arXiv subjects

Paul Erker

Publications and source records attributed to Paul Erker.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

Efficient generation of high-dimensional entanglement through multi-path downconversion

High-dimensional entanglement promises to greatly enhance the performance of quantum communication and enable quantum advantages unreachable by qubit entanglement. One of the great challenges, however, is the reliable production, distribution and local certification of high-dimensional sources of entanglement. In this article, we present an optical setup capable of producing quantum states with an exceptionally high-level of scalability, control and quality, that, together with novel certification techniques, achieve the highest amount of entanglement recorded so far. We showcase entanglement in $32$-spatial dimensions with record fidelity to the maximally entangled state ($F=0.933\pm0.001$) and introduce measurement efficient schemes to certify entanglement of formation ($E_{oF}=3.728\pm0.006$). Combined with the existing multi-core fibre technology, our results will lay a solid foundation for the construction of high-dimensional quantum networks.

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arXiv2019

Thermodynamically optimal creation of correlations

Correlations lie at the heart of almost all scientific predictions. It is therefore of interest to ask whether there exist general limitations to the amount of correlations that can be created at a finite amount of invested energy. Within quantum thermodynamics such limitations can be derived from first principles. In particular, it can be shown that establishing correlations between initially uncorrelated systems in a thermal background has an energetic cost. This cost, which depends on the system dimension and the details of the energy-level structure, can be bounded from below but whether these bounds are achievable is an open question. Here, we put forward a framework for studying the process of optimally correlating identical (thermal) quantum systems. The framework is based on decompositions into subspaces that each support only states with diagonal (classical) marginals. Using methods from stochastic majorisation theory, we show that the creation of correlations at minimal energy cost is possible for all pairs of three- and four-dimensional quantum systems. For higher dimensions we provide sufficient conditions for the existence of such optimally correlating operations, which we conjecture to exist in all dimensions.

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arXiv2019

Measurements in two bases are sufficient for certifying high-dimensional entanglement

High-dimensional encoding of quantum information provides a promising method of transcending current limitations in quantum communication. One of the central challenges in the pursuit of such an approach is the certification of high-dimensional entanglement. In particular, it is desirable to do so without resorting to inefficient full state tomography. Here, we show how carefully constructed measurements in two bases (one of which is not orthonormal) can be used to faithfully and efficiently certify bipartite high-dimensional states and their entanglement for any physical platform. To showcase the practicality of this approach under realistic conditions, we put it to the test for photons entangled in their orbital angular momentum. In our experimental setup, we are able to verify 9-dimensional entanglement for a pair of photons on a 11-dimensional subspace each, at present the highest amount certified without any assumptions on the state.

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arXiv2017

Autonomous quantum clocks: does thermodynamics limit our ability to measure time?

Time remains one of the least well understood concepts in physics, most notably in quantum mechanics. A central goal is to find the fundamental limits of measuring time. One of the main obstacles is the fact that time is not an observable and thus has to be measured indirectly. Here we explore these questions by introducing a model of time measurements that is complete and autonomous. Specifically, our autonomous quantum clock consists of a system out of thermal equilibrium --- a prerequisite for any system to function as a clock --- powered by minimal resources, namely two thermal baths at different temperatures. Through a detailed analysis of this specific clock model, we find that the laws of thermodynamics dictate a trade-off between the amount of dissipated heat and the clock's performance in terms of its accuracy and resolution. Our results furthermore imply that a fundamental entropy production is associated with the operation of any autonomous quantum clock, assuming that quantum machines cannot achieve perfect efficiency at finite power. More generally, autonomous clocks provide a natural framework for the exploration of fundamental questions about time in quantum theory and beyond.

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arXiv2017

Quantifying high dimensional entanglement with two mutually unbiased bases

We derive a framework for quantifying entanglement in multipartite and high dimensional systems using only correlations in two unbiased bases. We furthermore develop such bounds in cases where the second basis is not characterized beyond being unbiased, thus enabling entanglement quantification with minimal assumptions. Furthermore, we show that it is feasible to experimentally implement our method with readily available equipment and even conservative estimates of physical parameters.

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arXiv2016

Heisenberg-Weyl Observables: Bloch vectors in phase space

We introduce a Hermitian generalization of Pauli matrices to higher dimensions which is based on Heisenberg-Weyl operators. The complete set of Heisenberg-Weyl observables allows us to identify a real-valued Bloch vector for an arbitrary density operator in discrete phase space, with a smooth transition to infinite dimensions. Furthermore, we derive bounds on the sum of expectation values of any set of anti-commuting observables. Such bounds can be used in entanglement detection and we show that Heisenberg-Weyl observables provide a first non-trivial example beyond the dichotomic case.

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arXiv2015

How not to Rényi generalize the Quantum Conditional Mutual Information

We study the relation between the quantum conditional mutual information and the quantum $α$-Rényi divergences. Considering the totally antisymmetric state we show that it is not possible to attain a proper generalization of the quantum conditional mutual information by optimizing the distance in terms of quantum $α$-Rényi divergences over the set of all Markov states. The failure of the approach considered arises from the observation that a small quantum conditional mutual information does not imply that the state is close to a quantum Markov state.

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arXiv2011

Experimentally feasible set of criteria detecting genuine multipartite entanglement in n-qubit Dicke states and in higher dimensional systems

We construct a set of criteria detecting genuine multipartite entanglement in arbitrary dimensional multipartite systems. These criteria are optimally suited for detecting multipartite entanglement in n-qubit Dicke states with m-excitations. In a detailed analysis we show that the criteria are also more robust to noise than any other criterion known so far, especially with increasing system size. Furthermore it is shown that the number of required local observables scales only polynomially with size, thus making the criteria experimentally feasible.

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