Quantum phase transitions in electronic systems

Quantum phase transitions occur at zero temperature when some non‐thermal control‐parameter like pressure or chemical composition is changed. They are driven by quantum rather than thermal fluctuations. In this review we first give a pedagogical introduction to quantum phase transitions and quantum critical behavior emphasizing similarities with and differences to classical thermal phase transitions. We then illustrate the general concepts by discussing a few examples of quantum phase transitions occurring in electronic systems. The ferromagnetic transition of itinerant electrons shows a very rich behavior since the magnetization couples to additional electronic soft modes which generates an effective long‐range interaction between the spin fluctuations. We then consider the influence of rare regions on quantum phase transitions in systems with quenched disorder, taking the antiferromagnetic transitions of itinerant electrons as a primary example. Finally we discuss some aspects of the metal‐insulator transition in the presence of quenched disorder and interactions.     

Long-Time Tails, Weak Localization, and Classical and Quantum Critical Behavior

An overview is given of the long-time and long-distance behavior of correlation functions in both classical and quantum statistical mechanics. After a simple derivation of the classical long-time tails in equilibrium time correlation functions, we discuss analogous long-distance phenomena in nonequilibrium classical systems. The paper then draws analogies between these phenomena and similar effects in quantum statistical mechanics, with emphasis on the soft modes that underly long-time tails and related phenomena. We also elucidate the interplay between critical phenomena and long-time tails, using the classical liquid-gas critical point and the quantum ferromagnetic transition as examples.     

Mode analysis of surface plasmon metal-dielectric-metal nanowire array waveguide at sub-wavelength scale

The investigation of quantum and classical correlations has mostly concentrated on two-qubit states because the minimization in the classical correlation is quite complicated for high-dimensional states. Thermal quantum and classical correlations are studied for a two-qutrit system with various coupling constants, external magnetic fields, and temperatures as well, where the quantum correlation is described in terms of the quantum discord that has been extensively used in recent literature. The entanglement negativity is calculated for comparison. It is shown that the discord is nonzero whereas the negativity is zero in some ranges of system parameters and temperature. Moreover, the discord is more robust than the entanglement against temperature and magnetic field. However, at lower temperatures all three correlations behave similarly. Those are useful for understanding quantum correlations in high-dimensional mixed states and quantum information processing.     

Scaling functions for classical to quantum crossover in the transverse Ising model via an effective Wilsonian renormalization group approach in 4 – ε dimensions

The classical to quantum crossover, which occurs in d-dimensional transverse field Ising model-like systems decreasing the temperature to zero in the influence domain of the quantum critical point (QCP), is described by employing an effective Wilsonian renormalization group approach in 4 - ε dimensions. The basic ingredient of the treatment is the static action arising from a preliminary one-loop averaging over non-zero frequency modes, which enter the original quantum one. The crossover scaling functions for susceptibility and related thermodynamic quantities are obtained to first order in ε as explicit functions of the temperature and the applied magnetic field. In our static framework, which can be easily extended to other quantum systems exhibiting a critical line which terminates in a QCP, the suitable procedure for observing this type of crossover through genuine thermodynamic measurements is clarified consistently with available experiments. Remarkably, our basic idea and results may be usefully employed to explore also the dimensional crossover which takes place in classical Ising-like systems with slab or film geometry and, possibly, in other finite-size classical systems.     

Correlation dynamics of two-parameter qubit-qutrit states under decoherence

We investigate the dynamics of correlations for two-parameter qubit-qutrit states under various local decoherence channels including depahsing, phase-flip, bit- and trit-flip, bit- and trit-phase-flip, and depolarizing channels. We find that, under certain conditions, the classical correlations may not be affected by the noise or decay monotonically. The quantum correlations measured by measurement-induced disturbance (MID) show three types of dynamical behaviors: (i) monotonic decay to zero, (ii) monotonic decay to a nonzero steady value, (iii) increase from zero and then decrease to zero in a monotonic way. Consequently, we find that, differing from the dynamics of entanglement, the present classical and quantum correlations do not reveal sudden death behavior.     

Detecting Quantum Dissonance and Discord in Exact Dynamics of qubit Systems

In this paper, we evaluate the quantum and classical correlations in exact dynamics of qubit systems interacting with a common dephasing environment. We show the existence of a sharp transition between the classical and quantum loss of correlations during the time evolution. We show that it is possible to exploit a large class of initial states in different tasks of quantum information and processing without any perturbation of the correlations from the environment noisy for large time intervals. On the other hand, we include the dynamics of a new kind of correlation so-called quantum dissonance, which contains the rest of the nonclassical correlations. We show that the quantum dissonance can be considered as an indicator to expect the behavior of the dynamics of classical and quantum correlations in composite open quantum systems.     

Classical perfect diamagnetism: expulsion of current from the plasma interior

The vanishing of generalized helicity is shown to be the necessary and sufficient condition for a perfect conductor to display perfect diamagnetism, considered to be the defining attribute of a conventional superconductor. Although conventional superconductivity is brought about by quantum correlations in classical systems, prepared in the state of zero initial helicity (helicity is a constant of the motion for a perfect conductor), it can mimic the superconductor's behavior.     

Finite temperature theory of metastable anharmonic potentials

The decay rate for a particle in a metastable cubic potential is investigated in the quantum regime by the Euclidean path integral method in semiclassical approximation. The imaginary time formalism allows one to monitor the system as a function of temperature. The family of classical paths, saddle points for the action, is derived in terms of Jacobian elliptic functions whose periodicity sets the energy-temperature correspondence. The period of the classical oscillations varies monotonically with the energy up to the sphaleron, pointing to a smooth crossover from the quantum to the activated regime. The softening of the quantum fluctuation spectrum is evaluated analytically by the theory of the functional determinants and computed at low T up to the crossover. In particular, the negative eigenvalue, causing an imaginary contribution to the partition function, is studied in detail by solving the Lamè equation which governs the fluctuation spectrum. For a heavvy particle mass, the decay rate shows a remarkable temperature dependence mainly ascribable to a low lying soft mode and, approaching the crossover, it increases by a factor five over the predictions of the zero temperature theory. Just beyond the peak value, the classical Arrhenius behavior takes over. A similar trend is found studying the quartic metastable potential but the lifetime of the latter is longer by a factor ten than in a cubic potential with same parameters. Some formal analogies with noise-induced transitions in classically activated metastable systems are discussed.     

LMG model: Markovian evolution of classical and quantum correlations under decoherence

We have investigated the quantum phase transition in the ground state of collective Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model (LMG model) subjected to decoherence due to its interaction, represented by a quantum channel, with an environment. We discuss the behavior of quantum and classical pair wise correlations in the system, with the quantumness of correlations measured by quantum discord (QD), entanglement of formation (EOF), measurement-induced disturbance (MID) and the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt-Bell function (CHSH-Bell function). The time evolution established by system-environment interactions is assumed to be Markovian in nature and the quantum channels studied include the amplitude damping (AD), phase damping (PD), bit-flip (BF), phase-flip (PF), and bit-phase-flip (BPF) channels. One can identify appropriate quantities associated with the dynamics of quantum correlations signifying quantum phase transition in the model. Surprisingly, the CHSH-Bell function is found to detect all the phase transitions, even when quantum and classical correlations are zero for the relevant ground state.     

杨-巴克斯特自旋1/2链模型的量子关联研究

量子系统各部分间的量子关联可以作为量子信息应用研究的基础资源. 而量子失协是度量量子关联大小的物理量. 由此研究杨-巴克斯特自旋1/2链模型的量子关联情况. 首先利用两个杨-巴克斯特方程的解得到相应的杨-巴克斯特自旋1/2链模型. 然后, 计算分析热平衡时杨-巴克斯特自旋1/2链模型的量子失协、几何量子失协和量子纠缠随着温度和外磁场的变化情况. 结果表明对于杨-巴克斯特自旋1/2链模型, 量子失协和几何量子失协能够比量子纠缠更好地度量量子关联.     

Majorana零模式的电导与低压振荡散粒噪声

Majorana零能量模式是自身的反粒子,在拓扑量子计算中有重要应用.本文研究量子点与拓扑超导纳米线混合结构,通过量子点的输运电荷检测Majorana零模式.利用量子主方程方法,发现有无Majorana零模式的电流与散粒噪声存在明显差别.零模式导致稳态电流差呈反对称,在零偏压处显示反常电导峰.电流差随零模式分裂能的增大而减小,随量子点与零模式耦合的增强而增大.另一方面,零模式导致低压散粒噪声相干振荡,零频噪声显著增强.分裂能导致相干振荡愈加明显且零频噪声减小,而量子点与零模式的耦合使零频噪声增强.当量子点与电极非对称耦合时,零模式使电子由反聚束到聚束输运,亚泊松噪声增强为超泊松噪声.稳态电流差结合低压振荡的散粒噪声能够揭示Majorana零模式是否存在.     

Decoherence from a spin chain with Dzyaloshinskii—Moriya interaction

We study the dynamics of quantum discord and entanglement for two spin qubits coupled to a spin chain with Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction.In the case of a two-qubit with an initial pure state,quantum correlations decay to zero at the critical point of the environment in a very short time.In the case of a two-qubit with initial mixed state,it is found that quantum discord may get maximized due to the quantum critical behavior of the environment,while entanglement vanishes under the same condition.Besides,we observed a sudden transition between classical and quantum decoherence when only a single qubit interacts with the environment.The effects of Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction on quantum correlations are considered in the two cases.The decay of quantum correlations is always strengthened by Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction.     

Maximally nonlocal and monogamous quantum correlations

We introduce a version of the chained Bell inequality for an arbitrary number of measurement outcomes and use it to give a simple proof that the maximally entangled state of two d-dimensional quantum systems has no local component. That is, if we write its quantum correlations as a mixture of local correlations and general (not necessarily quantum) correlations, the coefficient of the local correlations must be zero. This suggests an experimental program to obtain as good an upper bound as possible on the fraction of local states and provides a lower bound on the amount of classical communication needed to simulate a maximally entangled state in dxd dimensions. We also prove that the quantum correlations violating the inequality are monogamous among nonsignaling correlations and, hence, can be used for quantum key distribution secure against postquantum (but nonsignaling) eavesdroppers.     

Reprint of : Dynamics of coupled vibration modes in a quantum non-linear mechanical resonator

We investigate the behaviour of two non-linearly coupled flexural modes of a doubly clamped suspended beam (nanomechanical resonator). One of the modes is externally driven. We demonstrate that classically, the behavior of the non-driven mode is reminiscent of that of a parametrically driven linear oscillator: it exhibits a threshold behavior, with the amplitude of this mode below the threshold being exactly zero. Quantum-mechanically, we were able to access the dynamics of this mode below the classical parametric threshold. We show that whereas the mean displacement of this mode is still zero, the mean squared displacement is finite and at the threshold corresponds to the occupation number of 1/2. This finite displacement of the non-driven mode can serve as an experimentally verifiable quantum signature of quantum motion.     

Dynamics of coupled vibration modes in a quantum non-linear mechanical resonator

We investigate the behaviour of two non-linearly coupled flexural modes of a doubly clamped suspended beam (nanomechanical resonator). One of the modes is externally driven. We demonstrate that classically, the behavior of the non-driven mode is reminiscent of that of a parametrically driven linear oscillator: it exhibits a threshold behavior, with the amplitude of this mode below the threshold being exactly zero. Quantum-mechanically, we were able to access the dynamics of this mode below the classical parametric threshold. We show that whereas the mean displacement of this mode is still zero, the mean squared displacement is finite and at the threshold corresponds to the occupation number of 1/2. This finite displacement of the non-driven mode can serve as an experimentally verifiable quantum signature of quantum motion.     

Classical and quantum correlations for two-mode coherent-state superposition

Quantum discord, a kind of quantum correlation, is defined as the mismatch between two quantum analogues of classically equivalent expressions of the mutual information. Distinguish classical and quantum correlations in quantum systems is therefore of both fundamental and practical importance. We investigate here the dynamics of classical and quantum correlations for two-mode coherent-state superposition in vacuum environment, which are known to be particularly useful for quantum information processing. By analytical and numerical analyzes we find that, contrary to what is usually stated in the literature, quantum discord under decoherence may exhibit sudden death and sudden birth phenomena, and we show also that the classical and quantum correlations vanish at infinite time. Moreover, the quantum discord may be less or more robust than entanglement against environment depending on different strength regimes of the optical fields of the two-mode coherent-state superposition.     

Two-dimensional periodic frustrated ising models in a transverse field

We investigate the interplay of classical degeneracy and quantum dynamics in a range of periodic frustrated transverse field Ising systems at zero temperature. We find that such dynamics can lead to unusual ordered phases and phase transitions or to a quantum spin liquid (cooperative paramagnetic) phase as in the triangular and kagome lattice antiferromagnets, respectively. For the latter, we further predict passage to a bond-ordered phase followed by a critical phase as the field is tilted. These systems also provide exact realizations of quantum dimer models introduced in studies of high temperature superconductivity.     

Non-Markovian decoherent quantum walks

Quantum walks act in obviously different ways from their classical counterparts, but decoherence will lessen and close this gap between them. To understand this process, it is necessary to investigate the evolution of quantum walks under different decoherence situations. In this article, we study a non-Markovian decoherent quantum walk on a line. In a short time regime, the behavior of the walk deviates from both ideal quantum walks and classical random walks. The position variance as a measure of the quantum walk collapses and revives for a short time, and tends to have a linear relation with time. That is, the walker's behavior shows a diffusive spread over a long time limit, which is caused by non-Markovian dephasing affecting the quantum correlations between the quantum walker and his coin. We also study both quantum discord and measurement-induced disturbance as measures of the quantum correlations, and observe both collapse and revival in the short time regime, and the tendency to be zero in the long time limit. Therefore, quantum walks with non-Markovian decoherence tend to have diffusive spreading behavior over long time limits, while in the short time regime they oscillate between ballistic and diffusive spreading behavior, and the quantum correlation collapses and revives due to the memory effect.     

Experimental simulation of the Unruh effect on an NMR quantum simulator

The Unruh effect is one of the most fundamental manifestations of the fact that the particle content of a field theory is observer dependent. However, there has been so far no experimental verification of this effect, as the associated temperatures lie far below any observable threshold. Recently, physical phenomena, which are of great experimental challenge, have been investigated by quantum simulations in various fields. Here we perform a proof-of-principle simulation of the evolution of fermionic modes under the Unruh effect with a nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) quantum simulator. By the quantum simulator, we experimentally demonstrate the behavior of Unruh temperature with acceleration, and we further investigate the quantum correlations quantified by quantum discord between two fermionic modes as seen by two relatively accelerated observers. It is shown that the quantum correlations can be created by the Unruh effect from the classically correlated states. Our work may provide a promising way to explore the quantum physics of accelerated systems.     

Behavior of quantum correlations under local noise

We characterize the behavior of quantum correlations under the influence of local noisy channels. Intuition suggests that such noise should be detrimental for quantumness. When considering qubit systems, we show for which channels this is indeed the case: The amount of quantum correlations can only decrease under the action of unital channels. However, nonunital channels (e.g., such as dissipation) can create quantum correlations for some initially classical states. Furthermore, for higher-dimensional systems even unital channels may increase the amount of quantum correlations. Thus, counterintuitively, local decoherence can generate quantum correlations.