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Thierry Bastin

Publications and source records attributed to Thierry Bastin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Symmetric Resourceful Steady States via Non-Markovian Dissipation

We prove a no-go theorem for symmetry-based dissipative engineering of collective-spin steady states: in spin-only Lindblad dynamics with jump operators linear in the collective-spin operators, any unique steady state exhibiting at least $\mathbb{Z}_2 \times \mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetry is necessarily the maximally mixed state. We then show that bath memory lifts this obstruction, enabling unique entangled steady states with a prescribed symmetry and a metrological gain, and providing a steady-state witness of non-Markovianity. Notably, this framework is largely insensitive to the microscopic details of the bath.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2025

Bound entanglement in symmetric random induced states

Bound entanglement, a weak -- yet resourceful -- form of quantum entanglement, remains notoriously hard to detect and construct. We address this in this paper by leveraging symmetric random induced states, where positive partial transpose (PPT) bound entanglement arises naturally under partial tracing when proper parameters are selected. We investigate the probability of finding PPT bound entanglement in symmetric random induced states constructed via two methods: partial tracing of symmetric multiqubit pure states on the one hand (MI) and tracing out a qudit ancilla on the other hand (MII). For $N > 3$ qubits, we demonstrate that bound entanglement naturally emerges under optimal parameters, with a probability of occurrence very close to 1. We show that the two methods produce different varieties of PPT bound entangled states, and identify the contexts in which each method offers distinct advantages. These methods provide a versatile toolkit for the generation of large families of random PPT bound entangled states without complex numerical optimization.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2025

The role of non-Markovian dissipation in quantum phase transitions: tricriticality, spin squeezing, and directional symmetry breaking

Understanding how to control phase transitions in quantum systems is at the forefront of research for the development of new quantum materials and technologies. Here, we study how the coupling of a quantum system to a non-Markovian environment, i.e., an environment with a frequency-dependent spectral density inducing memory effects, can be used to generate and reshape phase transitions and squeezing in matter phases. Focusing on a Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model, we demonstrate that non-Markovian dissipation can be leveraged to engineer tricriticality via the fusion of $2^{\mathrm{nd}}$-order and $1^{\mathrm{st}}$-order critical points. We identify phases that arise from different ways of breaking the single weak symmetry of our model, which led us to introduce the concept of \textit{directional spontaneous symmetry breaking} (DSSB) as a general framework to understand this phenomenon. We show that signatures of DSSB can be seen in the emergence of spin squeezing along different directions, and that the latter is controllable via non-Markovian effects, opening up possibilities for applications in quantum metrology. Finally, we propose an experimental implementation of our non-Markovian model in cavity QED. Our work features non-Markovianity as a resource for controlling phase transitions in general systems, and highlights shortcomings of the Markovian limit in this context.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2025

Nonequivalence between absolute separability and positive partial transposition in the symmetric subspace

The equivalence between absolutely separable states and absolutely positive partial transposed (PPT) states in general remains an open problem in quantum entanglement theory. In this work, we study an analogous question for symmetric multiqubit states. We show that symmetric absolutely PPT (SAPPT) states (symmetric states that remain PPT after any symmetry-preserving unitary evolution) are not always symmetric absolutely separable by providing explicit counterexamples. More precisely, we construct a family of entangled five-qubit SAPPT states. Similar counterexamples for larger odd numbers of qubits are identified.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2024

Dissipative phase transition: from qubits to qudits

We investigate the fate of dissipative phase transitions in quantum many-body systems when the individual constituents are qudits ($d$-level systems) instead of qubits. As an example system, we employ a permutation-invariant $XY$ model of $N$ infinite-range interacting $d$-level spins undergoing individual and collective dissipation. In the mean-field limit, we identify a dissipative phase transition, whose critical point is independent of $d$ after a suitable rescaling of parameters. When the decay rates between all adjacent levels are identical and $d\geq 4$, the critical point expands, in terms of the ratio between dissipation and interaction strengths, to a critical region in which two phases coexist and which increases as $d$ grows. In addition, a larger $d$ leads to a more pronounced change in spin expectation values at the critical point. Numerical investigations for finite $N$ reveal symmetry breaking signatures in the Liouvillian spectrum at the phase transition. The phase transition is furthermore marked by maximum entanglement negativity and a significant purity change of the steady state, which become more pronounced as $d$ increases. Considering qudits instead of qubits thus opens new perspectives on accessing rich phase diagrams in open many-body systems.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2019

Entanglement robustness against particle loss in multiqubit systems

When some of the parties of a multipartite entangled pure state are lost, the question arises whether the residual mixed state is also entangled, in which case the initial entangled pure state is said to be robust against particle loss. In this paper, we investigate this entanglement robustness for $N$-qubit pure states. We identify exhaustively all entangled states that are fragile, i.e., not robust, with respect to the loss of any single qubit of the system. We also study the entanglement robustness properties of symmetric states and put these properties in the perspective of the classification of states with respect to stochastic local operations assisted with classic communication (SLOCC classification).

quant-ph↗
arXiv2018

The quantum separability problem is a simultaneous hollowisation matrix analysis problem

We use the generalized concurrence approach to investigate the general multipartite separability problem. By extending the preconcurrence matrix formalism to arbitrary multipartite systems, we show that the separability problem can be formulated equivalently as a pure matrix analysis problem that consists in determining whether a given set of symmetric matrices is simultaneously unitarily congruent to hollow matrices, i.e., to matrices whose main diagonal is only composed of zeroes.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2017

Quantum fidelity of symmetric multipartite states

For two symmetric quantum states one may be interested in maximizing the overlap under local operations applied to one of them. The question arises whether the maximal overlap can be obtained by applying the same local operation to each party. We show that for two symmetric multiqubit states and local unitary transformations this is the case; the maximal overlap can be reached by applying the same unitary matrix everywhere. For local invertible operations (stochastic local operations assisted by classical communication equivalence), however, we present counterexamples, demonstrating that considering the same operation everywhere is not enough.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2016

Scattering theory of walking droplets in the presence of obstacles

We aim to describe a droplet bouncing on a vibrating bath using a simple and highly versatile model inspired from quantum mechanics. Close to the Faraday instability, a long-lived surface wave is created at each bounce, which serves as a pilot wave for the droplet. This leads to so called walking droplets or walkers. Since the seminal experiment by {\it Couder et al} [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 97}, 154101 (2006)] there have been many attempts to accurately reproduce the experimental results. We propose to describe the trajectories of a walker using a Green function approach. The Green function is related to the Helmholtz equation with Neumann boundary conditions on the obstacle(s) and outgoing boundary conditions at infinity. For a single-slit geometry our model is exactly solvable and reproduces some general features observed experimentally. It stands for a promising candidate to account for the presence of arbitrary boundaries in the walker's dynamics.

physics.flu-dyn↗
arXiv2014

On the analogy of quantum wave-particle duality with bouncing droplets

We explore the hydrodynamic analogues of quantum wave-particle duality in the context of a bouncing droplet system which we model in such a way as to promote comparisons to the de Broglie-Bohm interpretation of quantum mechanics. Through numerical means we obtain single-slit diffraction and double-slit interference patterns that strongly resemble those reported in experiment and that reflect a striking resemblance to quantum diffraction and interference on a phenomenological level. We, however, identify evident differences from quantum mechanics which arise from the governing equations at the fundamental level.

physics.flu-dyn↗
arXiv2014

Multiqubit symmetric states with maximally mixed one-qubit reductions

We present a comprehensive study of maximally entangled symmetric states of arbitrary numbers of qubits in the sense of the maximal mixedness of the one-qubit reduced density operator. A general criterion is provided to easily identify whether given symmetric states are maximally entangled in that respect or not. We show that these maximally entangled symmetric (MES) states are the only symmetric states for which the expectation value of the associated collective spin of the system vanishes, as well as in corollary the dipole moment of the Husimi function. We establish the link between this kind of maximal entanglement, the anticoherence properties of spin states, and the degree of polarization of light fields. We analyze the relationship between the MES states and the classes of states equivalent through stochastic local operations with classical communication (SLOCC). We provide a nonexistence criterion of MES states within SLOCC classes of qubit states and show in particular that the symmetric Dicke state SLOCC classes never contain such MES states, with the only exception of the balanced Dicke state class for even numbers of qubits. The 4-qubit system is analyzed exhaustively and all MES states of this system are identified and characterized. Finally the entanglement content of MES states is analyzed with respect to the geometric and barycentric measures of entanglement, as well as to the generalized N-tangle. We show that the geometric entanglement of MES states is ensured to be larger than or equal to 1/2, but also that MES states are not in general the symmetric states that maximize the investigated entanglement measures.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2014

A Nonlinear Schrödinger Wave Equation With Linear Quantum Behavior

We show that a nonlinear Schrödinger wave equation can reproduce all the features of linear quantum mechanics. This nonlinear wave equation is obtained by exploring, in a uniform language, the transition from fully classical theory governed by a nonlinear classical wave equation to quantum theory. The classical wave equation includes a nonlinear classicality enforcing potential which when eliminated transforms the wave equation into the linear Schrödinger equation. We show that it is not necessary to completely cancel this nonlinearity to recover the linear behavior of quantum mechanics. Scaling the classicality enforcing potential is sufficient to have quantum-like features appear and is equivalent to scaling Planck's constant.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2012

Multipartite-entanglement monotones and polynomial invariants

We show that a positive homogeneous function that is invariant under determinant-1 stochastic local operations and classical communication (SLOCC) transformations defines an N-qubit entanglement monotone if and only if the homogeneous degree is not larger than four. In particular this implies that any power larger than one of the well-known N-tangle (N > 2) is not an entanglement monotone anymore. We then describe a common basis and formalism for the N-tangle and other known invariant polynomials of degree four. This allows us to elucidate the relation of the four-qubit invariants defined by Luque and Thibon [Phys. Rev. A67, 042303 (2003)] and the reduced two-qubit density matrices of the states under consideration. Finally we prove that an analogous statement holds for any multi-partite system with even number of qudits.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2010

Cold atom scattering by cavity fields in a two-dimensional geometry

The quantum theory of the cold atom scattering by cavity fields in a two-dimensional geometry is presented. A distinct regime from the usual Raman-Nath, Bragg and Stern-Gerlach regimes is investigated, considering the situation where the cavity light field acts as a repulsive and an attractive two-dimensional potential. General expressions for the scattering lengths (the two-dimensional analogues to the three-dimensional scattering cross-sections) of finding the atoms deexcited or not after their interaction with the cavity are derived. The connection with the classical Rabi limit when the incident atomic kinetic energy is high compared with the atom-field interaction energy is made. In the cold atom regime characterized by much lower incident atomic kinetic energies, the scattering process exhibits very peculiar properties in connection with quasibound states of the atomic motion induced by the attractive potential of the cavity light field.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2008

Detuning effects in the vertical cold-atom micromaser

The quantum theory of the cold atom micromaser including the effects of gravity is established in the general case where the cavity mode and the atomic transition frequencies are detuned. We show that atoms which classically would not reach the interaction region are able to emit a photon inside the cavity. The system turns out to be extremely sensitive to the detuning and in particular to its sign. A method to solve the equations of motion for non resonant atom-field interaction and arbitrary cavity modes is presented.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2005

Detuning effects on the mazer

A short review of the theoretical studies of the cold atom micromaser (mazer) is presented. Existing models are then improved by considering more general working conditions. Especially, the mazer physics is investigated in the situation where a detuning between the cavity mode and the atomic transition frequency is present. Interesting new effects are pointed out. Especially, it is shown that the cavity may slow down or speed up the atoms according to the sign of the detuning and that the induced emission process may be completely blocked by use of a positive detuning. The transmission probability of ultracold atoms through a micromaser is also studied and we generalize previous results established in the resonant case. In particular, it is shown that the velocity selection of cold atoms passing through the micromaser can be very easily tuned and enhanced using a nonresonant field inside the cavity. This manuscript is a summary of Martin's master thesis and articles [Phys. Rev. A 67, 053804 (2003)] and [Eur. Phys. J. D 29, 133 (2004)].

quant-ph↗
arXiv2005

Comment on 'Quantum inversion of cold atoms in a microcavity: spatial dependence'

In a recent work, Abdel-Aty and Obada [2002 J. Phys. B 35 807-813] analyzed the quantum inversion of cold atoms in a microcavity, the motion of the atoms being described quantum mechanically. Two-level atoms were assumed to interact with a single mode of the cavity, and the off-resonance case was considered (namely the atomic transition frequency is detuned from the single mode cavity frequency). We demonstrate in this paper that this case is incorrectly treated by these authors and we question therefore their conclusions.

quant-ph↗