Honghua Zhong

Analytical eigenstates for the quantum Rabi model

We develop a method to find analytical solutions for the eigenstates of the quantum Rabi model. These include symmetric, anti-symmetric and asymmetric analytic solutions given in terms of the confluent Heun functions. Both regular and exceptional solutions are given in a unified form. In addition, the analytic conditions for determining the energy spectrum are obtained. Our results show that conditions proposed by Braak [Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{107}, 100401 (2011)] are a type of sufficiency condition for determining the regular solutions. The well-known Judd isolated exact solutions appear naturally as truncations of the confluent Heun functions.

Pseudo-parity-time symmetry in optical systems.

We introduce a novel concept of the pseudo-parity-time (pseudo-PT) symmetry in periodically modulated optical systems with balanced gain and loss. We demonstrate that whether or not the original system is PT symmetric, we can manipulate the property of the PT symmetry by applying a periodic modulation in such a way that the effective system derived by the high-frequency Floquet method is PT symmetric. If the original system is non-PT symmetric, the PT symmetry in the effective system will lead to quasistationary propagation that can be associated with the pseudo-PT symmetry. Our results provide a promising approach for manipulating the PT symmetry of realistic systems.

The quantum Rabi model: solution and dynamics

This article presents a review of recent developments on various aspects of the quantum Rabi model. Particular emphasis is given on the exact analytic solution obtained in terms of confluent Heun functions. The analytic solutions for various generalisations of the quantum Rabi model are also discussed. Results are also reviewed on the level statistics and the dynamics of the quantum Rabi model. The article concludes with an introductory overview of several experimental realisations of the quantum Rabi model. An outlook towards future developments is also given.

Analytical energy spectrum for hybrid mechanical systems

We investigate the energy spectrum for hybrid mechanical systems described by non-parity-symmetric quantum Rabi models. A set of analytical solutions in terms of the confluent Heun functions and their analytical energy spectrum is obtained. The analytical energy spectrum includes regular and exceptional parts, which are both confirmed by direct numerical simulation. The regular part is determined by the zeros of the Wronskian for a pair of analytical solutions. The exceptional part is relevant to the isolated exact solutions and its energy eigenvalues are obtained by analyzing the truncation conditions for the confluent Heun functions. By analyzing the energy eigenvalues for exceptional points, we obtain the analytical conditions for the energy-level crossings, which correspond to two-fold energy degeneracy.

Quantum Metrology with Cold Atoms

Quantum metrology is the science that aims to achieve precision measurements by making use of quantum principles. Attribute to the welldeveloped techniques of manipulating and detecting cold atoms, cold atomic systems provide an excellent platform for implementing precision quantum metrology. In this chapter, we review the general procedures of quantum metrology and some experimental progresses in quantum metrology with cold atoms. Firstly, we give the general framework of quantum metrology and the calculation of quantum Fisher information, which is the core of quantum parameter estimation. Then, we introduce the quantum interferometry with single and multiparticle states. In particular, for some typical multiparticle states, we analyze their ultimate precision limits and show how quantum entanglement could enhance the measurement precision beyond the standard quantum limit. Further, we review some experimental progresses in quantum metrology with cold atomic systems.

Quantum metrology with spin cat states under dissipation.

Quantum metrology aims to yield higher measurement precisions via quantum techniques such as entanglement. It is of great importance for both fundamental sciences and practical technologies, from testing equivalence principle to designing high-precision atomic clocks. However, due to environment effects, highly entangled states become fragile and the achieved precisions may even be worse than the standard quantum limit (SQL). Here we present a high-precision measurement scheme via spin cat states (a kind of non-Gaussian entangled states in superposition of two quasi-orthogonal spin coherent states) under dissipation. In comparison to maximally entangled states, spin cat states with modest entanglement are more robust against losses and their achievable precisions may still beat the SQL. Even if the detector is imperfect, the achieved precisions of the parity measurement are higher than the ones of the population measurement. Our scheme provides a realizable way to achieve high-precision measurements via dissipative quantum systems of Bose atoms.The maximally entangled states are excellent candidates for achieving Heisenberg-limited measurements in ideal quantum metrology, however, they are fragile against dissipation such as particle losses and their achievable precisions may become even worse than the standard quantum limit (SQL). Here we present a robust high-precision measurement scheme via spin cat states (a kind of non-Gaussian entangled states in superposition of two spin coherent states) in the presence of particle losses. The input spin cat states are of excellent robustness against particle losses and their achievable precisions may still beat the SQL. For realistic measurements based upon our scheme, comparing with the population measurement, the parity measurement is more suitable for yielding higher precisions. In phase measurement with realistic dissipative systems of bosons, our scheme provides a robust and realizable way to achieve high-precision measurements beyond the SQL.

Topological phase transitions and Thouless pumping of light in photonic waveguide arrays

Photonic waveguide arrays provide an excellent platform for simulating conventional topological systems, and they can also be employed for the study of novel topological phases in photonics systems. However, a direct measurement of bulk topological invariants remains a great challenge. Here we study topological features of generalized commensurate Aubry-Andre-Harper (AAH) photonic waveguide arrays and construct a topological phase diagram by calculating all bulk Chern numbers, and then explore the bulk-edge correspondence by analyzing the topological edge states and their winding numbers. In contrast to incommensurate AAH models, diagonal and off-diagonal commensurate AAH models are not topologically equivalent. In particular, there appear nontrivial topological phases with large Chern numbers and topological phase transitions. By implementing Thouless pumping of light in photonic waveguide arrays, we propose a simple scheme to measure the bulk Chern numbers.

Bloch-Landau-Zener dynamics in single-particle Wannier-Zeeman systems

Stimulated by the experimental realization of spin-dependent tunneling via gradient magnetic field [Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 225301 (2013); Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 185301 (2013)], we investigate dynamics of Bloch oscillations and Landau-Zener tunneling of single spin-half particles in a periodic potential under the influence of a spin-dependent constant force. In analogy to the Wannier-Stark system, we call our system as the Wannier-Zeeman system. If there is no coupling between the two spin states, the system can be described by two crossing Wannier-Stark ladders with opposite tilts. The spatial crossing between two Wannier-Stark ladders becomes a spatial anti-crossing if the two spin states are coupled by external fields. For a wave-packet away from the spatial anti-crossing, due to the spin-dependent constant force, it will undergo spatial Landau-Zener transitions assisted by the intrinsic intra-band Bloch oscillations, which we call the Bloch-Landau-Zener dynamics. If the inter-spin coupling is sufficiently strong, the system undergoes adiabatic Bloch-Landau-Zener dynamics, in which the spin dynamics follows the local dressed states. Otherwise, for non-strong inter-spin couplings, the system undergoes non-adiabatic Bloch-Landau-Zener dynamics.

Asymmetric sequential Landau-Zener dynamics of Bose-condensed atoms in a cavity

We explore the asymmetric sequential Landau-Zener (LZ) dynamics in an ensemble of interacting Bose condensed two-level atoms coupled with a cavity field. Assuming the couplings between all atoms and the cavity field are identical, the interplay between atom-atom interaction and detuning may lead to a series of LZ transitions. Unlike the conventional sequential LZ transitions, which are symmetric to the zero detuning, the LZ transitions of Bose condensed atoms in a cavity field are asymmetric and sensitively depend on the photon number distribution of the cavity. In LZ processes involving single excitation numbers, both the variance of the relative atom number and the step slope of the sequential population ladder are asymmetric, and the asymmetry become more significant for smaller excitation numbers. Furthermore, in LZ processes involving multiple excitation numbers, there may appear asymmetric population ladders with decreasing step heights. During a dynamical LZ process, due to the atom-cavity coupling, the cavity field shows dynamical collapse and revivals. In comparison with the symmetric LZ transitions in a classical field, the asymmetric LZ transitions in a cavity field originate from the photon-number-dependent Rabi frequency. The asymmetric sequential LZ dynamics of Bose condensed atoms in a cavity field may open up a new way to explore the fundamental many-body physics in coupled atom-photon systems.

Kibble-Zurek dynamics in an array of coupled binary Bose condensates

Universal dynamics of spontaneous symmetry breaking is central to understanding the universal behavior of spontaneous defect formation in various system from the early universe, condensed-matter systems to ultracold atomic systems. We explore the universal real-time dynamics in an array of coupled binary atomic Bose-Einstein condensates in optical lattices, which undergo a spontaneous symmetry breaking from the symmetric Rabi oscillation to the broken-symmetry self-trapping. In addition to Goldstone modes, there exist gapped Higgs mode whose excitation gap vanishes at the critical point. In the slow passage through the critical point, we analytically find that the symmetry-breaking dynamics obeys the Kibble-Zurek mechanism. From the scalings of bifurcation delay and domain formation, we numerically extract two Kibble-Zurek exponents