arXiv subjects

Martin B. Plenio

Publications and source records attributed to Martin B. Plenio.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2026

Optimal and Adaptive Bayesian Sampling for Non-Linear Parameter Estimation under White Noise

The question of optimal experimental design has been addressed in a vast variety of contexts and answered using manifold approaches. Assuming additive white Gaussian noise, this work applies the Bayesian framework for design optimization to the posterior distribution after marginalization over linear parameters and discusses the implications. Examples of exponentially decaying signals with and without oscillations complement the discussion. Application of the examples considered include but are not limited to nuclear magnetic resonance and relaxometry experiments using solid-state spins sensors.

physics.data-an↗

arXiv2026

Probing Many-Body Phenomena with Atomically Thin Nuclear Spin Layers in Diamond

Quantum simulation aims to recreate complex many-body phenomena in controlled environments, offering insights into dynamics that are otherwise difficult to model. Existing platforms, however, are often complex and costly to scale, typically requiring ultra pure vacuum or low temperatures. Here, we introduce a platform based on a thin, strongly interacting ${}^{13}\text{C}$ nuclear spin layer in diamond that allows controlled exploration of many-body dynamics at room temperature. Nearby nitrogen-vacancy centers enable polarization, readout, and, combined with radio-frequency fields, coherent control of the nuclear spins. We demonstrate strong, tunable interactions among the nuclear spins and use the system to probe discrete time-crystalline order across varying interaction ranges. By combining ease of use with operation at ambient temperatures, our work opens new opportunities for investigating strongly correlated many-body effects.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

PIQC: Scalable Distributed Quantum Computing via Photonic Integration of Designed Molecular Quantum Nodes

There is a growing consensus that large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computing (FTQC) necessitates high-fidelity photonic interconnects to overcome the scaling limits of monolithic architectures. However, most current platforms were not originally designed for native photonic connectivity and require significant engineering overhead. To overcome these fundamental hardware limitations, we recently introduced a rationally designed organic molecule that serves as an ideal quantum node, featuring a robust qubit-photon interface (QPI) and a long-lived nuclear-spin register. In this work, we present PIQC (Photonic Integrated Quantum Circuits), a distributed architecture designed to scale these molecular nodes into a functional quantum computer. The PIQC framework integrates five mutually reinforcing innovations: (i) Designer molecular qubits, i.e. carbene molecules in an isosteric host that provide millisecond-coherence electron spins with high spectral stability and spin-dependent optical emission, (ii) deterministic nuclear registers made of synthetically placed $^{13}$C or $^{14}$N labels that enable fast ($\sim 1~μ$s), high-fidelity electron-nuclear gates, (iii) hybrid photonic integration, which allows molecular films to seamlessly integrate with existing mature fabrication technologies, e.g. thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN), (iv) heralded entanglement protocols that can tolerate up to 70% photon loss, and (v) stairway Floquetification, i.e. high-rate quantum low-density parity-check (qLDPC) codes that are converted into Floquet codes, reducing syndrome extraction to weight-two Bell-pair measurements that match PIQC's networked hardware. PIQC offers a hardware-efficient, commercially viable pathway toward a utility-scale quantum computer based on distributed FTQC.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Heisenberg picture tensor network formalism for optical circuits

Tensor network formalisms have emerged as powerful tools for simulating quantum state evolution. While widely applied in the study of optical quantum circuits, such as Boson Sampling, existing tensor network approaches fail to address the complexity mismatch between tensor contractions and the calculation of photon-counting probability amplitudes. Here, we present an alternative tensor network framework that exploits the input-output relations of quantum optical circuits encoded in the unitary interferometer matrix. Our approach bridges the complexity gap by enabling the computation of the permanent -- central to Boson Sampling -- with the same computational complexity as the best known classical algorithm based on a graphical representation of the operator-basis MPS that we introduce. Furthermore, we exploit the flexibility of tensor networks to extend our formalism to incorporate partial distinguishability and photon loss, two key imperfections in practical interferometry experiments. This work offers a significant step forward in the simulation of large-scale quantum optical systems and the understanding of their computational complexity.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

A post-Newtonian Gravitational Collapse Model from Linearized Gravity

We introduce a general gravity-related collapse mechanism based on linearized gravity. Starting from the weak-field limit of general relativity, gravitoelectromagnetism suggests an effective coupling between the gravitoelectric potential and the mass density distribution. At the same time, it provides a similar relation for the gravitomagnetic vector potential and the mass current. Following a hybrid (classical-quantum) dynamics approach, these couplings lead to a master equation whose non-unitary part is determined by the underlying mass distribution and currents. When the gravitoelectric potential coupling is considered, the well-known Diósi-Penrose collapse model acting on positional degrees of freedom is recovered. However, upon including the gravitomagnetic vector potential, additional collapse mechanisms emerge for rotational degrees of freedom as well as for mixed mass-rotation contributions.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

A Single-Molecule Spin-Photon Interface

Optical interfaces that connect long-lived spin qubits to photons are a central requirement for quantum networking and distributed quantum information processing. Currently, solid-state atomic defects are leading candidates due to their inherent spin and optical coherence. Building on these advancements, synthetically tailored molecular systems represent a fundamental change in the field, utilizing precise atomic control and consistent bottom-up assembly. However, the lack of a robust spin-photon interface combining bright fluorescence, high spectral stability, and the persistent spin lifetimes inherent to ground-state systems has prohibited the detection of individual molecular qubits. Here we show that a triplet ground state carbene molecule, embedded within a structurally matched host crystal, functions as a robust spin-photon interface with single-molecule addressability. The system exhibits narrow zero-phonon lines, spectral stability over more than an hour, spin-selective optical transitions and single-molecule optically detected magnetic resonance. Coherent control yields millisecond-scale dynamical-decoupling coherence and tens-of-milliseconds spin relaxation at a temperature of 4.5 K. These results establish molecular qubits as a viable platform for single-emitter quantum optics while preserving the advantages of bottom-up chemical design and processable materials.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Coherence as a resource for phase estimation

Quantum phase estimation is a core task in quantum technologies ranging from metrology to quantum computing, where it appears as a key subroutine in various algorithms. Here, we quantitatively connect the performance of phase estimation protocols with quantum coherence. To achieve this, we construct and characterize resource theories of quantum networks that cannot generate coherence. Given multiple copies of a unitary encoding an unknown phase and access to a fixed coherent state, we estimate the phase using such networks. For a unified and general approach, we assess the quality of the estimate using a generic cost function that penalizes deviations from the true value. We determine the minimal average cost that can be achieved in this manner and explicitly derive optimal protocols. From this, we construct a family of coherence measures that directly connect a state's coherence with its value for phase estimation, demonstrating that every bit of coherence helps. This establishes coherence as a resource that quantifies the performance of phase estimation, and, thus, of any quantum technology relying on it as a subroutine.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Stability Thresholds for Gravitationally Induced Entanglement in Shielded Setups

Proposed experiments for gravitationally induced entanglement (GIE) typically suppress direct electromagnetic interactions between two massive particles by inserting a conducting Faraday shield. For superconducting particles, their large diamagnetism requires additional magnetic shielding to screen magnetic dipolar interactions. Here, we analyze the effect of residual particle-shield interactions and show that both Casimir and magnetic-dipole interactions can severely limit GIE tests by imprinting large phases. We quantify how run-to-run positional and orientational fluctuations of the setup elements, including the shield, trapping potentials, and detectors, convert these phases into effective decoherence, strongly reducing the detectable bipartite entanglement. In particular, we show that magnetic interactions between the particles and a superconducting shield constitute a major noise source, especially relevant for levitated superconducting particles. Treating the vibrational modes of the shield quantum mechanically, we further find that thermal vibrations generate persistent particle-shield correlations and can even mediate particle-particle entanglement that can mimic a gravitational signal. Finally, we derive quantitative thresholds on the maximum tolerable positional and orientational fluctuations of the setup elements required to observe entanglement, and propose mitigation strategies including geometry optimization and shield cooling to preserve a genuine GIE signature.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Quantum Cramer-Rao Precision Limit of Noisy Continuous Sensing

Quantum sensors hold considerable promise for precision measurement, yet their capabilities are inherently constrained by environmental noise. A fundamental task in quantum sensing is determining the precision limit of noisy sensor devices. For continuously monitored quantum sensors, characterizing the optimal precision in the presence of environments other than the measurement channel is an outstanding open theoretical challenge, due to the infinite-dimensional nature of the sensor output field and the complex temporal correlation of the photons therein. Here, we establish a numerically efficient method to determine the quantum Cramer-Rao bound for continuously monitored quantum sensors subject to general environmental noise -- Markovian or non-Markovian, and showcase its application with paradigmatic models of continuously monitored quantum sensors. Applicable to both constant-parameter and waveform estimation, our method provides a rigorous and practical framework for assessing and enhancing the sensor performance in realistic settings, with broad applications across experimental quantum physics.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Angular Momentum Entanglement Mediated By General Relativistic Frame Dragging

Current proposals to probe the quantum nature of gravity in the low-energy regime predominantly focus on the Newtonian interaction term. In this work, we present a theoretical exploration of gravitationally mediated entanglement arising from a genuinely general relativistic effect: frame dragging. This interaction gives rise to an effective dipolar coupling between the angular momenta of two rotating, spherically symmetric masses, allowing entanglement generation between angular momentum degrees of freedom. We represent the quantum states by angular momentum eigenstates and show that, while the maximal entangling rate is achieved for highly delocalized initial states, non-negligible quantum correlations can still emerge even when the initial states are not prepared in superposition. We then analyze the robustness of the resulting entanglement in the presence of common noise sources, explicitly acknowledging the challenges associated with a potential implementation. We also note that, for spherically symmetric masses, angular momentum degrees of freedom are intrinsically insensitive to Casimir and Coulomb interactions, thereby mitigating key decoherence channels present in existing proposals. Finally, we discuss possible state preparation and detection strategies while framing our results within the broader landscape of gravitationally mediated entanglement schemes, emphasizing the role of this framework as a conceptual avenue for exploring genuinely relativistic quantum gravitational effects.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

High-Probability Heralded Entanglement via Repeated Spin-Photon Phase Encoding with Moderate Cooperativity

We propose a heralded high-probability scheme to generate remote entanglement between moderate-cooperativity spin-cavity registers with high fidelity. In conventional single-shot interfaces, limited cooperativity restricts the spin-conditional optical response and thus strongly suppresses the success probability. Our proposal instead recycles a single incident photon for repeated interactions with the spin-cavity register, such that a small spin-conditional phase shift acquired on each round trip accumulates coherently to enable remote entanglement. Moreover, the repeated scheme enables higher spin-photon encoding efficiency by using a spectral-width-scaling photon pulse with a shorter duration. We show that, for realistic imperfections and losses, this repeated phase-encoding approach produces high-fidelity entangled states with an appreciable success probability even at cooperativity $C\sim1$. Our protocol is particularly well suited to weakly coupled, cavity-based solid-state spin platforms and provides a route toward hybrid, photon-loss-tolerant distributed quantum computing.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Resource state generation for a multispin register in a hybrid matter-photon quantum information processor

Hybrid quantum architectures that integrate matter and photonic degrees of freedom present a promising pathway toward scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computing. This approach needs to combine well-established entangling operations between distant registers using photonic degrees of freedom with direct interactions between matter qubits within a solid-state register. The high-fidelity control of such a register, however, poses significant challenges. In this work, we address these challenges with pulsed control sequences which modulate all inter-spin interactions to preserve the nearest-neighbor couplings while eliminating unwanted long-range interactions. We derive pulse sequences, including broadband and selective gates, using composite pulse and shaped pulse techniques as well as optimal control methods. This ensures a general pulse sequence in the presence of spin-position bias, and robustness against static offset detunings, and Rabi frequency fluctuations of the control fields. The control techniques developed here apply well beyond the present setting to a broad range of physical platforms. We demonstrate the efficacy of our methods for the resource state generation for fusion-based quantum computing in four- and six-spin systems encoded in the electronic ground states of nitrogen-vacancy centers or other molecular solid-state qubits. We also outline other elements of the proposed architecture, highlighting its potential for advancing quantum computing technology.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Asymptotic relaxation in quantum Markovian dynamics

We investigate the long-time behavior of quantum Markovian dynamics generated by time-dependent Gorini-Kossakowski-Lindblad-Sudarshan (GKLS) master equations. We introduce a notion of weak relaxation and derive sufficient conditions guaranteeing asymptotic independence from the initial state. Our results provide a quantitative extension of the Spohn-Frigerio theorem to time-dependent generators, yielding explicit contraction bounds in terms of the instantaneous steady state and time-integrated dissipation rates. For a class of microscopically derived master equations, we further obtain a graph-theoretic characterization of the aforementioned conditions that directly links the structure of the jump operators to the relaxation properties. The general theory is illustrated by applications to driven finite-level systems, including a detailed three-level example, and is extended to a non-Markovian setting by means of time-local master equations that become of GKLS form at long times. These findings pave the way for the development of a more general theory of relaxation beyond the Markovian case.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Optically Hyperpolarized Materials for Levitated Optomechanics

We explore the potential of levitating solids embedded with non-permanent, optically controllable electron spins, which can be used to hyperpolarize their nuclear spin environment with exceptionally long lifetimes. For example, pentacene-doped naphthalene, which will also serve as our prime example, can achieve bulk polarization exceeding $80\,\%$ at cryogenic temperatures with polarization lifetimes extending over weeks. These materials make a compelling case for applications such as matter-wave interferometry and novel uses of established NMR techniques. In that spirit, we design a multi-spin Stern-Gerlach-type interferometry protocol which, thanks to the homogeneous spin distribution and the absence of a preferential nuclear-spin quantization axis in such materials, avoids many of the limitations associated with solid state crystals hosting electronic spin defects, such as nanodiamonds containing NV centers. We assess the potential of our interferometer to enhance existing bounds on the free parameters of objective collapse models. Beyond matter-wave interferometry, we analyze the prospects for implementing magic angle spinning at frequencies surpassing the current standard in NMR, capitalizing on the exceptional rotational capabilities offered by levitation. Additionally, we outline a novel protocol for measuring spin ensemble polarization via the position of the nanoparticle and conduct an analysis of dominant noise sources, benchmarking the required isolation levels for various applications.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Correlated dynamics as a resource in molecular switches

Photoisomerization, a photochemical process underlying many biological mechanisms, has been modeled recently within the quantum resource theory of thermodynamics. This approach has emerged as a promising tool for studying fundamental limitations to nanoscale processes independently of the microscopic details governing their dynamics. On the other hand, correlations between physical systems have been shown to play a crucial role in quantum thermodynamics by lowering the work cost of certain operations. Here, we explore quantitatively how correlations between multiple photoswitches can enhance the efficiency of photoisomerization beyond that attainable for single molecules. Furthermore, our analysis provides insights into the interplay between quantum and classical correlations in these transformations.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Decay of uniformly rotating particles

In this paper, we revisit the interpretation of the circular Unruh effect. To this aim, we rely on the principle of general covariance applied to the decay properties of non-inertial particles. Specifically, we show how the tree-level decay rate of an inverse-$β$ process involving scalar fields does not require the introduction of a thermal (or non-thermal) bath in the comoving frame to be a scalar under general coordinate transformations. Instead, we interpret any decay process as an emission of negative-energy quanta, whose existence is motivated by the absence of a global vacuum state for uniformly rotating observers. This implies that, in principle, no uniformly rotating particle can be regarded as stable.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

PHIP Sequences and Dipolar Fields

Para-hydrogen induced polarization (PHIP) achieves efficient hyperpolarisation of nuclear spins with the transfer of the singlet order of parahydrogen to target molecules through catalytic hydrogenation reactions and subsequent coherent control of the spin dynamics. However, in realistic conditions B0/B1 inhomogeneities lead to significant reduction in the polarization transfer efficiency. Moreover, in high-concentration samples, dipolar fields arising from the magnetisation of the sample can degrade polarisation transfer efficiency significantly. In this work, we present a theoretical framework and a comprehensive analysis of both pulsed and continuous-wave (CW) control sequences designed to mitigate the detrimental effects of dipolar fields, $B_0/B_1$ inhomogeneities, and moderate chemical shifts. By combining tools from average Hamiltonian theory with detailed numerical simulations, we introduce and characterise a wide range of transfer sequences, including dipolar-field adjusted and dipolar-field suppressing protocols. We identify conditions under which dipolar interactions either hinder or, perhaps surprisingly, stabilise polarization transfer, depending on the sequence structure. Our results offer practical guidance for the selection and design of PHIP transfer sequences under realistic experimental constraints and open pathways toward robust hyperpolarisation in concentrated liquid-state NMR samples.

quant-ph↗

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.

quant-ph↗