Liangyu Ding

We experimentally demonstrate an unambiguous quantum state discrimination of two qubit states under a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian with parity-time-reversal ($\mathcal{PT}$) symmetry in a single trapped $^{40}$Ca$^+$ ion. We show that any two non-orthogonal states can become orthogonal subjected to time evolution of a $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric Hamiltonian in both the $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetry preserving and broken regimes, thus can be discriminated deterministically. For a given pair of candidate states, we show that the parameters of the Hamiltonian must be confined in a proper range, within which there exists an optimal choice to realize quantum brachistochrone for the fastest orthogonalization. Besides, we provide a clear geometric picture and some analytic results to understand the main conclusions. Our work shows a promising application of non-Hermitian physics in quantum information processing.

Whether the observables of a physical system admit real values is of fundamental importance to a deep understanding of nature. In this work, we report a device-independent experiment to confirm that the joint reality of two observables on a single two-level system is incompatible with the assumption of operational completeness, which is strictly weaker than that of preparation noncontextuality. We implement two observables on a trapped $^{171}{\rm Yb}^{+}$ ion to test this incompatibility via violation of certain inequalities derived from both linear and nonlinear criteria. Moreover, by introducing a highly controllable dephasing channel, we show that the nonlinear criterion is more robust against noise. Our results push the fundamental limit to delineate the quantum-classical boundary and pave the way for exploring relevant problems in other scenarios.

Non-Hermitian systems with parity-time reversal ($\mathcal{PT}$) or anti-$\mathcal{PT}$ symmetry have attracted a wide range of interest owing to their unique characteristics and counterintuitive phenomena. One of the most extraordinary features is the presence of an exception point (EP), across which a phase transition with spontaneously broken $\mathcal{PT}$ symmetry takes place. We implement a Floquet Hamiltonian of a single qubit with anti-$\mathcal{PT}$ symmetry by periodically driving a dissipative quantum system of a single trapped ion. With stroboscopic emission and quantum state tomography, we obtain the time evolution of density matrix for an arbitrary initial state, and directly demonstrate information retrieval, eigenstates coalescence, and topological energy spectra as unique features of non-Hermitian systems.

Ultraviolet (UV) diode lasers are widely used in many photonics applications. But their frequency stabilization schemes are not as mature as frequency-doubling lasers, mainly due to some limitations in the UV spectral region. Here we developed a high-performance UV frequency stabilization technique implemented directly on UV diode lasers by combining the dichroic atomic vapor laser lock and the resonant transfer cavity lock. As an example, we demonstrate a stable locking with frequency standard deviations of approximately 200 KHz and 300 KHz for 399nm and 370nm diode lasers in 20 minutes. We achieve a long-term frequency drift of no more than 1 MHz for the target 370nm laser within an hour, which was further verified with fluorescence counts rates of a single trapped $^{171}$Yb$^+$ ion. We also find strong linear correlations between lock points and environmental factors such as temperature and atmospheric pressure.