arXiv subjects

Soonwon Choi

Publications and source records attributed to Soonwon Choi.

87 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2018

Imaging the local charge environment of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond

Characterizing the local internal environment surrounding solid-state spin defects is crucial to harnessing them as nanoscale sensors of external fields. This is especially germane to the case of defect ensembles which can exhibit a complex interplay between interactions, internal fields and lattice strain. Working with the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond, we demonstrate that local electric fields dominate the magnetic resonance behavior of NV ensembles at low magnetic field. We introduce a simple microscopic model that quantitatively captures the observed spectra for samples with NV concentrations spanning over two orders of magnitude. Motivated by this understanding, we propose and implement a novel method for the nanoscale localization of individual charges within the diamond lattice; our approach relies upon the fact that the charge induces an NV dark state which depends on the electric field orientation.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Quantum Optimization for Maximum Independent Set Using Rydberg Atom Arrays

We describe and analyze an architecture for quantum optimization to solve maximum independent set (MIS) problems using neutral atom arrays trapped in optical tweezers. Optimizing independent sets is one of the paradigmatic, NP-hard problems in computer science. Our approach is based on coherent manipulation of atom arrays via the excitation into Rydberg atomic states. Specifically, we show that solutions of MIS problems can be efficiently encoded in the ground state of interacting atoms in 2D arrays by utilizing the Rydberg blockade mechanism. By studying the performance of leading classical algorithms, we identify parameter regimes, where computationally hard instances can be tested using near-term experimental systems. Practical implementations of both quantum annealing and variational quantum optimization algorithms beyond the adiabatic principle are discussed.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Numerical study of the chiral $\mathbb{Z}_3$ quantum phase transition in one spatial dimension

Recent experiments on a one-dimensional chain of trapped alkali atoms [arXiv:1707.04344] have observed a quantum transition associated with the onset of period-3 ordering of pumped Rydberg states. This spontaneous $\mathbb{Z}_3$ symmetry breaking is described by a constrained model of hard-core bosons proposed by Fendley $et\, \,al.$ [arXiv:cond-mat/0309438]. By symmetry arguments, the transition is expected to be in the universality class of the $\mathbb{Z}_3$ chiral clock model with parameters preserving both time-reversal and spatial-inversion symmetries. We study the nature of the order-disorder transition in these models, and numerically calculate its critical exponents with exact diagonalization and density-matrix renormalization group techniques. We use finite-size scaling to determine the dynamical critical exponent $z$ and the correlation length exponent $ν$. Our analysis presents the only known instance of a strongly-coupled transition between gapped states with $z \ne 1$, implying an underlying nonconformal critical field theory.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Probing quantum thermalization of a disordered dipolar spin ensemble with discrete time-crystalline order

We investigate thermalization dynamics of a driven dipolar many-body quantum system through the stability of discrete time crystalline order. Using periodic driving of electronic spin impurities in diamond, we realize different types of interactions between spins and demonstrate experimentally that the interplay of disorder, driving and interactions leads to several qualitatively distinct regimes of thermalization. For short driving periods, the observed dynamics are well described by an effective Hamiltonian which sensitively depends on interaction details. For long driving periods, the system becomes susceptible to energy exchange with the driving field and eventually enters a universal thermalizing regime, where the dynamics can be described by interaction-induced dephasing of individual spins. Our analysis reveals important differences between thermalization of long-range Ising and other dipolar spin models.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Probing entanglement in a many-body-localized system

An interacting quantum system that is subject to disorder may cease to thermalize due to localization of its constituents, thereby marking the breakdown of thermodynamics. The key to our understanding of this phenomenon lies in the system's entanglement, which is experimentally challenging to measure. We realize such a many-body-localized system in a disordered Bose-Hubbard chain and characterize its entanglement properties through particle fluctuations and correlations. We observe that the particles become localized, suppressing transport and preventing the thermalization of subsystems. Notably, we measure the development of non-local correlations, whose evolution is consistent with a logarithmic growth of entanglement entropy - the hallmark of many-body localization. Our work experimentally establishes many-body localization as a qualitatively distinct phenomenon from localization in non-interacting, disordered systems.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2017

Quantum metrology based on strongly correlated matter

We propose and analyze a new method for quantum metrology based on stable non-equilibrium states of quantum matter. Our approach utilizes quantum correlations stabilized by strong interactions and periodic driving. As an example, we present an explicit protocol to perform Floquet enhanced measurements of an oscillating magnetic field in Ising-interacting spin systems. Our protocol allows one to circumvent the interaction-induced decoherence associated with high density spin ensembles and is robust to the presence of noise and imperfections. Applications to nanoscale magnetic sensing and precision measurements are discussed.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Probing many-body dynamics on a 51-atom quantum simulator

Controllable, coherent many-body systems can provide insights into the fundamental properties of quantum matter, enable the realization of new quantum phases and could ultimately lead to computational systems that outperform existing computers based on classical approaches. Here we demonstrate a method for creating controlled many-body quantum matter that combines deterministically prepared, reconfigurable arrays of individually trapped cold atoms with strong, coherent interactions enabled by excitation to Rydberg states. We realize a programmable Ising-type quantum spin model with tunable interactions and system sizes of up to 51 qubits. Within this model, we observe phase transitions into spatially ordered states that break various discrete symmetries, verify the high-fidelity preparation of these states and investigate the dynamics across the phase transition in large arrays of atoms. In particular, we observe robust manybody dynamics corresponding to persistent oscillations of the order after a rapid quantum quench that results from a sudden transition across the phase boundary. Our method provides a way of exploring many-body phenomena on a programmable quantum simulator and could enable realizations of new quantum algorithms.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Critical thermalization of a disordered dipolar spin system in diamond

Statistical mechanics underlies our understanding of macroscopic quantum systems. It is based on the assumption that out-of-equilibrium systems rapidly approach their equilibrium states, forgetting any information about their microscopic initial conditions. This fundamental paradigm is challenged by disordered systems, in which a slowdown or even absence of thermalization is expected. We report the observation of critical thermalization in a three dimensional ensemble of $\sim 10^6$ electronic spins coupled via dipolar interactions. By controlling the spin states of nitrogen vacancy color centers in diamond, we observe slow, sub-exponential relaxation dynamics and identify a regime of power-law decay with disorder-dependent exponents; this behavior is modified at late times owing to many-body interactions. These observations are quantitatively explained by a resonance counting theory that incorporates the effects of both disorder and interactions.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Critical Time Crystals in Dipolar Systems

We analyze the quantum dynamics of periodically driven, disordered systems in the presence of long-range interactions. Focusing on the stability of discrete time crystalline (DTC) order in such systems, we use a perturbative procedure to evaluate its lifetime. For 3D systems with dipolar interactions, we show that the corresponding decay is parametrically slow, implying that robust, long-lived DTC order can be obtained. We further predict a sharp crossover from the stable DTC regime into a regime where DTC order is lost, reminiscent of a phase transition. These results are in good agreement with the recent experiments utilizing a dense, dipolar spin ensemble in diamond [Nature 543, 221-225 (2017)]. They demonstrate the existence of a novel, critical DTC regime that is stabilized not by many-body localization but rather by slow, critical dynamics. Our analysis shows that the DTC response can be used as a sensitive probe of nonequilibrium quantum matter.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2017

Dynamical engineering of interactions in qudit ensembles

We propose and analyze a method to engineer effective interactions in an ensemble of d-level systems (qudits) driven by global control fields. In particular, we present (i) a necessary and sufficient condition under which a given interaction can be turned off (decoupled), (ii) the existence of a universal sequence that decouples any (cancellable) interaction, and (iii) an efficient algorithm to engineer a target Hamiltonian from an initial Hamiltonian (if possible). As examples, we provide a 6-pulse sequence that decouples effective spin-1 dipolar interactions and demonstrate that a spin- 1 Ising chain can be engineered to study transitions among three distinct symmetry protected topological phases.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Dynamically induced many-body localization

We show that a quantum phase transition from ergodic to many-body localized (MBL) phases can be induced via periodic pulsed manipulation of spin systems. Such a transition is enabled by the interplay between weak disorder and slow heating rates. Specifically, we demonstrate that the Hamiltonian of a weakly disordered ergodic spin system can be effectively engineered, by using sufficiently fast coherent controls, to yield a stable MBL phase, which in turn completely suppresses the energy absorption from external control field. Our results imply that a broad class of existing many-body systems can be used to probe non-equilibrium phases of matter for a long time, limited only by coupling to external environment.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2017

Photonic tensor networks produced by a single quantum emitter

We propose and analyze a protocol to generate two dimensional tensor network states using a single quantum system that sequentially interacts with a 1D string of qubits. This is accomplished by using parts of the string itself as a quantum queue memory. As a physical implementation, we consider a single atom or atom like system coupled to a 1D waveguide with a distant mirror, where guided photons represent the qubits while the mirror allows the implementation of the queue memory. We identify the class of many-body quantum states that can be produced using this approach. These include universal resources for measurement based quantum computation and states associated with topologically ordered phases. We discuss an explicit protocol to deterministically create a 2D cluster state in a quantum nanophotonic experiment, that allows for a realization of a quantum computer using a single atom coupled to light.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

Observation of discrete time-crystalline order in a disordered dipolar many-body system

Understanding quantum dynamics away from equilibrium is an outstanding challenge in the modern physical sciences. It is well known that out-of-equilibrium systems can display a rich array of phenomena, ranging from self-organized synchronization to dynamical phase transitions. More recently, advances in the controlled manipulation of isolated many-body systems have enabled detailed studies of non-equilibrium phases in strongly interacting quantum matter. As a particularly striking example, the interplay of periodic driving, disorder, and strong interactions has recently been predicted to result in exotic "time-crystalline" phases, which spontaneously break the discrete time-translation symmetry of the underlying drive. Here, we report the experimental observation of such discrete time-crystalline order in a driven, disordered ensemble of $\sim 10^6$ dipolar spin impurities in diamond at room-temperature. We observe long-lived temporal correlations at integer multiples of the fundamental driving period, experimentally identify the phase boundary and find that the temporal order is protected by strong interactions; this order is remarkably stable against perturbations, even in the presence of slow thermalization. Our work opens the door to exploring dynamical phases of matter and controlling interacting, disordered many-body systems.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

Depolarization dynamics in a strongly interacting solid-state spin ensemble

We study the depolarization dynamics of a dense ensemble of dipolar interacting spins, associated with nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond. We observe anomalously fast, density-dependent, and non-exponential spin relaxation. To explain these observations, we propose a microscopic model where an interplay of long-range interactions, disorder, and dissipation leads to predictions that are in quantitative agreement with both current and prior experimental results. Our results pave the way for controlled many-body experiments with long-lived and strongly interacting ensembles of solid-state spins.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2015

Quantum Control of Many-body Localized States

We propose and analyze a new approach to the coherent control and manipulation of quantum degrees of freedom in disordered, interacting systems in the many-body localized phase. Our approach leverages a number of unique features of many-body localization: a lack of thermalization, a locally gapped spectrum, and slow dephasing. Using the technique of quantum phase estimation, we demonstrate a protocol that enables the local preparation of a many-body system into an effective eigenstate. This leads to the ability to encode information and control interactions without full microscopic knowledge of the underlying Hamiltonian. Finally, we analyze the effects of weak coupling to an external bath and provide an estimate for the fidelity of our protocol.

quant-ph↗