arXiv subjects

Nicola Dalla Pozza

Publications and source records attributed to Nicola Dalla Pozza.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2021

Hilbert curve vs Hilbert space: exploiting fractal 2D covering to increase tensor network efficiency

We present a novel mapping for studying 2D many-body quantum systems by solving an effective, one-dimensional long-range model in place of the original two-dimensional short-range one. In particular, we address the problem of choosing an efficient mapping from the 2D lattice to a 1D chain that optimally preserves the locality of interactions within the TN structure. By using Matrix Product States (MPS) and Tree Tensor Network (TTN) algorithms, we compute the ground state of the 2D quantum Ising model in transverse field with lattice size up to $64\times64$, comparing the results obtained from different mappings based on two space-filling curves, the snake curve and the Hilbert curve. We show that the locality-preserving properties of the Hilbert curve leads to a clear improvement of numerical precision, especially for large sizes, and turns out to provide the best performances for the simulation of 2D lattice systems via 1D TN structures.

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arXiv2021

Quantum Reinforcement Learning: the Maze problem

Quantum Machine Learning (QML) is a young but rapidly growing field where quantum information meets machine learning. Here, we will introduce a new QML model generalizing the classical concept of Reinforcement Learning to the quantum domain, i.e. Quantum Reinforcement Learning (QRL). In particular we apply this idea to the maze problem, where an agent has to learn the optimal set of actions in order to escape from a maze with the highest success probability. To perform the strategy optimization, we consider an hybrid protocol where QRL is combined with classical deep neural networks. In particular, we find that the agent learns the optimal strategy in both the classical and quantum regimes, and we also investigate its behaviour in a noisy environment. It turns out that the quantum speedup does robustly allow the agent to exploit useful actions also at very short time scales, with key roles played by the quantum coherence and the external noise. This new framework has the high potential to be applied to perform different tasks (e.g. high transmission/processing rates and quantum error correction) in the new-generation Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) devices whose topology engineering is starting to become a new and crucial control knob for practical applications in real-world problems. This work is dedicated to the memory of Peter Wittek.

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arXiv2021

An agnostic-Dolinar receiver for coherent states classification

We consider the problem of discriminating quantum states, where the task is to distinguish two different quantum states with a complete classical knowledge about them, and the problem of classifying quantum states, where the task is to distinguish two classes of quantum states where no prior classical information is available but a finite number of physical copies of each classes are given. In the case the quantum states are represented by coherent states of light, we identify intermediate scenarios where partial prior information is available. We evaluate an analytical expression for the minimum error when the quantum states are opposite and a prior on the amplitudes is known. Such a threshold is attained by complex POVM that involve highly non-linear optical procedure. A suboptimal procedure that can be implemented with current technology is presented that is based on a modification of the conventional Dolinar receiver. We study and compare the performance of the scheme under different assumptions on the prior information available.

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arXiv2020

Quantum Stochastic Walk Models for Quantum State Discrimination

Quantum Stochastic Walks (QSW) allow for a generalization of both quantum and classical random walks by describing the dynamic evolution of an open quantum system on a network, with nodes corresponding to quantum states of a fixed basis. We consider the problem of quantum state discrimination on such a system, and we solve it by optimizing the network topology weights. Finally, we test it on different quantum network topologies and compare it with optimal theoretical bounds.

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arXiv2020

Quantum State Discrimination on Reconfigurable Noise-Robust Quantum Networks

A fundamental problem in Quantum Information Processing is the discrimination amongst a set of quantum states of a system. In this paper, we address this problem on an open quantum system described by a graph, whose evolution is defined by a Quantum Stochastic Walk. In particular, the structure of the graph mimics those of neural networks, with the quantum states to discriminate encoded on input nodes and with the discrimination obtained on the output nodes. We optimize the parameters of the network to obtain the highest probability of correct discrimination. Numerical simulations show that after a transient time the probability of correct decision approaches the theoretical optimal quantum limit. These results are confirmed analytically for small graphs. Finally, we analyze the robustness and reconfigurability of the network for different set of quantum states, and show that this architecture can pave the way to experimental realizations of our protocol as well as novel quantum generalizations of deep learning.

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arXiv2020

Noise Sensing via Stochastic Quantum Zeno

The dynamics of any quantum system is unavoidably influenced by the external environment. Thus, the observation of a quantum system (probe) can allow the measure of the environmental features. Here, to spectrally resolve a noise field coupled to the quantum probe, we employ dissipative manipulations of the probe, leading to so-called Stochastic Quantum Zeno (SQZ) phenomena. A quantum system coupled to a stochastic noise field and subject to a sequence of protective Zeno measurements slowly decays from its initial state with a survival probability that depends both on the measurement frequency and the noise. We present a robust sensing method to reconstruct the unkonwn noise power spectral density by evaluating the survival probability that we obtain when we additionally apply a set of coherent control pulses to the probe. The joint effect of coherent control, protective measurements and noise field on the decay provides us the desired information on the noise field.

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arXiv2019

Characterization of entangling properties of quantum measurement via two-mode quantum detector tomography using coherent state probes

Entangled measurement is a crucial tool in quantum technology. We propose a new entanglement measure of multi-mode detection, which estimates the amount of entanglement that can be created in a measurement. To illustrate the proposed measure, we perform quantum tomography of a two-mode detector that is comprised of two superconducting nanowire single photon detectors. Our method utilizes coherent states as probe states, which can be easily prepared with accuracy. Our work shows that a separable state such as a coherent state is enough to characterize a potentially entangled detector. We investigate the entangling capability of the detector in various settings. Our proposed measure verifies that the detector makes an entangled measurement under certain conditions, and reveals the nature of the entangling properties of the detector. Since the precise characterization of a detector is essential for applications in quantum information technology, the experimental reconstruction of detector properties along with the proposed measure will be key features in future quantum information processing.

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arXiv2019

Experimental proof of Quantum Zeno-assisted Noise Sensing

In the ideal quantum Zeno effect, repeated quantum projective measurements can freeze the coherent dynamics of a quantum system. However, in the weak quantum Zeno regime, measurement back-actions can allow the sensing of semi-classical field fluctuations. In this regard, we theoretically show how to combine the controlled manipulation of a quantum two-level system, used as a probe, with a sequence of projective measurements to have direct access to the noise correlation function. We experimentally test the effectiveness of the proposed noise sensing method on a properly engineered Bose-Einstein condensate of $^{87}Rb$ atoms realized on an atom chip. We believe that our quantum Zeno-based approach can open a new path towards novel quantum sensing devices.

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arXiv2019

Role of the filter functions in noise spectroscopy

The success of quantum noise sensing methods depends on the optimal interplay between properly designed control pulses and statistically informative measurement data on a specific quantum-probe observable. To enhance the information content of the data and reduce as much as possible the number of measurements on the probe, the filter orthogonalization method has been recently introduced. The latter is able to transform the control filter functions on an orthogonal basis allowing for the optimal reconstruction of the noise power spectral density. In this paper, we formalize this method within the standard formalism of minimum mean squared error estimation and we show the equivalence between the solutions of the two approaches. Then, we introduce a non-negative least squares formulation that ensures the non-negativeness of the estimated noise spectral density. Moreover, we also propose a novel protocol for the design in the frequency domain of the set of filter functions. The frequency-designed filter functions and the non-negative least squares reconstruction are numerically tested on noise spectra with multiple components and as a function of the estimation parameters.

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arXiv2019

Naimark extension for the single-photon canonical phase measurement

We address the implementation of the positive operator-valued measure (POVM) describing the optimal M-outcomes discrimination of the polarization state of a single photon. Initially, the POVM elements are extended to projective operators by Naimark theorem, then the resulting projective measure is implemented by a Knill-Laflamme-Milburn scheme involving an optical network and photon counters. We find the analytical expression of the Naimark extension and the detection scheme that realise it for an arbitrary number of outcomes M = 2^N.

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arXiv2017

An effective iterative method to build the Naimark extension of rank-n POVMs

We revisit the problem of finding the Naimark extension of a probability operator-valued measure (POVM), i.e. its implementation as a projective measurement in a larger Hilbert space. In particular, we suggest an iterative method to build the projective measurement from the sole requirements of orthogonality and positivity. Our method improves existing ones, as it may be employed also to extend POVMs containing elements with rank larger than one. It is also more effective in terms of computational steps.

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arXiv2015

On the Optimality of Square Root Measurements in Quantum State Discrimination

Distinguishing assigned quantum states with assigned probabilities via quantum measurements is a crucial problem for the transmission of classical information through quantum channels. Measurement operators maximizing the probability of correct discrimination have been characterized by Helstrom, Holevo and Yuen since 1970's. On the other hand, closed--form solutions are available only for particular situations enjoying high degrees of symmetry. As a suboptimal solution to the problem, measurement operators, directly determined from states and probabilities and known as square root measurements (SRM), were introduced by Hausladen and Wootters. These operators were also recognized to be optimal for pure states equipped with geometrical uniform symmetry (GUS). In this paper we discuss the optimality of the SRM and find necessary and sufficient conditions in order that SRM maximize the correct decision probabilities for set of states formed by several constellations of GUS states. The results are applied to some specific examples concerning double constellations of quantum phase shift keying (PSK) and pulse position modulation (PPM) states, with possible applications to practical systems of quantum communications.

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arXiv2014

Deterministic preparation of superpositions of vacuum plus one photon by adaptive homodyne detection: experimental considerations

The preparation stage of optical qubits is an essential task in all the experimental setups employed for the test and demonstration of Quantum Optics principles. We consider a deterministic protocol for the preparation of qubits as a superposition of vacuum and one photon number states, which has the advantage to reduce the amount of resources required via phase-sensitive measurements using a local oscillator ('dyne detection'). We investigate the performances of the protocol using different phase measurement schemes: homodyne, heterodyne, and adaptive dyne detection (involving a feedback loop). First, we define a suitable figure of merit for the prepared state and we obtain an analytical expression for that in terms of the phase measurement considered. Further, we study limitations that the phase measurement can exhibit, such as delay or limited resources in the feedback strategy. Finally, we evaluate the figure of merit of the protocol for different mode-shapes handily available in an experimental setup. We show that even in the presence of such limitations simple feedback algorithms can perform surprisingly well, outperforming the protocols when simple homodyne or heterodyne schemes are employed.

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arXiv2014

Optimal Binary Codes and Measurements for Classical Communication over Qubit Channels

We propose constructive approaches for the optimization of binary classical communication over a general noisy qubit quantum channel, for both the error probability and the classical capacity functionals. After showing that the optimal measurements are always associated to orthogonal projections, we construct a parametrization of the achievable transition probabilities via the coherence vector representation. We are then able to rewrite the problem in a form that can be solved by standard, efficient numerical algorithms and provides insights on the form of the solutions.

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arXiv2014

Adaptive Discrimination Scheme for Quantum Pulse Position Modulation Signals

In the communication scenario, we consider the problem of the discrimination between the signals of the Quantum Pulse Position Modulation. We propose a receiver scheme that employs repeated local measurements in distinct temporal slots within the symbol time interval, adaptively chosen on the basis of the outcomes in the previous slots. By employing Dynamic Programming to optimize each measurement, we approach the theoretical performance limit much closer than existing receiver schemes.

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arXiv2012

Displacement receiver for phase-shift-keyed coherent states

Quantum receiver is an important tool for overcoming the standard quantum limit (SQL) of discrimination errors in optical communication. We theoretically study the quantum receivers for discriminating ternary and quaternary phase shift keyed coherent states in terms of average error rate and mutual information. Our receiver consists of on/off-type photon detectors and displacement operations w/o electrical feedforward operations. We show that for the ternary signals, the receiver shows a reasonable gain from the SQL even without feedforward. This scheme is realizable with the currently available technology. For the quaternary signals feedforward operation is crucial to overcome the SQL with imperfect devices. We also analytically examine the asymptotic limit of the performance of the proposed receiver with respect to the number of feedforward steps.

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arXiv2011

Revisiting the Dolinar Receiver through Multiple-Copy State Discrimination Theory

We consider the problem of discriminating between two quantum coherent states by interpreting a single state like being a collection of several successive copies of weaker coherent states. By means of recent results on multiple-copy state discrimination, it is possible to give a reinterpretation of the Dolinar receiver, and carry out a quite straightforward analysis of its behavior. We also propose and investigate a suboptimal detection scheme derived from the Dolinar's architecture, which is shown to slightly outperform some other near-optimal schemes available in literature.

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