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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 667 records · Page 37
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

Heralded Bell State of Dissipative Qubits Using Classical Light in a Waveguide

Maximally entangled two-qubit states (Bell states) are of central importance in quantum technologies. We show that heralded generation of a maximally entangled state of two intrinsically open qubits can be realized in a one-dimensional (1d) system through strong coherent driving and continuous monitoring. In contrast to the natural idea that dissipation leads to decoherence and so destroys quantum effects, continuous measurement and strong interference in our 1d system generate a pure state with perfect quantum correlation between the two open qubits. Though the steady state is a trivial product state which has zero coherence or concurrence, we show that, with carefully tuned parameters, a Bell state can be generated in the system's quantum jump trajectories, heralded by a reflected photon. Surprisingly, this maximally entangled state survives the strong coherent state input—a classical state that overwhelms the system. This simple method to generate maximally entangled states using classical coherent light and photon detection may, since our qubits are in a 1d continuum, find application as a building block of quantum networks.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Fast quantum interferometry at the nanometer and attosecond scales with energy-entangled photons

In classical optical interferometry, loss and background complicate achieving fast nanometer-resolution measurements with illumination at low light levels. Conversely, quantum two-photon interference is unaffected by loss and background, but nanometer-scale resolution is physically difficult to realize. As a solution, we enhance two-photon interference with highly nondegenerate energy entanglement featuring photon frequencies separated by 177 THz. We observe measurement resolution at the nanometer (attosecond) scale with only O(10 4 ) photon pairs, despite the presence of background and loss. Our nondestructive thickness measurement of a metallic thin film agrees with atomic force microscopy, which often achieves better resolution via destructive means. With contactless, nondestructive measurements in seconds or faster, our instrument enables metrological studies in optically challenging contexts where background, loss, or photosensitivity are factors.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2023

Improved noise performance from the next-generation buried-channel p-MOSFET SiSeROs

The Single electron Sensitive Read Out (SiSeRO) is a novel on-chip charge detector output stage for charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensors. Developed at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, this technology uses a p-MOSFET transistor with a depleted internal gate beneath the transistor channel. The transistor source-drain current is modulated by the transfer of charge into the internal gate. At Stanford, we have developed a readout module based on the drain current of the on-chip transistor to characterize the device. In our earlier work, we characterized a number of first prototype SiSeROs with the MOSFET transistor channels at the surface layer. An equivalent noise charge (ENC) of around 15 electrons root mean square (RMS) was obtained. In this work, we examine the first buried-channel SiSeRO. Here we have achieved substantially improved noise performance of around 4.5 electrons root mean square (RMS) and a full width half maximum (FWHM) energy resolution of 132 eV at 5.9 keV, for a readout speed of 625 kpixel/s. We also discuss how digital filtering techniques can be used to further improve the SiSeRO noise performance. Additional measurements and device simulations will be essential to further mature the SiSeRO technology. This new device class presents an exciting new technology for the next-generation astronomical X-ray telescopes requiring fast, low-noise, radiation-hard megapixel imagers with moderate spectroscopic resolution.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

The excitonic insulator route through a dynamical phase transition induced by an optical pulse

We consider a dynamical phase transition induced by a short optical pulse in a system prone to thermodynamical instability. We address the case of pumping to excitons whose density contributes directly to the order parameter. To describe both thermodynamic and dynamic effects on equal footing, we adopt a view of the excitonic insulator for the phase transition and suggest a formation of the Bose condensate for the pumped excitons. The work is motivated by experiments in donor–acceptor organic compounds with a neutral- ionic phase transition coupled to the spontaneous lattice dimerization and to charge transfer excitons. The double nature of the ensemble of excitons leads to an intricate time evolution, in particular, to macroscopic quantum oscillations from the interference between the Bose condensate of excitons and the ground state of the excitonic insulator. The coupling of excitons and the order parameter also leads to self-trapping of their wave function, akin to self-focusing in optics. The locally enhanced density of excitons can surpass a critical value to trigger the phase transformation, even if the mean density is below the required threshold. The system is stratified in domains that evolve through dynamical phase transitions and sequences of merging. The new circumstances in experiments and theory bring to life, once again, some remarkable inventions made by L.V. Keldysh.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
NASA NTRS1981

Time-resolved spectroscopy of the Mercury 6 3P1 state

The time-resolved fluorescence was observed from the Hg 6 3P1 state under the influence of the earth's magnetic field and with applied fields of up to 14 G. Modulation of the fluorescence decay signal was observed as a function of both time and space and can be interpreted in terms of a classical precession of the excited atom about the magnetic field or as quantum beats resulting from interference between coherently populated Zeeman sublevels. This modulation was studied for each of the five resolvable components of the hyperfine structure separately. The fluorescence from the even isotopes was determined to be almost completely modulated while the fluorescence from the odd isotopes was only partially modulated. The frequency of modulation of the fluorescence from the mercury-202 isotope was observed as a function of the applied magnetic field and a value for the Lande factor of 1.46 + or - 0.03 was obtained. This is within experimental error of the accepted value of 1.486. In addition, the frequency of modulation as a function of applied magnetic field was determined for each of the three resolvable components with more than one contributing isotopic hyperfine line. An investigation of the effect of radiation trapping on the degree modulation was also made.

Halstead, J. A.↗
DOE OSTI2014

Nonadiabatic electron dynamics of single-electron transport in a perpendicular magnetic field

We present results of our investigation into the nonadiabatic electron dynamics of a moving quantum dot assisted by surface acoustic waves (SAWs) in a perpendicular magnetic field. The measurements show the evolution of a quantized acoustoelectric current in a modulated external field, which provides direct information of the energy spectrum and the occupation of the SAW-induced elliptical dynamical quantum dot. By comparing the magnetic field dependence of the spectrum with that of a somewhat symmetric circular dot, we find the appearance of nonadiabatic excitations at low magnetic fields resulting from the anisotropy of the dot. We also detect the transitions between different quantum states of the elliptical dot, achieved by exploiting the interference of two phase-tuned SAWs. Our results demonstrate that the quantum states in an asymmetric dot are fragile and extremely sensitive to their environment.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS2024

Clock Synchronization Characterization of the Washington DC Metropolitan Area Quantum Network (DC-QNet)

Quantum networking protocols relying on interference and precise time-of-flight measurements require high-precision clock synchronization. This study describes the design, implementation, and characterization of two optical time transfer methods in a metropolitan-scale quantum networking research testbed. With active electronic stabilization, sub-picosecond time deviation (TDEV) was achieved at integration times between 1 s and 10 5 s over 53 km of deployed fiber. Over the same integration periods, 10-picosecond level TDEV was observed using the White Rabbit-Precision Time Protocol (WR-PTP) over 128 km. Measurement methods are described to understand the sources of environmental fluctuations on clock synchronization towards the development of in-situ compensation methods. Path delay gradients, chromatic dispersion, polarization drift, and optical power variations all contributed to clock synchronization errors. The results from this study will inform future work in the development of link noise management methods essential for enabling experimental research in developing practical quantum networking protocols.

PIKTime↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Picosecond Clock Synchronization Across A 7-Node Metropolitan Scale Quantum Network

Quantum networking protocols relying on interference and precise time-of-flight measurements require high precision clock synchronization. This study describes the design, implementation, and characterization of two optical time transfer methods in a metropolitan-scale quantum networking research testbed. The first technique called active electronic stabilization (ELSTAB), was able to achieve sub-picosecond time deviation (TDEV) at integration times between 1 s and 105s over multiple different fiber lengths of both underground and aerial deployed fiber. The second technique, White Rabbit-Precision Time Protocol (WR-PTP), was able to achieve 10-picosecond TDEV’s over similar fiber lengths at comparable integration times. Environmental fluctuations affected the stability of clock synchronization over deployed fiber. These fluctuations resulted in path delay gradients, chromatic dispersion, polarization drift, and optical power variations. The results from this study will inform future work in the development of compensation methods essential for enabling experimental research in developing practical quantum networking protocols.

synchronization↗
DOE OSTI2020

Destructive Error Interference in Product-Formula Lattice Simulation

Quantum computers can efficiently simulate the dynamics of quantum systems. Here, we study the cost of digitally simulating the dynamics of several physically relevant systems using the first-order product-formula algorithm. We show that the errors from different Trotterization steps in the algorithm can interfere destructively, yielding a much smaller error than previously estimated. In particular, we prove that the total error in simulating a nearest-neighbor interacting system of n sites for time t using the first-order product formula with r time slices is O ( n t / r + n t 3 / r 2 ) when n t 2 / r is less than a small constant. Given an error tolerance ϵ , the error bound yields an estimate of max { O ( n 2 t / ϵ ) , O ( n 2 t 3 / 2 / ϵ 1 / 2 ) } for the total gate count of the simulation. The estimate is tighter than previous bounds and matches the empirical performance observed in Childs et al. [ Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 115 , 9456 (2018) ]. We also provide numerical evidence for potential improvements and conjecture an even tighter estimate for the gate count.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2024

Preparing angular momentum eigenstates using engineered quantum walks

Coupled angular-momentum eigenstates are widely used in atomic and nuclear physics calculations and are building blocks for spin networks and the Schur transform. To combine two angular momenta J 1 and J 2 , forming eigenstates of their total angular momentum J=J 1 +J 2 , we develop a quantum-walk scheme that does not require inputting O(j 3 ) nonzero Clebsch–Gordan (CG) coefficients classically. In fact, our scheme may be regarded as a unitary method for computing CG coefficients on quantum computers with a typical complexity of O⁡(j) and a worst-case complexity of O⁡(j 3 ). Equivalently, our scheme provides decompositions of the dense CG unitary into sparser unitary operations. Our scheme prepares angular-momentum eigenstates using a sequence of Hamiltonians to move an initial state deterministically to desired final states, which are usually highly entangled states in the computational basis. In contrast with usual quantum walks, whose Hamiltonians are prescribed, we engineer the Hamiltonians in su⁡(2)×su⁡(2), which are inspired by, but different from, Hamiltonians that govern magnetic resonances and dipole interactions. To achieve a deterministic preparation of both ket and bra states, we use projection and destructive interference to double pinch the quantum walks, such that each step is a unit-probability population transfer within a two-level system. We test our state preparation scheme on classical computers, reproducing tables of CG coefficients. Finally, we also implement small test problems on current quantum hardware.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2017

Search for new physics with dijet angular distributions in proton-proton collisions at $ \sqrt{s}=13 $ TeV

A search is presented for extra spatial dimensions, quantum black holes, and quark contact interactions in measurements of dijet angular distributions in proton-proton collisions at $ \sqrt{s}=13 $ TeV. The data were collected with the CMS detector at the LHC and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 2.6 fb$^{−1}$. The distributions are found to be in agreement with predictions from perturbative quantum chromodynamics that include electroweak corrections. Limits for different contact interaction models are obtained. In a benchmark model, valid to next-to-leading order in QCD and in which only left-handed quarks participate, quark contact interactions are excluded up to a scale of 11.5 and 14.7 TeV for destructive or constructive interference, respectively. The production of quantum black holes is excluded for masses below 7.8 or 5.3 TeV, depending on the model. The lower limits for the scales of virtual graviton exchange in the Arkani-Hamed-Dimopoulos-Dvali model of extra spatial dimensions are in the range 7.9–11.2 TeV, and are the most stringent set of limits available.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Interference in between the acts of pre- and postselection

As an alternative approach for measuring the weak effects associated with the artificial preparation of rare events in quantum metrology, we propose the study of the interference pattern generated by acts of pre- and postselection of a quantum system. An example of two Mach – Zehnder interferometers connected by a cross-Kerr nonlinearity is considered. Postselection of photon states at the output of one of the interferometers and the application of a controlled phase shift in one of its arms induces interference phenomena in the photodetection statistics at the output of the second interferometer. The nonlinearity parameter determines the shift and width of the structures in the interference pattern. The main features of this pattern are studied depending on the magnitude of the Kerr nonlinearity and the number of photons at the input of the interferometers. (paper)

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Diffraction of entangled particles by light gratings

We analyze the diffraction regime of the Kapitza–Dirac effect for particles entangled in momentum. The detection patterns show two-particle interferences. In the single-mode case we identify a discontinuity in the set of joint detection probabilities, associated with the disconnected character of the space of non-separable states. For Gaussian multi-mode states we derive the diffraction patterns, providing an example of the dependence of the light–matter interaction on entanglement. When the particles are identical, we can explore the relation between exchange and entanglement effects. We find a complementary behavior between overlapping and Schmidt’s number. In particular, symmetric entanglement can cancel the exchange effects. - Highlights: • Kapitza–Dirac diffraction of entangled particles shows multiparticle interference. • There is a discontinuity in the set of joint detection patterns of entangled states. • We find a complementary behavior between overlapping and Schmidt’s number. • Symmetric entanglement can cancel the exchange effects.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2019

Photoelectron holographic interferences from multiple returning in strong-field tunneling ionization

By numerically solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation, we theoretically investigate the holographic structure of the multiple-returning rescattering recorded in the photoelectron momentum distribution. In the orthogonally polarized two-color fields, we show that the interference patterns periodically oscillate with the relative phase. Tracing the relative phase where the oscillation minimizes, we find that the dependences of the phase on the parallel momentum for the first-returning and the second-returning rescattering holographic interferences are different. With the quantum-orbit model, we demonstrated that the difference is related to the ionization and rescattering times of the electron. Moreover, we show that the influence of the Coulomb interaction on the oscillation of both the first-returning rescattering and the second-returning rescattering holographic interferences can be ignored. This suggests us that the temporal characteristics of the electron can be resolved by analyzing the relative phase’s dependence of the multiple-returning holographic interference.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Hong-Ou-Mandel interference with a coexisting clock using transceivers for synchronization over deployed fiber

Interference between independently generated photons is a key step towards distributing entanglement over long distances, but it requires synchronization between the distantly-located photon sources. Synchronizing the clocks of such photon sources using coexisting two-way classical optical communications over the same fiber that transports the quantum photonic signals is a promising approach for achieving photon-photon interference over long distances, enabling entanglement distribution for quantum networking using the deployed fiber infrastructure. Here, we demonstrate photon-photon interference by observing the Hong-Ou-Mandel dip between two distantly-located sources: a weak coherent-state source obtained by attenuating the output of a laser and a heralded single-photon source. We achieve a maximum dip visibility of 0.58 +/- 0.04 when the two sources are connected via 4.3 km of deployed fiber. Dip visibilities > 0.5 are nonclassical and a first step towards achieving teleportation over the deployed fiber infrastructure. In our experiment, the classical optical communication is achieved with - 21 dBm of optical signal launch power, which is used to synchronize the clocks in the two independent, distantly-located photon sources. The impact of spontaneous Raman scattering from the classical optical signals is mitigated by appropriate choice of the quantum- and classical-channel wavelengths. All equipment used in our experiment (the photon sources and the synchronization setup) is commercially available. Finally, our experiment represents a scalable approach to enabling practical quantum networking with commercial equipment and coexistence with classical communications in optical fiber.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Quantum nonlocal modulation cancelation with distributed clocks

We demonstrate nonlocal modulation of entangled photons with truly distributed radio frequency (RF) clocks. Leveraging a custom radio-over-fiber (RFoF) system characterized via classical spectral interference, we validate its effectiveness for quantum networking by multiplexing the RFoF clock with one photon from a frequency-bin-entangled pair and distributing the coexisting quantum-classical signals over fiber. Phase modulation of the two photons reveals nonlocal correlations in excellent agreement with theory: in-phase modulation produces additional sidebands in the joint spectral intensity, while out-of-phase modulation is nonlocally canceled. Our simple, feedback-free design attains subpicosecond synchronization—namely, drift less than ~0.5 ps in a 5.5 km fiber over 30 min (fractionally only ~2×10 -8 of the total fiber delay)—and should facilitate frequency-encoded quantum networking protocols such as high-dimensional quantum key distribution and entanglement swapping, unlocking frequency-bin qubits for practical quantum communications in deployed metropolitan-scale networks.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Landau-Zener-Stückelberg-Majorana interference in a 3D transmon driven by a chirped microwave

By driving a 3D transmon with microwave fields, we generate an effective avoided energy-level crossing. Then we chirp microwave frequency, which is equivalent to driving the system through the avoided energy-level crossing by sweeping the avoided crossing. A double-passage chirp produces Landau-Zener-Stückelberg-Majorana (LZSM) interference that agree well with the numerical results, especially with the initial state being an eigen-energy state in the center of an avoided level crossing. A time-resolved state tomography measurement is performed in the evolution of LZSM interference, showing an experimental evidence for the dynamical evolution of quantum state. Our method is fully applicable to other quantum systems that contain no intrinsic avoided level crossing, providing an alternative approach for quantum control and quantum simulation.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2019

Scalable high-rate, high-dimensional time-bin encoding quantum key distribution

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a new scheme for measuring high-dimensional phase states using a two-photon interference technique, which we refer to as quantum-controlled measurement. Using this scheme, we implement a d -dimensional time-phase quantum key distribution (QKD) system and achieve secret key rates of 5.26 and 8.65 Mbps using d = 2 and d = 8 quantum states, respectively, for a 4 dB channel loss, illustrating that high-dimensional time-phase QKD protocols are advantageous for low-loss quantum channels. Here, this work paves the way for practical high-dimensional QKD protocols for metropolitan-scale systems. Furthermore, our results apply equally well for other high-dimensional protocols, such as those using the spatial degree-of-freedom with orbital angular momentum states being one example.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗