L. K. Castelano

Non-Markovianity through Accessible Information

The degree of non-Markovianity of quantum processes has been characterized in several different ways in the recent literature. However, the relationship between the non-Markovian behavior and the flow of information between the system and the environment through an entropic measure has not been yet established. We propose an entanglement-based measure of non-Markovianity by employing the concept of assisted knowledge, where the environment E, acquires information about a system S, by means of its measurement apparatus A. The assisted knowledge, based on the accessible information in terms of von-Neumann entropy, monotonically increases in time for all Markovian quantum processes. We demonstrate that the signatures of non-Markovianity can be captured by the nonmonotonic behaviour of the assisted knowledge. We explore this scenario for a two-level system undergoing a relaxation process, through an experimental implementation using an optical approach that allows full access to the state of the environment.

Locally inaccessible information as a fundamental ingredient to quantum information

Quantum discord (QD) measures the fraction of the pairwise mutual information that is locally inaccessible in a multipartite system. Fundamental aspects related to two important measures in quantum information theory, namely the entanglement of formation (EOF) and the conditional entropy, can be understood in terms of the distribution of this form of local inaccessible information (LII). As such, the EOF for an arbitrarily mixed bipartite system AB can be related to the gain or loss of LII due to the extra knowledge that a purifying ancillary system E has on the pair AB. Similarly, a clear meaning of the negativity of the conditional entropy for AB is given. We employ these relations to elucidate important and yet not well-understood quantum features, such as the bipartite entanglement sudden death and the distinction between EOF and QD for quantifying quantum correlation. For that we introduce the concept of LII flow that quantifies the LII shared in a multipartite system when sequential local measurements are carried out.

Probing the degree of non-Markovianity for independent and common environments

We study the non-Markovianity of the dynamics of open quantum systems, focusing on the cases of independent and common environmental interactions. We investigate the degree of non-Markovianity quantified by two distinct measures proposed by Luo, Fu, and Song and Breuer, Laine, and Pillo. We show that the amount of non-Markovianity, for a single qubit and a pair of qubits, depends on the quantum process, the proposed measure, and whether the environmental interaction is collective or independent. In particular, we demonstrate that while the degree of non-Markovianity generally increases with the number of qubits in the system for independent environments, the same behavior is not always observed for common environments. In the latter case, our analysis suggests that the amount of non-Markovianity could increase or decrease depending on the properties of the considered quantum process.

Purity as a witness for initial system-environment correlations in open-system dynamics

We study the dynamics of a two-level atom interacting with a Lorentzian structured reservoir considering initial system-environment correlations. It is shown that under strong system-reservoir coupling the dynamics of purity can determine whether there are initial correlations between the system and the environment. Moreover, we investigate the interaction of two two-level atoms with the same reservoir. In this case, we show that, besides determining if there are initial system-environment correlations, the dynamics of the purity of the atomic system allows the identification of the distinct correlated initial states. In addition, the dynamics of quantum and classical correlations is analyzed.

Why entanglement of formation is not generally monogamous

Faculdade de Ciencias UNESP-Universidade Estadual Paulista, Codigo de Enderecamento Postal 17033-360, Bauru, Sao Paulo

Tailoring electronic transparency of twin-plane 1D superlattices.

The structural properties of twin-plane superlattices in InP nanowires are systematically analyzed. First, we employ molecular dynamics simulations to determine the strain fields in nanowires grown in the [111] direction. These fields are produced by the formation of twin-planes and by surface effects. By using the stress tensor obtained from molecular dynamics simulations, we are able to describe changes on the electronic structure of these nanowires. On the basis of the resulting electronic structure, we confirm that a one-dimensional superlattice is indeed formed. Furthermore, we describe the transport properties of both electrons and holes in the twin-plane superlattices. In contrast to the predicted transparency of Γ-electrons in heterolayered III-V semiconductor superlattices, we verify that surface effects in 1D systems open up possibilities of electronic structure engineering and the modulation of their transport and optical responses.

Photocurrent-voltage relation of resonant tunneling diode photodetectors

We have investigated photodetectors based on an AlGaAs/GaAs double barrier structure with a nearby lattice-matched GaInNAs absorption layer. Photons with the telecommunication wavelength λ=1.3 μm lead to hole accumulation close to the double barrier inducing a voltage shift ΔV(V) of the current-voltage curve, which depends strongly on the bias voltage V. A model is proposed describing ΔV(V) and the photocurrent response in excellent agreement with the experimental observations. According to the model, an interplay of the resonant tunneling diode (RTD) quantum efficiency η(V), the lifetime of photogenerated and accumulated charge carriers τ(V), and the RTD current-voltage relation in the dark determines best working parameters of RTD photodetectors. Limitations and voltage dependencies of the photoresponse are discussed.

Nanothermometer Based on Resonant Tunneling Diodes: From Cryogenic to Room Temperatures

Sensor miniaturization together with broadening temperature sensing range are fundamental challenges in nanothermometry. By exploiting a large temperature-dependent screening effect observed in a resonant tunneling diode in sequence with a GaInNAs/GaAs quantum well, we present a low dimensional, wide range, and high sensitive nanothermometer. This sensor shows a large threshold voltage shift of the bistable switching of more than 4.5 V for a temperature raise from 4.5 to 295 K, with a linear voltage-temperature response of 19.2 mV K(-1), and a temperature uncertainty in the millikelvin (mK) range. Also, when we monitor the electroluminescence emission spectrum, an optical read-out control of the thermometer is provided. The combination of electrical and optical read-outs together with the sensor architecture excel the device as a thermometer with the capability of noninvasive temperature sensing, high local resolution, and sensitivity.

Light sensitive memristor with bi-directional and wavelength-dependent conductance control

We report the optical control of localized charge on positioned quantum dots in an electro-photo-sensitive memristor. Interband absorption processes in the quantum dot barrier matrix lead to photo-generated electron-hole-pairs that, depending on the applied bias voltage, charge or discharge the quantum dots and hence decrease or increase the conductance. Wavelength-dependent conductance control is observed by illumination with red and infrared light, which leads to charging via interband and discharging via intraband absorption. The presented memristor enables optical conductance control and may thus be considered for sensory applications in artificial neural networks as light-sensitive synapses or optically tunable memories.

Shielding quantum discord through continuous dynamical decoupling

This work investigates the use of dynamical decoupling to shield quantum discord from errors introduced by the environment. Specifically, a two-qubit system interacting with independent baths of bosons is considered. The initial conditions of the system were chosen as pure and mixed states, while the dynamical decouplingwas achieved by means of continuous fields. The effect of the temperature on the shielding of quantum discord is also studied. It is shown that although the quantum discord for particular initial states may be perfectly preserved over somefinite time window in the absence of any protectivefield, the effectiveness of the dynamical decoupling with continuous fields depends essentially on the time scale required to preserve quantum discord. It is also shown that for these particular initial states the time for which the shielding of the quantum discord becomes effective decreases as the temperature increases.