arXiv subjects

Zhewei Yin

Publications and source records attributed to Zhewei Yin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Quantum Magic in High Energy Collision

Quantum magic, or nonstabilizerness, is a quantum resource associated with computational advantage in quantum systems. In high energy collisions, Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) is inefficient at generating magic while the weak mixing angle, a fundamental constant of nature, sits near a value that minimizes magic production in charged-lepton scattering. These observations were made in the laboratory (lab) basis, in which spin is projected along the incoming beam axis. An alternative choice is the helicity basis, in which spin is projected along the direction of motion of each particle. The transformation between these two bases is, in general, not a Clifford operation and therefore can change the amount of magic. We present a detailed study of magic production in both bases for QED and electroweak processes, and compare these results with the basis-invariant non-local magic. In the ultra-relativistic limit, magic production is generally smaller in the helicity basis due to helicity selection rules, while the lab basis generally yields less magic in the non-relativistic regime. We provide circuit realizations of the ultra-relativistic Bhabha amplitudes using linear combinations of unitaries and show that the lab basis construction contains a larger $T$-gate count at generic scattering angles. Interestingly, in both bases the physical weak mixing angle lies close to the value that minimizes magic production.

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arXiv2025

A Quantum Computational Determination of the Weak Mixing Angle in the Standard Model

The weak mixing angle $s_W$ is a fundamental constant in the Standard Model (SM) and measured at the $Z$ boson mass to be $\widehat{s}^2_W(m_Z) = 0.23129 \pm 0.00004$ in the $\overline{\rm MS}$ renormalization scheme, where $m_Z=91.2\ \text{GeV}$. On the other hand, non-stabilizerness - the magic - characterizes the computational advantage of a quantum system over classical computers. We consider the production of magic from stabilizer initial states, which carry zero magic, in the 2-to-2 scattering of charged leptons in the SM at the tree level, which is mediated by the photon and the $Z$ boson. Using the second order stabilizer R\'enyi entropy, and averaging over all 60 initial stabilizer states and the scattering angle, we compute and minimize the magic production as a function of $s^2_W$ in the M\o ller scattering $e^-e^-\to e^-e^-$, which is free of kinematic thresholds. At the centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}=m_Z$, there is a unique minimum in magic production at $\mathbf{s}^{2}_W(m_Z)=0.2317$, which agrees with the measured $\widehat{s}^2_W(m_Z)$ at the sub-percent level. At higher energies, the magic-minimizing $\mathbf{s}^{2}_W$ continues to agree with the empirical value at the percent level or better, up to 10 TeV. The finding suggests the electroweak sector of the SM tends to generate minimal quantum resources from the computational viewpoint.

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arXiv2025

Quantum Magic in Quantum Electrodynamics

In quantum computing, non-stabilizerness -- the magic -- refers to the computational advantage of certain quantum states over classical computers and is an essential ingredient for universal quantum computation. Employing the second order stabilizer R\'enyi entropy to quantify magic, we study the production of magic states in Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) via 2-to-2 scattering processes involving electrons and muons. Considering all 60 stabilizer initial states, which have zero magic, the angular dependence of magic produced in the final states is governed by only a few patterns, both in the non-relativistic and the ultra-relativistic limits. Some processes, such as the low-energy $e^-\mu^-\to e^-\mu^-$ and Bhabha scattering $e^-e^+\to e^-e^+$, do not generate magic at all. In most cases the largest magic generated is significantly less than the maximal possible value of $\log (16/7) \approx 0.827$. The only instance where QED is able to generate maximal magic is the low-energy $\mu^-\mu^+\to e^-e^+$, in the limit $m_e/m_\mu \to 0$, which is well approximated in nature. Our results suggest QED, although capable of producing maximally entangled states easily, may not be an efficient mechanism for generating quantum advantages.

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arXiv2025

Maximal Magic for Two-qubit States

Magic is a quantum resource essential for universal quantum computation and represents the deviation of quantum states from those that can be simulated efficiently using classical algorithms. Using the Stabilizer R\'enyi Entropy (SRE), we investigate two-qubit states with maximal magic, which are most distinct from classical simulability, and provide strong numerical evidence that the maximal second order SRE is $\ln (16/7)\approx 0.827$, establishing a tighter bound than the prior $\ln (5/2)\approx 0.916$. We identify 480 states saturating the new bound, which turn out to be the fiducial states for the mutually unbiased bases (MUBs) generated by the orbits of the Weyl-Heisenberg (WH) group, and conjecture that WH-MUBs are the maximal magic states for $n$-qubit, when $n\neq 1$ and 3. We also reveal a striking interplay between magic and entanglement: the entanglement of maximal magic states is restricted to two possible values, $1/2$ and $1/\sqrt{2}$, as quantified by the concurrence; none is maximally entangled.

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arXiv2024

Entanglement Entropy is Elastic Cross Section

We present universal relations between entanglement entropy, which quantifies the quantum correlation between subsystems, and the elastic cross section, which is the primary observable for high energy particle scattering, by employing a careful formulation of wave packets for the incoming particles. For 2-to-2 elastic scattering with no initial entanglement and subdividing the system along particle labels, we show that both the R\'enyi and Tsallis entropies in the final states are directly proportional to the elastic cross section in unit of the transverse size for the initial wave packets, which is then interpreted as the elastic scattering probability. The relations do not depend on the underlying dynamics of the quantum field theory and are valid to all orders in coupling strengths. Furthermore, computing quantum correlations between momentum and non-kinematic data leads to entanglement entropies expressed as various semi-inclusive elastic cross sections. Our result gives rise to a novel ``area law'' for entanglement entropy in a two-body system.

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arXiv2024

An Area Law for Entanglement Entropy in Particle Scattering

The scattering cross section is the effective area of collision when two particles collide. Quantum mechanically, it is a measure of the probability for a specific process to take place. Employing wave packets to describe the scattering process, we compute the entanglement entropy in 2-to-2 scattering of particles in a general setting using the $S$-matrix formalism. Applying the optical theorem, we show that the linear entropy $\mathcal{E}_2$ is given by the elastic cross section $σ_{\text{el}}$ in unit of the transverse size $L^2$ of the wave packet, $\mathcal{E}_2 \sim σ_{\text{el}}/L^2$, when the initial states are not entangled. The result allows for dual interpretations of the entanglement entropy as an area and as a probability. Since $σ_{\text{el}}$ is generally believed, and observed experimentally, to grow with the collision energy $\sqrt{s}$ in the high energy regime, the result suggests a "second law" of entanglement entropy for high energy collisions. Furthermore, the Froissart bound places an upper limit on the entropy growth.

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arXiv2023

From the EFT of Spinning Gravitating Objects to Poincaré and Gauge Invariance at the 4.5PN Precision Frontier

We confirm the generalized actions of the complete NLO cubic-in-spin interactions for generic compact binaries which were first tackled via an extension of the EFT of spinning gravitating objects. We first reduce these generalized actions to standard actions with spins, where the interaction potentials are found to consist of $6$ independent sectors, including a new unique sector that is proportional to the square of the quadrupolar deformation parameter, $C_{\text{ES}^2}$. We derive the general Hamiltonians in an arbitrary reference frame, and for generic kinematic configurations. With these most general Hamiltonians we construct the full Poincaré algebra of all the sectors at the fourth and a half post-Newtonian (4.5PN) order, including the third subleading spin-orbit sector, recently accomplished uniquely via our framework, thus proving the Poincaré invariance of all relevant sectors. We then derive the binding energies with gauge-invariant relations useful for gravitational-wave applications. Finally, we also derive the extrapolated scattering angles in the aligned-spins configuration for the scattering problem. Yet, as made clear already as of quadratic-in-spin sectors, the aligned-spins simplification inherent to the scattering-angle observable, entails a great loss of physical information, that is only growing with higher-spin sectors. Our completion of the full Poincaré algebra at the present $4.5$PN order provides strong confidence that this new precision frontier in PN theory has now been established.

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arXiv2023

Completing the Fifth PN Precision Frontier via the EFT of Spinning Gravitating Objects

We put forward a broader picture of the effective theory of a spinning particle within the EFT of spinning gravitating objects, through which we derive and establish the new precision frontier at the fifth PN (5PN) order. This frontier includes higher-spin sectors, quadratic and quartic in the spin, which both display novel physical features, due to the extension of the effective theory beyond linear order in the curvature. The quadratic-in-spin sectors give rise to a new tidal effect, and the quartic-in-spin sectors exhibit a new multipolar deformation. We then generalize the concept of tidal operators and of spin-induced multipolar operators, and make conjectures on the numerical values of their Wilson coefficients, and on the effective point-particle action of Kerr black holes. We confirm the generalized actions for generic compact binaries of the NLO quartic-in-spin sectors which were derived via the extension of the EFT of gravitating spinning objects. We first present the corresponding interaction potentials and general Hamiltonians, which consist of 12 distinct sectors, with a new one due to the new multipolar deformation. These Hamiltonians give the full physical information on the binary system, which mostly gets lost in higher-spin sectors, when going to the aligned-spins configuration. Moreover these general Hamiltonians uniquely allow us to find the complete Poincaré algebra at the 5PN order with spins, including the third subleading quadratic-in-spin sectors. We derive consequent observables for GW applications. Finally, to make contact with the scattering problem, we also derive the extrapolated scattering angles for aligned spins. Our completion of the Poincaré algebra provides the strongest validation of our most comprehensive new results, and thus that the 5PN order has now been established as the new precision frontier.

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arXiv2023

N$^3$LO Quadratic-in-Spin Interactions for Generic Compact Binaries

We derive the third subleading (N$^3$LO) corrections of the quadratic-in-spin sectors via the EFT of spinning objects in post-Newtonian (PN) gravity. These corrections consist of contributions from $4$ sectors for generic compact binaries, that enter at the fifth PN order. One of these contributions is due to a new tidal interaction, that is unique to the sectors with spin, and complements the first tidal interaction that also enters at this PN order in the simple point-mass sector. The evaluation of Feynman graphs is carried out in a generic dimension via advanced multi-loop methods, and gives rise to dimensional-regularization poles in conjunction with logarithms. At these higher-spin sectors the reduction of generalized Lagrangians entails redefinitions of the position beyond linear order. We provide here the most general Lagrangians and Hamiltonians. We then specify the latter to simplified configurations, and derive the consequent gauge-invariant relations among the binding energy, angular momentum, and frequency. We end with a derivation of all the scattering angles that correspond to an extension of our Hamiltonians to the scattering problem in the simplified aligned-spins configuration, as a guide to scattering-amplitudes studies.

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arXiv2023

N$^3$LO Spin-Orbit Interaction via the EFT of Spinning Gravitating Objects

We present the derivation of the third subleading order (N$^3$LO) spin-orbit interaction at the state of the art of post-Newtonian (PN) gravity via the EFT of spinning objects. The present sector contains the largest and most elaborate collection of Feynman graphs ever tackled to date in sectors with spin, and in all PN sectors up to third subleading order. Our computations are carried out via advanced multi-loop methods. Their most demanding aspect is the imperative transition to a generic dimension across the whole derivation, due to the emergence of dimensional-regularization poles across all loop orders as of the N$^3$LO sectors. At this high order of sectors with spin, it is also critical to extend the formal procedure for the reduction of higher-order time derivatives of spin variables beyond linear order for the first time. This gives rise to a new unique contribution at the present sector. The full interaction potential in Lagrangian form and the general Hamiltonian are provided here for the first time. The consequent gravitational-wave (GW) gauge-invariant observables are also derived, including relations among the binding energy, angular momentum, and emitted frequency. Complete agreement is found between our results, and the binding energy of GW sources, and also with the extrapolated scattering angle in the scattering problem, derived via traditional GR. In contrast with the latter derivation, our framework is free-standing and generic, and has provided theory and results, which have been critical to establish the state of the art, and to push the precision frontier for the measurement of GWs.

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arXiv2022

Gauge invariance from on-shell massive amplitudes and tree unitarity

We study the three-particle and four-particle scattering amplitudes for an arbitrary, finite number of massive scalars, spinors and vectors by employing the on-shell massive spinor formalism. We consider the most general three-particle amplitudes with energy growing behavior at most of $\mathcal{O} (E)$. This is the special case of the requirement of tree unitarity, which states that the $N$-particle scattering amplitudes at tree-level should grow at most as $\mathcal{O} (E^{4-N})$ in the high energy hard scattering limit, i.e. at fixed non-zero angles. Then the factorizable parts of the four-particle amplitudes are calculated by gluing the on-shell three-particle amplitudes together and utilizing the fact that tree-level amplitudes have only simple poles. The contact parts of the four-particle amplitudes are further determined by tree unitarity, which also puts strong constraints on the possible allowed three-particle coupling constants and the masses. The derived relations among them converge to the predictions of gauge invariance in the UV theory. This provides a purely on-shell understanding of spontaneously broken gauge theories.

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arXiv2022

Quadratic-in-spin interactions at fifth post-Newtonian order probe new physics

We obtain for the first time all quadratic-in-spin interactions in spinning binaries at the third subleading order in post-Newtonian (PN) gravity, and provide their observable binding energies and their gauge-invariant relations to the angular momentum. Our results are valid for generic compact objects, orbits, and spin orientations, and enter at the fifth PN order for maximally-rotating objects, thus pushing the state of the art. This is accomplished through an extension of the effective field theory of spinning gravitating objects, and of its computational application. We also discover a new finite-size effect which is unique to spinning objects, with a new ``Spin Love number'' as its characteristic coefficient, that is a new probe for gravity and QCD.

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arXiv2021

Exploring the Landscape for Soft Theorems of Nonlinear Sigma Models

We generalize soft theorems of the nonlinear sigma model beyond the $\mathcal{O} (p^2)$ amplitudes and the coset of $\text{SU} (N) \times \text{SU} (N) / \text{SU} (N) $. We first discuss the universal flavor ordering of the amplitudes for the Nambu-Goldstone bosons, so that we can reinterpret the known $\mathcal{O} (p^2)$ single soft theorem for $\text{SU} (N) \times \text{SU} (N) / \text{SU} (N) $ in the context of a general symmetry group representation. We then investigate the special case of the fundamental representation of $\text{SO} (N)$, where a special flavor ordering of the "pair basis" is available. We provide novel amplitude relations and a Cachazo-He-Yuan formula for such a basis, and derive the corresponding single soft theorem. Next, we extend the single soft theorem for a general group representation to $\mathcal{O} (p^4)$, where for at least two specific choices of the $\mathcal{O} (p^4)$ operators, the leading non-vanishing pieces can be interpreted as new extended theory amplitudes involving bi-adjoint scalars, and the corresponding soft factors are the same as at $\mathcal{O} (p^2)$. Finally, we compute the general formula for the double soft theorem, valid to all derivative orders, where the leading part in the soft momenta is fixed by the $\mathcal{O}(p^2)$ Lagrangian, while any possible corrections to the subleading part are determined by the $\mathcal{O}(p^4)$ Lagrangian alone. Higher order terms in the derivative expansion do not contribute any new corrections to the double soft theorem.

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arXiv2021

Soft Bootstrap and Effective Field Theories

The soft bootstrap program aims to construct consistent effective field theories (EFT's) by recursively imposing the desired soft limit on tree-level scattering amplitudes through on-shell recursion relations. A prime example is the leading two-derivative operator in the EFT of $\text{SU} (N)\times \text{SU} (N)/\text{SU} (N)$ nonlinear sigma model (NLSM), where $ \mathcal{O} (p^2)$ amplitudes with an arbitrary multiplicity of external particles can be soft-bootstrapped. We extend the program to $ \mathcal{O} (p^4)$ operators and introduce the "soft blocks," which are the seeds for soft bootstrap. The number of soft blocks coincides with the number of independent operators at a given order in the derivative expansion and the incalculable Wilson coefficient emerges naturally. We also uncover a new soft-constructible EFT involving the "multi-trace" operator at the leading two-derivative order, which is matched to $\text{SO} (N+1)/ \text{SO} (N)$ NLSM. In addition, we consider Wess-Zumino-Witten (WZW) terms, the existence of which, or the lack thereof, depends on the number of flavors in the EFT, after a novel application of Bose symmetry. Remarkably, we find agreements with group-theoretic considerations on the existence of WZW terms in $\text{SU} (N)$ NLSM for $N\ge 3$ and the absence of WZW terms in $\text{SO} (N)$ NLSM for $N\neq 5$.

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arXiv2021

Double Copy in Higher Derivative Operators of Nambu-Goldstone Bosons

We investigate the existence of double copy structure, or the lack thereof, in higher derivative operators for Nambu-Goldstone bosons. At the leading ${\cal O}(p^2)$, tree amplitudes of Nambu-Goldstone bosons in the adjoint representation can be (trivially) expressed as the double copy of itself and the cubic bi-adjoint scalar theory, through the Kawai-Lewellen-Tye bilinear kernel. At the next-to-leading ${\cal O}(p^4)$ there exist four operators in general, among which we identify one operator whose amplitudes exhibit the flavor-kinematics duality and can be written as the double copy of ${\cal O}(p^2)$ Nambu-Goldstone amplitudes and the Yang-Mills+$ϕ^3$ theory, involving both gluons and gauged cubic bi-adjoint scalars. The specific operator turns out to coincide with the scalar ${\cal O}(p^4)$ operator in the so-called extended Dirac-Born-Infeld theory, for which the aforementioned double copy relation holds more generally.

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arXiv2020

New Flavor-Kinematics Dualities and Extensions of Nonlinear Sigma Models

Nonlinear sigma model (NLSM) based on the coset $\text{SU}(N)\times \text{SU}(N)/\text{SU}(N)$ exhibits several intriguing features at the leading ${\cal O}(p^2)$ in the derivative expansion, such as the flavor-kinematics duality and an extended theory controlling the single and triple soft limits. In both cases the cubic biadjoint scalar theory plays a prominent role. We extend these features in two directions. First we uncover a new extended theory for $\text{SO}(N+1)/\text{SO}(N)$ NLSM at ${\cal O}(p^2)$, which is a cubic bifundamental/biadjoint scalar theory. Next we provide evidence for flavor-kinematics dualities up to ${\cal O}(p^4)$ for both $\text{SU}(N)$ and $\text{SO}(N)$ NLSM's. In particular, we introduce a new duality building block based on the symmetric tensor $δ^{ab}$ and demonstrate several flavor-kinematics dualities for 4-point amplitudes, which precisely match the soft blocks employed to soft-bootstrap the NLSM's up to ${\cal O} (p^4)$.

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arXiv2019

The Infrared Structure of Exceptional Scalar Theories

Exceptional theories are a group of one-parameter scalar field theories with (enhanced) vanishing soft limits in the S-matrix elements. They include the nonlinear sigma model (NLSM), Dirac-Born-Infeld scalars and the special Galileon theory. The soft behavior results from the shift symmetry underlying these theories, which leads to Ward identities generating subleading single soft theorems as well as novel Berends-Giele recursion relations. Such an approach was first applied to NLSM in 1709.08639 and 1804.08629, and here we use it to systematically study other exceptional scalar field theories. In particular, using the subleading single soft theorem for the special Galileon we identify the Feynman vertices of the corresponding extended theory, which was first discovered using the Cachazo-He-Yuan representation of scattering amplitudes. Furthermore, we present a Lagrangian for the extended theory of the special Galileon, which has a rich particle content involving biadjoint scalars, Nambu-Goldstone bosons and Galileons, as well as additional flavor structure.

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arXiv2018

The Infrared Structure of Nambu-Goldstone Bosons

The construction of effective actions for Nambu-Goldstone bosons, and the nonlinear sigma model, usually requires a target coset space $G/H$. Recent progresses uncovered a new formulation using only IR data, without reference to $G/H$, by imposing the Adler's zero condition, which can be seen to originate from the superselection rule in the space of degenerate vacua. The IR construction imposes a nonlinear shift symmetry on the Lagrangian to enforce the correct single soft limit amid constraints of the unbroken group $H$. We present a systematic study on the consequence of the Adler's zero condition in correlators of nonlinear sigma model, by deriving the conserved current and the Ward identity associated with the nonlinear shift symmetry, and demonstrate how the old-fashioned current algebra emerges. The Ward identity leads to a new representation of on-shell amplitudes, which amounts to bootstrapping the higher point amplitudes from lower point amplitudes and adding new vertices to satisfy the Adler's condition. The IR perspective allows one to extract Feynman rules for the mysterious extended theory of biadjoint cubic scalars residing in the subleading single soft limit, which was first discovered using the Cachazo-He-Yuan representation of scattering amplitudes. In addition, we present the subleading triple soft theorem in the nonlinear sigma model and show that it is also controlled by on-shell amplitudes of the same extended theory as in the subleading single soft limit.

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