arXiv subjects

Urbasi Sinha

Publications and source records attributed to Urbasi Sinha.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Interference in Quantum Mechanics

Physicist and Nobel Laureate Richard P. Feynman once remarked ``We choose to examine a phenomenon which is impossible, absolutely impossible, to explain in any classical way, and which has in it the heart of quantum mechanics. In reality, it contains the only mystery. We cannot make the mystery go away by ``explaining'' how it works. We will just tell you how it works. In telling you how it works, we will have told you about the basic peculiarities of all quantum mechanics'' [Feynman RP, Leighton RB, Sands M (1963 and 1965)]. The phenomenon of interference is ubiquitous in the quantum world and indeed holds within itself the explanation for many counterintuitive quantum phenomena. In this review, we choose to focus on a few ramifications and manifestations of quantum interference that have deep implications for the foundations of quantum mechanics. These include single-photon or second-order interference, two-photon or fourth-order interference and higher-order interference.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Temporal steering of entanglement decay with single-shot control

Entanglement in open quantum systems can vanish abruptly through entanglement sudden death (ESD) under dissipative evolution, posing a challenge for quantum technologies. Here, we show that the timing of a single local unitary operation can deterministically steer the trajectory of entanglement decay. This introduces temporal steering of dissipative quantum dynamics as a control resource. We develop a time-dependent open-system framework in which a time-shift operator generates a family of effective conditional maps parametrized by $x \in [0,1]$, connecting independent and correlated amplitude damping. Within this framework, we derive analytic conditions for ESD and show that a single intermediate local $\sigma_x$ operation can avoid, delay, or hasten ESD by redirecting the dissipative trajectory rather than modifying the environment. We further prove that this single-shot protocol is optimal within a broad class of local control strategies. Experimentally, a displaced-Sagnac interferometer realizes the correlated-damping-like regime and, for the first time in one photonic platform, demonstrates avoidance, delay, and hastening of the separability transition. Our results establish temporal steering of open-system dynamics as a practical paradigm for decoherence control, and demonstrate operational advantages in use cases such as teleportation, illustrating that in dissipative quantum systems knowing \textit{when} to act can be as important as knowing \textit{what} operation to perform.

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arXiv2025

Certified Random Number Generation using Quantum Computers

In recent decades, quantum technologies have made significant strides toward achieving quantum utility. However, practical applications are hindered by challenges related to scaling the number of qubits and the depth of circuits. In this paper, we investigate how current quantum computers can be leveraged for practical applications, particularly in generating secure random numbers certified by Quantum Mechanics. While random numbers can be generated and certified in a device-independent manner through the violation of Bell's inequality, this method requires significant spatial separation to satisfy the no-signaling condition, making it impractical for implementation on a single quantum computer. Instead, we employ temporal correlations to generate randomness by violating the Leggett-Garg inequality, which relies on the No-Signaling in Time condition to certify randomness, thus overcoming spatial constraints. By applying this protocol to existing quantum computers, we demonstrate the feasibility of secure, semi-device-independent random number generation using low-depth circuits with single-qubit gates.

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arXiv2024

Measuring a Quantum Measure Exceeding Unity

The history based formalism known as Quantum Measure Theory (QMT) generalizes the concept of probability-measure so as to incorporate quantum interference. The resulting \textit{quantum measure} $\mu$ is defined for arbitrary events (sets of histories), not just for observables at a fixed moment of time. Thanks to interference effects, $\mu$ can exceed unity, exhibiting its non-classical nature in a particularly striking manner. Here, in an optical experiment, we illustrate an ancilla based filtering scheme that gives operational meaning to the quantum measure. For a specific photonic event $E$, we report a measured value of $\mu(E)=1.172$, which within errors agrees with the theoretical value of $5/4$, while exceeding the maximum value permissible for a classical probability (namely $1$) by about $13$ $\sigma$-equivalent (percentile-based) units. The directly observed quantity is an ordinary detector probability $p_D\le 1$ (or, with laser light, an equivalent power ratio); the value $\mu(E)>1$ is inferred via the calibrated relation $\mu(E)=2p_D$ for our filter. If an unconventional theoretical concept is to play a role in meeting the foundational challenges of quantum theory, it seems important to bring it into contact with experiment as much as possible. Our experiment does this for the quantum measure.

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arXiv2024

Single system based generation of certified randomness using Leggett-Garg inequality

We theoretically formulate and experimentally demonstrate a secure scheme for semi-device-independent quantum random number generation by utilizing Leggett-Garg inequality violations, within a loophole-free photonic architecture. The quantification of the generated randomness is rigorously estimated by analytical as well as numerical approaches, both of which are in perfect agreement. We securely generate $9,19,118$ truly unpredictable bits. This opens up an unexplored avenue towards an empirically convenient class of reliable random number generators harnessing the quantumness of single systems.

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arXiv2024

Estimating the link budget of satellite-based Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) for uplink transmission through the atmosphere

Satellite-based quantum communications including quantum key distribution (QKD) represent one of the most promising approaches toward global-scale quantum communications. To determine the viability of transmitting quantum signals through the atmosphere, it is essential to conduct atmospheric simulations for both uplink and downlink quantum communications. In the case of the uplink scenario, the initial phase of the beam's propagation involves interaction with the atmosphere, making simulation particularly critical. To analyze the atmosphere over the Indian subcontinent, we begin by validating our approach by utilizing atmospheric data obtained from the experiments carried out in the Canary Islands within the framework of Quantum Communication (QC). We also verify our simulation methodology by reproducing simulation outcomes from diverse Canadian locations, taking into account both uplink and downlink scenarios in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). In this manuscript, we explore the practicality of utilizing three different ground station locations in India for uplink-based QC, while also considering beacon signals for both uplink and downlink scenarios. The atmospheric conditions of various geographical regions in India are simulated, and a dedicated link budget analysis is performed for each location, specifically focusing on three renowned observatories: IAO Hanle, Aries Nainital, and Mount Abu. The analysis involves computing the overall losses of the signal and beacon beams. The findings indicate that the IAO Hanle site is a more suitable choice for uplink-based QC when compared to the other two sites.

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arXiv2023

Daytime and Nighttime QKD over an atmospheric free space channel with passive polarisation bases compensation

Quantum Communication (QC) represents a promising futuristic technology, revolutionizing secure communication. Photon-based Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is the most widely explored area in QC research, utilizing the polarisation degree of freedom of photons for both fibre and free-space communication. In this work, we investigate and mitigate the challenges posed by fibre birefringence and atmospheric effects on QKD, using a $50$-meter free-space optical link and entanglement-based BBM92 QKD protocol. We implement a passive polarisation correction scheme to address the critical issue of polarisation scrambling induced by fibre birefringence and the difference in the frame of reference between Alice and Bob. This scheme effectively mitigates these adverse effects, ensuring reliable polarisation control over the quantum channel. Furthermore, we conduct QKD experiments in both day and night conditions, encountering challenges such as high background noise levels and dynamic environmental changes. To overcome these issues, we employ various filtering techniques to enhance signal quality and security. Our results demonstrate the successful implementation of QKD over a free-space optical link by producing information-theoretic secure QBER of $<11\%$ on an average and high keyrate, even under varying lighting and weather conditions. Over one 24 hour cycle of data acquisition, we measured an average daylight keyrate and QBER of ($3.9118\pm0.7339 KHz$ and $10.5518\pm1.3428\%$) respectively and night time keyrate and QBER of ($4.6118\pm0.8088 KHz$ and $10.3545\pm1.2501\%$) respectively.

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arXiv2023

Statistical Correlators and Tripartite Entanglement

It has recently been argued that among the various suggested measures of tripartite entanglement, the two particular measures, viz. the Concurrence Fill and the Genuine Multipartite Concurrence are the only 'genuine' tripartite entanglement measures based on certain suitably specified criteria. In this context, we show that these two genuine tripartite entanglement measures can be empirically determined for the two important classes of tripartite entangled states, viz. the generalized GHZ and the generalized W states using the derived relationships of these two measures with the observable statistical correlators like the Pearson correlator and mutual information. Such a formulated scheme would therefore provide for the first time the means to exactly quantify tripartite entanglement, crucial for the proper assessment of its efficacy as resource. We also point out two specific applications of this scheme, viz. a) Enabling empirical demonstration of the potentially significant feature of inequivalence between Concurrence Fill and Genuine Multipartite Concurrence in quantitatively assessing which of the two given tripartite states is more entangled than the other one. b) Enabling experimental detection of the recently predicted phenomenon of entanglement sudden death for a tripartite system.

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arXiv2023

Massive Spatial Qubits for Testing Macroscopic Nonclassicality and Casimir Induced Entanglement

An open challenge in physics is to expand the frontiers of the validity of quantum mechanics by evidencing nonclassicality of the centre of mass state of a macroscopic object. Yet another equally important task is to evidence the essential nonclassicality of the interactions which act between macroscopic objects. Here we introduce a new tool to meet these challenges: massive spatial qubits. In particular, we show that if two distinct localized states of a mass are used as the $|0\rangle$ and $|1\rangle$ states of a qubit, then we can measure this encoded spatial qubit with a high fidelity in the $σ_x, σ_y$ and $σ_z$ bases simply by measuring its position after different durations of free evolution. We show how this technique can be used to reveal an irreducible nonclassicality through a Bell-inequality violation arising from the entanglement of the centre of mass of a nano-crystal with its spin in a Stern-Gerlach setup. Secondly, we show how our methodology, in conjuction with the Casimir interaction, offers a powerful method to create and certify non-Gaussian entanglement between two neutral nano-objects. Fundamentally, the generation of such an entanglement provides an empirical means for demonstrating an inherent quantumness of the Casimir interaction.

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arXiv2023

Revealing Incommensurability between Device-Independent Randomness, Nonlocality, and Entanglement using Hardy and Hardy-type Relations

A comprehensive treatment of the quantification of randomness certified device-independently by using the Hardy and Cabello-Liang-Li (CLL) nonlocality relations is provided in the two parties - two measurements per party - two outcomes per measurement (2-2-2) scenario. For the Hardy nonlocality, it is revealed that for a given amount of nonlocality signified by a particular non-zero value of the Hardy parameter, the amount of Hardy-certifiable randomness is not unique, unlike the way the amount of certifiable randomness is related to the CHSH nonlocality. This is because any specified non-maximal value of Hardy nonlocality parameter characterises a set of quantum extremal distributions. Then this leads to a range of certifiable amounts of randomness corresponding to a given Hardy parameter. On the other hand, for a given amount of CLL-nonlocality, the certifiable randomness is unique, similar to that for the CHSH nonlocality. Furthermore, the tightness of our analytical treatment evaluating the respective guaranteed bounds for the Hardy and CLL relations is demonstrated by their exact agreement with the Semi-Definite-Programming based computed bounds. Interestingly, the analytically evaluated maximum achievable bounds of both Hardy and CLL-certified randomness have been found to be realisable for non-maximal values of the Hardy and CLL nonlocality parameters. In particular, we have shown that even close to the maximum 2 bits of CLL-certified randomness can be realised from non-maximally entangled pure two-qubit states corresponding to small values of the CLL nonlocal parameter. This, therefore, clearly illustrates the quantitative incommensurability between randomness, nonlocality and entanglement.

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arXiv2023

Generation of intraparticle quantum correlations in amplitude damping channel and its robustness

Quantum correlations between two or more different degrees of freedom of the same particle is sometimes referred to as intraparticle entanglement. In this work, we study these intra-particle correlations between two different degrees of freedom under various decoherence channels viz. amplitude damping, depolarising and phase damping channels. We observe a unique feature of the amplitude damping channel, wherein entanglement is shown to arise starting from separable states. In case of non maximally entangled input states, in addition to entanglement sudden death, the creation of entanglement is also observed, having an asymptotic decay over a long time. These counter-intuitive behaviours arise due to the subtle interplay of channel and input state parameters, and are not seen for interparticle entanglement without consideration of non-Markovian noise. It is also not observed for maximally entangled input states. Furthermore, investigation of entanglement evolution in phase damping and depolarizing channels shows its robustness against decoherence as compared to interparticle entanglement.

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arXiv2022

Spatial Qubit Entanglement Witness for Quantum Natured Gravity

Evidencing the quantum nature of gravity through the entanglement of two masses has recently been proposed. Proposals using qubits to witness this entanglement can afford to bring two masses close enough so that the complete 1/r interaction is at play (as opposed to its second-order Taylor expansion), and micron-sized masses separated by 10-100 microns (with or without electromagnetic screening) suffice to provide a 0.01-1 Hz rate of growth of entanglement. Yet the only viable method proposed for obtaining qubit witnesses so far has been to employ spins embedded in the masses, whose correlations are used to witness the entanglement developed between masses during interferometry. This comes with the dual challenge of incorporating spin coherence-preserving methodologies into the protocol, as well as a demanding precision of control fields for the accurate completion of spin-aided (Stern-Gerlach) interferometry. Here we show that if superpositions of distinct spatially localized states of each mass can be created, whatever the means, simple position correlation measurements alone can yield a spatial qubit witness of entanglement between the masses. We find that a significant squeezing at a specific stage of the protocol is the principal new requirement (in addition to the need to maintain spatial quantum coherence) for its viability

gr-qc↗

arXiv2022

Polarization correction towards satellite-based QKD without an active feedback

Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a cryptographic protocol to enable two parties to share a secure key string, which can be used in one-time pad cryptosystem. There has been an ongoing surge of interest in implementing long-haul photonic-implementation of QKD protocols. However, the endeavour is challenging in many aspects. In particular, one of the major challenges is the polarization degree of freedom of single-photons getting affected while transmission through optical fibres, or atmospheric turbulence. Conventionally, an active feedback-based mechanism is employed to achieve real-time polarization tracking. In this work, we propose an alternative approach where we first perform a state tomography to reconstruct the output density matrix. We then evaluate the optimal measurement bases at Bob's end that leads to the maximum (anti-)correlation in the measurement outcomes of both parties. As a proof-of-principle demonstration, we implement an in-lab BBM92 protocol -- a particular variant of a QKD protocol using quantum entanglement as a resource -- to exemplify the performance of our technique. We experimentally generate polarization-entangled photon pairs having $94\%$ fidelity with $\ketψ_1 = 1/\sqrt{2}\,(\ket{HV}+\ket{VH})$ state and a concurrence of $0.92$. By considering a representative 1 ns coincidence window span, we are able to achieve a quantum-bit-error-rate (QBER) of $\approx 5\%$, and a key rate of $\approx 35$ Kbps. The protocol performance is independent of local polarization rotations through optical fibres. We also develop an algorithmic approach to optimize the trade-off between the key rate and QBER. Our approach obviates the need for active polarization tracking. Our method is also applicable to entanglement-based QKD demonstrations using partially mixed as well as non-maximally entangled states, and extends to single-photon implementations over fibre channels.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Error-analysis for the Sorkin and Peres tests performed on a quantum computer

We use quantum computers to test the foundations of quantum mechanics through quantum algorithms that implement some of the experimental tests as the basis of the theory's postulates. These algorithms can be used as a test of the physical theory under the premise of a perfect hardware or as a test of the hardware under the premise that quantum theory is correct. In this paper, we show how the algorithms can be used to test the efficacy of a quantum computer in obeying the postulates of quantum mechanics. We study the effect of different types of errors on the results of experimental tests of the postulates. A salient feature of this error analysis is that it is deeply rooted in the fundamentals of quantum mechanics as it highlights how systematic errors affect the quantumness of the quantum computer.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Entanglement protection in higher-dimensional systems

The inevitable dissipative interaction of an entangled quantum system with its environment causes degradation in quantum correlations present in the system. This can lead to a finite-time disappearance of entanglement, which is known as entanglement sudden death (ESD). Here, we consider an initially entangled qubit-qutrit system and a dissipative noise which leads to ESD, and propose a set of local unitary operations, which when applied on the qubit, qutrit, or both subsystems during the decoherence process, cause ESD to be hastened, delayed, or avoided altogether, depending on its time of application. The physical implementation of these local unitaries is discussed in the context of an atomic system. The simulation results of such ESD manipulations are presented for two different classes of initially entangled qubit-qutrit systems. A prescription for generalization of this scheme to a qutrit-qutrit system is given. This technique for entanglement protection in the noisy environment is compared with other related techniques such as weak measurement reversal and dynamic decoupling.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Unambiguous joint detection of spatially separated properties of a single photon in the two arms of an interferometer

The quantum superposition principle implies that a particle entering an interferometer evolves by simultaneously taking both arms. If a non-destructive, minimally-disturbing interaction coupling a particle property to a pointer is implemented on each arm while maintaining the path superposition, quantum theory predicts that, for a fixed state measured at the output port, certain particle properties can be associated with only one or the other path. Here we report realization of this prediction through joint observation of the spatial and polarization degrees of freedom of a single photon in the two arms of an interferometer. Significant pointer shifts ($\sim$50 microns) are observed in each arm. This observation, involving coupling distinct properties of a quantum system in spatially separated regions, opens new possibilities for quantum information protocols and for tests of quantumness for mesoscopic systems.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Relating an entanglement measure with statistical correlators for two-qudit mixed states using only a pair of complementary observables

We focus on characterizing entanglement of high dimensional bipartite states using various statistical correlators for two-qudit mixed states. The salient results obtained are as follows: (a) A scheme for determining the entanglement measure given by Negativity is explored by analytically relating it to the widely used statistical correlators viz. mutual predictability, mutual information and Pearson Correlation coefficient for different types of bipartite arbitrary dimensional mixed states. Importantly, this is demonstrated using only a pair of complementary observables pertaining to the mutually unbiased bases. (b) The relations thus derived provide the separability bounds for detecting entanglement obtained for a fixed choice of the complementary observables, while the bounds per se are state-dependent. Such bounds are compared with the earlier suggested separability bounds. (c) We also show how these statistical correlators can enable distinguishing between the separable, distillable and bound entanglement domains of the one-parameter Horodecki two-qutrit states. Further, the relations linking Negativity with the statistical correlators have been derived for such Horodecki states in the domain of distillable entanglement. Thus, this entanglement characterisation scheme based on statistical correlators and harnessing complementarity of the obsevables opens up a potentially rich direction of study which is applicable for both distillable and bound entangled states.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Direct determination of entanglement monotones for arbitrary dimensional bipartite states using statistical correlators and one set of complementary measurements

Higher dimensional quantum systems (qudits) present a potentially more efficient means, compared to qubits, for implementing various information theoretic tasks. One of the ubiquitous resources in such explorations is entanglement. Entanglement Monotones (EMs) are of key importance, particularly for assessing the efficacy of a given entangled state as a resource for information theoretic tasks. Till date, investigations towards determination of EMs have focused on providing their tighter lower bounds. There is yet no general scheme available for direct determination of the EMs. Consequently, an empirical determination of any EM has not yet been achieved for entangled qudit states. The present paper fills this gap, both theoretically as well as experimentally. First, we derive analytical relations between statistical correlation measures i.e. Mutual Predictability (MP), Mutual Information (MI) and Pearson Correlation Coefficient (PCC) and standard EMs i.e. Negativity (N) and Entanglement of Formation (EOF) in arbitrary dimensions. As a proof of concept, we then experimentally measure MP, MI and PCC of two-qutrit pure states and determine their N and EOF using these derived relations. This is a useful addition to the experimenter's toolkit wherein by using a limited number of measurements (in this case 1 set of measurements), one can directly measure the EMs in a bipartite arbitrary dimensional system. We obtain the value of N for our bipartite qutrit to be 0.907 $\pm$ 0.013 and the EOF to be 1.323 $\pm$ 0.022. Since the present scheme enables determination of more than one entanglement monotone by the same limited number of measurements, we argue that it can serve as a unique experimental platform for quantitatively comparing and contrasting the operational implications of entanglement monotones as well as showing their non-monotonicity for a given bipartire pure qudit state.

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