Talks

Quantum state engineering plays a vital role in various applications in the field of quantum information. Different strategies, including drive-and-dissipation, adiabatic cooling, and measurement-based steering, have been proposed for state generation and manipulation, each with its upsides and downsides. Here, we address a class of measurement-based state engineering protocols where a sequence of generalized measurements is employed to steer a quantum system toward a desired (pure or mixed) target state. Previously studied measurement-based protocols relied on idealized procedures and avoided exploration of the effects of various errors stemming from imperfections of experimental realizations and external noise. We employ the quantum trajectory formalism to provide a detailed analysis of the robustness of these steering protocols against multiple classes of errors. We study a set of realistic errors that can be classified as dynamic or static, depending on whether they remain unchanged while running the protocol. More specifically, we investigate the impact of the erroneous choice of detector-system coupling, erroneous reinitialization of the detector state following a measurement step, fluctuating steering directions, and environmentally induced errors in the detector-system interaction. We show that the protocol remains fully robust against the erroneous choice of detector-system coupling parameters and presents reasonable robustness against other types of errors. Our analysis employs various quantifiers such as fidelity, trace distance, and linear entropy to characterize the protocol’s robustness and provide analytical results for these quantifiers against various errors. We introduce averaging hierarchies of stochastic equations describing individual quantum trajectories associated with detector readouts. Subsequently, we demonstrate the commutation between the classical expectation value and the time-ordering operator of the exponential of a Hamiltonian with multiplicative white noise, as well as the commutation of the expectation value and the partial trace with respect to detector outcomes. Our ideas are implemented and demonstrated for a specific class of steering platforms, addressing a single qubit.

Measurement-induced Phase Transitions (MiPTs) emerge from the interplay between competing local quantum measurements and unitary scrambling dynamics. While monitored quantum trajectories are inherently stochastic, post-selecting specific detector readouts leads to dynamics governed by non-Hermitian Hamiltonians, revealing distinct universal characteristics of MiPTs.

Here, we contrast the quantum dynamics of individual post-selected trajectories with their collective statistics behavior. We introduce a novel partially post-selected stochastic Schrödinger equation that enables the study of controlled subsets of quantum trajectories. Applying this formalism to a Gaussian Majorana fermions model, we employ a two-replica approach combined with renormalization group (RG) techniques to demonstrate that non-Hermitian MiPT universality persists even under limited stochasticity. Notably, we discover that the transition to MiPT occurs at a finite partial post-selection threshold. Our findings establish a framework for leveraging non-Hermitian dynamics to investigate monitored quantum systems while addressing fundamental challenges in post-selection procedures.

It is shown that linearity of classical/quantum/hybrid ensemble dynamics follows from bases of statistics. Hybrid classical- -quantum trajectories and their hybrid master equations are discussed. We stress that the interaction between a classical and a quantum subsystem requires monitoring the quantum subsystem because its action on the classical subsystem can only be realized by the emerging classical signal.

1) Introduction to quantum superconducting circuits: resonators, qubits, readout methods
2) Measurement apparatus and their modeling: amplifiers, homodyne and heterodyne measurements, photon detectors, photon counters, quantum efficiency
3) Quantum trajectories of superconducting qubits and cavities: quantum jumps, diffusive trajectories using dispersive measurement and/or fluorescence, past quantum states approach
4) Measurement-based feedback:  stabilization of qubit states and trajectories, stabilization of cavity states, use of neural networks, pros and cons of feedback control compared to reservoir engineering techniques, applications

In the panel discussion, each panelist will showcase examples of well-written papers and share one essential "do" and one important "don't" for crafting effective scientific papers. The session will include an open Q&A segment to encourage audience engagement.

the no-cloning theorem is an essential result in quantum information on top of which many quantum cryptography protocols are built. In this talk we examine the cloning question in the context of classical mechanics/Hamiltonian mechanics. We find the answer is quite subtle: whether a mechanical system can be cloned depends on the topological structure of its phase space. In particular, for a system to be clonable, its phase space must be contractible. This means certain systems (e.g. particle moving on a line) is clonable, while others (e.g. the simple pendulum) cannot be cloned. We explain the idea of the proof, which uses tools from algebraic topology (homotopy groups and Whitehead’s theorem). Finally we discuss the physical interpretations of this result: how do we reconcile this theorem with the experience that generally speaking, classical information is clonable? Can we use this no-cloning theorem to build secure communication protocols in classical systems instead of quantum ones?