arXiv subjects

Wen Wei Ho

Publications and source records attributed to Wen Wei Ho.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2025

Deep thermalization under charge-conserving quantum dynamics

"Deep thermalization" describes the emergence of universal wavefunction distributions in quantum many-body dynamics, appearing on a local subsystem upon measurement of its environment. In this work, we study in detail the effect of continuous internal symmetries and associated conservation laws on deep thermalization. Concretely, we consider quantum spin systems with a $U(1)$ symmetry associated with the conservation of magnetization (or `charge'), and analyze how the choice of initial states (specifically, their degree of charge fluctuations) and the choice of measurement basis (specifically, whether or not it can reveal information about the local charge density) determine the ensuing universal wavefunction distributions. We put forth a universal ansatz for the limiting form of the projected ensemble, motivated by maximum-entropy principles rooted in statistical physics and quantum information theory. This limiting form depends on a polynomial amount of data on the initial state and measurement basis, a `coarse-graining' that is an essential feature of bona fide thermodynamic ensembles. We support our ansatz with three complementary approaches: (i) a rigorous proof in the simplest case of no charge fluctuations in either the initial state or the measurement basis; (ii) analytical calculations using a `replica limit' approach, applicable when charge fluctuations are allowed in either the input state or the measurement basis but not both; (iii) extensive numerical simulations of finite-sized systems in the most general case. Our findings demonstrate a rich interplay between symmetries and the information extracted by measurements, which allows deep thermalization to exhibit a range of universal behaviors far beyond regular thermalization.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Deep thermalization in Gaussian continuous-variable quantum systems

We uncover emergent universality arising in the equilibration dynamics of multimode continuous-variable systems. Specifically, we study the ensemble of pure states supported on a small subsystem of a few modes, generated by Gaussian measurements on the remaining modes of a globally pure bosonic Gaussian state. We find that beginning from highly entangled, complex global states, such as random Gaussian states and product squeezed states coupled via a deep array of linear optical elements, the induced ensemble attains a universal form, independent of the choice of measurement basis: it is composed of unsqueezed coherent states whose displacements are distributed normally and isotropically, with variance depending on only the particle-number density of the system. We further show that the emergence of such a universal form is consistent with a generalized maximum entropy principle, which endows the limiting ensemble, which we call the "Gaussian Scrooge distribution", with a special quantum information-theoretic property of having minimal accessible information. Our results represent a conceptual generalization of the recently introduced notion of "deep thermalization" in discrete-variable quantum many-body systems -- a novel form of equilibration going beyond thermalization of local observables -- to the realm of continuous-variable quantum systems. Moreover, it demonstrates how quantum information-theoretic perspectives can unveil new physical phenomena and principles in quantum dynamics and statistical mechanics.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Hilbert-Space Ergodicity in Driven Quantum Systems: Obstructions and Designs

Despite its long history, a canonical formulation of quantum ergodicity that applies to general classes of quantum dynamics, including driven systems, has not been fully established. Here we introduce and study a notion of quantum ergodicity for closed systems with time-dependent Hamiltonians, defined as statistical randomness exhibited in their longtime dynamics. Concretely, we consider the temporal ensemble of quantum states (time-evolution operators) generated by the evolution, and investigate the conditions necessary for them to be statistically indistinguishable from uniformly random states (operators) in the Hilbert space (space of unitaries). We find that the number of driving frequencies underlying the Hamiltonian needs to be sufficiently large for this to occur. Conversely, we show that statistical pseudo-randomness -- indistinguishability up to some large but finite moment, can already be achieved by a quantum system driven with a single frequency, i.e., a Floquet system, as long as the driving period is sufficiently long. Our work relates the complexity of a time-dependent Hamiltonian and that of the resulting quantum dynamics, and offers a fresh perspective to the established topics of quantum ergodicity and chaos from the lens of quantum information.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Nonlocality of Deep Thermalization

We study the role of global system topology in governing deep thermalization, the relaxation of a local subsystem towards a maximally-entropic, uniform distribution of post-measurement states, upon observing the complementary subsystem in a local basis. Concretely, we focus on a class of (1+1)d systems exhibiting 'maximally-chaotic' dynamics, and consider how the rate of the formation of such a universal wavefunction distribution depends on boundary conditions of the system. We find that deep thermalization is achieved exponentially quickly in the presence of either periodic or open boundary conditions; however, the rate at which this occurs is twice as fast for the former than for the latter. These results are attained analytically using the calculus of integration over unitary groups, and supported by extensive numerical simulations. Our findings highlight the nonlocal nature of deep thermalization, and clearly illustrates that the physics underlying this phenomenon goes beyond that of standard quantum thermalization, which only depends on the net build-up of entanglement between a subsystem and its complement.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Universal measurement-based quantum computation in a one-dimensional architecture enabled by dual-unitary circuits

A powerful tool emerging from the study of many-body quantum dynamics is that of dual-unitary circuits, which are unitary even when read `sideways', i.e., along the spatial direction. Here, we show that this provides the ideal framework to understand and expand on the notion of measurement-based quantum computation (MBQC). In particular, applying a dual-unitary circuit to a many-body state followed by appropriate measurements effectively implements quantum computation in the spatial direction. We show how the dual-unitary dynamics generated by the dynamics of the paradigmatic one-dimensional kicked Ising chain with certain parameter choices generate resource states for universal deterministic MBQC. Specifically, after $k$ time-steps, equivalent to a depth-$k$ quantum circuit, we obtain a resource state for universal MBQC on $\sim 3k/4$ encoded qubits. Our protocol allows generic quantum circuits to be `rotated' in space-time and gives new ways to exchange between resources like qubit number and coherence time in quantum computers. Beyond the practical advantages, we also interpret the dual-unitary evolution as generating an infinite sequence of new symmetry-protected topological phases with spatially modulated symmetries, which gives a vast generalization of the well-studied one-dimensional cluster state and shows that our protocol is robust to symmetry-respecting deformations.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Complete Hilbert-Space Ergodicity in Quantum Dynamics of Generalized Fibonacci Drives

Ergodicity of quantum dynamics is often defined through statistical properties of energy eigenstates, as exemplified by Berry's conjecture in single-particle quantum chaos and the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis in many-body settings. In this work, we investigate whether quantum systems can exhibit a stronger form of ergodicity, wherein any time-evolved state uniformly visits the entire Hilbert space over time. We call such a phenomenon complete Hilbert-space ergodicity (CHSE), which is more akin to the intuitive notion of ergodicity as an inherently dynamical concept. CHSE cannot hold for time-independent or even time-periodic Hamiltonian dynamics, owing to the existence of (quasi)energy eigenstates which precludes exploration of the full Hilbert space. However, we find that there exists a family of aperiodic, yet deterministic drives with minimal symbolic complexity -- generated by the Fibonacci word and its generalizations -- for which CHSE can be proven to occur. Our results provide a basis for understanding thermalization in general time-dependent quantum systems.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Measuring Arbitrary Physical Properties in Analog Quantum Simulation

A central challenge in analog quantum simulation is to characterize desirable physical properties of quantum states produced in experiments. However, in conventional approaches, the extraction of arbitrary information requires performing measurements in many different bases, which necessitates a high level of control that present-day quantum devices may not have. Here, we propose and analyze a scalable protocol that leverages the ergodic nature of generic quantum dynamics, enabling the efficient extraction of many physical properties. The protocol does not require sophisticated controls and can be generically implemented in analog quantum simulation platforms today. Our protocol involves introducing ancillary degrees of freedom in a predetermined state to a system of interest, quenching the joint system under Hamiltonian dynamics native to the particular experimental platform, and then measuring globally in a single, fixed basis. We show that arbitrary information of the original quantum state is contained within such measurement data, and can be extracted using a classical data-processing procedure. We numerically demonstrate our approach with a number of examples, including the measurements of entanglement entropy, many-body Chern number, and various superconducting orders in systems of neutral atom arrays, bosonic and fermionic particles on optical lattices, respectively, only assuming existing technological capabilities. Our protocol excitingly promises to overcome limited controllability and, thus, enhance the versatility and utility of near-term quantum technologies.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Dynamical purification and the emergence of quantum state designs from the projected ensemble

Quantum thermalization in a many-body system is defined by the approach of local subsystems towards a universal form, describable as an ensemble of quantum states wherein observables acquire thermal expectation values. Recently, it was demonstrated that the distribution of these quantum states can also exhibit universal statistics, upon associating each state with the outcome of a local projective measurement of the complementary subsystem. Specifically, this collection of pure quantum states -- called the projected ensemble -- can under certain conditions mimic the behavior of a maximally entropic, uniformly random ensemble, i.e., form a {\it quantum state-design}, representing a ``deeper'' form of quantum thermalization. In this work, we investigate the dynamical process underlying this novel emergent universality. Leveraging a space-time duality mapping for one-dimensional quantum circuits, we argue that the physics of dynamical purification, which arises in the context of monitored quantum systems, constrains the the projected ensemble's approach towards the uniform distribution. We prove that absence of dynamical purification in the space-time dual dynamics (a condition realized in dual-unitary quantum circuits with appropriate initial states and final measurement bases) generically yields exact state-designs for all moments $k$ at the same time, extending previous rigorous results [Ho and Choi, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 128}, 060601 (2022)]. Conversely, we show that, departing from these conditions, dynamical purification can lead to a separation of timescales between the formation of a quantum state-design for moment $k=1$ (regular thermalization) and for high moments $k\gg 1$ (deep thermalization). Our results suggest that the projected ensemble can probe nuanced features of quantum dynamics inaccessible to regular thermalization, such as quantum information scrambling.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Solvable model of deep thermalization with distinct design times

We study the emergence over time of a universal, uniform distribution of quantum states supported on a finite subsystem, induced by projectively measuring the rest of the system. Dubbed deep thermalization, this phenomenon represents a form of equilibration in quantum many-body systems stronger than regular thermalization, which only constrains the ensemble-averaged values of observables. While there exist quantum circuit models of dynamics in one dimension where this phenomenon can be shown to arise exactly, these are special in that deep thermalization occurs at precisely the same time as regular thermalization. Here, we present an exactly-solvable model of chaotic dynamics where the two processes can be shown to occur over different time scales. The model is composed of a finite subsystem coupled to an infinite random-matrix bath through a small constriction, and highlights the role of locality and imperfect thermalization in constraining the formation of such universal wavefunction distributions. We test our analytical predictions against exact numerical simulations, finding excellent agreement.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Quantum and classical Floquet prethermalization

Time-periodic (Floquet) driving is a powerful way to control the dynamics of complex systems, which can be used to induce a plethora of new physical phenomena. However, when applied to many-body systems, Floquet driving can also cause heating, and lead to a featureless infinite-temperature state, hindering most useful applications. It is therefore important to find mechanisms to suppress such effects. Floquet prethermalization refers to the phenomenon where many-body systems subject to a high-frequency periodic drive avoid heating for very long times, instead tending to transient states that can host interesting physics. Its key signature is a strong parametric suppression of the heating rate as a function of the driving frequency. Here, we review our present understanding of this phenomenon in both quantum and classical systems, and across various models and methods. In particular, we present rigorous theorems underpinning Floquet prethermalization in quantum spin and fermionic lattice systems, extensions to systems with degrees of freedom that have unbounded local dimension. Further, we briefly describe applications to novel nonequilibrium phases of matter, and recent experiments probing prethermalization with quantum simulators. We close by describing the frontiers of Floquet prethermalization beyond strictly time-periodic drives, including time-quasiperiodic driving and long-lived quasi-conserved quantities enabled by large separation of energy scales.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2022

Landau-Forbidden Quantum Criticality in Rydberg Quantum Simulators

The Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson theory of phase transitions precludes a continuous transition between two phases that spontaneously break distinct symmetries. However, quantum mechanical effects can intertwine the symmetries, giving rise to an exotic phenomenon called deconfined quantum criticality (DQC). In this work, we study the ground state phase diagram of a one-dimensional array of individually trapped neutral atoms interacting strongly via Rydberg states, and demonstrate through extensive numerical simulations that it hosts a variety of symmetry-breaking phases and their transitions including DQC. We show how an enlarged, emergent continuous symmetry arises at the DQCs, which can be experimentally observed in the joint distribution of two distinct order parameters, obtained within measurement snapshots in the standard computational basis. Our findings highlight quantum simulators of Rydberg atoms not only as promising platforms to experimentally realize such exotic phenomena, but also as unique ones allowing access to physical properties not obtainable in traditional experiments.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Exact emergent quantum state designs from quantum chaotic dynamics

We present exact results on a novel kind of emergent random matrix universality that quantum many-body systems at infinite temperature can exhibit. Specifically, we consider an ensemble of pure states supported on a small subsystem, generated from projective measurements of the remainder of the system in a local basis. We rigorously show that the ensemble, derived for a class of quantum chaotic systems undergoing quench dynamics, approaches a universal form completely independent of system details: it becomes uniformly distributed in Hilbert space. This goes beyond the standard paradigm of quantum thermalization, which dictates that the subsystem relaxes to an ensemble of quantum states that reproduces the expectation values of local observables in a thermal mixed state. Our results imply more generally that the distribution of quantum states themselves becomes indistinguishable from those of uniformly random ones, i.e. the ensemble forms a quantum state-design in the parlance of quantum information theory. Our work establishes bridges between quantum many-body physics, quantum information and random matrix theory, by showing that pseudo-random states can arise from isolated quantum dynamics, opening up new ways to design applications for quantum state tomography and benchmarking.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2021

Catching Bethe phantoms and quantum many-body scars: Long-lived spin-helix states in Heisenberg magnets

Exact solutions for quantum many-body systems are rare and provide valuable insight to universal phenomena. Here we show experimentally in anisotropic Heisenberg chains that special helical spin patterns can have very long lifetimes. This finding confirms the recent prediction of phantom Bethe states, exact many-body eigenstates carrying finite momenta yet no energy. We theoretically find analogous stable spin helices in higher dimensions and in other non-integrable systems, where they imply non-thermalizing dynamics associated with quantum many-body scars. We use phantom spin helices to directly measure the interaction anisotropy which has a major contribution from short-range off-site interactions that have not been observed before. Phantom helix states open new opportunities for quantum simulations of spin physics and studies of many-body dynamics.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2021

Attraction from frustration in ladder systems

We analyze the formation of multi-particle bound states in ladders with frustrated kinetic energy in two component bosonic and two component fermionic systems. We focus on the regime of light doping relative to insulating states at half-filling, spin polarization close to 100 percent, and strong repulsive interactions. A special feature of these systems is that the binding energy scales with single particle tunneling $t$ rather than exchange interactions, since effective attraction arises from alleviating kinetic frustration. For two component Fermi systems on a zigzag ladder we find a bound state between a hole and a flipped spin (magnon) with a binding energy that can be as large as $0.6t$. We demonstrate that magnon-hole attraction leads to formation of clusters comprised of several holes and magnons and expound on antiferromagentic correlations for the transverse spin components inside the clusters. We identify several many-body states that result from self-organization of multi-particle bound states, including a Luttinger liquid of hole-magnon pairs and a density wave state of two hole - three magnon composites. We establish a symmetry between the spectra of Bose and Fermi systems and use it to establish the existence of antibound states in two component Bose mixtures with SU(2) symmetric repulsion on a zigzag ladder. We also consider Bose and Fermi systems on a square ladder with flux and demonstrate that both systems support bound states. We discuss experimental signatures of multi-particle bound states in both equilibrium and dynamical experiments. We point out intriguing connections between these systems and the quark bag model in QCD.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2021

Transverse spin dynamics in the anisotropic Heisenberg model realized with ultracold atoms

In Heisenberg models with exchange anisotropy, transverse spin components are not conserved and can decay not only by transport, but also by dephasing. Here we utilize ultracold atoms to simulate the dynamics of 1D Heisenberg spin chains, and observe fast, local spin decay controlled by the anisotropy. Additionally, we directly observe an effective magnetic field created by superexchange which causes an inhomogeneous decay mechanism due to variations of lattice depth between chains, as well as dephasing within each chain due to the twofold reduction of the effective magnetic field at the edges of the chains and due to fluctuations of the effective magnetic field in the presence of mobile holes. The latter is a new coupling mechanism between holes and magnons. All these dephasing mechanisms, corroborated by extensive numerical simulations, have not been observed before with ultracold atoms and illustrate basic properties of the underlying Hubbard model.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2021

Discrete time-crystalline order enabled by quantum many-body scars: entanglement steering via periodic driving

The control of many-body quantum dynamics in complex systems is a key challenge in the quest to reliably produce and manipulate large-scale quantum entangled states. Recently, quench experiments in Rydberg atom arrays (Bluvstein et. al., arXiv:2012.12276) demonstrated that coherent revivals associated with quantum many-body scars can be stabilized by periodic driving, generating stable subharmonic responses over a wide parameter regime. We analyze a simple, related model where these phenomena originate from spatiotemporal ordering in an effective Floquet unitary, corresponding to discrete time-crystalline (DTC) behavior in a prethermal regime. Unlike conventional DTC, the subharmonic response exists only for Neel-like initial states, associated with quantum scars. We predict robustness to perturbations and identify emergent timescales that could be observed in future experiments. Our results suggest a route to controlling entanglement in interacting quantum systems by combining periodic driving with many-body scars.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2020

Quantum Phases of Matter on a 256-Atom Programmable Quantum Simulator

Motivated by far-reaching applications ranging from quantum simulations of complex processes in physics and chemistry to quantum information processing, a broad effort is currently underway to build large-scale programmable quantum systems. Such systems provide unique insights into strongly correlated quantum matter, while at the same time enabling new methods for computation and metrology. Here, we demonstrate a programmable quantum simulator based on deterministically prepared two-dimensional arrays of neutral atoms, featuring strong interactions controlled via coherent atomic excitation into Rydberg states. Using this approach, we realize a quantum spin model with tunable interactions for system sizes ranging from 64 to 256 qubits. We benchmark the system by creating and characterizing high-fidelity antiferromagnetically ordered states, and demonstrate the universal properties of an Ising quantum phase transition in (2+1) dimensions. We then create and study several new quantum phases that arise from the interplay between interactions and coherent laser excitation, experimentally map the phase diagram, and investigate the role of quantum fluctuations. Offering a new lens into the study of complex quantum matter, these observations pave the way for investigations of exotic quantum phases, non-equilibrium entanglement dynamics, and hardware-efficient realization of quantum algorithms.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2020

Controlling many-body dynamics with driven quantum scars in Rydberg atom arrays

Controlling non-equilibrium quantum dynamics in many-body systems is an outstanding challenge as interactions typically lead to thermalization and a chaotic spreading throughout Hilbert space. We experimentally investigate non-equilibrium dynamics following rapid quenches in a many-body system composed of 3 to 200 strongly interacting qubits in one and two spatial dimensions. Using a programmable quantum simulator based on Rydberg atom arrays, we probe coherent revivals corresponding to quantum many-body scars. Remarkably, we discover that scar revivals can be stabilized by periodic driving, which generates a robust subharmonic response akin to discrete time-crystalline order. We map Hilbert space dynamics, geometry dependence, phase diagrams, and system-size dependence of this emergent phenomenon, demonstrating novel ways to steer entanglement dynamics in many-body systems and enabling potential applications in quantum information science.

quant-ph↗