No Arabic abstract
Fundamental quantum electrodynamical (QED) processes such as spontaneous emission and electron-photon scattering encompass a wealth of phenomena that form one of the cornerstones of modern science and technology. Conventionally, calculations in QED and in other field theories assume that incoming particles are single-momentum states. The possibility that coherent superposition states, i.e. shaped wavepackets, will alter the result of fundamental scattering processes is thereby neglected, and is instead assumed to sum to an incoherent (statistical) distribution in the incoming momentum. Here, we show that free-electron wave-shaping can be used to engineer quantum interferences that alter the results of scattering processes in QED. Specifically, the interference of two or more pathways in a QED process (such as photon emission) enables precise control over the rate of that process. As an example, we apply our concept to Bremsstrahlung, a ubiquitous phenomenon that occurs, for instance, in X-ray sources for state-of-the-art medical imaging, security scanning, materials analysis, and astrophysics. We show that free electron wave-shaping can be used to tailor both the spatial and the spectral distribution of emitted photons, enhancing their directionality and monochromaticity, and adding more degrees of freedom that make emission processes like Bremsstrahlung more versatile. The ability to tailor the spatiotemporal attributes of photon emission via quantum interference provides a new degree of freedom in shaping radiation across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. More broadly, the ability to tailor general QED processes through the shaping of free electrons opens up new avenues of control in processes ranging from optical excitation processes (e.g., plasmon and phonon emission) in electron microscopy to free electron lasing in the quantum regime.
Active control of quantum systems enables diverse applications ranging from quantum computation to manipulation of molecular processes. Maximum speeds and related bounds have been identified from uncertainty principles and related inequalities, but such bounds utilize only coarse system information, and loosen significantly in the presence of constraints and complex interaction dynamics. We show that an integral-equation-based formulation of conservation laws in quantum dynamics leads to a systematic framework for identifying fundamental limits to any quantum control scenario. We demonstrate the utility of our bounds in three scenarios -- three-level driving, decoherence suppression, and maximum-fidelity gate implementations -- and show that in each case our bounds are tight or nearly so. Global bounds complement local-optimization-based designs, illuminating performance levels that may be possible as well as those that cannot be surpassed.
We propose a method to prepare an entangled spin-orbit state between the spin and the orbital angular momenta of a neutron wavepacket. This spin-orbit state is created by passing neutrons through the center of a quadrupole magnetic field, which provides a coupling between the spin and orbital degrees of freedom. A Ramsey fringe type measurement is suggested as a means of verifying the spin-orbit correlations.
Deterministic coupling between photonic nodes in a quantum network is an essential step towards implementing various quantum technologies. The omnidirectionality of free-standing emitters, however, makes this coupling highly inefficient, in particular if the distant nodes are coupled via low numerical aperture (NA) channels such as optical fibers. This limitation requires placing quantum emitters in nanoantennas that can direct the photons into the channels with very high efficiency. Moreover, to be able to scale such technologies to a large number of channels, the placing of the emitters should be deterministic. In this work we present a method for directly locating single free-standing quantum emitters with high spatial accuracy at the center of highly directional bullseye metal-dielectric nanoantennas. We further employ non-blinking, high quantum yield colloidal quantum dots (QDs) for on-demand single-photon emission that is uncompromised by instabilities or non-radiative exciton recombination processes. Taken together this approach results in a record-high collection efficiency of 85% of the single photons into a low NA of 0.5, setting the stage for efficient coupling between on-chip, room temperature nanoantenna-emitter devices and a fiber or a remote free-space node without the need for additional optics.
Manipulation of a quantum system requires the knowledge of how it evolves. To impose that the dynamics of a system becomes a particular target operation (for any preparation of the system), it may be more useful to have an equation of motion for the dynamics itself--rather than the state. Here we develop a Markovian master equation for the process matrix of an open system, which resembles the Lindblad Markovian master equation. We employ this equation to introduce a scheme for optimal local coherent process control at target times, and extend the Krotov technique to obtain optimal control. We illustrate utility of this framework through several quantum coherent control scenarios, such as optimal decoherence suppression, gate simulation, and passive control of the environment, in all of which we aim to simulate a given terminal process at a given final time.
Medium-scale ensembles of coupled qubits offer a platform for near-term quantum technologies including computing, sensing, and the study of mesoscopic quantum systems. Atom-like emitters in solids have emerged as promising quantum memories, with demonstrations of spin-spin entanglement by optical and magnetic interactions. Magnetic coupling in particular is attractive for efficient and deterministic entanglement gates, but raises the problem of individual spin addressing at the necessary nanometer-scale separation. Current super-resolution techniques can reach this resolution, but are destructive to the states of nearby qubits. Here, we demonstrate the measurement of individual qubit states in a sub-diffraction cluster by selectively exciting spectrally distinguishable nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers. We demonstrate super-resolution localization of single centers with nanometer spatial resolution, as well as individual control and readout of spin populations. These measurements indicate a readout-induced crosstalk on non-addressed qubits below $4times10^{-2}$. This approach opens the door to high-speed control and measurement of qubit registers in mesoscopic spin clusters, with applications ranging from entanglement-enhanced sensors to error-corrected qubit registers to multiplexed quantum repeater nodes.