corresponding to even and odd truncation size that elucidate the properties of the two different self-adjoint extensions corresponding to the even and odd truncation scheme. To make the squeezing operator applicable to a physical system, we must regularize it by other terms that depend on the specifics of the experimental implementation. We show that the addition of a Kerr interaction term in the Hamiltonian leads to uniquely converging simulations, with no dependence on the parity of the truncation size, and demonstrate that the Kerr term indeed renders the Hamiltonian self-adjoint and thus physically interpretable.

quant-ph

Critical quantum metrology in a stabilized two-photon Rabi model

We investigate a generalized quantum Rabi model (QRM) with two- and four-photon terms with respect to applications for non-linear critical quantum metrology. In the introduced model, the spectral collapse occurring in the standard two-photon QRM is stabilized by the presence of the quartic potential. The collapse is then transformed into a quantum phase transition, which occurs in the low-frequency limit of the light mode, whose remnant at finite ratio between qubit and mode frequencies can be applied to critically enhanced quantum metrology. We find that the four-photon term entails a much higher measurement precision compared to the standard two-photon QRM. The mechanism behind the higher precision can be traced to the different behavior of the ground state wave function as the system is tuned through the transition. As the standard two-photon QRM, despite the absence of the spectral collapse, our model allows for a finite preparation time for the probe state (PTPS).

quant-ph

Critical spectrum of the anisotropic two-photon quantum Rabi model

The anisotropic two-photon quantum Rabi model is studied using the Bogoliubov operator approach. The doubly degenerate exceptional states are identified through analytical methods. By adjusting the position of the last exceptional point belonging to two adjacent energy levels, we derive a condition for the absence of the discrete spectrum at the critical coupling where ``spectral collapse" occurs. In this special case, the spectrum becomes fully continuous above a threshold energy, with no bound states existing, whereas the ground state remains gapped in the general case. This also signals a quantum phase transition. More interestingly, we rigorously find that a finite number of bound states exist between two anisotropy dependent critical atomic frequencies, with infinitely many bound states beyond this frequency regime. In this manner, all issues in the two-photon quantum Rabi model are resolved.

quant-ph

Spectral continuum in the Rabi-Stark model

The Rabi-Stark model is a non-linear generalization of the quantum Rabi model including the dynamical Stark shift as a tunable term, which can be realized via quantum simulation on a cavity QED platform. When the Stark coupling becomes equal to the mode frequency, the spectrum changes drastically, a transition usually termed "spectral collapse" because numerical studies indicate an infinitely degenerate ground state. We show that the spectrum extends continuously from a threshold value up to infinity. A set of normalizable states are embedded in the continuum which furnishes an unexpected analogy to the atomic Stark effect. Bound states and continuum can be obtained analytically through two equally justified, but different confluence processes of the associated differential equation in Bargmann space. Moreover, these results are obtained independently using a method based on adiabatic elimination of the spin degree of freedom and corroborated through large-scale numerical checks.

quant-ph

The $k$-photon quantum Rabi model

A generalization of the quantum Rabi model is obtained by replacing the linear (dipole) coupling between the two-level system and the radiation mode by a non-linear expression in the creation and annihilation operators, corresponding to multi-photon excitations. If each spin flip involves $k$ photons, it is called the "$k$-photon" quantum Rabi model. While the formally symmetric Hamilton operator is self-adjoint in the case $k=2$, it is demonstrated here that the Hamiltonian is not self-adjoint for $k\ge 3$. Therefore it does not generate a unitary time evolution and is unphysical. This result cannot be obtained by numerical calculations in finite-dimensional spaces which attempt to approximate an unbounded operator by a finite-rank operator.

quant-ph

Spacing distribution for quantum Rabi models

The asymmetric quantum Rabi model (AQRM) is a fundamental model in quantum optics describing the interaction of light and matter. Besides its immediate physical interest, the AQRM possesses an intriguing mathematical structure which is far from being completely understood. In this paper, we focus on the distribution of the level spacing, the difference between consecutive eigenvalues of the AQRM in the limit of high energies, i.e. large quantum numbers. In the symmetric case, that is the quantum Rabi model (QRM), the spacing distribution for each parity (given by the $\mathbb{Z}_2$-symmetry) is fully clarified by an asymptotic expression derived by de Monvel and Zielinski, though some questions remain for the full spectrum spacing. However, in the general AQRM case, there is no parity decomposition for the eigenvalues. In connection with numerically exact studies for the first 40,000 eigenstates we describe the spacing distribution for the AQRM which is characterized by a new type of periodicity and symmetric behavior of the distribution with respect to the bias parameter. The results reflects the hidden symmetry of the AQRM known to appear for half-integer bias. In addition, we observe in the AQRM the excited state quantum phase transition for large values of the bias parameter, analogous to the QRM with large qubit energy, and an internal symmetry of the level spacing distribution for fixed bias. This novel symmetry is independent from the symmetry for half-integer bias and not explained by current theoretical knowledge.

math-ph

Critical Quantum Metrology in the Non-Linear Quantum Rabi Model

The quantum Rabi model (QRM) with linear coupling between light mode and qubit exhibits the analog of a second order phase transition for vanishing mode frequency which allows for criticality-enhanced quantum metrology in a few-body system. We show that the QRM including a non-linear coupling term exhibits much higher measurement precisions due to its first order like phase transition at \emph{finite} frequency, avoiding the detrimental slowing-down effect close to the critical point of the linear QRM. When a bias term is added to the Hamiltonian, the system can be used as a fluxmeter or magnetometer if implemented in circuit QED platforms.

quant-ph

Spectral determinant of the two-photon quantum Rabi model

The various generalized spectral determinants (G-functions) of the two-photon quantum Rabi model are analyzed with emphasis on the qualitative aspects of the regular spectrum. Whereas all of them yield at least a subset of the exact regular eigenvalues, only the G-function proposed by Chen et al. in 2012 exhibits an explicitly known pole structure which dictates the approach to the collapse point. We derive this function rigorously employing the $\mathbb{Z}_4$-symmetry of the model and show that its zeros correspond to the complete regular spectrum.

quant-ph

Signatures of topological phase transitions in the s-wave superconductor at finite temperature

In two dimensions, an s-wave superconductor in the presence of Rashba spin-orbit coupling possesses distinct topologically non-trivial ground state phases controlled by Zeeman splitting and band filling. These phases can be characterized in terms of spin textures in momentum space. Although the spin texture becomes topologically trivial at finite temperatures, we identify thermodynamic signatures that are directly related to the topological phase transitions of the ground state. In particular, relative maxima in the entropy as a function of the magnetic field in the vicinity of topological phase transitions emerge and are attributed to a sign change in the derivative of the magnetization with respect to temperature.

cond-mat.supr-con

Multiple ground-state instabilities in the anisotropic quantum Rabi model

In this work, the anisotropic variant of the quantum Rabi model with different coupling strengths of the rotating and counter-rotating wave terms is studied by the Bogoliubov operator approach. The anisotropy preserves the parity symmetry of the original model. We derive the corresponding $G$-function, which yields both the regular and exceptional eigenvalues. The exceptional eigenvalues correspond to the crossing points of two energy levels with different parities and are doubly degenerate. We find analytically that the ground-state and the first excited state can cross several times, indicating multiple first-order phase transitions as function of the coupling strength. These crossing points are related to manifest parity symmetry of the Hamiltonian, in contrast to the level crossings in the asymmetric quantum Rabi model which are caused by a hidden symmetry.

quant-ph

Remarks on the hidden symmetry of the asymmetric quantum Rabi model

The symmetric quantum Rabi model (QRM) is integrable due to a discrete $\mathbb{Z}_2$-symmetry of the Hamiltonian. This symmetry is generated by a known involution operator, measuring the parity of the eigenfunctions. An experimentally relevant modification of the QRM, the asymmetric (or biased) quantum Rabi model (AQRM) is no longer invariant under this operator, but shows nevertheless characteristic degeneracies of its spectrum for half-integer values of $\epsilon$, the parameter governing the asymmetry. In an interesting recent work (arXiv:2010.02496), an operator has been identified which commutes with the Hamiltonian $H_{\epsilon}$ of the asymmetric quantum Rabi model for $\epsilon=\frac{\ell}{2} \, (\ell\in \mathbb{Z})$ and appears to be the analogue of the parity in the symmetric case. We prove several important properties of this operator, notably, that it is algebraically independent of the Hamiltonian $H_{\epsilon}$ and that it essentially generates the commutant of $H_{\epsilon}$. Then, the expected $\mathbb{Z}_2$-symmetry manifests the fact that the commuting operator can be captured in the two-fold cover of the algebra generated by $H_{\epsilon}$, that is, the polynomial ring in $H_{\epsilon}$.

math-ph

Seeking Maxwell's Demon in a non-reciprocal quantum ring

A non-reciprocal quantum ring, where one arm of the ring contains the Rashba spin-orbit interaction but not in the other arm, is found to posses very unique electronic properties. In this ring the Aharonov-Bohm oscillations are totally absent. That is because in a magnetic field the electron stays in the non-Rashba arm, while it resides in the Rashba arm for zero (or negative) magnetic field. The average kinetic energy in the two arms of the ring are found to be very different. It also reveals different "spin temperature" in the two arms of the non-reciprocal ring. The electrons are sorted according to their spins in different regions of the ring by switching on and off (or reverse) the magnetic field, thereby creating order without doing work on the system. This resembles the action of a demon in the spirit of Maxwell's original proposal, exploiting a non-classical internal degree of freedom. Our demon clearly demonstrates some of the required features on the nanoscale.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Anti-Localization in Oxides: Effective Spin-3/2 Model

Weak anti-localization offers an experimental tool to address spin--orbit coupling of two-dimensional oxide surfaces and interfaces via magneto-transport. To overcome the shortcomings of the formulation for single-band spin-1/2 electrons, we consider an effective three-band model that allows a decomposition into a pseudo-spin representation 1/2+3/2. Whereas the well-established spin-1/2 transport signature results from the singlet and triplet sectors in the Cooperon equation, a new structure originates from the quintet and septet sectors generated by the spin 3/2x3/2 representation.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Fermi's golden rule and the second law of thermodynamics

We present a Gedankenexperiment that leads to a violation of detailed balance if quantum mechanical transition probabilities are treated in the usual way by applying Fermi's "golden rule". This Gedankenexperiment introduces a collection of two-level systems that absorb and emit radiation randomly through non-reciprocal coupling to a waveguide, as realized in specific chiral quantum optical systems. The non-reciprocal coupling is modeled by a hermitean Hamiltonian and is compatible with the time-reversal invariance of unitary quantum dynamics. Surprisingly, the combination of non-reciprocity with probabilistic radiation processes entails negative entropy production. Although the considered system appears to fulfill all conditions for Markovian stochastic dynamics, such a dynamics violates the Clausius inequality, a formulation of the second law of thermodynamics. Several implications concerning the interpretation of the quantum mechanical formalism are discussed.

quant-ph

Bound States in the Continuum Realized in the One-Dimensional Two-Particle Hubbard Model with an Impurity

We report a bound state of the one-dimensional two-particle (bosonic or fermionic) Hubbard model with an impurity potential. This state has the Bethe-ansatz form, although the model is nonintegrable. Moreover, for a wide region in parameter space, its energy is located in the continuum band. A remarkable advantage of this state with respect to similar states in other systems is the simple analytical form of the wave function and eigenvalue. This state can be tuned in and out of the continuum continuously.

cond-mat.dis-nn

Momentum-Space Spin Texture in a Topological Superconductor

A conventional superconductor with spin-orbit coupling turns into a topological superconductor beyond a critical strength of the Zeeman energy. The spin-expectation values $\mathbf{S}(\mathbf{k})$ in momentum space trace this transition via a characteristic change in the topological character of the spin texture within the Brillouin zone. At the transition the skyrmion counting number switches from 0 to 1/2 identifying the topological superconductor via its meron-like spin texture. The change in the skyrmion counting number is crucially controlled by singular points of the map $\mathbf{S}(\mathbf{k})/|\mathbf{S}(\mathbf{k})|$ from the Brillouin zone, i.e. a torus, to the unit sphere. The complexity of this spin-map is discussed at zero temperature as well as for the extension to finite temperatures.

cond-mat.supr-con

The mechanism of spin-orbit coupling in a 2D oxide interface

The presence of spin-orbit coupling drives the anomalous magnetotransport at oxide interfaces and forms the basis for numerous intriguing properties of these 2D electron systems, such as topologically protected phases or anti-localization. For many of those systems, the identification of the underlying coupling mechanism is obfuscated by multi-band effects. We therefore analyze the transport of LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ interfaces under high pressures, a technique to single out the multi-band contributions. We argue that the observed magnetoresistance is due to quantum interference and not related to Coulomb interaction. Therefore, this system is an excellent candidate to generate a metal-insulator transition of the long-sought symplectic 2D universality class. It is shown that the spin-orbit coupling can be linked unambiguously to the band structure with a cubic (Dresselhaus-like) rather than a linear (Rashba-like) spin-orbit band splitting.

cond-mat.str-el