arXiv subjects

Norman Y. Yao

Publications and source records attributed to Norman Y. Yao.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2023

Imaging the Meissner effect and flux trapping in a hydride superconductor at megabar pressures using a nanoscale quantum sensor

By directly altering microscopic interactions, pressure provides a powerful tuning knob for the exploration of condensed phases and geophysical phenomena. The megabar regime represents an exciting frontier, where recent discoveries include novel high-temperature superconductors, as well as structural and valence phase transitions. However, at such high pressures, many conventional measurement techniques fail. Here, we demonstrate the ability to perform local magnetometry inside of a diamond anvil cell with sub-micron spatial resolution at megabar pressures. Our approach utilizes a shallow layer of Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) color centers implanted directly within the anvil; crucially, we choose a crystal cut compatible with the intrinsic symmetries of the NV center to enable functionality at megabar pressures. We apply our technique to characterize a recently discovered hydride superconductor, CeH$_9$. By performing simultaneous magnetometry and electrical transport measurements, we observe the dual signatures of superconductivity: local diamagnetism characteristic of the Meissner effect and a sharp drop of the resistance to near zero. By locally mapping the Meissner effect and flux trapping, we directly image the geometry of superconducting regions, revealing significant inhomogeneities at the micron scale. Our work brings quantum sensing to the megabar frontier and enables the closed loop optimization of superhydride materials synthesis.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Boundary Strong Zero Modes

Strong zero modes are edge-localized degrees of freedom capable of storing information at infinite temperature, even in systems with no disorder. To date, their stability has only been systematically explored at the physical edge of a system. Here, we extend the notion of strong zero modes to the boundary between two systems, and present a unifying framework for the stability of these boundary strong zero modes. Unlike zero-temperature topological edge modes, which are guaranteed to exist at the interface between a trivial and topological phase, the robustness of boundary strong zero modes is significantly more subtle. This subtlety is perhaps best illustrated by the following dichotomy: we find that the interface between a trivial and ordered phase does not guarantee the existence of a strong zero mode, while the interface between two ordered phases can, in certain cases, lead to an exact strong zero mode.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Exploiting disorder to probe spin and energy hydrodynamics

An outstanding challenge in large-scale quantum platforms is to simultaneously achieve strong interactions, giving rise to the most interesting behaviors, and local addressing -that can probe them. In the context of correlated phases, local addressing enables one to directly probe the nature of the system's order. Meanwhile, for out-ofequilibrium dynamics, such addressing allows the study of quantum information spreading and operator growth. Here, we introduce a novel technique that enables the measurement of local correlation functions, down to single-site resolution, despite access to only global controls. Our approach leverages the intrinsic disorder present in a solid-state spin ensemble to dephase the nonlocal components of the correlation function. Utilizing this toolset, we measure both the spin and energy transport in nuclear spin chains. By tuning the interaction Hamiltonian via Floquet engineering, we investigate the cross-over between ballistic and diffusive hydrodynamics. Interestingly, when the system is both interacting and (nearly-)integrable, we observe the coexistence of diffusive spin transport with ballistic energy transport.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Colloquium: Quantum and Classical Discrete Time Crystals

The spontaneous breaking of time translation symmetry has led to the discovery of a new phase of matter - the discrete time crystal. Discrete time crystals exhibit rigid subharmonic oscillations, which result from a combination of many-body interactions, collective synchronization, and ergodicity breaking. This Colloquium reviews recent theoretical and experimental advances in the study of quantum and classical discrete time crystals. We focus on the breaking of ergodicity as the key to discrete time crystals and the delaying of ergodicity as the source of numerous phenomena that share many of the properties of discrete time crystals, including the AC Josephson effect, coupled map lattices, and Faraday waves. Theoretically, there exists a diverse array of strategies to stabilize time crystalline order in both closed and open systems, ranging from localization and prethermalization to dissipation and error correction. Experimentally, many-body quantum simulators provide a natural platform for investigating signatures of time crystalline order; recent work utilizing trapped ions, solid-state spin systems, and superconducting qubits will be reviewed. Finally, this Colloquium concludes by describing outstanding challenges in the field and a vision for new directions on both the experimental and theoretical fronts.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Ergodicity breaking in rapidly rotating C60 fullerenes

Ergodicity, the central tenet of statistical mechanics, requires that an isolated system will explore all of its available phase space permitted by energetic and symmetry constraints. Mechanisms for violating ergodicity are of great interest for probing non-equilibrium matter and for protecting quantum coherence in complex systems. For decades, polyatomic molecules have served as an intriguing and challenging platform for probing ergodicity breaking in vibrational energy transport, particularly in the context of controlling chemical reactions. Here, we report the observation of rotational ergodicity breaking in an unprecedentedly large and symmetric molecule, 12C60. This is facilitated by the first ever observation of icosahedral ro-vibrational fine structure in any physical system, first predicted for 12C60 in 1986. The ergodicity breaking exhibits several surprising features: first, there are multiple transitions between ergodic and non-ergodic regimes as the total angular momentum is increased, and second, they occur well below the traditional vibrational ergodicity threshold. These peculiar dynamics result from the molecules' unique combination of symmetry, size, and rigidity, highlighting the potential of fullerenes to uncover emergent phenomena in mesoscopic quantum systems.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2023

Continuous Symmetry Breaking in a Two-dimensional Rydberg Array

Spontaneous symmetry breaking underlies much of our classification of phases of matter and their associated transitions. The nature of the underlying symmetry being broken determines many of the qualitative properties of the phase; this is illustrated by the case of discrete versus continuous symmetry breaking. Indeed, in contrast to the discrete case, the breaking of a continuous symmetry leads to the emergence of gapless Goldstone modes controlling, for instance, the thermodynamic stability of the ordered phase. Here, we realize a two-dimensional dipolar XY model -- which exhibits a continuous spin-rotational symmetry -- utilizing a programmable Rydberg quantum simulator. We demonstrate the adiabatic preparation of correlated low-temperature states of both the XY ferromagnet and the XY antiferromagnet. In the ferromagnetic case, we characterize the presence of long-range XY order, a feature prohibited in the absence of long-range dipolar interaction. Our exploration of the many-body physics of XY interactions complements recent works utilizing the Rydberg-blockade mechanism to realize Ising-type interactions exhibiting discrete spin rotation symmetry.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2023

Comment on "Traversable wormhole dynamics on a quantum processor"

A recent article [Nature 612, 51-55 (2022)] claims to observe traversable wormhole dynamics in an experiment. This claim is based upon performing a teleportation protocol using a Hamiltonian that consists of seven Majorana fermions with five fully-commuting terms. The Hamiltonian is generated via a machine-learning procedure designed to replicate the teleportation behavior of the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model. The authors claim that the learned Hamiltonian reproduces gravitational dynamics of the SYK model and demonstrates gravitational teleportation through an emergent wormhole. We find: (i) in contrast to these claims, the learned Hamiltonian does not exhibit thermalization; (ii) the teleportation signal only resembles the SYK model for operators that were used in the machine-learning training; (iii) the observed perfect size winding is in fact a generic feature of small-size, fully-commuting models, and does not appear to persist in larger-size fully-commuting models or in non-commuting models at equivalent system sizes

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Two-dimensional spin systems in PECVD-grown diamond with tunable density and long coherence for enhanced quantum sensing and simulation

Systems of spins engineered with tunable density and reduced dimensionality enable a number of advancements in quantum sensing and simulation. Defects in diamond, such as nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers and substitutional nitrogen (P1 centers), are particularly promising solid-state platforms to explore. However, the ability to controllably create coherent, two-dimensional spin systems and characterize their properties, such as density, depth confinement, and coherence is an outstanding materials challenge. We present a refined approach to engineer dense ($\gtrsim$1 ppm$\cdot$nm), 2D nitrogen and NV layers in diamond using delta-doping during plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) epitaxial growth. We employ both traditional materials techniques, e.g. secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), alongside NV spin decoherence-based measurements to characterize the density and dimensionality of the P1 and NV layers. We find P1 densities of 5-10 ppm$\cdot$nm, NV densities between 1 and 3.5 ppm$\cdot$nm tuned via electron irradiation dosage, and depth confinement of the spin layer down to 1.6 nm. We also observe high (up to 0.74) ratios of P1 to NV centers and reproducibly long NV coherence times, dominated by dipolar interactions with the engineered P1 and NV spin baths.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Probing many-body dynamics in a two dimensional dipolar spin ensemble

The most direct approach for characterizing the quantum dynamics of a strongly-interacting system is to measure the time-evolution of its full many-body state. Despite the conceptual simplicity of this approach, it quickly becomes intractable as the system size grows. An alternate framework is to think of the many-body dynamics as generating noise, which can be measured by the decoherence of a probe qubit. Our work centers on the following question: What can the decoherence dynamics of such a probe tell us about the many-body system? In particular, we utilize optically addressable probe spins to experimentally characterize both static and dynamical properties of strongly-interacting magnetic dipoles. Our experimental platform consists of two types of spin defects in diamond: nitrogen-vacancy (NV) color centers (probe spins) and substitutional nitrogen impurities (many-body system). We demonstrate that signatures of the many-body system's dimensionality, dynamics, and disorder are naturally encoded in the functional form of the NV's decoherence profile. Leveraging these insights, we directly characterize the two-dimensional nature of a nitrogen delta-doped diamond sample. In addition, we explore two distinct facets of the many-body dynamics: First, we address a persistent debate about the microscopic nature of spin dynamics in strongly-interacting dipolar systems. Second, we demonstrate direct control over the correlation time of the many-body system. Finally, we demonstrate polarization exchange between NV and P1 centers, opening the door to quantum sensing and simulation using two-dimensional spin-polarized ensembles.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Photo-induced Superconductivity = Discrete Time Crystal?

We propose that periodic driving can stabilize a new type of order, "period-doubled superconductivity", in which a superconducting order parameter oscillates at half the frequency of the drive. Despite having a zero time-averaged order parameter, the ordered state exhibits perfect conductivity and a Meissner effect. Our theory predicts that this phase may be realized as the steady state of materials shown to exhibit photo-induced superconductivity. We propose to detect the period-doubled oscillation of the order parameter by utilizing a Josephson junction between a photo-induced superconductor and a conventional superconductor. Our theory can also be realized via parametric driving of cold bosonic atoms in an optical lattice.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Operator Growth in Open Quantum Systems

The spreading of quantum information in closed systems, often termed scrambling, is a hallmark of many-body quantum dynamics. In open systems, scrambling competes with noise, errors and decoherence. Here, we provide a universal framework that describes the scrambling of quantum information in open systems: we predict that the effect of open-system dynamics is fundamentally controlled by operator size distributions and independent of the microscopic error mechanism. This framework allows us to demonstrate that open quantum systems exhibit universal classes of information dynamics that fundamentally differ from their unitary counterparts. Implications for Loschmidt echo experiments and the classical simulability of open quantum dynamics will be discussed.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Classically-Verifiable Quantum Advantage from a Computational Bell Test

We propose and analyze a novel interactive protocol for demonstrating quantum computational advantage, which is efficiently classically verifiable. Our protocol relies upon the cryptographic hardness of trapdoor claw-free functions (TCFs). Through a surprising connection to Bell's inequality, our protocol avoids the need for an adaptive hardcore bit, with essentially no increase in the quantum circuit complexity and no extra cryptographic assumptions. Crucially, this expands the set of compatible TCFs, and we propose two new constructions: one based upon the decisional Diffie-Hellman problem and the other based upon Rabin's function, $x^2 \bmod N$. We also describe two independent innovations which improve the efficiency of our protocol's implementation: (i) a scheme to discard so-called "garbage bits", thereby removing the need for reversibility in the quantum circuits, and (ii) a natural way of performing post-selection which significantly reduces the fidelity needed to demonstrate quantum advantage. These two constructions may also be of independent interest, as they may be applicable to other TCF-based quantum cryptography such as certifiable random number generation. Finally, we design several efficient circuits for $x^2 \bmod N$ and describe a blueprint for their implementation on a Rydberg-atom-based quantum computer.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Many-body quantum teleportation via operator spreading in the traversable wormhole protocol

By leveraging shared entanglement between a pair of qubits, one can teleport a quantum state from one particle to another. Recent advances have uncovered an intrinsically many-body generalization of quantum teleportation, with an elegant and surprising connection to gravity. In particular, the teleportation of quantum information relies on many-body dynamics, which originate from strongly-interacting systems that are holographically dual to gravity; from the gravitational perspective, such quantum teleportation can be understood as the transmission of information through a traversable wormhole. Here, we propose and analyze a new mechanism for many-body quantum teleportation -- dubbed peaked-size teleportation. Intriguingly, peaked-size teleportation utilizes precisely the same type of quantum circuit as traversable wormhole teleportation, yet has a completely distinct microscopic origin: it relies upon the spreading of local operators under generic thermalizing dynamics and not gravitational physics. We demonstrate the ubiquity of peaked-size teleportation, both analytically and numerically, across a diverse landscape of physical systems, including random unitary circuits, the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model (at high temperatures), one-dimensional spin chains and a bulk theory of gravity with stringy corrections. Our results pave the way towards using many-body quantum teleportation as a powerful experimental tool for: (i) characterizing the size distributions of operators in strongly-correlated systems and (ii) distinguishing between generic and intrinsically gravitational scrambling dynamics. To this end, we provide a detailed experimental blueprint for realizing many-body quantum teleportation in both trapped ions and Rydberg atom arrays; effects of decoherence and experimental imperfections are analyzed.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Enriching the quantum toolbox of ultracold molecules with Rydberg atoms

We describe a quantum information architecture consisting of a hybrid array of optically-trapped molecules and atoms. This design leverages the large transition dipole moments of Rydberg atoms to mediate fast, high-fidelity gates between qubits encoded in coherent molecular degrees of freedom. Error channels of detuning, decay, pulse area noise, and leakage to other molecular states are discussed. The molecule-Rydberg interaction can also be used to enable nondestructive molecule detection and rotational state readout. We consider a specific near-term implementation of this scheme using NaCs molecules and Cs Rydberg atoms, showing that it is possible to implement 300~ns gates with a potential fidelity of $> 99.9\%$.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2022

Interactive Protocols for Classically-Verifiable Quantum Advantage

Achieving quantum computational advantage requires solving a classically intractable problem on a quantum device. Natural proposals rely upon the intrinsic hardness of classically simulating quantum mechanics; however, verifying the output is itself classically intractable. On the other hand, certain quantum algorithms (e.g. prime factorization via Shor's algorithm) are efficiently verifiable, but require more resources than what is available on near-term devices. One way to bridge the gap between verifiability and implementation is to use "interactions" between a prover and a verifier. By leveraging cryptographic functions, such protocols enable the classical verifier to enforce consistency in a quantum prover's responses across multiple rounds of interaction. In this work, we demonstrate the first implementation of an interactive quantum advantage protocol, using an ion trap quantum computer. We execute two complementary protocols -- one based upon the learning with errors problem and another where the cryptographic construction implements a computational Bell test. To perform multiple rounds of interaction, we implement mid-circuit measurements on a subset of trapped ion qubits, with subsequent coherent evolution. For both protocols, the performance exceeds the asymptotic bound for classical behavior; maintaining this fidelity at scale would conclusively demonstrate verifiable quantum advantage.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Universal Kardar-Parisi-Zhang dynamics in integrable quantum systems

Although the Bethe ansatz solution of the spin-1/2 Heisenberg model dates back nearly a century, the anomalous nature of its high-temperature transport dynamics has only recently been uncovered. Indeed, numerical and experimental observations have demonstrated that spin transport in this paradigmatic model falls into the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) universality class. This has inspired the significantly stronger conjecture that KPZ dynamics, in fact, occur in all integrable spin chains with non-Abelian symmetry. Here, we provide extensive numerical evidence affirming this conjecture. Moreover, we observe that KPZ transport is even more generic, arising in both supersymmetric and periodically-driven models. Motivated by recent advances in the realization of SU(N)-symmetric spin models in alkaline-earth-based optical lattice experiments, we propose and analyze a protocol to directly investigate the KPZ scaling function in such systems.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

SWAP gate between a Majorana qubit and a parity-protected superconducting qubit

High fidelity quantum information processing requires a combination of fast gates and long-lived quantum memories. In this work, we propose a hybrid architecture, where a parity-protected superconducting qubit is directly coupled to a Majorana qubit, which plays the role of a quantum memory. The superconducting qubit is based upon a $π$-periodic Josephson junction realized with gate-tunable semiconducting wires, where the tunneling of individual Cooper pairs is suppressed. One of the wires additionally contains four Majorana zero modes that define a qubit. We demonstrate that this enables the implementation of a SWAP gate, allowing for the transduction of quantum information between the topological and conventional qubit. This architecture combines fast gates, which can be realized with the superconducting qubit, with a topologically protected Majorana memory.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Characterizing two-dimensional superconductivity via nanoscale noise magnetometry with single-spin qubits

We propose nanoscale magnetometry via isolated single-spin qubits as a probe of superconductivity in two-dimensional materials. We characterize the magnetic field noise at the qubit location, arising from current and spin fluctuations in the sample and leading to measurable polarization decay of the qubit. We show that the noise due to transverse current fluctuations studied as a function of temperature and sample-probe distance can be used to extract useful information about the transition to a superconducting phase and the pairing symmetry of the superconductor. Surprisingly, at low temperatures, the dominant contribution to the magnetic noise arises from longitudinal current fluctuations and can be used to probe collective modes such as monolayer plasmons and bilayer Josephson plasmons. We also characterize the noise due to spin fluctuations, which allows probing the spin structure of the pairing wave function. Our results provide a non-invasive route to probe the rich physics of two-dimensional superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗