arXiv subjects

Zheng-Hao Liu

Publications and source records attributed to Zheng-Hao Liu.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Testing a continuous-variable noncontextuality inequality with a hybrid-encoded system

Continuous-variable quantum systems are promising candidates for quantum computing and quantum information processing. It is widely known that quadrature measurements on Gaussian continuous-variable systems admit a noncontextual hidden-variable description. Here, we demonstrate that this description fails once the same Gaussian correlations are instead probed using Hadamard tests. We realize the test with a hybrid discrete--continuous-variable system---the polarization and spatial modes of a single photon deterministically generated from an InAs/GaAs quantum emitter, with the controlled operations being the phase-space displacements selected through the Gottesman--Kitaev--Preskill correspondence. By directly measuring the correlations of the operators, we observe a violation of the noncontextual hidden-variable inequality by 380 standard deviations and independently bound the residual noncommutativity of the implemented operations. Our results open up new possibilities for studying fundamental quantum physics using photonic-encoded continuous-variable systems.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Observation of quantum nonclassicality without freedom of choice in a minimal causal network

Quantum causal networks enable tests of nonclassicality beyond Bell nonlocality while relaxing some physically unwarranted assumptions. By relaxing the freedom-of-choice and spacelike-separation assumptions, the unrelated-confounders causal networks provide a simple and robust route to certify quantum nonclassicality. Here, we implement the minimal three-node unrelated-confounders network in an optical experiment using two independent polarization-entangled photon sources and an intervention at the central node, experimentally achieved with a high-fidelity entangling measurement. We employ a causal data-fusion protocol that combines observational and interventional data to significantly improve the protocol's noise tolerance, and observe a violation of the corresponding hybrid causal inequality by more than three standard deviations. Our results provide deeper insights into quantum nonlocality in networks and highlight the UC network as a compact, experimentally accessible platform for device-independent quantum protocols that do not require actively chosen measurement settings.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Improving semi-device-independent randomness certification by entropy accumulation

Certified randomness guaranteed to be unpredictable by adversaries is central to information security. The fundamental randomness inherent in quantum physics makes certification possible from devices that are only weakly characterised, i.e. requiring little trust in their implementation. It was recently shown that the amount of certifiable randomness can be greatly improved using the so-called Entropy Accumulation Theorem generalised to prepare-and-measure settings. Furthermore, this approach allows a finite-size analysis which avoids assuming that all rounds are independent and identically distributed. Here, we demonstrate this improvement in semi-device-independent randomness certification from untrusted measurements.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Quantum learning advantage on a scalable photonic platform

Recent advancements in quantum technologies have opened new horizons for exploring the physical world in ways once deemed impossible. Central to these breakthroughs is the concept of quantum advantage, where quantum systems outperform their classical counterparts in solving specific tasks. While much attention has been devoted to computational speedups, quantum advantage in learning physical systems remains a largely untapped frontier. Here, we present a photonic implementation of a quantum-enhanced protocol for learning the probability distribution of a multimode bosonic displacement process. By harnessing the unique properties of continuous-variable quantum entanglement, we obtain a massive advantage in sample complexity with respect to conventional methods without entangled resources. With approximately 5 dB of two-mode squeezing -- corresponding to imperfect Einstein--Podolsky--Rosen (EPR) entanglement -- we learn a 100-mode bosonic displacement process using 11.8 orders of magnitude fewer samples than a conventional scheme. Our results demonstrate that even with non-ideal, noisy entanglement, a significant quantum advantage can be realized in continuous-variable quantum systems. This marks an important step towards practical quantum-enhanced learning protocols with implications for quantum metrology, certification, and machine learning.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Exploring the boundary of quantum correlations with a time-domain optical processor

Contextuality is a hallmark feature of the quantum theory that captures its incompatibility with any noncontextual hidden-variable model. The Greenberger--Horne--Zeilinger (GHZ)-type paradoxes are proofs of contextuality that reveal this incompatibility with deterministic logical arguments. However, the GHZ-type paradox whose events can be included in the fewest contexts and which brings the strongest nonclassicality remains elusive. Here, we derive a GHZ-type paradox with a context-cover number of three and show this number saturates the lower bound posed by quantum theory. We demonstrate the paradox with a time-domain fiber optical platform and recover the quantum prediction in a 37-dimensional setup based on high-speed modulation, convolution, and homodyne detection of time-multiplexed pulsed coherent light. By proposing and studying a strong form of contextuality in high-dimensional Hilbert space, our results pave the way for the exploration of exotic quantum correlations with time-multiplexed optical systems.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Entanglement-enabled advantage for learning a bosonic random displacement channel

We show that quantum entanglement can provide an exponential advantage in learning properties of a bosonic continuous-variable (CV) system. The task we consider is estimating a probabilistic mixture of displacement operators acting on $n$ bosonic modes, called a random displacement channel. We prove that if the $n$ modes are not entangled with an ancillary quantum memory, then the channel must be sampled a number of times exponential in $n$ in order to estimate its characteristic function to reasonable precision; this lower bound on sample complexity applies even if the channel inputs and measurements performed on channel outputs are chosen adaptively. On the other hand, we present a simple entanglement-assisted scheme that only requires a number of samples independent of $n$, given a sufficient amount of squeezing. This establishes an exponential separation in sample complexity. We then analyze the effect of photon loss and show that the entanglement-assisted scheme is still significantly more efficient than any lossless entanglement-free scheme under mild experimental conditions. Our work illuminates the role of entanglement in learning continuous-variable systems and points toward experimentally feasible demonstrations of provable entanglement-enabled advantage using CV quantum platforms.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Observing tight triple uncertainty relations in two-qubit systems

As the fundamental tool in quantum information science, the uncertainty principle is essential for manifesting nonclassical properties of quantum systems. Plenty of efforts on the uncertainty principle with two observables have been achieved, making it an appealing challenge to extend the scenario to multiple observables. Here, based on an optical setup, we demonstrate the uncertainty relations in two-qubit systems involving three physical components with the tight constant $2/\sqrt{3}$, which signifies a more precise limit in the measurement of multiple quantum components and offers deeper insights into the trade-offs between observables. Furthermore, we reveal the correspondence of the maximal values of the uncertainty functions and the degree of entanglement, where the more uncertainty is proportional to the higher degree of entanglement. Our results provide a new insight into understanding the uncertainty relations with multiple observables and may motivate more innovative applications in quantum information science.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Experimental test of generalized multipartite entropic uncertainty relations

Entropic uncertainty relation (EUR) formulates the restriction of the inherent uncertainty of quantum mechanics from the information-theoretic perspective. A tighter lower bound for uncertainty relations can provide information-theoretic security to quantum communication protocols. Recently, a generalized EUR (GEUR) for the measurement of multiple observables in arbitrary many-body systems has been formulated. Here, we experimentally test this GEUR using a four-photon entangled state with a controllable decoherence channel and show that for the tripartite scenario, the GEUR improves the entropic bound from Renes--Boileau's famous results. As an application, we further demonstrate an improvement of the secure key rate in quantum key distribution from the GEUR. Our results extend the test of EURs into multipartite regimes and may find applications in practical quantum cryptography tasks.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Filtering one-way Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering

Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) steering, a fundamental concept of quantum nonlocality, describes one observer's capability to remotely affect another distant observer's state by local measurements. Unlike quantum entanglement and Bell nonlocality, both associated with the symmetric quantum correlation, EPR steering depicts the unique asymmetric property of quantum nonlocality. With the local filter operation in which some system components are discarded, quantum nonlocality can be distilled to enhance the nonlocal correlation, and even the hidden nonlocality can be activated. However, asymmetric quantum nonlocality in the filter operation still lacks a well-rounded investigation, especially considering the discarded parts where quantum nonlocal correlations may still exist with probabilities. Here, in both theory and experiment, we investigate the effect of reusing the discarded particles from local filter. We observe all configurations of EPR steering simultaneously and other intriguing evolution of asymmetric quantum nonlocality, such as reversing the direction of one-way EPR steering. This work provides a perspective to answer "What is the essential role of utilizing quantum steering as a resource?", and demonstrates a practical toolbox for manipulating asymmetric quantum systems with significant potential applications in quantum information tasks.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Experimental verification of a coherence factorization law for quantum states

As a quantum resource, quantum coherence plays an important role in modern physics. Many coherence measures and their relations with entanglement have been proposed, and the dynamics of entanglement has been experimentally studied. However, the knowledge of general results for coherence dynamics in open systems is limited. Here we propose a coherence factorization law, which describes the evolution of coherence passing through any noisy channels characterized by genuinely incoherent operations. We use photons to implement the quantum operations and experimentally verify the law for qubits and qutrits. Our work is a step toward the understanding of the evolution of coherence when the system interacts with the environment, and will boost the study of more general laws of coherence.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Realization of algorithmic identification of cause and effect in quantum correlations

Causal inference revealing causal dependencies between variables from empirical data has found applications in multiple sub-fields of scientific research. A quantum perspective of correlations holds the promise of overcoming the limitation by Reichenbach's principle and enabling causal inference with only the observational data. However, it is still not clear how quantum causal inference can provide operational advantages in general cases. Here, we have devised a photonic setup and experimentally realized an algorithm capable of identifying any two-qubit statistical correlations generated by the two basic causal structures under an observational scenario, thus revealing a universal quantum advantage in causal inference over its classical counterpart. We further demonstrate the explainability and stability of our causal discovery method which is widely sought in data processing algorithms. Employing a fully observational approach, our result paves the way for studying quantum causality in general settings.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Experimental test of high-dimensional quantum contextuality based on contextuality concentration

Contextuality is a distinctive feature of quantum theory and a fundamental resource for quantum computation. However, existing examples of contextuality in high-dimensional systems lack the necessary robustness required in experiments. Here we address this problem by identifying a family of noncontextuality inequalities whose maximum quantum violation grows with the dimension of the system. At first glance, this contextuality is the single-system version of multipartite Bell nonlocality taken to an extreme form. What is interesting is that the single-system version achieves the same degree of contextuality but uses a Hilbert space of lower dimension. That is, contextuality ``concentrates'' as the degree of contextuality per dimension increases. We show the practicality of this result by presenting an experimental test of contextuality in a seven-dimensional system. By simulating sequences of quantum ideal measurements with destructive measurements and repreparation in an all-optical setup, we report a violation of 68.7 standard deviations of the simplest case of the noncontextuality inequalities identified. Our results advance the investigation of high-dimensional contextuality, its connection to the Clifford algebra, and its role in quantum computation.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

Magnetic detection under high pressures using designed silicon vacancy centers in silicon carbide

Pressure-induced magnetic phase transition is attracting interest due to its ability to detect superconducting behaviour at high pressures in diamond anvil cells. However, detection of the local sample magnetic properties is a great challenge due to the small sample chamber volume. Recently, optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) of nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in diamond have been used for in-situ pressure-induced phase transition detection. However, owing to their four orientation axes and temperature-dependent zero-field-splitting, interpreting the observed ODMR spectra of NV centers remain challenging. Here, we study the optical and spin properties of implanted silicon vacancy defects in 4H-SiC, which is single-axis and temperature-independent zero-field-splitting. Using this technique, we observe the magnetic phase transition of Nd2Fe14B at about 7 GPa and map the critical temperature-pressure phase diagram of the superconductor YBa2Cu3O6.6. These results highlight the potential of silicon vacancy-based quantum sensors for in-situ magnetic detection at high pressures.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2022

Realization of exceptional points along a synthetic orbital angular momentum dimension

Exceptional points (EPs), at which more than one eigenvalue and eigenvector coalesce, are unique spectral features of Non-Hermiticity (NH) systems. They exist widely in open systems with complex energy spectra. We experimentally demonstrate the appearance of paired EPs in a periodical driven degenerate optical cavity along the synthetic orbital angular momentum (OAM) dimension with a tunable parameter. The complex-energy band structures and the key features of EPs, i.e. their Fermi arcs, parity-time symmetry breaking transition, energy swapping, and half-integer band windings are directly observed by detecting the cavity's transmission spectrum. Our results advance the fundamental understanding of NH physics and demonstrate the flexibility of using the photonic synthetic dimensions to implement NH systems.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2022

Remote entanglement distribution in a quantum network via multinode indistinguishability of photons

Quantum networking relies on entanglement distribution between distant nodes, typically realized by swapping procedures. However, entanglement swapping is a demanding task in practice, mainly because of limited effectiveness of entangled photon sources and Bell-state measurements necessary to realize the process. Here we experimentally activate a remote distribution of two-photon polarization entanglement superseding the need for initial entangled pairs and traditional Bell-state measurements. This alternative procedure is accomplished thanks to the controlled spatial indistinguishability of four independent photons in three separated nodes of the network, which enables us to perform localized product-state measurements in the central node acting as a trigger. This experiment proves that the inherent indistinguishability of identical particles supplies new standards for feasible quantum communication in multinode photonic quantum networks.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Twenty years of quantum contextuality at USTC

Quantum contextuality is one of the most perplexing and peculiar features of quantum mechanics. Concisely, it refers to the observation that the result of a single measurement in quantum mechanics depends on the set of joint measurements actually performed. The study of contextuality has a long history at University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). Here we review the theoretical and experimental advances in this direction achieved at USTC over the last 20 years. We start by introducing the renowned simplest proof of state-independent contextuality. We then present several experimental tests of quantum versus noncontextual theories with photons. Finally, we discuss the investigation on the role of contextuality in general quantum information science and its application in quantum computation.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Toward practical weak measurement wavefront sensing: spatial resolution and achromatism

The weak measurement wavefront sensor detects the phase gradient of light like the Shack-Hartmann sensor does. However, the use of one thin birefringent crystal to displace light beams results in a wavelength-dependent phase difference between the two polarization components, which limits the practical application. Using a Savart plate which consists of two such crystals can compensate for the phase difference and realize achromatic wavefront sensing when combined with an achromatic retarder. We discuss the spatial resolution of the sensor and experimentally reconstruct a wavefront modulated by a pattern. Then we obtain the Zernike coefficients with three different wavelengths before and after modulation. Our work makes this new wavefront sensor more applicable to actual tasks like biomedical imaging.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2022

Detecting momentum weak value: Shack-Hartmann versus a weak measurement wavefront sensor

The task of wavefront sensing is to measure the phase of the optical field. Here, we demonstrate that the widely used Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor detects the weak value of transverse momentum, usually achieved by the method of quantum weak measurement. We extend its input states to partially coherent states and compare it with the weak measurement wavefront sensor, which has a higher spatial resolution but a smaller dynamic range. Since weak values are commonly used in investigating fundamental quantum physics and quantum metrology, our work would find essential applications in these fields.

physics.optics↗