arXiv subjects

Zhihuang Luo

Publications and source records attributed to Zhihuang Luo.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Sensitivity Enhancement near High-Order Exceptional Points via Dissipative Couplings

High-order exceptional points (EPs) emerging in non-Hermitian systems have attracted broad interest for their significantly enhanced sensitivity to perturbations. However, quantum sensing schemes based on high-order EPs remain scarce, due to the experimental challenge of fine-tuning the system to such an extremely sensitive isolated point. Here we propose a four-channel dissipative coupling model that supports both fourth-order exceptional surfaces and second-order exceptional volumes. This non-Hermitian model can be realized in a thermal atomic system, and its complex energy spectra can be determined via electromagnetically induced transparency spectroscopy. The proposed model exhibits a characteristic fourth-order response to multiple physical quantities such as the laser detuning and the distance between optical channels, significantly surpassing the response of second-order EPs. We further reveal the sensitivity-robustness trade-off under experimental noise. Our work opens a route toward high-performance sensing leveraging higher-order EPs.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Observation of Nonlinear Spin Dynamics in Dual-Cell Atomic Gases

Nonlinear spin systems exhibit rich and exotic dynamical phenomena, offering promising applications ranging from spin masers and time crystals to precision measurement. Recent theoretical work [T. Wang et al., Commun. Phys. 8, 41 (2025)] predicted intriguing nonlinear dynamical phases arising from inhomogeneous magnetic fields and feedback interactions. However, experimental exploration of these predictions remains lacking. Here, we report the observation of nonlinear spin dynamics in dual-bias magnetic fields with dual-cell alkali-metal atomic gases and present three representative stable dynamical behaviors of limit cycles, quasi-periodic orbits, and chaos. Additionally, we probe the nonlinear phase transitions between these phases by varying the feedback gain and the difference of dual-bias magnetic fields. Furthermore, we demonstrate the robustness of the limit cycle and quasi-periodic orbit against the noise of magnetic fields. Our findings establish a versatile platform for exploring complex spin dynamics and open new avenues for the realization of multimode spin masers, time crystals and quasi-crystals, and high-precision magnetometers.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Observation of topology of non-Hermitian systems without chiral symmetry

Topological invariants are crucial for characterizing topological systems. However, experimentally measuring them presents a significant challenge, especially in non-Hermitian systems where the biorthogonal eigenvectors are often necessary. We propose a general approach for measuring the topological invariants of one-dimensional non-Hermitian systems, which can be derived from the spin textures of right eigenstates. By utilizing a dilation method, we realize a non-Hermitian system without chiral symmetry on a two-qubit nuclear magnetic resonance system and measure the winding number associated with the eigenstates. In addition to examining the topology of the eigenstates, our experiment also reveals the topological structure of the energy band, which differs from that in chiral systems. Our work paves the way for further exploration of complex topological properties in non-Hermitian systems without chiral symmetry.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Enhanced Hamiltonian Learning Precision with Multi-Stage Neural Networks

Learning quantum Hamiltonians with high precision is important for quantum physics and quantum information science. We propose a multi-stage neural network framework that significantly enhances Hamiltonian learning precision through successive network optimization of residual errors. Our approach utilizes time-series data from single-qubit Pauli measurements of random initial states, enabling the estimation of unknown Hamiltonian parameters without prior structural assumptions. We demonstrate the framework on two-qubit systems, achieving orders-of-magnitude improvement in parameter accuracy, and further extend the method to larger systems by integrating dynamical decoupling techniques. Additionally, the protocol exhibits robustness against experimental noise. This work bridges the gap between scalable Hamiltonian learning and high-precision requirements, offering a practical tool for precise quantum control and metrology.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Observation of continuous time crystals and quasi-crystals in spin gases

Continuous time crystal (CTC) and quasi-crystal (CTQC) are two novel phases of matter characterized by the spontaneous breaking of continuous time-translation symmetry. To date, realizations of CTCs with periodic oscillations have been reported in only a few physical platforms, and their complex properties still require further exploration. Additionally, CTQCs, which feature quasi-periodic oscillations at multiple incommensurate frequencies, remain elusive. Here we report the experimental observation of CTC and CTQC signatures in noble-gas nuclear spins that interact nonlinearly with each other through feedback mechanisms. The observed limit cycle and quasi-periodic phases display persistent spin oscillations with coherence times extending beyond several hours. Notably, these oscillations are robust against noise perturbations and exhibit random time phases upon repetitive realization, epitomizing the continuous time-translation symmetry-breaking intrinsic to CTCs and CTQCs. As the feedback strength increases, the system undergoes a phase transition into a new phase characterized by chaotic oscillations, indicative of the ``melting" of time crystals. Interestingly, within certain feedback regimes, we even observe an unusual reverse phase transition from a chaotic phase back to time crystal phases. This work broadens the catalog of new phases of spin gas and unlocks opportunities in precision measurements, including multimode masers and tests of fundamental symmetries.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Nonlinear spin dynamics induced by feedback under continuous Larmor frequency distributions

Nonlinear spin dynamics are essential in exploring nonequilibrium quantum phenomena and have broad applications in precision measurement. Among these systems, the combination of a bias magnetic field and feedback mechanisms can induce self-sustained oscillations at the base Larmor frequency due to nonlinearity. These features have driven the development of single-species and multiple-species spin masers. The latter, with multiple discrete Larmor frequencies, provides significant advantages for precision measurement by mitigating uncertainties in precession frequencies due to long-term drifts in experimental conditions. The self-sustained oscillations of single-species and multiple-species spin masers correspond to limit cycles and quasi-periodic orbits of the stable nonlinear dynamics of the systems respectively; the correspondence is elucidated in a recent study on a related spin system featuring two discrete intrinsic Larmor frequencies under dual bias magnetic fields. Here, we extend the study to the case that the intrinsic Larmor frequencies of individual spins of the system, given rise to by an inhomogeneous bias magnetic field, form a continuum. We show that generically the stable dynamics of the system includes limit cycles, quasi-periodic orbits, and chaos. We establish the relation between the synchronization frequency of limit cycles and the field inhomogeneity and derive an equation determining the stability of limit cycles. Furthermore, detailed characteristics of different dynamical phases, especially the robustness of limit cycles and quasi-periodic orbits against experimental fluctuations, are discussed. Our findings not only encompass the case of discrete Larmor frequencies, but also provide crucial insights for precision measurement and the exploration of continuous time crystals and quasi-crystals.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Feedback-Induced Nonlinear Spin Dynamics in an Inhomogeneous Magnetic Field

Nonlinear effects are the root of interesting phenomena such as masers and lasers, and play a significant role in science and engineering. In spin systems, nonlinear spin dynamics is crucial for the prediction of complex dynamical behavior such as self-organizing oscillation, with applications ranging from spin masers and time crystals to precision measurement. However, when a spin system operates in a static magnetic field, how the inhomogeneity of the field affects its dynamics is a primary concern. Here we study the dynamics of a collection of spins with multiple Larmor frequencies for modeling a static inhomogeneous magnetic field, and reveal that due to the nonlinearity induced by a feedback scheme, the spin system exhibits much richer stable dynamical phases, including quasi-periodic orbits and chaos besides the usual limit cycles emerged in previous works. These phases are generally applicable to coupled nonlinear spin systems, even with more than two intrinsic Larmor frequencies or in continuum cases. Furthermore, we discuss their robustness against the experimental noises and the feasibility of realization in several spin systems. Our findings contribute to future observation of nonlinear dynamical phases and prospective applications in precision measurement.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2022

Observation of a symmetry-protected topological phase in external magnetic fields

Topological phases have greatly improved our understanding of modern conception of phases of matter that go beyond the paradigm of symmetry breaking and are not described by local order parameters. Instead, characterization of topological phases requires the robust topological invariants, whereas measuring these global quantities presents an outstanding challenge for experiments, especially in interacting systems. Here we report the real-space observation of a symmetry-protected topological phase with interacting nuclear spins, and probe the interaction-induced transition between two topologically distinct phases, both of which are classified by many-body Chern numbers obtained from the dynamical response to the external magnetic fields. The resulting value of Chern number ($\bar{\mathcal{C}h} = 1.958 \pm 0.070$) demonstrates the robust ground state degeneracy, and also determines the number of nontrivial edge states. Our findings enable direct characterization of topological features of quantum many-body states through gradually decreasing the strength of the introduced external fields.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2019

Quantum Simulation of the Non-Fermi-Liquid State of Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev Model

The Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model incorporates rich physics, ranging from exotic non-Fermi liquid states without quasiparticle excitations, to holographic duality and quantum chaos. However, its experimental realization remains a daunting challenge due to various unnatural ingredients of the SYK Hamiltonian such as its strong randomness and fully nonlocal fermion interaction. At present, constructing such a nonlocal Hamiltonian and exploring its dynamics is best through digital quantum simulation, where state-of-the-art techniques can already handle a moderate number of qubits. Here we demonstrate a first step towards simulation of the SYK model on a nuclear-spin-chain simulator. We observed the fermion paring instability of the non-Fermi liquid state and the chaotic-nonchaotic transition at simulated temperatures, as was predicted by previous theories. As the realization of the SYK model in practice, our experiment opens a new avenue towards investigating the key features of non-Fermi liquid states, as well as the quantum chaotic systems and the AdS/CFT duality.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Experimental Implementation of Efficient Quantum Pseudorandomness on a 12-spin System

Quantum pseudorandomness, also known as unitary designs, comprise a powerful resource for quantum computation and quantum engineering. While it is known in theory that pseudorandom unitary operators can be constructed efficiently, realizing these objects in realistic physical systems can be a challenging task. In this work, we study quantum pseudorandomness generation on a 12-spin nuclear magnetic resonance system. The experimental process is based on the recently proposed design Hamiltonian approach, which has the merit of being significantly more efficient than previous protocols. By applying random refocusing sequences to the experimental system we create a design Hamiltonian the dynamics of which quickly forms unitary designs. We then use multiple-quantum techniques to measure spreading of quantum coherences over system's degrees of freedom, and so to probe the growth of quantum pseudorandomness. The measured multiple-quantum coherence spectra indicate that substantial quantum pseudorandomness have been achieved.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Experimental Preparation of Topologically Ordered States via Adiabatic Evolution

Topological orders are a class of exotic states of matter characterized by patterns of long-range entanglement. Certain topologically ordered systems are proposed as potential realization of fault-tolerant quantum computation. Topological orders can arise in two-dimensional spin-lattice models. In this paper, we engineer a time-dependent Hamiltonian to prepare a topologically ordered state through adiabatic evolution. The other sectors in the degenerate ground-state space of the model are obtained by applying nontrivial operations corresponding to closed string operators. Each sector is highly entangled, as shown from the completely reconstructed density matrices. This paves the way towards exploring the properties of topological orders and the application of topological orders in topological quantum memory.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

Quantum Image Processing and Its Application to Edge Detection: Theory and Experiment

Processing of digital images is continuously gaining in volume and relevance, with concomitant demands on data storage, transmission and processing power. Encoding the image information in quantum-mechanical systems instead of classical ones and replacing classical with quantum information processing may alleviate some of these challenges. By encoding and processing the image information in quantum-mechanical systems, we here demonstrate the framework of quantum image processing, where a pure quantum state encodes the image information: we encode the pixel values in the probability amplitudes and the pixel positions in the computational basis states. Our quantum image representation reduces the required number of qubits compared to existing implementations, and we present image processing algorithms that provide exponential speed-up over their classical counterparts. For the commonly used task of detecting the edge of an image, we propose and implement a quantum algorithm that completes the task with only one single-qubit operation, independent of the size of the image. This demonstrates the potential of quantum image processing for highly efficient image and video processing in the big data era.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

NMRCloudQ: A Quantum Cloud Experience on a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Quantum Computer

As of today, no one can tell when a universal quantum computer with thousands of logical quantum bits (qubits) will be built. At present, most quantum computer prototypes involve less than ten individually controllable qubits, and only exist in laboratories for the sake of either the great costs of devices or professional maintenance requirements. Moreover, scientists believe that quantum computers will never replace our daily, every-minute use of classical computers, but would rather serve as a substantial addition to the classical ones when tackling some particular problems. Due to the above two reasons, cloud-based quantum computing is anticipated to be the most useful and reachable form for public users to experience with the power of quantum. As initial attempts, IBM Q has launched influential cloud services on a superconducting quantum processor in 2016, but no other platforms has followed up yet. Here, we report our new cloud quantum computing service -- NMRCloudQ (http://nmrcloudq.com/zh-hans/), where nuclear magnetic resonance, one of the pioneer platforms with mature techniques in experimental quantum computing, plays as the role of implementing computing tasks. Our service provides a comprehensive software environment preconfigured with a list of quantum information processing packages, and aims to be freely accessible to either amateurs that look forward to keeping pace with this quantum era or professionals that are interested in carrying out real quantum computing experiments in person. In our current version, four qubits are already usable with in average 1.26% single-qubit gate error rate and 1.77% two-qubit controlled-NOT gate error rate via randomized benchmaking tests. Improved control precisions as well as a new seven-qubit processor are also in preparation and will be available later.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Experimentally Probing Topological Order and Its Breakdown via Modular Matrices

The modern conception of phases of matter has undergone tremendous developments since the first observation of topologically ordered states in fractional quantum Hall systems in the 1980s. In this paper, we explore the question: How much detail of the physics of topological orders can in principle be observed using state of the art technologies? We find that using surprisingly little data, namely the toric code Hamiltonian in the presence of generic disorders and detuning from its exactly solvable point, the modular matrices -- characterizing anyonic statistics that are some of the most fundamental finger prints of topological orders -- can be reconstructed with very good accuracy solely by experimental means. This is a first experimental realization of these fundamental signatures of a topological order, a test of their robustness against perturbations, and a proof of principle -- that current technologies have attained the precision to identify phases of matter and, as such, probe an extended region of phase space around the soluble point before its breakdown. Given the special role of anyonic statistics in quantum computation, our work promises myriad applications both in probing and realistically harnessing these exotic phases of matter.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Optimal experiment design for quantum state tomography

Quantum state tomography is an indispensable but costly part of many quantum experiments. Typically, it requires measurements to be carried in a number of different settings on a fixed experimental setup. The collected data is often informationally overcomplete, with the amount of information redundancy depending on the particular set of measurement settings chosen. This raises a question about how should one optimally take data so that the number of measurement settings necessary can be reduced. Here, we cast this problem in terms of integer programming. For a given experimental setup, standard integer programming algorithms allow us to find the minimum set of readout operations that can realize a target tomographic task. We apply the method to certain basic and practical state tomographic problems in nuclear magnetic resonance experimental systems. The results show that, considerably less readout operations can be found using our technique than it was by using the previous greedy search strategy. Therefore, our method could be helpful for simplifying measurement schemes so as to minimize the experimental effort.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2016

Experimental observation of topological transitions in interacting multi-spin systems

Topologically ordered phase has emerged as one of most exciting concepts that not only broadens our understanding of phases of matter, but also has been found to have potential application in fault-tolerant quantum computation. The direct measurement of topological properties, however, is still a challenge especially in interacting quantum system. Here we realize one-dimensional Heisenberg spin chains using nuclear magnetic resonance simulators and observe the interaction-induced topological transitions, where Berry curvature in the parameter space of Hamiltonian is probed by means of dynamical response and then the first Chern number is extracted by integrating the curvature over the closed surface. The utilized experimental method provides a powerful means to explore topological phenomena in quantum systems with many-body interactions.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2015

Approximation of Reachable Set for Coherently Controlled Open Quantum Systems: Application to Quantum State Engineering

Precisely characterizing and controlling realistic open quantum systems is one of the most challenging and exciting frontiers in quantum sciences and technologies. In this Letter, we present methods of approximately computing reachable sets for coherently controlled dissipative systems, which is very useful for assessing control performances. We apply this to a two-qubit nuclear magnetic resonance spin system and implement some tasks of quantum control in open systems at a near optimal performance in view of purity: e.g., increasing polarization and preparing pseudo-pure states. Our work shows interesting and promising applications of environment-assisted quantum dynamics.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2014

Experimental implementation of adiabatic passage between different topological orders

Topological orders are exotic phases of matter existing in strongly correlated quantum systems, which are beyond the usual symmetry description and cannot be distinguished by local order parameters. Here we report an experimental quantum simulation of the Wen-plaquette spin model with different topological orders in a nuclear magnetic resonance system, and observe the adiabatic transition between two $Z_2$ topological orders through a spin-polarized phase by measuring the nonlocal closed-string (Wilson loop) operator. Moreover, we also measure the entanglement properties of the topological orders. This work confirms the adiabatic method for preparing topologically ordered states and provides an experimental tool for further studies of complex quantum systems.

quant-ph↗