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Wu, Biao

Publications and source records attributed to Wu, Biao.

Quantum Hamiltonian algorithms for maximum independent sets

ABSTRACT We compare two quantum Hamiltonian algorithms that address the maximum independent set problem: one based on the emergent non-Abelian gauge matrix in adiabatic evolution of an energetically isolated manifold of states; the other based on designed application of single-qubit operations. We demonstrate that they are mathematically equivalent in the sense that one is the other’s interaction picture. Despite their mathematical equivalence, our numerical simulations show significant differences between them in performance, which is explained analytically. Intriguingly, this equivalence unveils that the PXP model, recently prominent in quantum dynamics research, can be viewed as quantum diffusion over the median graph of all independent sets governed by the non-Abelian gauge matrix.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

Solving independent set problems with photonic quantum circuits

An independent set (IS) is a set of vertices in a graph such that no edge connects any two vertices. In adiabatic quantum computation [E. Farhi, et al ., Science 292, 472–475 (2001); A. Das, B. K. Chakrabarti, Rev. Mod. Phys. 80, 1061–1081 (2008)], a given graph G ( V , E ) can be naturally mapped onto a many-body Hamiltonian H IS G ( V , E ) , with edges E being the two-body interactions between adjacent vertices V . Thus, solving the IS problem is equivalent to finding all the computational basis ground states of H IS G ( V , E ) . Very recently, non-Abelian adiabatic mixing (NAAM) has been proposed to address this task, exploiting an emergent non-Abelian gauge symmetry of H IS G ( V , E ) [B. Wu, H. Yu, F. Wilczek, Phys. Rev. A 101, 012318 (2020)]. Here, we solve a representative IS problem G ( 8 , 7 ) by simulating the NAAM digitally using a linear optical quantum network, consisting of three C-Phase gates, four deterministic two-qubit gate arrays (DGA), and ten single rotation gates. The maximum IS has been successfully identified with sufficient Trotterization steps and a carefully chosen evolution path. Remarkably, we find IS with a total probability of 0.875(16), among which the nontrivial ones have a considerable weight of about 31.4%. Our experiment demonstrates the potential advantage of NAAM for solving IS-equivalent problems.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

Magnetic molecular orbitals in MnSi

A large body of knowledge about magnetism is attained from models of interacting spins, which usually reside on magnetic ions. Proposals beyond the ionic picture are uncommon and seldom verified by direct observations in conjunction with microscopic theory. Here, using inelastic neutron scattering to study the itinerant near-ferromagnet MnSi, we find that the system’s fundamental magnetic units are interconnected, extended molecular orbitals consisting of three Mn atoms each rather than individual Mn atoms. This result is further corroborated by magnetic Wannier orbitals obtained by ab initio calculations. It contrasts the ionic picture with a concrete example and presents an unexplored regime of the spin waves where the wavelength is comparable to the spatial extent of the molecular orbitals. Our discovery brings important insights into not only the magnetism of MnSi but also a broad range of magnetic quantum materials where structural symmetry, electron itinerancy, and correlations act in concert.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Quantum Computing by Coherent Cooling

Interesting problems in quantum computation take the form of finding low-energy states of (pseudo)spin systems with engineered Hamiltonians that encode the problem data. Motivated by the practical possibility of producing very low-temperature spin systems, we propose and exemplify the possibility to compute by coupling the computational spins to a quantum coherent bath that serves as a heat sink. The quantum tunneling effect provides additional cooling channels to accelerate the cooling process. Here, we demonstrate both analytically and numerically that this strategy can achieve a quantum advantage in the unstructured search problem.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Quantum Algorithm for Approximating Maximum Independent Sets

We present a quantum algorithm for approximating maximum independent sets of a graph based on quantum non-Abelian adiabatic mixing in the sub-Hilbert space of degenerate ground states, which generates quantum annealing in a secondary Hamiltonian. For both sparse and dense random graphs G , numerical simulation suggests that our algorithm on average finds an independent set of size close to the maximum size α ( G ) in low polynomial time. The best classical algorithms, by contrast, produce independent sets of size about half of α ( G ) in polynomial time.

Physics↗