arXiv subjects

Martin Stefanak

Publications and source records attributed to Martin Stefanak.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2010

Interference Phenomena in Quantum Information

One of the key features of quantum mechanics is the interference of probability amplitudes. The reason for the appearance of interference is mathematically very simple. It is the linear structure of the Hilbert space which is used for the description of quantum systems. In terms of physics we usually talk about the superposition principle valid for individual and composed quantum objects. So, while the source of interference is understandable it leads in fact to many counter-intuitive physical phenomena which puzzle physicists for almost hundred years. The present thesis studies interference in two seemingly disjoint fields of physics. However, both have strong links to quantum information processing and hence are related. In the first part we study the intriguing properties of quantum walks. In the second part we analyze a sophisticated application of wave packet dynamics in atoms and molecules for factorization of integers. The main body of the thesis is based on the original contributions listed separately at the end of the thesis. The more technical aspects and brief summaries of used methods are left for appendices.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2009

Recurrence of biased quantum walks on a line

The Polya number of a classical random walk on a regular lattice is known to depend solely on the dimension of the lattice. For one and two dimensions it equals one, meaning unit probability to return to the origin. This result is extremely sensitive to the directional symmetry, any deviation from the equal probability to travel in each direction results in a change of the character of the walk from recurrent to transient. Applying our definition of the Polya number to quantum walks on a line we show that the recurrence character of quantum walks is more stable against bias. We determine the range of parameters for which biased quantum walks remain recurrent. We find that there exist genuine biased quantum walks which are recurrent.

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arXiv2008

Recurrence properties of unbiased coined quantum walks on infinite $d$-dimensional lattices

The Pólya number characterizes the recurrence of a random walk. We apply the generalization of this concept to quantum walks [M. Štefaňák, I. Jex and T. Kiss, Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{100}, 020501 (2008)] which is based on a specific measurement scheme. The Pólya number of a quantum walk depends in general on the choice of the coin and the initial coin state, in contrast to classical random walks where the lattice dimension uniquely determines it. We analyze several examples to depict the variety of possible recurrence properties. First, we show that for the class of quantum walks driven by independent coins for all spatial dimensions, the Pólya number is independent of the initial conditions and the actual coin operators, thus resembling the property of the classical walks. We provide an analytical estimation of the Pólya number for this class of quantum walks. Second, we examine the 2-D Grover walk, which exhibits localisation and thus is recurrent, except for a particular initial state for which the walk is transient. We generalize the Grover walk to show that one can construct in arbitrary dimensions a quantum walk which is recurrent. This is in great contrast with the classical walks which are recurrent only for the dimensions $d=1,2$. Finally, we analyze the recurrence of the 2-D Fourier walk. This quantum walk is recurrent except for a two-dimensional subspace of the initial states. We provide an analytical formula of the Pólya number in its dependence on the initial state.

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