arXiv subjects

Lea Lautenbacher

Publications and source records attributed to Lea Lautenbacher.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Approaching Resource-Theoretic Optimal Performance with Structured Environments

Resource-theoretic approaches to thermodynamics provide powerful, model-independent bounds on the efficiency of physical processes, because they do not rely on microscopic details of the environment. Whether such bounds can be approached by realistic dynamics generated by explicit system-environment interactions remains an open question. Photoisomerization, a fundamental molecular photoreaction, offers a concrete setting to examine this issue. We introduce a tunable microscopic model of a molecular photoswitch coupled to a structured vibrational environment, which interpolates continuously between Markovian and non-Markovian regimes. Resource-theoretic analysis predicts in particular that Markovian Thermal Operations achieve strictly lower yields than general Thermal Operations. We show that environmental memory lifts dynamical restrictions associated with Markovian thermal evolutions, thereby enlarging the set of transformations accessible to the microscopic dynamics. Approaching the thermal operation bound, however, depends on the microscopic coupling structure that generates this memory and directs the resulting dynamics towards the target transformation.

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arXiv2026

Gaussian time-translation covariant operations: structure, implementation, and thermodynamics

Time-translation symmetry strongly constrains physical dynamics, yet systematic characterization for continuous-variable systems lags behind its discrete-variable counterpart. We close this gap by providing a rigorous classification of Gaussian quantum operations that are covariant under time translations, termed Gaussian covariant operations. We show that several key results known for discrete-variable covariant operations break down in the Gaussian optical setting: discrepancies arise in physical and thermodynamic implementation, in the extensivity of asymmetry, and in catalytic advantages. Our results provide comprehensive mathematical and operational toolkits for Gaussian covariant operations, including a peculiar pair of asymmetry measures that are completely non-extensive. Our findings also reveal surprising consequences of the interplay among symmetry, Gaussianity, and thermodynamic constraints, suggesting that real-world scenarios with multiple constraints have a rich structure not accessible from examining individual constraints separately.

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arXiv2026

Realizing the Petz Recovery Map on an NMR Quantum Processor

The Petz recovery map is a central construct in quantum information theory, providing an explicit, channel-aware prescription for reversing the effects of noise. Unlike standard quantum operations, the Petz map is intrinsically dependent on a chosen reference state, which makes its physical implementation and experimental validation particularly challenging. Here, we report an experimental realization of Petz recovery maps on a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) quantum processor using the duality quantum computing (DQC) algorithm. We investigate two paradigmatic single-qubit noise models: amplitude damping and phase damping, and construct corresponding families of Petz recovery maps for varying reference states. By systematically tuning the reference state, we experimentally demonstrate the state-adapted nature of Petz recovery, observing both enhanced recovery when the reference state is well matched and fidelity degradation for mismatched choices. Our experimental results show close quantitative agreement with theoretical predictions, providing direct evidence that the Petz recovery map constitutes a physically realizable, reference-state-dependent recovery channel rather than a purely formal inverse of noise. This work bridges the gap between the abstract information-theoretic formulation of Petz recovery and its implementation on a realistic quantum platform, and establishes an experimental benchmark for testing noise-adapted recovery strategies on near-term quantum devices.

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arXiv2025

Physically constrained quantum clock-driven dynamics

Thermal machines are physical systems designed to convert thermal energy into practical work through cyclic state transformations. A key component in such a machine is a clock-equipped control element that dictates which interaction Hamiltonian governs the system-reservoir interactions at specific times, while itself remaining unaffected. However, in the context of quantum dynamics, it is well known that maintaining perfect isolation is practically impossible, except under highly idealized conditions. In this study, we begin with such an idealized model for a clock and systematically relax its main assumptions to develop a more realistic framework. Our approach yields a simplified yet physically consistent description of clock dynamics, enabling the analysis of deviations from ideal time-keeping, which we interpret as clock degradation. We introduce a continuous time operator to derive a lower bound on this degradation, grounded in a generalized time-energy uncertainty relation. These results highlight trade-offs between clock performance and energy uncertainty in physically realizable control schemes.

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arXiv2024

Petz recovery maps for qudit quantum channels

This study delves into the efficacy of the Petz recovery map within the context of two paradigmatic quantum channels: dephasing and amplitude-damping. While prior investigations have predominantly focused on qubits, our research extends this inquiry to higher-dimensional systems. We introduce a novel, state-independent framework based on the Choi-Jamiołkowski isomorphism to evaluate the performance of the Petz map. By analyzing different channels and the (non-)unital nature of these processes, we emphasize the pivotal role of the reference state selection in determining the map's effectiveness. Furthermore, our analysis underscores the considerable impact of suboptimal choices on performance, prompting a broader consideration of factors such as system dimensionality.

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arXiv2022

Approximating Invertible Maps by Recovery Channels: Optimality and an Application to Non-Markovian Dynamics

We investigate the problem of reversing quantum dynamics, specifically via optimal Petz recovery maps. We focus on typical decoherence channels, such as dephasing, depolarizing and amplitude damping. We illustrate how well a physically implementable recovery map simulates an inverse evolution. We extend this idea to explore the use of recovery maps as an approximation of inverse maps, and apply it in the context of non-Markovian dynamics. We show how this strategy attenuates non-Markovian effects, such as the backflow of information.

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