arXiv subjects

Michał Horodecki

Publications and source records attributed to Michał Horodecki.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Non-equilibrium quantum thermometry with bosonic samples

We study low-temperature non-equilibrium quantum thermometry with a bosonic probe: a quantum harmonic oscillator strongly coupled to a bosonic bath at temperature $T$ through a Drude--Ohmic spectral density. We treat the probe--bath dynamics both exactly, using the quadratic solution of Boyanovsky and Jasnow, and within a renormalized Gorini--Kossakowski--Lindblad--Sudarshan (GKLS) master equation. From the time-dependent covariance matrix we extract the quantum Fisher information (QFI) for general single-mode Gaussian probe states, including squeezed ones. In the strong-coupling, non-Markovian regime the QFI is non-monotonic in time, displaying bath-memory revivals that make a finite interrogation time $t^*>0$ strictly optimal. By contrast, we prove that the Markovian QFI rises monotonically to its stationary value and develops no interior optimum, so that its optimum is always pinned to the boundary $t^*\to\infty$; this complements existing Markovian precision-rate bounds, which concern $(\mathcal F(t)/t)$ rather than the single-shot QFI $(\mathcal F(t))$. Squeezed initial states yield a large transient advantage that thermalisation eventually erases, establishing squeezing and interrogation time as complementary thermometric resources. At equilibrium, strong coupling replaces the exponential Boltzmann suppression of the low-temperature relative error by a far milder polynomial divergence. As the model maps directly onto circuit quantum electrodynamics, these protocols appear within current experimental reach.

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arXiv2025

Equivalence of Discrete and Continuous Otto-Like Engines assisted by Catalysts: Mapping Catalytic Advantages from the Discrete to the Continuous Framework

The catalytic extension of a discrete two-stroke engine employs a cyclic auxiliary system - the catalyst - that remains decoupled from the baths and performs no work, yet enhances power and efficiency beyond the corresponding non-catalytic counterpart. Theoretical models of discrete engines are relatively easy to analyze but remain challenging for experimental implementation due to the required control over individual strokes. In contrast, externally driven engines that are simultaneously coupled to both heat baths - the so-called continuous engines - are more experimentally feasible. Here, we establish an equivalence between discrete and continuous machines, both with and without a catalyst, by mapping the discrete unitary processes and thermalization steps onto an interaction Hamiltonian and a Markovian model of dissipation. As a result, by replacing probability flows with probability currents, we construct an analogous continuous machine corresponding to previously demonstrated catalytic schemes that generalize Otto engines. We illustrate this mapping for the simplest catalytic extension of the Otto engine, demonstrating catalytic enhancement in the continuous regime.

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arXiv2025

Iterative construction of $\mathfrak{S}_p \times \mathfrak{S}_p$ group-adapted irreducible matrix units for the walled Brauer algebra

In this work, we present an algorithmic treatment of the representation theory of the algebra of partially transposed permutation operators, denoted by $\mathcal{A}^d_{p,p}$, which is a matrix representation of the abstract walled Brauer algebra. We provide an explicit and fully developed framework for constructing irreducible matrix units within the algebra. In contrast to the established earlier Gelfand-Tsetlin type constructions, the presented matrix units are adapted to the action of the subalgebra $\mathbb{C}[\mathfrak{S}_p] \times \mathbb{C}[\mathfrak{S}_p]$, where $\mathfrak{S}_p$ is the symmetric group. What is more, the basis is constructed in such a way that it produces the decomposition of the algebra into a direct sum of ideals, in contrast to its nested structure considered before. The decomposition of this kind has not been considered before in full generality. Our method reveals a recursive scheme for generating irreducible matrix units in all ideals of $\mathcal{A}^d_{p,p}$, offering a systematic approach that applies to small system sizes and arbitrary local dimensions. We apply the developed formalism to the algebra $\mathcal{A}^d_{2,2}$ and illustrate the algorithm in practice. In addition, using the constructed basis, we proved a novel contraction theorem for the elements from $\mathcal{A}^d_{3,3}$, which is the starting point for further investigations.

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arXiv2025

Making Non-Markovian master equations accessible with approximate environments

Accurate and efficient simulation of open quantum systems remains a significant challenge, particularly for Non-Markovian dynamics. We demonstrate the profound utility of expressing the environmental correlation function as a sum of damped sinusoidals within master equations. While not strictly required, this decomposition offers substantial benefits, crucially reducing the cost of Lamb-shift and decay rates calculations without sacrificing accuracy. Furthermore, this approach enables straightforward calculation of Lamb-shift corrections, bypassing the need for complex principal value integration. We show that these Lamb-shift effects are demonstrably non-negligible in heat transport scenarios, and are needed for an accurate description. Unlike in the Gorini-Kossakowski-Lindblad-Sudarshan(GKLS) master equation, the non-commuting nature of the Lamb-shift with the Hamiltonian in non-Markovian descriptions, coupled with GKLS's inaccuracies at early times, brings the necessity of Non-Markovian descriptions for finite-time thermodynamics. In the weak coupling regime, our Master Equation formulations with exponential decomposition achieve accuracy comparable to numerically exact methods. This methodology significantly simplifies and accelerates the simulation of non-Markovian dynamics in open quantum systems, offering a more reliable and computationally tractable alternative akin to a Global Master Equation.

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arXiv2025

Open quantum dynamics of Josephson charge pumps

We investigate the macroscopic dynamics of Josephson charge pumps in the light of Alicki et al.'s theoretical description of the Josephson junction as an open quantum system described by a Markovian master equation. Once the electrostatic interaction between the terminals is taken into account via nonlinear capacitive terms in the Hamiltonian, we find that the resulting description of pumping is physically reasonable and in good qualitative agreement with experimental observations. We comment on how this approach relates to other theoretical treatments of quantum pumps based on time-dependent potentials or scattering amplitudes. We also highlight the significance of our results in the broader context of the dynamics of charge pumping by active systems.

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arXiv2025

Group-Adapted Irreducible Matrix Units for the Walled Brauer Algebra

This paper investigates the representation theory of the algebra of partially transposed permutation operators, $\mathcal{A}^d_{p,p}$, which provides a matrix representation for the abstract walled Brauer algebra. This algebra has recently gained significant attention due to its relevance in quantum information theory, particularly in the efficient quantum circuit implementation of the mixed Schur-Weyl transform. In contrast to previous Gelfand-Tsetlin type approaches, our main technical contribution is the explicit construction of irreducible matrix units in the second-highest ideal that are group-adapted to the action of $\mathbb{C}[S_p]\times \mathbb{C}[S_p]$ subalgebra, where $S_p$ is the symmetric group. This approach suggests a recursive method for constructing irreducible matrix units in the remaining ideals of the algebra. The framework is general and applies to systems with arbitrary numbers of components and local dimensions. In addition, we present a complementary construction method based on tensor networks of Clebsch-Gordan coefficients of the unitary group. This approach enables the construction of all group-adapted irreducible matrix units, but requires knowledge of certain Littlewood-Richardson coefficients. This method can be successfully applied for a reasonably small number of particles with the support of dedicated software. The obtained results are applied to a special class of operators motivated by the mathematical formalism appearing in all variants of the port-based teleportation protocols through the mixed Schur-Weyl duality. We demonstrate that the given irreducible matrix units are, in fact, eigenoperators for the considered class.

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arXiv2024

Catalytic enhancement in the performance of the microscopic two-stroke heat engine

We consider a model of heat engine operating in the microscopic regime: the two-stroke engine. It produces work and exchanges heat in two discrete strokes that are separated in time. The working body of the engine consists of two $d$-level systems initialized in thermal states at two distinct temperatures. Additionally, an auxiliary non-equilibrium system called catalyst may be incorporated with the working body of the engine, provided the state of the catalyst remains unchanged after the completion of a thermodynamic cycle. This ensures that the work produced by the engine arises solely from the temperature difference. Upon establishing the rigorous thermodynamic framework, we characterize two-fold improvement stemming from the inclusion of a catalyst. Firstly, we prove that in the non-catalytic scenario, the optimal efficiency of the two-stroke heat engine with a working body composed of two-level systems is given by the Otto efficiency, which can be surpassed by incorporating a catalyst with the working body. Secondly, we show that incorporating a catalyst allows the engine to operate in frequency and temperature regimes that are not accessible for non-catalytic two-stroke engines. We conclude with general conjecture about advantage brought by catalyst: including the catalyst with the working body always allows to improve efficiency over the non-catalytic scenario for any microscopic two-stroke heat engines. We prove the conjecture for two-stroke engines when the working body is composed of two $d$-level systems initialized in thermal states at two distinct temperatures, as long as the final joint state leading to optimal efficiency in the non-catalytic scenario is not product, or at least one of the $d$-level system is not thermal.

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arXiv2024

Multicopy quantum state teleportation with application to storage and retrieval of quantum programs

This work considers a teleportation task for Alice and Bob in a scenario where Bob cannot perform corrections. In particular, we analyse the task of \textit{multicopy state teleportation}, where Alice has $k$ identical copies of an arbitrary unknown $d$-dimensional qudit state $\vert\psi\rangle$ to teleport a single copy of $\vert\psi\rangle$ to Bob using a maximally entangled two-qudit state shared between Alice and Bob without Bob's correction. Alice may perform a joint measurement on her half of the entangled state and the $k$ copies of $\vert\psi\rangle$. We prove that the maximal probability of success for teleporting the exact state $\vert\psi\rangle$ to Bob is $p(d,k)=\frac{k}{d(k-1+d)}$ and present an explicit protocol to attain this performance. Then, by utilising $k$ copies of an arbitrary target state $\vert\psi\rangle$, we show how the multicopy state teleportation protocol can be employed to enhance the success probability of storage and retrieval of quantum programs, which aims to universally retrieve the action of an arbitrary quantum channel that is stored in a state. Our proofs make use of group representation theory methods, which may find applications beyond the problems addressed in this work.

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arXiv2024

Optimal universal quantum circuits for unitary complex conjugation

Let $U_d$ be a unitary operator representing an arbitrary $d$-dimensional unitary quantum operation. This work presents optimal quantum circuits for transforming a number $k$ of calls of $U_d$ into its complex conjugate $\bar{U_d}$. Our circuits admit a parallel implementation and are proven to be optimal for any $k$ and $d$ with an average fidelity of $\left\langle{F}\right\rangle =\frac{k+1}{d(d-k)}$. Optimality is shown for average fidelity, robustness to noise, and other standard figures of merit. This extends previous works which considered the scenario of a single call ($k=1$) of the operation $U_d$, and the special case of $k=d-1$ calls. We then show that our results encompass optimal transformations from $k$ calls of $U_d$ to $f(U_d)$ for any arbitrary homomorphism $f$ from the group of $d$-dimensional unitary operators to itself, since complex conjugation is the only non-trivial automorphisms on the group of unitary operators. Finally, we apply our optimal complex conjugation implementation to design a probabilistic circuit for reversing arbitrary quantum evolutions.

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arXiv2024

Intermediate Times Dilemma for Open Quantum System: Filtered Approximation to The Refined Weak Coupling Limit

The famous Davies-GKSL secular Markovian master equation is tremendously successful in approximating the evolution of open quantum systems in terms of just a few parameters. However, the fully-secular Davies-GKSL equation fails to accurately describe time scales short enough, i.e., comparable to the inverse of differences of frequencies present in the system of interest. A complementary approach that works well for short times but is not suitable after this short interval is known as the quasi-secular master equation. Still, both approaches fail to have any faithful dynamics in the intermediate time interval. Simultaneously, descriptions of dynamics that apply to the aforementioned "grey zone" often are computationally much more complex than master equations or are mathematically not well-structured. The filtered approximation (FA) to the refined weak coupling limit has the simplistic spirit of the Davies-GKSL equation and allows capturing the dynamics in the intermediate time regime. At the same time, our non-Markovian equation yields completely positive dynamics. We exemplify the performance of the FA equation in the cases of the spin-boson system and qutrit-boson system in which two distant time scales appear.

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arXiv2024

From port-based teleportation to Frobenius reciprocity theorem: partially reduced irreducible representations and their applications

In this paper, we present the connection of two concepts as induced representation and partially reduced irreducible representations (PRIR) appear in the context of port-based teleportation protocols. Namely, for a given finite group $G$ with arbitrary subgroup $H$, we consider a particular case of matrix irreducible representations, whose restriction to the subgroup $H$, as a matrix representation of $H$, is completely reduced to diagonal block form with an irreducible representation of $H$ in the blocks. The basic properties of such representations are given. Then as an application of this concept, we show that the spectrum of the port-based teleportation operator acting on $n$ systems is connected in a very simple way with the spectrum of the corresponding Jucys-Murphy operator for the symmetric group $S(n-1)\subset S(n)$. This shows on the technical level relation between teleporation and one of the basic objects from the point of view of the representation theory of the symmetric group. This shows a deep connection between the central object describing properties of deterministic PBT schemes and objects appearing naturally in the abstract representation theory of the symmetric group. In particular, we present a new expression for the eigenvalues of the Jucys-Murphy operators based on the irreducible characters of the symmetric group. As an additional but not trivial result, we give also purely matrix proof of the Frobenius reciprocity theorem for characters with explicit construction of the unitary matrix that realizes the reduction of the natural basis of induced representation to the reduced one.

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arXiv2024

Dynamics of the Non-equilibrium spin Boson Model: A Benchmark of master equations and their validity

In recent years, there has been tremendous focus on identifying whether effective descriptions of open quantum systems such as master equations, can accurately describe the dynamics of open quantum systems. One particular question is whether they provide the correct steady state in the long time limit. Transient regime is also of interest. Description of evolution by various master equations - some of them being not complete positive - is benchmarked against exact solutions (see e.g. Hartmann and Strunz, Phys. Rev. A 101, 012103). An important property of true evolution is its non-Markovian features, which are not captured by the simplest completely positive master equations. In this paper we consider a non-Markovian, yet completely positive evolution (known as refined weak coupling or cumulant equation) for the Spin-Boson model with an Overdamped Drude-Lorentz spectral density and arbitrary coupling. We bench-marked it against numerically exact solution, as well as against other master equations, for different coupling strengths and temperatures. We find the cumulant to be a better description in the weak coupling regime where it is supposed to be valid. For the examples considered it shows superiority at moderate and strong couplings in the low-temperature regime for all examples considered. In the high-temperature regime however its advantage vanishes. This indicates that the cumulant equation is a good candidate for simulations at weak to moderate coupling and low temperature. Our calculations are greatly facilitated due to our concise formulation of the cumulant equation by means of representation of the density matrix in the SU(N) basis.

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arXiv2024

Catalytic advantage in Otto-like two-stroke quantum engines

We demonstrate how to incorporate a catalyst to enhance the performance of a heat engine. Specifically, we analyze efficiency in one of the simplest engines models, which operates in only two strokes and comprises of a pair of two-level systems, potentially assisted by a $d$-dimensional catalyst. When no catalysis is present, the efficiency of the machine is given by the Otto efficiency. Introducing the catalyst allows for constructing a protocol which overcomes this bound, while new efficiency can be expressed in a simple form as a generalization of Otto's formula: $1 - \frac{1}{d} \frac{ω_c}{ω_h}$. The catalyst also provides a bigger operational range of parameters in which the machine works as an engine. Although an increase in engine efficiency is mostly accompanied by a decrease in work production (approaching zero as the system approaches Carnot efficiency), it can lead to a more favorable trade-off between work and efficiency. The provided example introduces new possibilities for enhancing performance of thermal machines through finite-dimensional ancillary systems.

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arXiv2024

Strongly coupled fermionic probe for nonequilibrium thermometry

We characterise the measurement sensitivity, quantified by the Quantum Fisher Information (QFI), of a single-fermionic thermometric probe strongly coupled to the sample of interest, a fermionic bath, at temperature $T$. For nonequilibrium protocols, in which the probe is measured before reaching equilibrium with the sample, we find new behaviour of the measurement sensitivity arising due to non-Markovian dynamics. First, we show that the QFI displays a highly non-monotonic behaviour in time, in contrast to the Markovian case where it grows monotonically until equilibrium, so that non-Markovian revivals can be exploited to reach a higher QFI. Second, the QFI rate is maximised at a finite interrogation time $t^*$, which we characterize, in contrast to the solution $t^* \rightarrow 0$ known in the Markovian limit [Quantum 6, 869 (2022)]. Finally, we consider probes make up of few fermions and discuss different collective enhancements in the measurement precision.

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arXiv2023

The Josephson junction as a quantum engine

We treat the Cooper pairs in the superconducting electrodes of a Josephson junction (JJ) as an open system, coupled via Andreev scattering to external baths of electrons. The disequilibrium between the baths generates the direct-current bias applied to the JJ. In the weak-coupling limit we obtain a Markovian master equation that provides a simple dynamical description consistent with the main features of the JJ, including the form of the current-voltage characteristic, its hysteresis, and the appearance under periodic voltage driving of discrete Shapiro steps. For small dissipation, our model also exhibits a self-oscillation of the JJ's electrical dipole with frequency $Ω= 2 e V / \hbar$ around mean voltage $V$. This self-oscillation, associated with "hidden attractors" of the nonlinear equations of motion, explains the observed production of monochromatic radiation with frequency $Ω$ and its harmonics. We argue that this picture of the JJ as a quantum engine resolves open questions about the Josephson effect as an irreversible process and could open new perspectives in quantum thermodynamics and in the theory of dynamical systems.

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arXiv2023

An approximation scheme and non-Hermitian re-normalization for description of atom-field system evolution

Interactions between a source of light and atoms are ubiquitous in nature. The study of them is interesting on the fundamental level as well as for applications. They are in the core of Quantum Information Processing tasks and in Quantum Thermodynamics protocols. However, even for two-level atom interacting with field in rotating wave approximation there exists no exact solution. This touches as basic problem in quantum field theory, where we can only calculate the transitions in the time asymptotic limits (i.e. minus and plus infinity), while we are not able to trace the evolution. In this paper we want to get more insight into the time evolution of a total system of a two-level atom and a continuous-mode quantum field. We propose an approximation, which we are able to apply systematically to each order of Dyson expansion, resulting in greatly simplified formula for the evolution of the combined system at any time. Our tools include a proposed novel, {\it non-Hermitian} re-normalization method. As a sanity check, by applying our framework, we derive the known optical Bloch equations.

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arXiv2023

Correlations constrained by composite measurements

How to understand the set of correlations admissible in nature is one outstanding open problem in the core of the foundations of quantum theory. Here we take a complementary viewpoint to the device-independent approach, and explore the correlations that physical theories may feature when restricted by some particular constraints on their measurements. We show that demanding that a theory exhibits {a composite} measurement imposes a hierarchy of constraints on the structure of its sets of states and effects, which translate to a hierarchy of constraints on the allowed correlations themselves. We moreover focus on the particular case where one demands the existence of a correlated measurement that reads out the parity of local fiducial measurements. By formulating a non-linear Optimisation Problem, and semidefinite relaxations of it, we explore the consequences of the existence of such a parity reading measurement for violations of Bell inequalities. In particular, we show that in certain situations this assumption has surprisingly strong consequences, namely, that Tsirelson's bound can be recovered.

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arXiv2023

Extremal jumps of circuit complexity of unitary evolutions generated by random Hamiltonians

We investigate circuit complexity of unitaries generated by time evolution of randomly chosen strongly interacting Hamiltonians in finite dimensional Hilbert spaces. Specifically, we focus on two ensembles of random generators -- the so called Gaussian Unitary Ensemble (GUE) and the ensemble of diagonal Gaussian matrices conjugated by Haar random unitary transformations. In both scenarios we prove that the complexity of $\exp(-it H)$ exhibits a surprising behaviour -- with high probability it reaches the maximal allowed value on the same time scale as needed to escape the neighborhood of the identity consisting of unitaries with trivial (zero) complexity. We furthermore observe similar behaviour for quantum states originating from time evolutions generated by above ensembles and for diagonal unitaries generated from the ensemble of diagonal Gaussian Hamiltonians. To establish these results we rely heavily on structural properties of the above ensembles (such as unitary invariance) and concentration of measure techniques. This gives us a much finer control over the time evolution of complexity compared to techniques previously employed in this context: high-degree moments and frame potentials.

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