Federated learning has emerged as a powerful paradigm for decentralized model training, ensuring privacy preservation by allowing clients to collaboratively learn a shared model without exchanging raw data. Quantum federated learning (QFL) extends this approach by leveraging quantum computing to enhance computational efficiency and security. However, existing QFL frameworks face challenges in handling temporal inconsistencies and ensuring model robustness across time-evolving datasets. Recent findings in quantum physics suggest the emergence of two opposing arrows of time in quantum systems, indicating that time-reversal symmetry can be harnessed for computational processes. This work introduces dual-timeline quantum federated learning (DT-QFL), a novel framework that integrates time-reversal symmetry into QFL. DT-QFL employs quantum memory kernels to encode temporal correlations in client updates, ensuring that both past and future data distributions contribute to the learning process. In addition, we introduce a quantum temporal-invariant neural network, which enables federated models to learn patterns invariant to time flow, improving generalization and reducing catastrophic forgetting in decentralized environments.
Atomic physics. Constitution and properties of matter, Materials of engineering and construction. Mechanics of materials
Quantum game theory has emerged as a promising candidate to further the understanding of quantum correlations. Motivated by this, it is demonstrated that pure strategy Nash equilibria can be utilized as a mechanism to witness and determine quantum correlation. By combining quantum theory with Bayesian game theory, a constant-sum game is designed in which the players are competing against each other and crucially gain at the other player’s expense. Subsequently, it is found that mixed strategy Nash equilibria are only necessary when considering quantum correlation for the designed game. This reveals that a Bayesian game-theoretic framework yields a sufficient condition for detecting quantum effects.
Atomic physics. Constitution and properties of matter
Spontaneous fission in americium and plutonium isotopes was investigated using high-resolution gamma spectrometry. This process was investigated through analysis of a certified PuO2 sample spectrum obtained from the IAEA database of reference spectra. Measurements were carried out with a HPGe detector, and detection efficiency calibration was performed by Monte Carlo simulations using GEANT4. There are no peaks observed that can be ascribed to beta decay of expected spontaneous-fission daughters. Thus, lower experimental limits on the partial half-lives for some spontaneous fission channels in 238-242Pu and 241Am were established. In many cases these limits have exceeded current theoretical predictions for cold fission done by S.B. Duarte et al., indicating the need to refine current models for the description of this process.
Atomic physics. Constitution and properties of matter
Lert Chayanun, Janka Biznárová, Lunjie Zeng
et al.
We systematically investigate the influence of the fabrication process on dielectric loss in aluminum-on-silicon superconducting coplanar waveguide resonators with internal quality factors (Qi) of about one million at the single-photon level. These devices are essential components in superconducting quantum processors; they also serve as proxies for understanding the energy loss of superconducting qubits. By systematically varying several fabrication steps, we identify the relative importance of reducing loss at the substrate–metal and substrate–air interfaces. We find that it is essential to clean the silicon substrate in hydrogen fluoride (HF) prior to aluminum deposition. A post-fabrication removal of the oxides on the surface of the silicon substrate and the aluminum film by immersion in HF further improves the Qi. We observe a small, but noticeable, adverse effect on the loss by omitting either standard cleaning (SC1), pre-deposition heating of the substrate to 300 °C, or in situ post-deposition oxidation of the film’s top surface. We find no improvement due to excessive pumping meant to reach a background pressure below 6 × 10−8 mbar. We correlate the measured loss with microscopic properties of the substrate–metal interface through characterization with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy.
Atomic physics. Constitution and properties of matter
Natarajan Venkatachalam, Foram P. Shingala, Selvagangai C
et al.
Key distillation is an essential component of every quantum key distribution (QKD) system because it compensates for the inherent transmission errors of a quantum channel. However, the interoperability and throughput aspects of the postprocessing components are often neglected. In this article, we propose a high-throughput key distillation framework that supports multiple QKD protocols, implemented in a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The proposed design adapts a MapReduce programming model to efficiently process large chunks of raw data across the limited computing resources of an FPGA. We present a novel hardware-efficient integrated postprocessing architecture that offers dynamic error correction, mutual authentication with a physically unclonable function, and an inbuilt high-speed encryption application that utilizes the key for secure communication. In addition, we have developed a semiautomated high-level synthesis framework that is compatible with any discrete variable QKD system, showing promising speedup. Overall, the experimental results demonstrate a noteworthy enhancement in scalability achieved through the utilization of a single FPGA platform.
Atomic physics. Constitution and properties of matter, Materials of engineering and construction. Mechanics of materials
Steven D. Bass, Sebastiano Mariazzi, Pawel Moskal
et al.
Positronium is the simplest bound state, built of an electron and a positron. Studies of positronium in vacuum and its decays in medium tell us about Quantum Electrodynamics, QED, and about the structure of matter and biological processes of living organisms at the nanoscale, respectively. Spectroscopic measurements constrain our understanding of QED bound state theory. Searches for rare decays and measurements of the effect of gravitation on positronium are used to look for new physics phenomena. In biological materials positronium decays are sensitive to the inter- and intra-molecular structure and to the metabolism of living organisms ranging from single cells to human beings. This leads to new ideas of positronium imaging in medicine using the fact that during positron emission tomography (PET) as much as 40% of positron annihilation occurs through the production of positronium atoms inside the patient's body. A new generation of the high sensitivity and multi-photon total-body PET systems opens perspectives for clinical applications of positronium as a biomarker of tissue pathology and the degree of tissue oxidation.
We propose a new method to detect low-energy neutrinos and low-mass dark matter at or below the MeV scale, through their coherent scatterings from freely falling heavy atoms and the resulting kinematic shifts. We start with a simple calculation for illustration: for $10^7$ heavy atoms of a mass number around 100 with a small recoil energy of 1 meV, the corresponding velocities can reach $0.01, {\rm m/s}$ and produce significant kinematic shifts that can be detected. We then show that the proposed device should be able to probe vast low-energy regions of neutrinos from meV to MeV and can surpass previous limits on sub-MeV dark matter by several orders of magnitude. Such a proposal can be useful to (1) detect sub-MeV-scale dark matter: with $10^2$ atom guns shooting downwards, for example, CsI or lead clusters consisting of $10^{7}$ atoms with a frequency around $10^3$ Hz, it can already be sensitive to scattering cross-sections at the level of $10^{-33 (-34)}\rm{cm}^{2}$ for 1 (0.1) MeV dark matter and surpass current limits. Technological challenges include high-quality atom cluster production and injections. (2) Measure coherent neutrino-nuclei scatterings at the 0.1-1 MeV region for the first time: with $10^4$ atom guns shooting downwards CsI clusters consisting of $10^{11}$ atoms and a frequency of $10^{6}$ Hz. One can expect 10 events from MeV solar neutrinos to be observed per year. Furthermore, (3) this method can be extended to probe very low-energy neutrinos down to the eV-KeV region and may be able to detect the cosmic neutrino background, although it remains challenging.
In this brief contribution I will highlight some directions where the developments in the frontier of (quantum) metrology may be key for fundamental high energy physics (HEP). I will focus on the detection of dark matter and gravitational waves, and introduce ideas from atomic clocks and magnetometers, large atomic interferometers and detection of small fields in electromagnetic cavities. Far from being comprehensive, this contribution is an invitation to everyone in the HEP and quantum technologies communities to explore this fascinating topic.
In this paper we propose a dark-state-based trapping strategy to break the optical diffraction limit for microscopy. We utilize a spatially dependent coupling field and a probe laser field with temporal and spatial modulation to interact with three-level atoms. The temporal modulation allows us to reduce the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of point spread function, and the spatial modulation help us obtain better spatial resolution than Gaussian beam. In addition, we also propose a proof-of-principle experiment protocol and discuss its feasibility.
Malida O. Hecht, Antonio J. Cobarrubia, Kyle M. Sundqvist
Classical microwave circuit theory is incapable of representing some phenomena at the quantum level. To include quantum statistical effects, various theoretical treatments can be employed. Quantum input-output network (QION) theory is one such treatment. Another formalism, called <italic>SLH</italic> theory, incorporates scattering matrices (<italic>S</italic>), coupling vectors (<italic>L</italic>), and system Hamiltonians (<italic>H</italic>). These theoretical treatments require a reformulation of classical microwave theory. To make these topics comprehensible to an electrical engineer, we demonstrate some underpinnings of microwave quantum optics in terms of microwave engineering. For instance, we equate traveling-wave phasors in a transmission line (<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_0^+$</tex-math></inline-formula>) directly to bosonic field operators. Furthermore, we extend QION to include a state-space representation and a transfer function for a single port quantum network. This serves as a case study to highlight how microwave methodologies can be applied in open quantum systems. Although the same conclusion could be found from a full <italic>SLH</italic> theory treatment, our method was derived directly from first principles of QION.
Atomic physics. Constitution and properties of matter, Materials of engineering and construction. Mechanics of materials
Abstract Negative thermal expansion (NTE) is an intriguing property, which is generally triggered by a single NTE mechanism. In this work, an enhanced NTE (α v = −32.9 × 10−6 K−1, ΔT = 175 K) is achieved in YbMn2Ge2 intermetallic compound to be caused by a dual effect of magnetism and valence transition. In YbMn2Ge2, the Mn sublattice that forms the antiferromagnetic structure induces the magnetovolume effect, which contributes to the NTE below the Néel temperature (525 K). Concomitantly, the valence state of Yb increases from 2.40 to 2.82 in the temperature range of 300–700 K, which simultaneously causes the contraction of the unit cell volume due to smaller volume of Yb3+ than that of Yb2+. As a result, such combined effect gives rise to an enhanced NTE. The present study not only sheds light on the peculiar NTE mechanism of YbMn2Ge2, but also indicates the dual effect as a possible promising method to produce enhanced NTE materials.
Materials of engineering and construction. Mechanics of materials, Atomic physics. Constitution and properties of matter
Abstract Atomic manipulation and interface engineering techniques have provided an intriguing approach to custom-designing topological superconductors and the ensuing Majorana zero modes, representing a paradigm for the realization of topological quantum computing and topology-based devices. Magnet-superconductor hybrid (MSH) systems have proven to be experimentally suitable to engineer topological superconductivity through the control of both the complex structure of its magnetic layer and the interface properties of the superconducting surface. Here, we demonstrate that two-dimensional MSH systems containing a magnetic skyrmion lattice provide an unprecedented ability to control the emergence of topological phases. By changing the skyrmion radius, which can be achieved experimentally through an external magnetic field, one can tune between different topological superconducting phases, allowing one to explore their unique properties and the transitions between them. In these MSH systems, Josephson scanning tunneling spectroscopy spatially visualizes one of the most crucial aspects underlying the emergence of topological superconductivity, the spatial structure of the induced spin–triplet correlations.
Materials of engineering and construction. Mechanics of materials, Atomic physics. Constitution and properties of matter
Quantum coding schemes over qudits using preshared entanglement between the encoder and decoder can provide better error correction capability than without it. In this article, we develop procedures for constructing encoding operators for entanglement-unassisted and entanglement-assisted qudit stabilizer codes over <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathbb {F}_{p^k}$</tex-math></inline-formula>, with <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$p$</tex-math></inline-formula> prime and <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$k \geq 1$</tex-math></inline-formula> from first principles, generalizing prior works on qubit-based codes and codes that work over <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathbb {F}_p$</tex-math></inline-formula>. We also provide quantum encoding architectures based on the proposed encoding procedures using one and two qudit gates, useful toward realizing coded quantum computing and communication systems using qudits.
Atomic physics. Constitution and properties of matter, Materials of engineering and construction. Mechanics of materials
The realization of Kitaev's honeycomb magnetic model in real materials has become one of the most pursued topics in condensed matter physics and materials science. If found, it is expected to host exotic quantum phases of matter and offers potential realizations of fault$-$tolerant quantum computations. Over the past years, much effort was made on 4d$-$ or 5d$-$ heavy transition metal compounds because of their intrinsic strong spin$-$orbit coupling. But more recently, there have been growing shreds of evidence that the Kitaev model could also be realized in 3d$-$transition metal systems with much weaker spin$-$orbit coupling. This review intends to serve as a guide to this fast$-$developing field focusing on systems with d$^7$ transition metal occupation. It overviews the current theoretical and experimental progress on realizing the Kitaev model in those systems. We examine the recent experimental observations of candidate materials with Co$^{2+}$ ions: e.g., CoPS$_3$, Na$_3$Co$_2$SbO$_6$, and Na$_2$Co$_2$TeO$_6$, followed by a brief review of theoretical backgrounds. We conclude this article by comparing experimental observations with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. We stress the importance of inter$-t_{2g}$ hopping channels and Hund's coupling in the realization of Kitaev interactions in Co$-$based compounds, which has been overlooked in previous studies. This review suggests future directions in the search for Kitaev physics in 3d cobalt compounds and beyond.
We study the environmental dependence of ultralight scalar dark matter (DM) with linear interactions to the standard model particles. The solution to the DM field turns out to be a sum of the cosmic harmonic oscillation term and the local exponential fluctuation term. The amplitude of the first term depends on the local DM density and the mass of the DM field. The second term is induced by the local distribution of matter, such as the Earth. And it depends not only on the mass of the Earth, but also the density of the Earth. Then, we compute the phase shift induced by the DM field in atom interferometers (AIs), through solving the trajectories of atoms. Especially, the AI signal for the violation of weak equivalence principle (WEP) caused by the DM field is calculated. Depending on the values of the DM coupling parameters, contributions to the WEP violation from the first and second terms of the DM field can be either comparable or one larger than the other. Finally, we give some constraints to DM coupling parameters using results from the terrestrial atomic WEP tests.
Michel Barat passed away in November 2018 at the age of 80 after a rich career in atomic and molecular collisions. He had participated actively in formalizing to the electron promotion model, contributed to low energy reactive collisions at the frontier of chemistry. He investigated electron capture mechanisms by highly charged ions, switched to collision induced cluster dissociation and finally to UV laser excitation induced fragmentation mechanisms of biological molecules. During this highly active time he created a lab, organized ICPEAC and participated actively in the administration of research. This paper covers the ten years where he mentored my scientific activity in the blossoming field of electron capture by highly charge ions (HCI). In spite of an impressive number of open channels, Michel found a way to capture the important parameters and to simplify the description of several electron capture processes; orientation propensity, electron promotion, true double electron capture, Transfer ionisation, Transfer excitation, formation of Rydberg states, and electron capture by metastable states. Each time Michel established fruitful collaborations with other groups.