@article{21501, abstract = {Kinetically constrained models were originally introduced to capture slow relaxation in glassy systems, where dynamics are hindered by local constraints instead of energy barriers. Their quantum counterparts have recently drawn attention for exhibiting highly degenerate eigenstates at zero energy—known as zero modes—stemming from chiral symmetry. Yet, the structure and implications of these zero modes remain poorly understood. In this work, we focus on the properties of the zero mode subspace in quantum kinetically constrained models with a U(1) particle-conservation symmetry. We use the U(1) East, which lacks inversion symmetry, and the inversion-symmetric U(1) East-West models to illustrate our two main results. First, we observe that the simultaneous presence of constraints and chiral symmetry generally leads to a parametric increase in the number of zero modes due to the fragmentation of the many-body Hilbert space into disconnected sectors. Second, we generalize the concept of compact localized states from single-particle physics and introduce the notion of collective bound states, a special kind of nonergodic eigenstates that are robust to enlarging the system size. We formulate sufficient criteria for their existence, arguing that the degenerate zero mode subspace plays a central role, and demonstrate bound states in both example models and in a two-dimensional model, the U(1) North-East, and in the pairflip model, a system without particle conservation. Our results motivate a systematic study of bound states and their relation to ergodicity breaking, transport, and other properties of quantum kinetically constrained models. }, author = {Nicolau Jimenez, Eulalia and Ljubotina, Marko and Serbyn, Maksym}, issn = {2691-3399}, journal = {PRX Quantum}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, title = {{Fragmentation, zero modes, and collective bound states in constrained models}}, doi = {10.1103/sl79-1xgb}, volume = {7}, year = {2026}, } @article{20646, abstract = {Describing general quantum many-body dynamics is a challenging task due to the exponential growth of the Hilbert space with system size. The time-dependent variational principle (TDVP) provides a powerful tool to tackle this task by projecting quantum evolution onto a classical dynamical system within a variational manifold. In classical systems, periodic orbits play a crucial role in understanding the structure of the phase space and the long-term behavior of the system. However, finding periodic orbits is generally difficult, and their existence and properties in generic TDVP dynamics over matrix product states have remained largely unexplored. In this work, we develop an algorithm to systematically identify and characterize periodic orbits in TDVP dynamics. Applying our method to the periodically kicked Ising model, we uncover both stable and unstable periodic orbits. We characterize the Kolmogorov-Arnold-Moser tori in the vicinity of stable periodic orbits and track the change of the periodic orbits as we modify the Hamiltonian parameters. We observe that periodic orbits exist at any value of the coupling constant of the kicked Ising model between prethermal and fully thermalizing regimes, but their relevance to quantum dynamics and imprint on quantum eigenstates diminishes as the system leaves the prethermal regime. Our results demonstrate that periodic orbits provide valuable insights into the TDVP approximation of quantum many-body evolution and establish a closer connection between quantum and classical chaos.}, author = {Petrova, Elena and Ljubotina, Marko and Yalniz, Gökhan and Serbyn, Maksym}, issn = {2691-3399}, journal = {PRX Quantum}, number = {4}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, title = {{Finding periodic orbits in projected quantum many-body dynamics}}, doi = {10.1103/tldp-kvkd}, volume = {6}, year = {2025}, } @article{15407, abstract = {We propose and implement a family of quantum-informed recursive optimization (QIRO) algorithms for combinatorial optimization problems. Our approach leverages quantum resources to obtain information that is used in problem-specific classical reduction steps that recursively simplify the problem. These reduction steps address the limitations of the quantum component (e.g., locality) and ensure solution feasibility in constrained optimization problems. Additionally, we use backtracking techniques to further improve the performance of the algorithm without increasing the requirements on the quantum hardware. We showcase the capabilities of our approach by informing QIRO with correlations from classical simulations of shallow circuits of the quantum approximate optimization algorithm, solving instances of maximum independent set and maximum satisfiability problems with hundreds of variables. We also demonstrate how QIRO can be deployed on a neutral atom quantum processor to find large independent sets of graphs. In summary, our scheme achieves results comparable to classical heuristics even with relatively weak quantum resources. Furthermore, enhancing the quality of these quantum resources improves the performance of the algorithms. Notably, the modular nature of QIRO offers various avenues for modifications, positioning our work as a template for a broader class of hybrid quantum-classical algorithms for combinatorial optimization.}, author = {Finžgar, Jernej Rudi and Kerschbaumer, Aron and Schuetz, Martin J.A. and Mendl, Christian B. and Katzgraber, Helmut G.}, issn = {2691-3399}, journal = {PRX Quantum}, number = {2}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, title = {{Quantum-informed recursive optimization algorithms}}, doi = {10.1103/PRXQuantum.5.020327}, volume = {5}, year = {2024}, } @article{18488, abstract = {The advancement of quantum simulators motivates the development of a theoretical framework to assist with efficient state preparation in quantum many-body systems. Generally, preparing a target entangled state via unitary evolution with time-dependent couplings is a challenging task and very little is known about the existence of solutions and their properties. In this work we develop a constructive approach for preparing matrix product states (MPS) via continuous unitary evolution. We provide an explicit construction of the operator that exactly implements the evolution of a given MPS along a specified direction in its tangent space. This operator can be written as a sum of local terms of finite range, yet it is in general non-Hermitian. Relying on the explicit construction of the non-Hermitian generator of the dynamics, we demonstrate the existence of a Hermitian sequence of operators that implements the desired MPS evolution with an error that decreases exponentially with the operator range. The construction is benchmarked on an explicit periodic trajectory in a translationally invariant MPS manifold. We demonstrate that the Floquet unitary generating the dynamics over one period of the trajectory features an approximate MPS-like eigenstate embedded among a sea of thermalizing eigenstates. These results show that our construction is not only useful for state preparation and control of many-body systems, but also provides a generic route towards Floquet scars—periodically driven models with quasilocal generators of dynamics that have exact MPS eigenstates in their spectrum.}, author = {Ljubotina, Marko and Petrova, Elena and Schuch, Norbert and Serbyn, Maksym}, issn = {2691-3399}, journal = {PRX Quantum}, number = {4}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, title = {{Tangent space generators of matrix product states and exact floquet quantum scars}}, doi = {10.1103/prxquantum.5.040311}, volume = {5}, year = {2024}, } @article{18176, abstract = {Introducing a class of SU(2) invariant quantum unitary circuits generating chiral transport, we examine the role of broken space-reflection and time-reversal symmetries on spin-transport properties. Upon adjusting parameters of local unitary gates, the dynamics can be either chaotic or integrable. The latter corresponds to a generalization of the space-time discretized (Trotterized) higher-spin quantum Heisenberg chain. We demonstrate that breaking of space-reflection symmetry results in a drift in the dynamical spin susceptibility. Remarkably, we find a universal drift velocity given by a simple formula, which, at zero average magnetization, depends only on the values of SU(2) Casimir invariants associated with local spins. In the integrable case, the drift velocity formula is confirmed analytically based on the exact solution of thermodynamic Bethe ansatz equations. Finally, by inspecting the large fluctuations of the time-integrated current between two halves of the system in stationary maximum-entropy states, we demonstrate violation of the Gallavotti-Cohen symmetry, implying that such states cannot be regarded as equilibrium ones. We show that the scaled cumulant generating function of the time-integrated current instead obeys a generalized fluctuation relation.}, author = {Zadnik, Lenart and Ljubotina, Marko and Krajnik, Žiga and Ilievski, Enej and Prosen, Tomaž}, issn = {2691-3399}, journal = {PRX Quantum}, number = {3}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, title = {{Quantum many-body spin ratchets}}, doi = {10.1103/PRXQuantum.5.030356}, volume = {5}, year = {2024}, } @article{17183, abstract = {The photon blockade breakdown in a continuously driven cavity QED system has been proposed as a prime example for a first-order driven-dissipative quantum phase transition. However, the predicted scaling from a microscopic behavior—dominated by quantum fluctuations—to a macroscopic one—characterized by stable phases—and the associated exponents and phase diagram have not been observed so far. In this work we couple a single transmon qubit with a fixed coupling strength 𝑔 to a superconducting cavity that is in situ bandwidth 𝜅 tunable to controllably approach this thermodynamic limit. Even though the system remains microscopic, we observe its behavior becoming increasingly macroscopic as a function of 𝑔/𝜅. For the highest realized 𝑔/𝜅 of approximately 287, the system switches with a characteristic timescale as long as 6 s between a bright coherent state with approximately 8×103 intracavity photons and the vacuum state. This exceeds the microscopic timescales by 6 orders of magnitude and approaches the perfect hysteresis expected between two macroscopic attractors in the thermodynamic limit. These findings and interpretation are qualitatively supported by neoclassical theory and large-scale quantum-jump Monte Carlo simulations. Besides shedding more light on driven-dissipative physics in the limit of strong light-matter coupling, this system might also find applications in quantum sensing and metrology.}, author = {Sett, Riya and Hassani, Farid and Phan, Duc T and Barzanjeh, Shabir and Vukics, Andras and Fink, Johannes M}, issn = {2691-3399}, journal = {PRX Quantum}, number = {1}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, title = {{Emergent macroscopic bistability induced by a single superconducting qubit}}, doi = {10.1103/prxquantum.5.010327}, volume = {5}, year = {2024}, } @article{11353, abstract = {Micro- and nanoscale optical or microwave cavities are used in a wide range of classical applications and quantum science experiments, ranging from precision measurements, laser technologies to quantum control of mechanical motion. The dissipative photon loss via absorption, present to some extent in any optical cavity, is known to introduce thermo-optical effects and thereby impose fundamental limits on precision measurements. Here, we theoretically and experimentally reveal that such dissipative photon absorption can result in quantum feedback via in-loop field detection of the absorbed optical field, leading to the intracavity field fluctuations to be squashed or antisquashed. A closed-loop dissipative quantum feedback to the cavity field arises. Strikingly, this modifies the optical cavity susceptibility in coherent response measurements (capable of both increasing or decreasing the bare cavity linewidth) and causes excess noise and correlations in incoherent interferometric optomechanical measurements using a cavity, that is parametrically coupled to a mechanical oscillator. We experimentally observe such unanticipated dissipative dynamics in optomechanical spectroscopy of sideband-cooled optomechanical crystal cavitiess at both cryogenic temperature (approximately 8 K) and ambient conditions. The dissipative feedback introduces effective modifications to the optical cavity linewidth and the optomechanical scattering rate and gives rise to excess imprecision noise in the interferometric quantum measurement of mechanical motion. Such dissipative feedback differs fundamentally from a quantum nondemolition feedback, e.g., optical Kerr squeezing. The dissipative feedback itself always results in an antisqueezed out-of-loop optical field, while it can enhance the coexisting Kerr squeezing under certain conditions. Our result applies to cavity spectroscopy in both optical and superconducting microwave cavities, and equally applies to any dissipative feedback mechanism of different bandwidth inside the cavity. It has wide-ranging implications for future dissipation engineering, such as dissipation enhanced sideband cooling and Kerr squeezing, quantum frequency conversion, and nonreciprocity in photonic systems.}, author = {Qiu, Liu and Huang, Guanhao and Shomroni, Itay and Pan, Jiahe and Seidler, Paul and Kippenberg, Tobias J.}, issn = {2691-3399}, journal = {PRX Quantum}, number = {2}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, title = {{Dissipative quantum feedback in measurements using a parametrically coupled microcavity}}, doi = {10.1103/PRXQuantum.3.020309}, volume = {3}, year = {2022}, } @article{12276, abstract = {Ongoing development of quantum simulators allows for a progressively finer degree of control of quantum many-body systems. This motivates the development of efficient approaches to facilitate the control of such systems and enable the preparation of nontrivial quantum states. Here we formulate an approach to control quantum systems based on matrix product states (MPSs). We compare counterdiabatic and leakage minimization approaches to the so-called local steering problem that consists in finding the best value of the control parameters for generating a unitary evolution of the specific MPS in a given direction. In order to benchmark the different approaches, we apply them to the generalization of the PXP model known to exhibit coherent quantum dynamics due to quantum many-body scars. We find that the leakage-based approach generally outperforms the counterdiabatic framework and use it to construct a Floquet model with quantum scars. We perform the first steps towards global trajectory optimization and demonstrate entanglement steering capabilities in the generalized PXP model. Finally, we apply our leakage minimization approach to construct quantum scars in the periodically driven nonintegrable Ising model.}, author = {Ljubotina, Marko and Roos, Barbara and Abanin, Dmitry A. and Serbyn, Maksym}, issn = {2691-3399}, journal = {PRX Quantum}, keywords = {General Medicine}, number = {3}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, title = {{Optimal steering of matrix product states and quantum many-body scars}}, doi = {10.1103/prxquantum.3.030343}, volume = {3}, year = {2022}, } @article{9928, abstract = {There are two elementary superconducting qubit types that derive directly from the quantum harmonic oscillator. In one, the inductor is replaced by a nonlinear Josephson junction to realize the widely used charge qubits with a compact phase variable and a discrete charge wave function. In the other, the junction is added in parallel, which gives rise to an extended phase variable, continuous wave functions, and a rich energy-level structure due to the loop topology. While the corresponding rf superconducting quantum interference device Hamiltonian was introduced as a quadratic quasi-one-dimensional potential approximation to describe the fluxonium qubit implemented with long Josephson-junction arrays, in this work we implement it directly using a linear superinductor formed by a single uninterrupted aluminum wire. We present a large variety of qubits, all stemming from the same circuit but with drastically different characteristic energy scales. This includes flux and fluxonium qubits but also the recently introduced quasicharge qubit with strongly enhanced zero-point phase fluctuations and a heavily suppressed flux dispersion. The use of a geometric inductor results in high reproducibility of the inductive energy as guaranteed by top-down lithography—a key ingredient for intrinsically protected superconducting qubits.}, author = {Peruzzo, Matilda and Hassani, Farid and Szep, Gregory and Trioni, Andrea and Redchenko, Elena and Zemlicka, Martin and Fink, Johannes M}, issn = {2691-3399}, journal = {PRX Quantum}, keywords = {quantum physics, mesoscale and nanoscale physics}, number = {4}, pages = {040341}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, title = {{Geometric superinductance qubits: Controlling phase delocalization across a single Josephson junction}}, doi = {10.1103/PRXQuantum.2.040341}, volume = {2}, year = {2021}, }