arXiv subjects

Francesco Plastina

Publications and source records attributed to Francesco Plastina.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Revealing Many-Body Phases at finite temperatures through Quantum Coherence Distribution

We introduce a diagnostic framework based on the full probability distribution of quantum coherence to probe single-particle and many-body phases at finite temperature. We first apply this approach to the localization transition in the non-interacting Aubry-André model and then extend the analysis to its interacting counterpart, whose phase diagram is substantially richer. We show that the moments of the coherence distribution provide clear signatures of quantum phase transitions and capture the emergence of many-body phases. More importantly, we find that the entropy of the coherence distribution emerges as an even more powerful indicator, retaining clear signatures of the underlying quantum phases while remaining remarkably robust against increasing thermal fluctuations.

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arXiv2026

Local reminiscence in the PXP model

We study the emergence of local reminiscence in the PXP model, a constrained spin system realized in Rydberg atom arrays. The spectrum of this model is characterized by a majority of eigenstates that satisfy the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis, alongside a set of nonthermal eigenstates, known as quantum many-body scars, that violate it. While generic initial states lead to thermalization consistent with eigenstate thermalization hypothesis, special configurations generate non-ergodic dynamics and preserve memory of the initial state. In this work, we explore local memory retention using local fidelity and the dynamics of local observables. We find that two specific states, $θ$-symmetric and blockaded states, exhibit robust local reminiscence, with fidelities near unity and suppressed fluctuations as the system size increases. Our results show that non-ergodic regimes can sustain stable local memory while still allowing for complex global dynamics, providing new insights into quantum many-body scars and constrained dynamics.

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arXiv2026

Full Quantum Work Statistics for Non-Homogeneous Many-Body Systems

The nonequilibrium thermodynamics of interacting quantum many-body systems is investigated within the framework of thermal time-dependent density functional theory using a generalized linear-response formulation for the full quantum work statistics. A first-principles route is established to reconstruct the relaxation function that underlies linear-response theory, thereby moving beyond phenomenological descriptions and enabling a consistent evaluation of all moments of the dissipated-work distribution in interacting systems. The predictive power of the approach is demonstrated for the Hubbard model subject to a staggered external potential, where the evolution of the relaxation dynamics during the Mott-to-band-insulator crossover reveals how distinct many-body phases shape the out-of-equilibrium thermodynamic response. These results provide a microscopic and transferable framework for quantum thermodynamics in correlated systems, bridging thermal density functional theory and nonequilibrium work statistics.

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arXiv2026

Phase-dependent role of dissipation across the Aubry-André-Harper transition

We study transport across the Aubry-André-Harper localization transition in the presence of non-Markovian dissipation. For a single particle initially at the center of the chain, we show that bath memory (i.e., finite decay time of bath correlations) plays distinct roles in the two phases. In the extended phase, bath memory qualitatively reshapes the dynamical generator, thereby producing transport patterns that cannot be reduced to a simple rescaling of time. By contrast, in the localized phase, the bath activates motion between localized states and bath memory mainly renormalizes the dynamical timescales. Our results identify localization as a simple filter of non-Markovian effects: memory restructures transport in the extended regime, but survives mainly as a timescale renormalization in the deeply localized regime.

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arXiv2026

Assessing Projected Quantum Kernels for the Classification of IoT Data

The use of quantum computing for machine learning is among the most promising applications of quantum technologies. Quantum models inspired by classical algorithms are developed to explore some possible advantages over classical approaches. A primary challenge in the development and testing of Quantum Machine Learning (QML) algorithms is the scarcity of datasets designed specifically for a quantum approach. Existing datasets, often borrowed from classical machine learning, need modifications to be compatible with current quantum hardware. In this work, we utilize a dataset generated by Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices in a format directly compatible with the proposed quantum data process, eliminating the need for feature reduction. Among quantum-inspired machine learning algorithms, the Projected Quantum Kernel (PQK) stands out for its elegant solution of projecting the data encoded in the Hilbert space into a classical space. For a prediction task concerning office room occupancy, we compare PQK with the standard Quantum Kernel (QK) and their classical counterparts to investigate how different feature maps affect the encoding of IoT data. Our findings show that the PQK demonstrates comparable effectiveness to classical methods when the proposed shallow circuit is used for quantum encoding.

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arXiv2026

Floquet-engineered fidelity revivals in the PXP model

We explore the dynamics of the PXP model when subjected to a periodic drive, and unveil the mechanism through which the interplay between spectral properties and initial states governs the emergence of dynamical revivals and their evolution across the space of driving parameters. For Néel-ordered initial states, revivals follow well-defined trajectories in the parameter space of the driving, primarily determined by a dominant quasi-energy spacing in the Floquet spectrum. Initial states interpolating between Néel and fully polarized configurations exhibit hybrid dynamics, which can be controlled by tuning their overlap with Floquet eigenstates via the driving parameters. This control also allows steering different routes for avoiding Floquet thermalization, showing how both initial state choice and driving protocol shape long-lived dynamics in this driven quantum many-body systems.

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arXiv2025

Efficient Variational Quantum Algorithms for the Generalized Assignment Problem

Quantum algorithms offer a compelling new avenue for addressing difficult NP-complete optimization problems, such as the Generalized Assignment Problem (GAP). Given the operational constraints of contemporary Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) devices, hybrid quantum-classical approaches, specifically Variational Quantum Algorithms (VQAs) like the Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE), promises to be effective approaches to solve real-world optimization problems. This paper proposes an approach, named VQGAP, designed to efficiently solve the GAP by optimizing quantum resources and reducing the required parametrized quantum circuit width with respect to standard VQE. The main idea driving our proposal is to decouple the qubits of ansatz circuits from the binary variables of the General Assignment Problem, by providing encoding/decoding functions transforming the solutions generated by ansatze in the limited quantum space in feasible solutions in the problem variables space, by exploiting the constraints of the problem. Preliminary results, obtained through both noiseless and noisy simulations, indicate that VQGAP exhibits performance and behavior very similar to VQE, while effectively reducing the number of qubits and circuit depth.

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arXiv2025

Quantum Coherence and Anomalous Work Extraction in Qubit Gate Dynamics

We develop a framework based on the Kirkwood-Dirac quasiprobability distribution to quantify the contribution of coherence to work extraction during generic, cyclic quantum evolutions. In particular, we focus on ``anomalous processes'', counterintuitive scenarios in which, due to the negativity of the quasiprobability distribution, work can be extracted even when individual processes are associated with energy gain. Applying this framework to qubits undergoing sequences of single- and two-qubit gate operations, we identify specific conditions under which such anomalous work exchanges occur. Furthermore, we analyze the quasiprobabilistic structure of deep quantum circuits and establish a compositional relation linking the work statistics of full circuits to those of their constituent gates. Our work highlights the role of coherence in the thermodynamics of quantum computation and provides a foundation for systematically studying potential thermodynamic relevance of specific quantum circuits.

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arXiv2025

Predicting fermionic densities using a Projected Quantum Kernel method

We use a support vector regressor based on a projected quantum kernel method to predict the density structure of 1D fermionic systems of interest in quantum chemistry and quantum matter. The kernel is built on with the observables of a quantum reservoir implementable with interacting Rydberg atoms. Training and test data of the fermionic system are generated using a Density Functional Theory approach. We test the performance of the method for several Hamiltonian parameters, finding a general common behavior of the error as a function of measurement time. At sufficiently large measurement times, we find that the method outperforms the classical linear kernel method and can be competitive with the radial basis function method.

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arXiv2024

Thermal density functional theory approach to quantum thermodynamics

Understanding the thermodynamic properties of many-body quantum systems and their emergence from microscopic laws is a topic of great significance due to its profound fundamental implications and extensive practical applications. Recent advances in experimental techniques for controlling and preparing these systems have increased interest in this area, as they have the potential to drive the development of quantum technologies. In this study, we present a density-functional theory approach to extract detailed information about the statistics of work and the irreversible entropy associated with quantum quenches at finite temperature. Specifically, we demonstrate that these quantities can be expressed as functionals of thermal and out-of-equilibrium densities, which may serve as fundamental variables for understanding finite-temperature many-body processes. We, then, apply our method to the case of the inhomogeneous Hubbard model, showing that our density functional theory based approach can be usefully employed to unveil the distinctive roles of interaction and external potential on the thermodynamic properties of such a system.

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arXiv2024

Variational Gibbs State Preparation on NISQ devices

The preparation of an equilibrium thermal state of a quantum many-body system on noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices is an important task in order to extend the range of applications of quantum computation. Faithful Gibbs state preparation would pave the way to investigate protocols such as thermalization and out-of-equilibrium thermodynamics, as well as providing useful resources for quantum algorithms, where sampling from Gibbs states constitutes a key subroutine. We propose a variational quantum algorithm (VQA) to prepare Gibbs states of a quantum many-body system. The novelty of our VQA consists in implementing a parameterized quantum circuit acting on two distinct, yet connected (via CNOT gates), quantum registers. The VQA evaluates the Helmholtz free energy, where the von Neumann entropy is obtained via post-processing of computational basis measurements on one register, while the Gibbs state is prepared on the other register, via a unitary rotation in the energy basis. Finally, we benchmark our VQA by preparing Gibbs states of the transverse field Ising and Heisenberg XXZ models and achieve remarkably high fidelities across a broad range of temperatures in statevector simulations. We also assess the performance of the VQA on IBM quantum computers, showcasing its feasibility on current NISQ devices.

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arXiv2024

Variational Quantum Algorithms for the Allocation of Resources in a Cloud/Edge Architecture

Modern Cloud/Edge architectures need to orchestrate multiple layers of heterogeneous computing nodes, including pervasive sensors/actuators, distributed Edge/Fog nodes, centralized data centers and quantum devices. The optimal assignment and scheduling of computation on the different nodes is a very difficult problem, with NP-hard complexity. In this paper, we explore the possibility of solving this problem with Variational Quantum Algorithms, which can become a viable alternative to classical algorithms in the near future. In particular, we compare the performances, in terms of success probability, of two algorithms, i.e., Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm (QAOA) and Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE). The simulation experiments, performed for a set of simple problems, %CM230124 that involve a Cloud and two Edge nodes, show that the VQE algorithm ensures better performances when it is equipped with appropriate circuit \textit{ansatzes} that are able to restrict the search space. Moreover, experiments executed on real quantum hardware show that the execution time, when increasing the size of the problem, grows much more slowly than the trend obtained with classical computation, which is known to be exponential.

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arXiv2024

Distribution of Fidelity in Quantum State Transfer Protocols

Quantum state transfer protocols are a major toolkit in many quantum information processing tasks, from quantum key distribution to quantum computation. To assess performance of a such a protocol, one often relies on the average fidelity between the input and the output states. Going beyond this scheme, we analyze the entire probability distribution of fidelity, providing a general framework to derive it for the transfer of single- and two-qubit states. Starting from the delta-like shape of the fidelity distribution, characteristic to perfect transfer, we analyze its broadening and deformation due to realistic features of the process, including non-perfect read-out timing. Different models of quantum transfer, sharing the same value of the average fidelity, display different distributions of fidelity, providing thus additional information on the protocol, including the minimum fidelity.

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arXiv2023

Assessing Quantum Computing Performance for Energy Optimization in a Prosumer Community

The efficient management of energy communities relies on the solution of the "prosumer problem", i.e., the problem of scheduling the household loads on the basis of the user needs, the electricity prices, and the availability of local renewable energy, with the aim of reducing costs and energy waste. Quantum computers can offer a significant breakthrough in treating this problem thanks to the intrinsic parallel nature of quantum operations. The most promising approach is to devise variational hybrid algorithms, in which quantum computation is driven by parameters that are optimized classically, in a cycle that aims at finding the best solution with a significant speed-up with respect to classical approaches. This paper provides a reformulation of the prosumer problem, allowing to address it with a hybrid quantum algorithm, namely, Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm (QAOA), and with a recent variant, the Recursive QAOA. We report on an extensive set of experiments, on simulators and real quantum hardware, for different problem sizes. Results are encouraging in that Recursive QAOA is able, for problems involving up to 10 qubits, to provide optimal and admissible solutions with good probabilities, while the computation time is nearly independent of the system size

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arXiv2023

Entangled States are Harder to Transfer than Product States

The distribution of entangled states is a key task of utmost importance for many quantum information processing protocols. A commonly adopted setup for distributing quantum states envisages the creation of the state in one location, which is then sent to (possibly different) distant receivers through some quantum channels. While it is undoubted and, perhaps, intuitively expected that the distribution of entangled quantum states is less efficient than that of product states, a thorough quantification of this inefficiency (namely, of the difference between the quantum-state transfer fidelity for entangled and factorized states) has not been performed. To this end, in this work, we consider $n$-independent amplitude-damping channels, acting in parallel, i.e., each, locally, on one part of an $n$-qubit state. We derive exact analytical results for the fidelity decrease, with respect to the case of product states, in the presence of entanglement in the initial state, for up to four qubits. Interestingly, we find that genuine multipartite entanglement has a more detrimental effect on the fidelity than two-qubit entanglement. Our results hint at the fact that, for larger $n$-qubit states, the difference in the average fidelity between product and entangled states increases with increasing single-qubit fidelity, thus making the latter a less trustworthy figure of merit.

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arXiv2022

Quantum transfer of interacting qubits

The transfer of quantum information between different locations is key to many quantum information processing tasks. Whereas, the transfer of a single qubit state has been extensively investigated, the transfer of a many-body system configuration has insofar remained elusive. We address the problem of transferring the state of n interacting qubits. Both the exponentially increasing Hilbert space dimension, and the presence of interactions significantly scale-up the complexity of achieving high-fidelity transfer. By employing tools from random matrix theory and using the formalism of quantum dynamical maps, we derive a general expression for the average and the variance of the fidelity of an arbitrary quantum state transfer protocol for n interacting qubits. Finally, by adopting a weak-coupling scheme in a spin chain, we obtain the explicit conditions for high-fidelity transfer of 3 and 4 interacting qubits.

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arXiv2020

Quantum Coherence and Ergotropy

Constraints on work extraction are fundamental to our operational understanding of the thermodynamics of both classical and quantum systems. In the quantum setting, finite-time control operations typically generate coherence in the instantaneous energy eigenbasis of the dynamical system. Thermodynamic cycles can, in principle, be designed to extract work from this non-equilibrium resource. Here, we isolate and study the quantum coherent component to the work yield in such protocols. Specifically, we identify a coherent contribution to the ergotropy (the maximum amount of unitarily extractable work via cyclical variation of Hamiltonian parameters). We show this by dividing the optimal transformation into an incoherent operation and a coherence extraction cycle. We obtain bounds for both the coherent and incoherent parts of the extractable work and discuss their saturation in specific settings. Our results are illustrated with several examples, including finite-dimensional systems and bosonic Gaussian states that describe recent experiments on quantum heat engines with a quantized load.

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arXiv2020

Non-equilibrium steady-states of memoryless quantum collision models

We investigate the steady state properties arising from the open system dynamics described by a memoryless (Markovian) quantum collision model, corresponding to a master equation in the ultra-strong coupling regime. By carefully assessing the work cost of switching on and off the system-environment interaction, we show that only a coupling Hamiltonian in the energy-preserving form drives the system to thermal equilibrium, while any other interaction leads to non-equilibrium steady states that are supported by steady-state currents. These currents provide a neat exemplification of the housekeeping work and heat. Furthermore, we characterize the specific form of system-environment interaction that drives the system to a steady-state exhibiting coherence in the energy eigenbasis, thus, giving rise to families of states that are non-passive.

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