arXiv subjects

Hanmeng Zhan

Publications and source records attributed to Hanmeng Zhan.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Laziness of Quantum Walks on Graphs

The trace of the average mixing matrix of a quantum walk measures the "laziness" of the walk: the higher the trace, the more likely that the walker returns home in the long run. In this paper, we develop tools to study this graph invariant arising from Laplacian quantum walks. It is known that the complete graph $K_n$ is the laziest connected graph on $n$ vertices. Using our machinery, we show that the star $S_n$ is the second laziest connected graph on $n$ vertices (and hence the laziest tree on $n$ vertices), the complete multipartite graph $K_{n-2,1,1}$ is the third laziest connected graph on $n$ vertices, and the double star $DS(n-3,1)$ is the second laziest tree on $n$ vertices. We also show that on the same number of vertices, more unbalanced double stars are lazier.

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arXiv2026

Uniform Mixing in Chiral Quantum Walks

This paper studies uniform mixing in continuous-time quantum walks. We show that for some unitary signing $\sigma$, the complete graph $K^\sigma_n$ has probabilistic uniform mixing. In contrast, Ahmadi \etal (2003) proved that no complete graph has uniform mixing except for $K_2$, $K_3$, and $K_4$. Our technique is based on a stopping rule for quantum walks which reduces global to local uniform mixing. As a corollary, we found an orientation of $H(n,4)$ that mixes to uniform faster than any other Hamming graphs, which improves a result of Godsil and Zhan (2019). We also show that there are infinite families of oriented circulants with average uniform mixing. This is a chiral violation of a No-Go theorem due to Godsil (2013) which states that no graph has average uniform mixing except for $K_2$.

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arXiv2026

Convex combination of first and second eigenvalues of trees

For a graph $G$, let $\lambda_1(G)$ and $\lambda_2(G)$ denote the largest and the second largest adjacency eigenvalue of $G$. The sum $\lambda_1(G) + \lambda_2(G)$ is called the \emph{spectral sum} of $G$. We investigate the spectral sum of trees of order $n$ and determine the extremal trees that attain the maximum/minimum. Moreover, for any $\alpha \in [0,1],$ we describe the extremal trees which maximize the convex combination $\alpha \lambda_1 + (1-\alpha)\lambda_2$ in the class of $n$-vertex trees for sufficiently large $n$.

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arXiv2025

Subspace State Transfer in Coined Quantum Walks

We study a transport phenomenon in certain coined quantum walks where a subspace of states localized at a vertex gets transferred to another vertex. We first develop characterizations for perfect and pretty good subspace state transfer using the spectral properties of a Hermitian weighted digraph obtained from the underlying graph. We then provide a polynomial-time algorithm that tests whether pointwise perfect subspace state transfer occurs at an integer step, given that the subspace and coins are rational. Finally, we construct several infinite families of examples that admit pointwise perfect $d$-dimensional subspace state transfer where $d\ge 2$.

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arXiv2024

Simple Quantum Coins Enable Pretty Good State Transfer on Every Hypercube

We consider pretty good state transfer in coined quantum walks between antipodal vertices on the hypercube $Q_d$. When $d$ is a prime, this was proven to occur in the arc-reversal walk with Grover coins. We extend this result by constructing weighted Grover coins that enable pretty good state transfer on every $Q_d$. Our coins are real, and require modification of the weight on only one arc per vertex. We also generalize our approach and establish a sufficient condition for pretty good state transfer to occur on other graphs.

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arXiv2024

Discrete Quantum Walks with Marked Vertices and Their Average Vertex Mixing Matrices

We study the discrete quantum walk on a regular graph $X$ that assigns negative identity coins to marked vertices $S$ and Grover coins to the unmarked ones. We find combinatorial bases for the eigenspaces of the transtion matrix, and derive a formula for the average vertex mixing matrix $\AMM$. We then find bounds for entries in $\AMM$, and study when these bounds are tight. In particular, the average probabilities between marked vertices are lower bounded by a matrix determined by the induced subgraph $X[S]$, the vertex-deleted subgraph $X\backslash S$, and the edge deleted subgraph $X-E(S)$. We show this bound is achieved if and only if the marked vertices have walk-equitable neighborhoods in the vertex-deleted subgraph. Finally, for quantum walks attaining this bound, we determine when $\AMM[S,S]$ is symmetric, positive semidefinite or uniform.

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arXiv2024

On the second largest adjacency eigenvalue of trees with given diameter

For a graph $G$, let $\lambda_2(G)$ denote the second largest eigenvalue of the adjacency matrix of $G$. We determine the extremal trees with maximum/minimum adjacency eigenvalue $\lambda_2$ in the class $\mathcal{T}(n,d)$ of $n$-vertex trees with diameter $d$. This contributes to the literature on $\lambda_2$-extremization over different graph families. We also revisit the notion of the spectral center of a tree and the proof of $\lambda_2$ maximization over trees.

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arXiv2023

$\epsilon$-Uniform Mixing in Discrete Quantum Walks

We study whether the probability distribution of a discrete quantum walk can get arbitrarily close to uniform, given that the walk starts with a uniform superposition of the outgoing arcs of some vertex. We establish a characterization of this phenomenon on regular non-bipartite graphs in terms of their adjacency eigenvalues and eigenprojections. Using theory from association schemes, we show this phenomenon happens on a strongly regular graph $X$ if and only if $X$ or $\overline{X}$ has parameters $(4m^2, 2m^2\pm m, m^2\pm m, m^2\pm m)$ where $m\ge 2$.

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arXiv2023

Subdivision and Graph Eigenvalues

This paper investigates the asymptotic nature of graph spectra when some edges of a graph are subdivided sufficiently many times. In the special case where all edges of a graph are subdivided, we find the exact limits of the $k$-th largest and $k$-th smallest eigenvalues for any fixed $k$. It is expected that after subdivision, most eigenvalues of the new graph will lie in the interval $[-2,2]$. We examine the eigenvalues of the new graph outside this interval, and we prove several results that might be of independent interest.

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arXiv2022

Factoring Discrete Quantum Walks on Distance Regular Graphs into Continuous Quantum Walks

We consider a discrete-time quantum walk, called the Grover walk, on a distance regular graph $X$. Given that $X$ has diameter $d$ and invertible adjacency matrix, we show that the square of the transition matrix of the Grover walk on $X$ is a product of at most $d$ commuting transition matrices of continuous-time quantum walks, each on some distance digraph of the line digraph of $X$. We also obtain a similar factorization for any graph $X$ in a Bose Mesner algebra.

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arXiv2022

Laplacian pretty good fractional revival

We develop the theory of pretty good fractional revival in quantum walks on graphs using their Laplacian matrices as the Hamiltonian. We classify the paths and the double stars that have Laplacian pretty good fractional revival.

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arXiv2021

The average search probabilities of discrete-time quantum walks

We study the average probability that a discrete-time quantum walk finds a marked vertex on a graph. We first show that, for a regular graph, the spectrum of the transition matrix is determined by the weighted adjacency matrix of an augmented graph. We then consider the average search probability on a distance regular graph, and find a formula in terms of the adjacency matrix of its vertex-deleted subgraph. In particular, for any family of (1) complete graphs, or (2) strongly regular graphs, or (3) distance regular graphs of a fixed parameter $d$, varying valency $k$ and varying size $n$, such that $k^{d-1}/n$ vanishes as $k$ increases, the average search probability approaches $1/4$ as the valency goes to infinity. We also present a more relaxed criterion, in terms of the intersection array, for this limit to be approached by distance regular graphs.

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arXiv2021

Pretty good state transfer in discrete-time quantum walks

We establish the theory for pretty good state transfer in discrete-time quantum walks. For a class of walks, we show that pretty good state transfer is characterized by the spectrum of certain Hermitian adjacency matrix of the graph; more specifically, the vertices involved in pretty good state transfer must be $m$-strongly cospectral relative to this matrix, and the arccosines of its eigenvalues must satisfy some number theoretic conditions. Using normalized adjacency matrices, cyclic covers, and the theory on linear relations between geodetic angles, we construct several infinite families of walks that exhibits this phenomenon.

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arXiv2020

Laplacian Fractional Revival on Graphs

We develop the theory of fractional revival in the quantum walk on a graph using its Laplacian matrix as the Hamiltonian. We first give a spectral characterization of Laplacian fractional revival, which leads to a polynomial time algorithm to check this phenomenon and find the earliest time when it occurs. We then apply the characterization theorem to special families of graphs. In particular, we show that no tree admits Laplacian fractional revival except for the paths on two and three vertices, and the only graphs on a prime number of vertices that admit Laplacian fractional revival are double cones. Finally, we construct, through Cartesian products and joins, several infinite families of graphs that admit Laplacian fractional revival; some of these graphs exhibit polygamous fractional revival.

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arXiv2020

Fundamentals of fractional revival in graphs

We develop a general spectral framework to analyze quantum fractional revival in quantum spin networks. In particular, we introduce generalizations of the notions of cospectral and strongly cospectral vertices to arbitrary subsets of vertices, and give various examples. This work resolves two open questions of Chan et.~al. ["Quantum Fractional Revival on graphs". Discrete Applied Math, 269:86-98, 2019.]

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arXiv2019

Quantum Walks on Embeddings

We introduce a new type of discrete quantum walks, called vertex-face walks, based on orientable embeddings. We first establish a spectral correspondence between the transition matrix $U$ and the vertex-face incidence structure. Using the incidence graph, we derive a formula for the principal logarithm of $U^2$, and find conditions for its underlying digraph to be an oriented graph. In particular, we show this happens if the vertex-face incidence structure forms a partial geometric design. We also explore properties of vertex-face walks on the covers of a graph. Finally, we study a non-classical behavior of vertex-face walks.

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arXiv2019

Fractional Revival and Association Schemes

Fractional revival occurs between two vertices in a graph if a continuous-time quantum walk unitarily maps the characteristic vector of one vertex to a superposition of the characteristic vectors of the two vertices. This phenomenon is relevant in quantum information in particular for entanglement generation in spin networks. We study fractional revival in graphs whose adjacency matrices belong to the Bose-Mesner algebra of association schemes. A specific focus is a characterization of balanced fractional revival (which corresponds to maximal entanglement) in graphs that belong to the Hamming scheme. Our proofs exploit the intimate connections between algebraic combinatorics and orthogonal polynomials.

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arXiv2019

Discrete-Time Quantum Walks and Graph Structures

We formulate three current models of discrete-time quantum walks in a combinatorial way. These walks are shown to be closely related to rotation systems and 1-factorizations of graphs. For two of the models, we compute the traces and total entropies of the average mixing matrices for some cubic graphs. The trace captures how likely a quantum walk is to revisit the state it started with, and the total entropy measures how close the limiting distribution is to uniform. Our numerical results indicate three relations between quantum walks and graph structures: for the first model, rotation systems with higher genera give lower traces and higher entropies, and for the second model, the symmetric 1-factorizations always give the highest trace.

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