Discrimination of thermal baths by single-qubit probes

Year: 2020

Authors: Gianani I., Farina D., Barbieri M., Cimini V., Cavina V., Giovannetti V.

Autors Affiliation: Univ Roma Tre, Dipartimento Sci, Via Vasca Navale 84, I-00146 Rome, Italy; Sapienza Univ Roma, Dipartimento Fis, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Rome, Italy; Scuola Normale Super Pisa, NEST, I-56126 Pisa, Italy; Ist Italiano Tecnol, Graphene Labs, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genoa, Italy; CNR, Ist Nazl Ott, Largo Enrico Fermi 6, I-50125 Florence, Italy; Univ Luxembourg, Complex Syst & Stat Mech, Phys & Mat Sci Res Unit, L-1511 Luxembourg, Luxembourg; CNR, NEST, Scuola Normale Super, I-56126 Pisa, Italy; CNR, Ist Nanosci, I-56126 Pisa, Italy.

Abstract: Nonequilibrium states of quantum systems in contact with thermal baths help distinguishing between environments with different temperatures or different statistics. We extend these studies to a more generic problem that consists in discriminating between two baths with disparate constituents at unequal temperatures. Notably there exist temperature regimes in which the presence of coherence in the initial state preparation is beneficial for the discrimination capability. We also find that nonequilibrium states are not universally optimal and detail the conditions in which it becomes advantageous to wait for complete thermalization of the probe. These concepts are illustrated in a linear-optical simulation.

Journal/Review: PHYSICAL REVIEW RESEARCH

Volume: 2 (3)      Pages from: 33497-1  to: 33497-12

More Information: V.G. acknowledges support from MIUR via PRIN 2017 (Progetto di Ricerca di Interesse Nazionale): project QUSHIP (2017SRNBRK).
KeyWords: Probes; Qubits; Initial state; Linear optical; Nonequilibrium state; Quantum system; Single qubits; Temperature regimes; Thermal bath; Thermalization; Quantum theory
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevResearch.2.033497

Citations: 12
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