Quantum Physics Commons^™

Multiscale Network Modeling Of Native And Modified Photosynthetic Light-Harvesting Complexes, Zane E. Armijo

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

Photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes harvest solar energy and direct electronic excitations toward reaction centers with exceptional efficiency. This dissertation models the Fenna--Matthews--Olson complex of green sulfur bacteria, coupled to the PscA1 reaction center, as a chromophoric network. Forster resonance energy transfer theory, validated against numerically exact hierarchical equations of motion, was implemented in kinetic Monte Carlo simulations to resolve fine-grained excitation-transport pathways. The predicted charge-transfer efficiency of 77\% agrees with experiment, with the FMO2 monomer and its gateway pigment governing interfacial transfer. Systematic single, multi, and symmetry-preserving site removals, interpreted through Mobius inversion, identify critical pigments and show that cooperative effects …

Simulating Quantum Field Theories On Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computers, Mason L. Rhodes

Physics & Astronomy ETDs

Quantum field theories are an essential framework in modeling fundamental interactions in nature, yet reliable simulations consume large portions of the world's most powerful supercomputers. In this Dissertation, we explore an alternative simulation paradigm on fault-tolerant quantum hardware, discussing both algorithmic and model advancements. In the former, we construct state-of-the-art algorithmic subroutines that take advantage of useful properties of the Hamiltonian describing the theory to achieve an exponential improvement in resources over prior quantum algorithms. In the latter, we simplify the structure of the Hamiltonian, making it more amenable to quantum simulation. First, we present an improved regularization of the …

Strategies For Large Dynamic Range, Entanglement-Enhanced Quantum Metrology With Experimentally Demonstrated Resources, Tyler G. Thurtell

Physics & Astronomy ETDs

Quantum metrology studies the use of quantum mechanical systems as measurement devices or sensors. Surprisingly, preparing a sensor in an entangled state can enhance measurement precision. The simplest protocols for entanglement enhancement sense only small changes in a quantity. The range of values over which a measurement protocol works is called its dynamic range. For many types of sensors we require end-to-end protocols that describe how to use entanglement to achieve enhanced precision over a large dynamic range. In this dissertation, we describe two approaches to achieving entanglement-enhanced sensing over a large dynamic range. The first approach uses entangling resources …

Algorithmic Sculpting Of Complex Fused Silica Surfaces For Nondestructive, Mode-Matched Cavity Quantum Electrodynamics: Adaptive Co2 Milling And Simulation-Guided Ultrafast Inscription, From Fiber Fabry-Perot Cavities To Monolithic Architectures, Meagan E. Parker

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

Quantum sensors achieve exceptional measurement sensitivity through coherent, well-isolated quantum systems, but practical deployment is hindered by destructive readouts that require repeated state preparation and create long system dead times. Optical cavities enable continuous, nondestructive measurements with minimal back-action, yet integrating high-finesse cavities into scalable quantum devices remains limited by existing fabrication methods. To overcome these constraints, an adaptive CO₂ laser-milling platform was developed. Guided by glass thermodynamics and melt dynamics, this closed-loop system uses in-situ phase-shifting interferometry to sculpt complex fused-silica surfaces with sub-nanometer root-mean-square roughness. The platform was validated by fabricating extended-length fiber Fabry–Pérot cavities and monolithic micro-cavity …

A Quantum Phase Space Description Of Local Noise In Atomic Ensembles, Andrew Kolmer Forbes

Physics & Astronomy ETDs

Nonclassicality in quantum sensors can improve sensitivity, but often increases susceptibility to noise. Thus, modeling physically relevant noise sources and analyzing their effect on quantum metrology are both of importance to the field of quantum sensing. In this dissertation, I demonstrate that local noise sources, which are present in almost all many-spin systems, can be tractably modeled when assuming permutation symmetry of the noise, and we show that many common local noise sources can be mapped to a Fokker-Planck equation on quantum phase space. We apply this description of noise to study quantum sensing using noisy probe states and establish …

Optical Nuclear Spin Detection In Diamond And Varifocal Metasurface Optics, Maxwell D. Aiello

Physics & Astronomy ETDs

This dissertation presents two experimental investigations at the intersection of quantum sensing and precision optical instrumentation. The primary project demonstrates optically detected nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of ¹³C nuclear spins in diamond, using state-selective Landau-Zener transitions under microwave frequency sweeping to bidirectionally transfer spin polarization between nitrogen-vacancy (NV) electron spins and remote ¹³C nuclear spins. This enables optical polarization and readout of large ensembles of polarized nuclear spins at low magnetic fields and room temperature, with spin dephasing times limited by longitudinal relaxation of nearby NV electron spins. The secondary project reports the design, fabrication, and characterization of …

Quantum Control Protocols For Robust Quantum Computing, Leeseok Kim

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

The fundamental goal of quantum computing is to precisely control quantum systems to perform meaningful tasks, including implementing high-fidelity quantum gates for reliable quantum computation and accurately simulating complex quantum many- body dynamics. In this dissertation, we develop improved quantum control protocols for three distinct objectives, quantum error suppression, quantum optimal control, and analog quantum algorithms, achieving performance beyond standard approaches. First, we introduce new dynamical decoupling protocols, including both determin- istic and randomized constructions, that can substantially outperform conventional deterministic sequences. We then extend the randomized approach to dynamically corrected gates. Second, we propose a randomized quantum optimal control …

A Systematic Approach To The Characterization Of Liquid-Vapor Coexistence In Platinum, Meghan K. Lentz

Physics & Astronomy ETDs

Platinum is a material standard used in high pressure and shock compression experiments at Sandia National Laboratories. During experiments, materials are subjected to a very large range of thermodynamic conditions, during which materials regularly enter the liquid-vapor coexistence region. Despite its status as a standard, the region around the liquid-vapor critical point is poorly understood for platinum, with reported critical temperatures spanning approximately 7000 K. In this dissertation we conduct density functional theory based molecular dynamics (DFTMD) simulations for platinum for a range of temperatures and densities near liquid-vapor coexistence. The phase diagram for platinum is refined near the critical …

Phase Nanoscopy With Correlated Frequency Combs, Xiaobing Zhu

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

In this dissertation a sensing method applying to any physical quantity that modifies optical phase is developed. Two pulses are produced inside a synchronously pumped Optical Parametric Oscillator, generating two identical, undistinguishable frequency combs. The physical quantity to be measured applies a small phase shift/round trip to one of the pulses, resulting in a frequency shift of the corresponding comb. The latter frequency is measured as a beat by interfering the two combs on a detector. A world record resolution, close to the quantum limit, of 0.033 nanoradian (corresponding to 0.006 fm in displacement) is achieved. A detailed analysis of …

Advancing Diamond Quantum Sensors: Isotropic Flux Concentrators And Phase Noise Mitigation, Maziar Saleh Ziabari

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

Two methods for improving the sensitivity of nitrogen vacancy quantum sensors in diamond are explored. First, by passively concentrating the magnetic flux, three orthogonally oriented ferrite truncated cone pairs amplify the field isotropically by 19 times, allowing measurement of Earth's field without a bias field and increasing sensitivity. Through thorough analysis, modeling and tuning a novel 3-dimensional flux concentrator system, we achieve a fractional standard deviation of less than 1% anisotropy and quantify minimal deadzones and ambient temperature-limited variations below 40 nT/hour. Second, we characterize, model and calculate phase noise in NV experiments, which in NV sensors is effectively indistinguishable …

Scalable Methods For Performant Control Of Hyperfine Qubits In Atoms And Ions, Matthew N. H. Chow

Physics & Astronomy ETDs

Qubits encoded within internal energy levels of atoms and ions have been used to demonstrate high-performance primitives of quantum computing for small numbers of qubits. Yet, the path to achieving sufficient size and fidelity for useful fault-tolerant quantum computation remains daunting. In this dissertation, I present several techniques I developed as steps along this path. These results include high-fidelity, low-loss detection for alkali atoms in optical tweezers, crosstalk-mitigated parallel one-qubit gates, robust entangling gates on trapped ions, and leakage-to-erasure conversion for non-destructive detection of atom loss errors. Through this collection of techniques, I have sought to make full use of …

Super-Resolution Magnetic Microscopy And Earth’S Field Magnetometry With Color Centers In Diamond, Nazanin Mosavian

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

In recent years, the negatively charged nitrogen- vacancy (NV) center has emerged as a promising solid-state color center capable of measuring magnetic fields with high sensi- tivity and spatial resolution under ambient conditions. In this thesis I will discuss how we perform super resolution magnetic microscopy and acquire magnetic field images of nanoparticle samples at 100 nm resolution. I will explain how 3D flux concentrators increase magnetic field amplitude and allows us to measure vector component magnetic fields as low as 50 µT with a diamond magnetometer, without the use of an additional bias magnetic field. I also describe how …

Nidus Idearum. Scilogs, Xiii: Structure / Neutrostructure / Antistructure, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

In this thirteenth book of scilogs – one may find topics on Neutrosophy, Plithogeny, Physics, Mathematics, Philosophy – email messages to research colleagues, or replies, notes, comments, remarks about authors, articles, or books, spontaneous ideas, and so on. It presents new types of soft sets and new types of topologies.

Exchanging ideas with Mohammad Abobala, Ishfaq Ahmad, Ibrahim M. Almanjahie, Fatimah Alshahrani, Nizar Altounji, Muhammad Aslam, Said Broumi, Victor Christianto, R. Diksh, Feng Liu, Frank Julian Gelli, Erick Gonzalez Caballero, Riad Hamido, Yaser Al-Hasan, Ahmed Hatip, Yasin Karmouta, Nivetha Martin, Preda Mihăilescu, V. Lakshmana Gomathi Nayagam, Ze Carlos Tiago de …

Entanglement With Neutral Atoms In The Simulation Of Nonequilibrium Dynamics Of One-Dimensional Spin Models, Anupam Mitra

Physics & Astronomy ETDs

Quantum entanglement is a key ingredient for quantum information processing with capabilities beyond that of classical computation. We study the generation and role of entanglement in the dynamics of spin-1/2 models, both for the design of quantum gates for general-purpose quantum computation and for quantum simulation of interacting spin models. We introduce the neutral atom Mølmer-Sørensen gate, involving rapid adiabatic Rydberg dressing interleaved in a spin-echo sequence. We show its robustness to quasi-static experimental imperfections and favorable scaling with the time-energy scales of Rydberg-mediated entanglement generation. In quantum simulation, we consider critical behavior in quench dynamics of transverse field Ising …

Learning, Optimizing, And Simulating Fermions With Quantum Computers, Andrew Zhao

Physics & Astronomy ETDs

Fermions are fundamental particles which obey seemingly bizarre quantum-mechanical principles, yet constitute all the ordinary matter that we inhabit. As such, their study is heavily motivated from both fundamental and practical incentives. In this dissertation, we will explore how the tools of quantum information and computation can assist us on both of these fronts. We primarily do so through the task of partial state learning: tomographic protocols for acquiring a reduced, but sufficient, classical description of a quantum system. Developing fast methods for partial tomography addresses a critical bottleneck in quantum simulation algorithms, which is a particularly pressing issue for …

Plasma Diagnostics For Anode Cathode Plasmas And High Energy Density Physics On A Linear Transformer Driver, Robert Beattie-Rossberg

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

A twelve-brick air insulated linear transformer driver (LTD) was characterized by charging to voltages ranging from 30 to 70 kV and delivering energy to two separate resistive loads. Various plasma diagnostics were built and fielded with an emphasis on the design, implementation and analysis of a Mach Zehnder interferometer, a moiré deflectometer and a spectroscopy system providing information on the temporal evolution of plasma electron density and atomic composition. Rogowski coils, XRD radiation detectors, framing camera images and time integrated DSLR images are used to further understand load conditions where current data, x ray radiation data, velocity data and instability …

Plausible Photomolecular Effect And Microwave In Phase Transition Of Water As A New Dawn For Renewable Energy And Ensemble-Holistic Approach To Health Management, Victor Christianto, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

Interaction among light and water molecules have baffled scientists for many decades, and even centuries. In this regards, photons in the visible spectrum, where bulk water normally doesn't absorb light, can surprisingly cleave off large water clusters from the water-vapor interface, according to a recent study by Tu and Chen (2023). This discovery, termed the "photomolecular effect," opens exciting possibilities for not only revolutionizing renewable energy but also paving the way for a more integrated-ensemble approach to health management (cf. Smarandache & Christianto, 2010; Tu & Chen, 2023; Tu et al., 2024). In a sense, other than with green or …

Progress In Physics: Twentieth Year Of Publication, Florentin Smarandache, Andreas Ries, Pierre Millette, Ebenezer Chifu

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

The journal Progress in Physics was created in January 2005 on behalf of many influential scientists with whom we were in correspondence. The main reason was that publications in other journals were allowed only if the submitter was affiliated with a scientific institution or research organization. Given this situation, many working scientists finding themselves partially employed or unemployed, such as in between research grants, find themselves unable to publish their research results. Even e-print archives such as Cornell’s arXiv required scientific affiliation and still follow this policy.

Unveiling Quantum Communication: From Bell's Inequality To Neutrosophic Logic, Victor Christianto, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

In this mini-review, we delve into the intriguing realm of quantum communication, spurred by China's recent development of the Tiantong communication satellite. This satellite, shrouded in secrecy, hints at a revolutionary approach to communication that transcends the limitations of conventional signal transmission. We explore the foundational concepts of Bell's inequality and neutrosophic logic, elucidating their roles in understanding the non-local phenomena of quantum entanglement and its potential for secure and rapid communication. Additionally, we examine the connection between Bell's inequality and Shannon information entropy, unveiling the intricate relationship between quantum mechanics and information theory. Through this exploration, we glimpse a …

Modeling Lithographic Quantum Dots And Donors For Quantum Computation And Simulation, Mitchell Ian Brickson

Physics & Astronomy ETDs

Our first focus is on few-hole quantum dots in germanium. We use discontinous Galerkin methods to discretize and solve the equations of a highly detailed k·p model that describes these systems, enabling a better understanding of experimental magnetospectroscopy results. We confirm the expected anisotropy of single-hole g-factors and describe mechanisms by which different orbital states have different g-factors. Building on this, we show that the g-factors in Ge holes are suciently sensitive to details of the device electrostatics that magnetospectroscopy data can be used to make a prediction of the underlying confinement potential. The second focus is on designing quantum …

Super-Resolution Microscopy With Color Centers In Diamond, Forrest A. Hubert

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

This dissertation explores the development and application of diamond color centers, specifically the silicon-vacancy (SiV) and nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers, in super-resolution microscopy and magnetic imaging techniques. It demonstrates the potential of SiV centers as photostable fluorophores in stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy, with a resolution of approximately 90 nm. The research also presents a method for nanoscale magnetic microscopy using NV centers by combining charge state depletion (CSD) microscopy with optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) to image magnetic fields produced by 30 nm iron-oxide nanoparticles. The individual magnetic feature width reaches ~100 nm while resolving magnetic field patterns from nanoparticles …

Rigorous Analysis Of Markov Processes With Applications To Quantum Information, Samuel Edwin Slezak

Physics & Astronomy ETDs

We present a rigorous analysis of the rapid convergence of techniques based on Markov chains for the simulation of thermal quantum systems. We show that a classical computing algorithm called path integral Monte Carlo is capable of simulating thermal states of transverse field Ising models above a threshold temperature by demonstrating the existence of a rapidly mixing Markov chain. We then turn to quantum computing algorithms and show that an idealized version of quantum Metropolis sampling can efficiently simulate systems that satisfy the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis. In a related result, we find a class of stoquastic frustration free Hamiltonians that …

Femtotesla Magnetometry And Nanoscale Imaging With Color Centers In Diamond, Yaser Silani

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

Intriguing photophysical properties of color centers in diamond make them ideal candidates for many applications from imaging and sensing to quantum networking. In the first part of this work, we have studied the silicon vacancy (SiV) centers in diamond for nanoscale imaging applications. We showed that these centers are promising fluorophores for Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) microscopy, owing to their photostable, near-infrared emission and favorable photophysical properties. In the second part, we built a femtotesla Radio-Frequency (RF) magnetometer based on the diamond nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers and magnetic flux concentrators. We used this sensor to remotely detect Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance …

The Fluid Margin Between Physical Causal Closure And Non-Physical Causal Closure, Extended To The Neutrosophic Causal Closure Principle, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

We plead for a fluid margin, or mixed/indeterminate buffer zone, between Physical and Non-Physical Causal Closures, and for a Neutrosophic Causal Closure Principle claiming that the chances of all physical effects are determined by their prior partially physical and partially non-physical causes.

Atomic Gradiometry Based On The Interference Of Microwave Optical Sidebands, Kaleb L. Campbell

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

We describe a novel pulsed magnetic gradiometer based on the optical interference of sidebands generated using two spatially separated alkali vapor cells. The sidebands are produced with high efficiency using parametric frequency conversion of a probe beam interacting with Rubiduim 87 atoms in a coherent superposition of magnetically sensitive hyperfine ground states. First, experimental evidence of the sideband process is described for both steady-state and pulsed operation. Then, a theoretical framework is developed that accurately models sideband generation based on density matrix formalism. The gradiometer is then constructed using two spatially separated vapor cells, and a beat-note is generated. The …

Nonequilibrium And Nonlinear Dynamics In Collective Spin Models And Implementations Using Quantum Feedback Control, Manuel H. Munoz Arias

Physics & Astronomy ETDs

Out-of-equilibrium dynamics generalizes the study of ground states of quantum Hamiltonians at zero temperature, to that of dynamical quasi-steady states of quantum systems far from equilibrium. In this dissertation I discuss dynamical quantum phase transitions and out-of-equilibrium phases of matter in models of collective spins with multi-body interactions. These models, based on collective degrees of freedom, allow an exact description of the thermodynamic limit via the mean-field description. In this limit, the nonequilibrium dynamics of properties of quantum states is mapped to the nonlinear dynamics of classical variables, and thus it can be analyzed using tools from the theory of …

Nidus Idearum. Scilogs, X: Via Neutrosophica, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

In this tenth book of scilogs – called via neutrosophica (the neutrosophic way) –, one may find new and old questions and solutions, referring mostly to topics on NEUTROSOPHY, but also MULTISPACE, with miscellaneous addition of topics on Physics, Mathematics, or Sociology – email messages to research colleagues, or replies, notes about authors, articles, or books, spontaneous ideas, and so on.

Exchanging ideas with A. Elhassouny, Junhui Kim, Jeong Gon Lee, Kul Hur, Hojjatollah Farahani, W. B. Vasantha Kandasamy, Said Broumi, Mumtaz Ali, Mohamed Abdel-Basset, Ozen Ozer, Madad Khan, Gheorghe Săvoiu, John Mordeson, Adesina Agboola, Waldyr Rodrigues, Ajay Sharma, Stephen …

Nidus Idearum. Scilogs, Viii: Painting By Numbers, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

In this eighth book of scilogs collected from my nest of ideas, one may find new and old questions and solutions, – in email messages to research colleagues, or replies, and personal notes handwritten on the planes to, and from international conferences, about all kind of topics, centered mostly on Paradoxism and Neutrosophy.

Exchanging ideas with: Robert Neil Boyd, Joseph Brenner, Ahmed Cevik, Victor Christianto, Adrian Curaj, Jean Dezert, Andrei-Lucian Drăgoi, Ervin Goldfain, Young Bae Jun, Yale Landsberg, Radu Munteanu, Paul Piștea, Viorel Roman, Ridvan Sahin, Said Broumi, Selcuk Topal, Eric W. Weisstein, Xiaohing Zhang.

Nidus Idearum. Scilogs, Ix: Neutrosophia Perennis, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

In this ninth book of scilogs collected from my nest of ideas, one may find new and old questions and solutions, – in email messages to research colleagues, or replies, and personal notes, some handwritten on the planes to, and from international conferences, about topics on Neutrosophy and its applications, such as: Neutrosophic Bipolar Set, Linguistic Neutrosophic Set, Neutrosophic Resonance Frequency, n-ary HyperAlgebra, n-ary NeutroHyperAlgebra, n-ary AntiHyperAlgebra, Plithogenic Crisp Graph, Plithogenic Fuzzy Graph, Plithogenic Intuitionistic Fuzzy Graph, Plithogenic Neutrosophic Graph, Plithogenic Real Number Graph, Plithogenic Complex Number Graph, Plithogenic Neutrosophic Number Graph, and many more.

Exchanging ideas with: Tareq Al-Shami, …

Intracavity Phase Interferometry Based Fiber Sensors, Luke Jameson Horstman

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

Intracavity Phase Interferometry (IPI) is a detection technique that exploits the inherent sensitivity of a laser's frequency to the parameters of its cavity. Intracavity interferometry is orders of magnitude more sensitive than its extracavity alternatives. This dissertation improves on previous free-space proof-of-concept designs. By implementing the technique in fiber optics, using optical parametric oscillation, and investigating non-Hermitian quantum mechanics and dispersion tailoring enhancement techniques, IPI has become more applicable and sensitive. Ring and linear IPI configurations were realized in this work, both operating as bidirectional fiber optical parametric oscillators. The benefit of using externally pumped synchronous optical parametric oscillation is …