Nigel Benjamin Lee Junsheng

arXiv2026

Cubic Phase Gate with a Trapped Ion Oscillator

The motional modes of trapped ions are promising candidates for continuous-variable (CV) quantum computation and simulation. However, to achieve a universal gate set for CV quantum computation, anharmonic nonlinear unitaries are required. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a protocol that allows us to approximate the cubic phase gate. By numerically optimizing the phase angles and amplitudes of a set of state-dependent force pulses, we demonstrate the cubic phase gate for both vacuum and low-$α$ coherent state inputs and verify its performance. Our protocol can also be extended to approximate other nonlinear unitaries.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Bi-Contextuality: A Novel Non-Classical Phenomenon in Bipartite Quantum Systems

We present and experimentally demonstrate a novel non-classical phenomenon, bi-contextuality, observed in quantum systems prepared by two independent sources. This discovery plays a key role in the developing framework of network nonlocality, offering a new method for confirming the quantum nature of measurements within a single network node. Bi-contextuality acts as a reversed Bell scenario: while Bell scenarios involve splitting a system for independent measurements, our approach combines systems from separate independent sources for joint measurements. The outcomes defy classical models that assume independence and non-contextuality. The simplest Bell scenario can be seen as a subset of the Peres-Mermin (PM) square, and our phenomenon represents another important subset of this framework. Moreover, bi-contextuality has notable consequences related to the Pusey-Barrett-Rudolph (PBR) theorem, suggesting that classical psi-ontic models must account for contextuality or the dependence of preparations, challenging established assumptions.

quant-ph↗