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Lan Zhou

Publications and source records attributed to Lan Zhou.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Persistence of measurement-induced nonlocality in uniformly accelerating Unruh-DeWitt detectors

Uniform acceleration induces a thermal response to the Minkowski vacuum and can thereby modify quantum correlations. For measurement-induced nonlocality (MIN), a form of nonclassical correlation distinct from entanglement, previous field-mode analyses of bosonic fields found that it decreases with increasing acceleration and vanishes in the infinite-acceleration limit. This raises the question of whether the disappearance of MIN is a generic consequence of the Unruh effect or depends on the physical description of the accelerated quantum system. To address this question, we study two uniformly accelerating Unruh-DeWitt detectors interacting with a massless scalar field. We find that the response of MIN to the Unruh temperature depends sensitively on the initial detector state: it can decrease monotonically, vanish at an intermediate temperature and subsequently recover, or increase monotonically. Moreover, for a broad class of initial states, MIN approaches a nonzero value in the high-temperature limit. These results show that the suppression of MIN under strong acceleration is not universal. Instead, Unruh-induced detector dynamics gives rise to a state-dependent response in which measurement-induced nonlocality can be suppressed, restored, or enhanced.

gr-qc

TRACE Bench: Task-driven Roleplay Agentic Checklist Evaluation

Roleplay evaluation should do more than assign a single score: it should reveal which role requirements were tested, which failed, and which dialogue evidence supports the judgment. We propose TRACE Bench, a task-driven agentic checklist evaluation framework. It decomposes each role profile offline into a fixed checklist, then uses a User Agent to converse naturally with the target roleplay model while privately updating checklist states from model responses. Scores therefore trace back to checklist items and supporting dialogue turns rather than a black-box holistic impression. For coverage cross-validation, we audit released M2 free-dialogue transcripts from the MiniMax Role-play Benchmark against the same role-derived checklist. The released free-chat transcripts cover only 73.74% of key role-profile points, whereas TRACE Bench reaches 99.91% coverage in fewer turns. Robustness experiments show stable rankings under repeated runs and User Agent replacement. Across 26 models, TRACE Bench reports overall rankings together with capability breakdowns and checklist traces. It also supports Closed-Loop Benchmark Evolution, distilling verification methods proven effective in failed traces so later evaluations can more reliably elicit and examine observed failure modes.

cs.CL

Robust logical Bell nonlocality based on quantum error correction codes

Quantum nonlocality based on the violation of Bell-like inequalities constitutes a fundamental feature of quantum physics and drives the development of device-independent (DI) quantum information technologies. Existing studies of Bell nonlocality have mainly focused on physical qubit systems, where the observed nonlocal correlations are directly encoded in physical degrees of freedom. The decoherence sensitivity of Bell nonlocality largely limits the performance and security of its DI applications. Here, we investigate the robust logical Bell nonlocality based on quantum error correction codes. We construct the general logical Bell inequality in the stabilizer coding subspace and prove its violation indicates the global nonlocal feature of the logical system. Then, we indicate that the logical Bell nonlocality is robust against decoherence. Comparing with the physical qubit system, the fidelity thresholds for the logical Bell inequality violation based on the [[3,1,1]] and [[7,1,1]] repetition codes under the bit-flip error model can be reduced from 82.8% to 73.10% and 66.35%, increasing DI QKD's bit-flip noise threshold from 10.64% to 14.42% and 23.36%, respectively. Such stabilizer-based framework can be also used to characterize the multipartite logical Bell nonlocality in principle. Finally, a logical Bell test implementation circuit based on the [[3,1,1]] repetition code is presented. This work provides a feasible avenue for unlocking robust Bell nonlocality in scalable logical quantum systems and facilitates its applications in future scalable quantum network.

quant-ph

Controlling radiative dynamics of a giant $\Lambda$-type atom via interference induced by the vacuum of a waveguide

We investigate the dynamics of a $\Lambda$-type giant atom (GA) whose both transition coupled to the guided modes of a one-dimensional (1D) waveguide at two spatially separated points with the GA initially excited and the electromagnetic (EM) modes of waveguide in vacuum. The spontaneous emission properties of this GA is investigated by solving the delay-differential equation for the amplitude of the 3GA in its excited state. Signatures of non-Markovian behavior is manifested in a population trapping in the excited state of the GA in the regime where the distance $d$ of the coupling points is smaller or comparable to the coherent length $L$ characterizing the width of the emitted wave packet. And an exact Markovian dynamics is also found when $d\geq L$ via the inference by adjusting the energy spacing and the inherent time delay besides the complex phases in the atom-light coupling, matching the behavior of a small atom coupled to a waveguide.

quant-ph

Cutscene Agent: An LLM Agent Framework for Automated 3D Cutscene Generation

Cutscenes are carefully choreographed cinematic sequences embedded in video games and interactive media, serving as the primary vehicle for narrative delivery, character development, and emotional engagement. Producing cutscenes is inherently complex: it demands seamless coordination across screenwriting, cinematography, character animation, voice acting, and technical direction, often requiring days to weeks of collaborative effort from multidisciplinary teams to produce minutes of polished content. In this work, we present Cutscene Agent, an LLM agent framework for automated end-to-end cutscene generation. The framework makes three contributions: (1)~a Cutscene Toolkit built on the Model Context Protocol (MCP) that establishes \emph{bidirectional} integration between LLM agents and the game engine -- agents not only invoke engine operations but continuously observe real-time scene state, enabling closed-loop generation of editable engine-native cinematic assets; (2)~a multi-agent system where a director agent orchestrates specialist subagents for animation, cinematography, and sound design, augmented by a visual reasoning feedback loop for perception-driven refinement; and (3)~CutsceneBench, a hierarchical evaluation benchmark for cutscene generation. Unlike typical tool-use benchmarks that evaluate short, isolated function calls, cutscene generation requires long-horizon, multi-step orchestration of dozens of interdependent tool invocations with strict ordering constraints -- a capability dimension that existing benchmarks do not cover. We evaluate a range of LLMs on CutsceneBench and analyze their performance across this challenging task.

cs.GR

Autonomous Materials Exploration by Integrating Automated Phase Identification and AI-Assisted Human Reasoning

Autonomous experimentation holds the potential to accelerate materials development by combining artificial intelligence (AI) with modular robotic platforms to explore extensive combinatorial chemical and processing spaces. Such self-driving laboratories can not only increase the throughput of repetitive experiments, but also incorporate human domain expertise to drive the search towards user-defined objectives, including improved materials performance metrics. We present an autonomous materials synthesis extension to SARA, the Scientific Autonomous Reasoning Agent, utilizing phase information provided by an automated probabilistic phase labeling algorithm to expedite the search for targeted phase regions. By incorporating human input into an expanded SARA-H (SARA with human-in-the-loop) framework, we enhance the efficiency of the underlying reasoning process. Using synthetic benchmarks, we demonstrate the efficiency of our AI implementation and show that the human input can contribute to significant improvement in sampling efficiency. We conduct experimental active learning campaigns using robotic processing of thin-film samples of several oxide material systems, including Bi$_2$O$_3$, SnO$_x$, and Bi-Ti-O, using lateral-gradient laser spike annealing to synthesize and kinetically trap metastable phases. We showcase the utility of human-in-the-loop autonomous experimentation for the Bi-Ti-O system, where we identify extensive processing domains that stabilize $\delta$-Bi$_2$O$_3$ and Bi$_2$Ti$_2$O$_7$, explore dwell-dependent ternary oxide phase behavior, and provide evidence confirming predictions that cationic substitutional doping of TiO$_2$ with Bi inhibits the unfavorable transformation of the metastable anatase to the ground-state rutile phase. The autonomous methods we have developed enable the discovery of new materials and new understanding of materials synthesis and properties.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Reference-frame-independent Quantum secure direct communication

Current quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) protocols guarantee communication security by estimating the error rates of photons in the X and Z bases. This take the reference frame calibration between communicating parties as a necessary prerequisite. However, in mobile communications scenarios, achieving continuous and accurate reference frame calibration poses significant challenges. To address this issue, this paper proposes a reference-frame-independent (RFI) QSDC protocol. This protocol only requires ensuring the calibration accuracy of one direction of the reference frame, while allowing a misalignment angle $\beta$ in the other two directions. To improve the protocol's robustness against reference frame fluctuations, we introduce a $\beta$-independent parameter C into the security analysis framework and rederive the protocol's security bounds. Additionally, we construct a system model and optimize the pulse intensity of the signal states, enabling the protocol to achieve optimal performance under each level of channel attenuation. At an attenuation of 10 dB (corresponding to a communication distance of 25 km), the secrecy message capacities for $\beta= 0^{ \circ} $ and $45^{ \circ} $ are $8.765 \times10^{-6}$ bit/pulse and $4.150 \times10^{-6}$ bit/pulse, respectively. Compared with the single-photon-based QSDC, the communication distance of the protocol proposed in this paper is significantly extended. When $\beta= 0^{ \circ} $ and $45^{ \circ} $, the maximum transmission distances of the RFI QSDC protocol are 27.875 km and 26.750 km, which is about 155.9 % and 149.7 % of that of the single-photon-based QSDC protocol.

quant-ph

High-capacity dual degrees of freedom quantum secret sharing protocol beyond the linear rate-distance bound

Quantum secret sharing (QSS) is the multipartite cryptographic primitive. Most of existing QSS protocols are limited by the linear rate-distance bound, and cannot realize the long-distance and high-capacity multipartite key distribution. This paper proposes a polarization (Pol) and phase (Ph) dual degrees of freedom (dual-DOF) QSS protocol based on the weak coherent pulse (WCP) sources. Our protocol combines the single-photon interference, two-photon interference and non-interference principles, and can resist the internal attack from the dishonest player. We develop simulation method to estimate its performance under the beam splitting attack. The simulation results show that our protocol can surpass the linear bound. Comparing with the differential-phase-shift twin-field QSS and WCP-Ph-QSS protocols, our protocol has stronger resistance against the beam splitting attack, and thus has longer maximal communication distance and higher key rate. By using the WCPs with high average photon number ($\mu$ = 1.5), our protocol achieves a key rate about 5.4 times of that in WCP-Ph-QSS protocol. Its maximal communication distance (441.7 km) is about 7.9% longer than that of the WCP-Ph-QSS. Our protocol is highly feasible with current experimental technology and offers a promising approach for long-distance and high-capacity quantum networks.

quant-ph

Entropic Uncertainty Relations with Quantum Memory in Accelerated Frames via Unruh-DeWitt Detectors

Quantum uncertainty is deeply linked to quantum correlations and relativistic motion. The entropic uncertainty relation with quantum memory offers a powerful way to study how shared entanglement affects measurement precision. However, under acceleration, the Unruh effect can degrade quantum correlations, raising questions about the reliability of QMA-EUR in such settings. Here, we investigate the QMA-EUR for two uniformly accelerating Unruh-DeWitt detectors coupled to a massless scalar field. Using the Kossakowski-Lindblad master equation, we calculate the entropic uncertainty, its lower bound, and the tightness of the relation under different Unruh temperatures. We find that acceleration does not always increase the lower bound on the uncertainty relation. Depending on the initial correlations between the detectors, it may either increase or decrease. This behavior results from the interplay between quantum discord and minimal missing information. Interestingly, a higher quantum discord does not necessarily lead to lower uncertainty.

quant-ph

Resonator-assisted single-photon frequency convertion in a conventional waveguide with a giant V-type atom

We propose a scheme to achieve efficient frequency conversion for a single photon propagating in a 1D conventional waveguide by exploiting the quantum interference induced by the scale of a V-type giant atom (GA) characterized by the distance between the two coupling points as well as single-photon transition pathways originated from the coupling between the GA and the resonator. The presence of photons in the resonator triggers the frequency conversion of photons. The scattering spectra and the conversion contrast are studied in both the Markovian and the non-Markovian regimes. The disappearance of frequency conversion is rooted in the complete suppression of the emission from the excited state to either of lower states in the $n+1$ subspace where $n$ is the photon number of the resonator, and the non-Markovicity-induced nonreciprocity is found under specific conditions. Altering the photon number $n$ induces the non-reciprocal transmission of single photons in the waveguide, hence, enhance the conversion probability.

quant-ph

Robust hyperentanglement self testing

Hyperentanglement, which refers to entanglement encoded in two or more independent degrees of freedom (DOFs), is a valuable resource for the future high-capacity quantum network. Certifying hyperentanglement sources work as intended is critical for the hyperentanglement-based quantum information tasks. Self testing is the strongest certification method for quantum state and measurement under minimal assumptions, even without any knowledge of the devices' inner workings. However, the existing self testing protocols all focus on one-DOF entanglement, which cannot self test the multi-DOF entanglement. In the paper, we propose a hyperentanglement self testing framework. We take the self testing for the polarization-spatial-mode hyperentangled Bell states as an example. The self testing is based on the violation of two-dimension CHSH test in each DOF independently. The two-step swap isometry circuits are proposed for self testing the entanglement in spatial-mode and polarization DOFs, respectively. All the sixteen polarization-spatial-mode hyperentangled Bell states can be self tested. Our hyperentanglement self testing framework has three advantages. First, it is a general hyperentanglement self testing framework, and can be extended to self test multi-DOF hyperentanglement and multipartite hyperentanglement. Second, it can provide the robust hyperentanglement self testing and establish the relation between the lower bound of fidelity and the imperfect violation of Bell-like inequality in each DOF. Third, it is feasible with current experimental technology. Our hyperentanglement self testing framework provides a promising way to certify complex hyperentanglement sources, and has potential application in future high-capacity quantum network.

quant-ph

Tunable single-photon frequency converter in a waveguide with a giant V-type atom

We study the single-photon scattering in a one-dimensional (1D) waveguide coupled to one transition of a $V$-type giant atom (GA), whose other transition is coherently driven by an classical field. The inelastic scattering of single photons by the GA realizes the single-photon frequency conversion. By applying the Lippmann-Schwinger equation, the scattering coefficients for single photons incident from different directions are obtained, which present different scattering spectra in the Markovian and the non-Markovian regimes. The conversion contrast characterizing the nonreciprocity is also analyzed in both regimes. It is found that the probability of the frequency up- or down-conversion vanishes as long as the emission from either transition pathways for single photons is suppressed, but it is enhanced and even reach unity by introducing the nonreciprocity. It is the quantum self-interference induced by the scale of this two-legged GA and the phase difference between the GA-waveguide couplings that tune the probability of the frequency up- or down-conversion.

quant-ph

High-efficiency and long-distance quantum memory-assisted device-independent quantum secret sharing with single photon sources

Quantum secret sharing (QSS) plays a critical role in building the distributed quantum networks. Device-independent (DI) QSS provides the highest security level for QSS. However, the photon transmission loss and extremely low multipartite entanglement generation rate largely limit DI QSS's secure photon transmission distance (less than 1 km) and practical key generation efficiency. To address the above drawbacks, we propose the quantum memory-assisted (QMA) DI QSS protocol based on single photon sources (SPSs). The single photons from the SPSs are used to construct long-distance multipartite entanglement channels with the help of the heralded architecture. The heralded architecture enables our protocol to have an infinite secure photon transmission distance in theory. The QMA technology can not only increase the multi-photon synchronization efficiency, but also optimize the photon transmittance to maximize the construction efficiency of the multipartite entanglement channels. Our protocol achieves the practical key generation efficiency seven orders of magnitude higher than that of the existing DI QSS protocols based on cascaded spontaneous parametric down-conversion sources and six orders of magnitude higher than that of the DI QSS based on SPSs without QMA. Our protocol has modular characteristics and is feasible under the current experimental technical conditions. Combining with the advanced random key generation basis strategy, the requirement on experimental devices can be effectively reduced. Our protocol is expected to promote the development of long-distance and high-efficiency DI quantum network in the future.

quant-ph

Basis-independent Coherence in Noninertial Frames

We investigate the behavior of basis-independent quantum coherence between two modes of a free Dirac field as observed by relatively accelerated observers. Our findings reveal three key results: (i) the basis-independent coherence between modes A and BI decreases with increasing acceleration but remains finite even in the limit of infinite acceleration; (ii) at zero acceleration, the coherence between modes $A$ and $B_II$ is nonzero contrasting with the behavior of basis-dependent coherence, which typically vanishes in this case; and (iii) the basis-independent coherence between modes BI and BII remains constant regardless of acceleration, exhibiting a freezing phenomenon. These results demonstrate the intrinsic robustness of basis-independent coherence under Unruh effects.

quant-ph

Bound states and the collective dynamics of Distant Quantum Emitters coupled to a chiral waveguide

We consider two two-level quantum emitters (QEs) with separations on the order of the wavelength which are chirally coupled to a one-dimensional (1D) waveguide, and the electromagnetic field of the 1D waveguide has a direction-dependent velocity, which produces two field propagation phases on the dynamics of QEs. Their spontaneous process is examined for QEs having unequal emission rates to the waveguide. It is found that radiation could be enhanced for both QEs, inhibited for both QEs, enhanced for one while inhibited for the other, completely suppressed for both QEs. In particular, the mechanism for radiation completely suppressed is the presence of a QE-photon bound state.

quant-ph

$\Lambda$-Type Giant Atom Mediated Controllable Single-Photon Transport in a One-Dimensional Chiral Waveguide

We investigate the single-photon scattering spectrum of a driven $\Lambda$-type giant atom system chirally coupled to a one-dimensional (1D) waveguide. By employing a real-space scattering approach, we obtain analytical solutions for the scattering amplitudes that remain valid in both Markovian and non-Markovian regimes. We observe that an external driving field induces a splitting of the transmission spectrum's dip into double dips, with the distance between the two dips increasing as the strength of the driving field increases. The chiral nature of the coupling allows for controlled switching between complete transmission and perfect reflection of incident photons. In the Markovian limit, we predict robust perfect transmission at specific phase values, independent of the driving field parameters.Moreover, in the non-Markovian regime, as the size of the giant atom increases, the oscillatory behavior of the scattering spectrum becomes more pronounced. Adjusting the giant atom size enables control over the number of decoupling points as well as the number of complete reflection points.

quant-ph

Stability of the centers of group algebras of general affine groups $GA_n(q)$

The general affine group $GA_n(q)$ consisting of invertible affine transformations of an affine space of codimension one in the vector space $\mathbb{F}_q^n$ over a finite field $\mathbb{F}_q$, can be viewed as a subgroup of the general linear group $GL_{n}(q)$ over $\mathbb{F}_q$. In the article, we introduce the notion of the type of each matrix in $GA_n(q)$ and give an explicit representative for each conjugacy class. Then the center $\mathscr{A}_n(q)$ of the integral group algebra $\mathbb{Z}[GA_n(q)]$ is proved to be a filtered algebra via the length function defined via the reflections lying in $GA_n(q)$. We show in the associated graded algebras $\mathscr{G}_n(q)$ the structure constants with respect to the basis consisting of the conjugacy class sums are independent of $n$. The structure constants in $\mathscr{G}_n(q)$ is further shown to contain the structure constants in the graded algebras introduced by the first author and Wang for $GL_n(q)$ as special cases. The stability leads to a universal stable center $\mathscr{G}(q)$ with positive integer structure constants only depending on $q$ which governs the algebras $\mathscr{G}_n(q)$ for all $n$.

math.RT

Phase estimation in lossy optical interferometry without a reference beam

We investigate phase estimation in a lossy interferometer using entangled coherent states, with particular focus on a scenario where no reference beam is employed. By calculating the quantum Fisher information, we reveal two key results: (1) the metrological equivalence between scenarios with and without a reference beam, established under ideal lossless conditions for the two-phase-shifting configuration,breaks down in the presence of photon loss, and (2) the pronounced inferior performance of entangled coherent states relative to NOON states, observed in the presence of a reference beam, disappears in its absence.

quant-ph