Tunable Non-Markovianity for Bosonic Quantum Memristors.

We studied the tunable control of the non-Markovianity of a bosonic mode due to its coupling to a set of auxiliary qubits, both embedded in a thermal reservoir. Specifically, we considered a single cavity mode coupled to auxiliary qubits described by the Tavis-Cummings model. As a figure of merit, we define the dynamical non-Markovianity as the tendency of a system to return to its initial state, instead of evolving monotonically to its steady state. We studied how this dynamical non-Markovianity can be manipulated in terms of the qubit frequency. We found that the control of the auxiliary systems affects the cavity dynamics as an effective time-dependent decay rate. Finally, we show how this tunable time-dependent decay rate can be tuned to engineer bosonic quantum memristors, involving memory effects that are fundamental for developing neuromorphic quantum technologies.

Toward Prediction of Financial Crashes with a D-Wave Quantum Annealer.

The prediction of financial crashes in a complex financial network is known to be an NP-hard problem, which means that no known algorithm can efficiently find optimal solutions. We experimentally explore a novel approach to this problem by using a D-Wave quantum annealer, benchmarking its performance for attaining a financial equilibrium. To be specific, the equilibrium condition of a nonlinear financial model is embedded into a higher-order unconstrained binary optimization (HUBO) problem, which is then transformed into a spin-1/2 Hamiltonian with at most, two-qubit interactions. The problem is thus equivalent to finding the ground state of an interacting spin Hamiltonian, which can be approximated with a quantum annealer. The size of the simulation is mainly constrained by the necessity of a large number of physical qubits representing a logical qubit with the correct connectivity. Our experiment paves the way for the codification of this quantitative macroeconomics problem in quantum annealers.

Quantum Rabi dynamics of trapped atoms far in the deep strong coupling regime.

The coupling of a two-level system with an electromagnetic field, whose fully quantized version is the quantum Rabi model, is among the central topics of quantum physics. When the coupling strength becomes large enough that the field mode frequency is reached, the deep strong coupling regime is approached, and excitations can be created from the vacuum. Here we demonstrate a periodic variant of the quantum Rabi model in which the two-level system is encoded in the Bloch band structure of cold rubidium atoms in optical potentials. With this method we achieve a Rabi coupling strength of 6.5 times the field mode frequency, which is far in the deep strong coupling regime, and observe a subcycle timescale raise in bosonic field mode excitations. In a measurement recorded in the basis of the coupling term of the quantum Rabi Hamiltonian, a freezing of dynamics is revealed for small frequency splittings of the two-level system, as expected when the coupling term dominates over all other energy scales, and a revival for larger splittings. Our work demonstrates a route to realize quantum-engineering applications in yet unexplored parameter regimes.

One-Photon Solutions to the Multiqubit Multimode Quantum Rabi Model for Fast W-State Generation.

General solutions to the quantum Rabi model involve subspaces with an unbounded number of photons. However, for the multiqubit multimode case, we find special solutions with at most one photon for an arbitrary number of qubits and photon modes. Such solutions exist for arbitrary single qubit-photon coupling strength with constant eigenenergy, while still being qubit-photon entangled states. Taking advantage of their peculiarities and the reach of the ultrastrong coupling regime, we propose an adiabatic scheme for the fast and deterministic generation of a two-qubit Bell state and arbitrary single-photon multimode W states with nonadiabatic error less than 1%. Finally, we propose a superconducting circuit design to catch and release the W states, and shows the experimental feasibility of the multimode multiqubit quantum Rabi model.

Exploring nine simultaneously occurring transients on April 12th 1950.

Nine point sources appeared within half an hour on a region within [Formula: see text] 10 arcmin of a red-sensitive photographic plate taken in April 1950 as part of the historic Palomar Sky Survey. All nine sources are absent on both previous and later photographic images, and absent in modern surveys with CCD detectors which go several magnitudes deeper. We present deep CCD images with the 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias, reaching brightness [Formula: see text] mag, that reveal possible optical counterparts, although these counterparts could equally well be just chance projections. The incidence of transients in the investigated photographic plate is far higher than expected from known detection rates of optical counterparts to e.g. flaring dwarf stars, Fast Radio Bursts, Gamma Ray Bursts or microlensing events. One possible explanation is that the plates have been subjected to an unknown type of contamination producing mainly point sources with of varying intensities along with some mechanism of concentration within a radius of [Formula: see text] 10 arcmin on the plate. If contamination as an explanation can be fully excluded, another possibility is fast (t [Formula: see text] s) solar reflections from objects near geosynchronous orbits. An alternative route to confirm the latter scenario is by looking for images from the First Palomar Sky Survey where multiple transients follow a line.

Retrieving Quantum Information with Active Learning.

Active learning is a machine learning method aiming at optimal design for model training. At variance with supervised learning, which labels all samples, active learning provides an improved model by labeling samples with maximal uncertainty according to the estimation model. Here, we propose the use of active learning for efficient quantum information retrieval, which is a crucial task in the design of quantum experiments. Meanwhile, when dealing with large data output, we employ active learning for the sake of classification with minimal cost in fidelity loss. Indeed, labeling only 5% samples, we achieve almost 90% rate estimation. The introduction of active learning methods in the data analysis of quantum experiments will enhance applications of quantum technologies.

Perceptrons from memristors.

Memristors, resistors with memory whose outputs depend on the history of their inputs, have been used with success in neuromorphic architectures, particularly as synapses and non-volatile memories. However, to the best of our knowledge, no model for a network in which both the synapses and the neurons are implemented using memristors has been proposed so far. In the present work we introduce models for single and multilayer perceptrons based exclusively on memristors. We adapt the delta rule to the memristor-based single-layer perceptron and the backpropagation algorithm to the memristor-based multilayer perceptron. Our results show that both perform as expected for perceptrons, including satisfying Minsky-Papert's theorem. As a consequence of the Universal Approximation Theorem, they also show that memristors are universal function approximators. By using memristors for both the neurons and the synapses, our models pave the way for novel memristor-based neural network architectures and algorithms. A neural network based on memristors could show advantages in terms of energy conservation and open up possibilities for other learning systems to be adapted to a memristor-based paradigm, both in the classical and quantum learning realms.

A continued fraction based approach for the Two-photon Quantum Rabi Model.

We study the Two Photon Quantum Rabi Model by way of its spectral functions and survival probabilities. This approach allows numerical precision with large truncation numbers, and thus exploration of the spectral collapse. We provide independent checks and calibration of the numerical results by studying an exactly solvable case and comparing the essential qualitative structure of the spectral functions. We stress that the large time limit of the survival probability provides us with an indicator of spectral collapse, and propose a technique for the detection of this signal in the current and upcoming quantum simulations of the model.

Experimental quantum simulation of fermion-antifermion scattering via boson exchange in a trapped ion.

Quantum field theories describe a variety of fundamental phenomena in physics. However, their study often involves cumbersome numerical simulations. Quantum simulators, on the other hand, may outperform classical computational capacities due to their potential scalability. Here we report an experimental realization of a quantum simulation of fermion-antifermion scattering mediated by bosonic modes, using a multilevel trapped ion, which is a simplified model of fermion scattering in both perturbative and non-perturbative quantum electrodynamics. The simulated model exhibits prototypical features in quantum field theory including particle pair creation and annihilation, as well as self-energy interactions. These are experimentally observed by manipulating four internal levels of a 171Yb+ trapped ion, where we encode the fermionic modes, and two motional degrees of freedom that simulate the bosonic modes. Our experiment establishes an avenue towards the efficient implementation of field modes, which may prove useful in studies of quantum field theories including non-perturbative regimes.

Measurement of linear response functions in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance.

We measure multi-time correlation functions of a set of Pauli operators on a two-level system, which can be used to retrieve its associated linear response functions. The two-level system is an effective spin constructed from the nuclear spins of 1H atoms in a solution of 13C-labeled chloroform. Response functions characterize the linear response of the system to a family of perturbations, allowing us to compute physical quantities such as the magnetic susceptibility of the effective spin. We use techniques exported from quantum information to measure time correlations on the two-level system. This approach requires the use of an ancillary qubit encoded in the nuclear spins of the 13C atoms and a sequence of controlled operations. Moreover, we demonstrate the ability of such a quantum platform to compute time-correlation functions of arbitrary order, which relate to higher-order corrections of perturbative methods. Particularly, we show three-time correlation functions for arbitrary times, and we also measure time correlation functions at fixed times up to tenth order.

Supervised Quantum Learning without Measurements.

We propose a quantum machine learning algorithm for efficiently solving a class of problems encoded in quantum controlled unitary operations. The central physical mechanism of the protocol is the iteration of a quantum time-delayed equation that introduces feedback in the dynamics and eliminates the necessity of intermediate measurements. The performance of the quantum algorithm is analyzed by comparing the results obtained in numerical simulations with the outcome of classical machine learning methods for the same problem. The use of time-delayed equations enhances the toolbox of the field of quantum machine learning, which may enable unprecedented applications in quantum technologies.

A Single-Ion Reservoir as a High-Sensitive Sensor of Electric Signals.

A single-ion reservoir has been tested, and characterized in order to be used as a highly sensitive optical detector of electric signals arriving at the trapping electrodes. Our system consists of a single laser-cooled 40Ca+ ion stored in a Paul trap with rotational symmetry. The performance is observed through the axial motion of the ion, which is equivalent to an underdamped and forced oscillator. Thus, the results can be projected also to Penning traps. We have found that, for an ion oscillator temperature T axial ≲ 10 mK in the forced-frequency range ω z = 2π × (80,200 kHz), the reservoir is sensitive to a time-varying electric field equivalent to an electric force of 5.3(2) neV/µm, for a measured quality factor Q = 3875(45), and a decay time constant γ z = 88(2) s-1. This method can be applied to measure optically the strength of an oscillating field or induced (driven) charge in this frequency range within times of tens of milliseconds. Furthermore the ion reservoir has been proven to be sensitive to electrostatic forces by measuring the ion displacement. Since the heating rate is below 0.3 µeV/s, this reservoir might be used as optical detector for any ion or bunch of charged particles stored in an adjacent trap.

Dispersive Regimes of the Dicke Model.

We study two dispersive regimes of the Dicke model in the dynamics of N two-level atoms interacting with a bosonic mode for long interaction times. Firstly, we analyze the model for the regime in which the qubit frequencies are equal and smaller than the mode frequency, and for values of the coupling strength similar or larger than the mode frequency, namely, the deep strong coupling regime. Secondly, we address an interaction that is dependent on the photon number, where the coupling strength is comparable to the geometric mean of the qubit and mode frequencies. We show that the associated dynamics is analytically tractable and provide useful frameworks with which to analyze the system behavior. In the deep strong coupling regime, we unveil the structure of unexpected resonances for specific values of the coupling, present for N ≥ 2, and in the photon-number-dependent regime we demonstrate that all the nontrivial dynamical behavior occurs in the atomic degrees of freedom for a given Fock state. We verify these assertions with numerical simulations of the qubit population and photon-statistic dynamics.

A Study on Fast Gates for Large-Scale Quantum Simulation with Trapped Ions.

Large-scale digital quantum simulations require thousands of fundamental entangling gates to construct the simulated dynamics. Despite success in a variety of small-scale simulations, quantum information processing platforms have hitherto failed to demonstrate the combination of precise control and scalability required to systematically outmatch classical simulators. We analyse how fast gates could enable trapped-ion quantum processors to achieve the requisite scalability to outperform classical computers without error correction. We analyze the performance of a large-scale digital simulator, and find that fidelity of around 70% is realizable for π-pulse infidelities below 10-5 in traps subject to realistic rates of heating and dephasing. This scalability relies on fast gates: entangling gates faster than the trap period.

Advanced-Retarded Differential Equations in Quantum Photonic Systems.

We propose the realization of photonic circuits whose dynamics is governed by advanced-retarded differential equations. Beyond their mathematical interest, these photonic configurations enable the implementation of quantum feedback and feedforward without requiring any intermediate measurement. We show how this protocol can be applied to implement interesting delay effects in the quantum regime, as well as in the classical limit. Our results elucidate the potential of the protocol as a promising route towards integrated quantum control systems on a chip.

Orthodontically induced external apical root resorption in patients treated with fixed appliances vs removable aligners.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether orthodontic treatment with removable aligners vs fixed orthodontic appliances is associated with a different frequency of orthodontically induced external apical root resorption (OIEARR) when genetic, radiographic, and clinical factors are accounted for. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three hundred seventy-two orthodontic patients treated with removable aligners (Invisalign) or fixed appliances were genetically screened for interleukin 1B gene (IL1B) (rs1143634), interleukin 1 receptor antagonist gene (IL1RN) (rs419598), and osteopontin gene (SPP1) (rs9138/rs11730582). Twelve clinical variables, potentially associated with OIEARR, were also considered. Subjects were divided according to the presence of radiographically determined OIEARR (>2 mm). The association between OIEARR and appliance type, and radiographic, clinical and genetic factors, was assessed using backward stepwise conditional logistic regression. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported. RESULTS: Reliability of the methods was adequate. Clinical case complexity (American Board of Orthodontics [ABO] Discrepancy Index) (OR: 1.032; 95% CI: 1.005-1.061; P = .021) and extent of incisor apical displacement in the sagittal plane (OR: 1.478; 95% CI: 1.285-1.699; P = .001) were associated with an increased OIEARR risk. After adjusting for associations between clinical/radiographic/genetic factors, there were no statistically significant differences with respect to OIEARR or type of orthodontic appliance used, whether removable aligners or fixed appliances (OR: 1.662; 95% CI: 0.945-2.924; P = .078). Only subjects homozygous for the T allele of IL1RN (rs419598) were more prone to OIEARR during orthodontic treatment (OR: 3.121; CI: 1.93-5.03; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: A similar OIEARR predisposition was identified using either removable aligners (Invisalign) or fixed appliances.

Digital-Analog Quantum Simulation of Spin Models in Trapped Ions.

We propose a method to simulate spin models in trapped ions using a digital-analog approach, consisting in a suitable gate decomposition in terms of analog blocks and digital steps. In this way, we show that the quantum dynamics of an enhanced variety of spin models could be implemented with substantially less number of gates than a fully digital approach. Typically, analog blocks are built of multipartite dynamics providing the complexity of the simulated model, while the digital steps are local operations bringing versatility to it. Finally, we describe a possible experimental implementation in trapped-ion technologies.

Artificial Life in Quantum Technologies.

We develop a quantum information protocol that models the biological behaviours of individuals living in a natural selection scenario. The artificially engineered evolution of the quantum living units shows the fundamental features of life in a common environment, such as self-replication, mutation, interaction of individuals, and death. We propose how to mimic these bio-inspired features in a quantum-mechanical formalism, which allows for an experimental implementation achievable with current quantum platforms. This study paves the way for the realization of artificial life and embodied evolution with quantum technologies.

Time reversal and charge conjugation in an embedding quantum simulator.

A quantum simulator is an important device that may soon outperform current classical computations. A basic arithmetic operation, the complex conjugate, however, is considered to be impossible to be implemented in such a quantum system due to the linear character of quantum mechanics. Here, we present the experimental quantum simulation of such an unphysical operation beyond the regime of unitary and dissipative evolutions through the embedding of a quantum dynamics in the electronic multilevels of a (171)Yb(+) ion. We perform time reversal and charge conjugation, which are paradigmatic examples of antiunitary symmetry operators, in the evolution of a Majorana equation without the tomographic knowledge of the evolving state. Thus, these operations can be applied regardless of the system size. Our approach offers the possibility to add unphysical operations to the toolbox of quantum simulation, and provides a route to efficiently compute otherwise intractable quantities, such as entanglement monotones.

In vivo determination of aluminum, cobalt, chromium, copper, nickel, titanium and vanadium in oral mucosa cells from orthodontic patients with mini-implants by Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).

Miniscrews are used as orthodontic anchorage devices in the dentistry clinical practice but the in vivo metallic release from these structures has been not previously investigated. The aim of this study was to determine the content of Al, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Ti and V in oral mucosa cells of control subjects, patients under orthodontic treatment and with both, orthodontic treatment and miniscrew, in order to know the contribution of these mini-implants to the total metallic content. ICP-MS measurements revealed the following ascending order: Cr