Quantum Information Processing from a Resource Theory Perspective

Virtual talk Aug 5, 2021 at 3pm Eastern Time

A quantum resource theory is a broad framework for studying some particular features of quantum mechanics under a restricted class of physical operations. A paradigm example is the resource theory of quantum entanglement, which characterizes the behavior of multi-party entanglement under the restriction of local dynamics and classical communication. When viewed through the lens of a quantum resource theory, seemingly different quantum phenomena often emerge as having many formal similarities.

In this talk I will provide a survey of quantum resource theories and some of its applications in quantum information science. We will first motivate the topic by considering some well-known results in thermodynamics and statistical decision problems. We will then discuss some of the basic elements and common structural properties found in most resource theories. To see this formalism in action, we will consider the problem of multiple-access classical communication using a single particle, comparing the performance of classical and quantum particles. Elements of this talk will be taken from [Rev. Mod. Phys 91, 25001 (2019)]; [Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 120401 (2020)]; [Phys. Rev. Res. 2, 23298 (2020)] [arXiv:2006.12475].

Eric Chitambar received his B.S. degree in physics from the University of Notre Dame in 2005 and his Ph.D. degree in physics from the University of Michigan in 2010 under the direction of Prof. Yaoyun Shi. He served as a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Toronto and later at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Canada. In 2012, Dr. Chitambar became a member of the physics department at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and in 2018 he joined the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as an Associate Professor. His research interests include quantum communication, entanglement theory, and general quantum resource theories. Outside of science, some of his interests include rock music, tropical fish keeping, and philosophy.

Space-time optics and photonics: A new frontier for structured light

Virtual talk July 29, 2021 at 1pm Eastern Time

Exercising control over the spatial degrees of freedom of the optical field has continued to yield breakthroughs over the past few decades, ranging from the discovery of Bessel beams and beams endowed with orbital angular momentum, to optical tweezers and traps, and the manipulation of the field in multimode optical fibers. Separately, but in parallel with these efforts, ultrafast pulse shaping has revolutionized our control over the temporal degree of freedom of the optical field. The spatial and temporal realms in optics have led for the most part independent lives with few examples of creative intersections. In this talk I show that precise, joint sculpting of the spatial and temporal degrees of freedom of optical fields – rather than modulating each separately – yields a new class of pulsed beams that I call ‘space-time’ (ST) wave packets. Surprising and useful optical behaviors are exhibited by ST wave packets when freely propagating or when interacting with photonic devices, leading to a new frontier for the study of structured light. I will share our recent experimental and theoretical results from this rapidly emerging topic and sketch potential applications that could benefit from ST wave packets.

Ayman F. Abouraddy received the B.S. and M.S. degrees from Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt, in 1994 and 1997, respectively, and the Ph.D. degree from Boston University, Boston, MA, in 2003, all in electrical engineering. In 2003 he joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as a postdoctoral fellow, and then became a Research Scientist at the Research Laboratory of Electronics in 2005. He is the coauthor of more than 130 journal publications, 240 conference presentations, and 80 invited talks; he holds seven patents, and has three patents pending, and is a fellow of the OSA. He joined CREOL, The College of Optics & Photonics, at the University of Central Florida as an assistant professor in September 2008 and was promoted to full professor in August 2017. His recent research interests are in the area of structured light, particularly in the emerging field of space-time optics and photonics, in addition to quantum optics and quantum information processing.

Generation of nonclassical light in linear and nonlinear photonic molecules

Virtual talk July 15, 2021 at 11am Eastern Time

Integrated micro- and nanostructures allow for the efficient generation of photon pairs via parametric fluorescence thanks to the enhancement of the light-matter interaction associated with the spatial and temporal light confinement. These systems grant an unprecedented control over the properties of the generated non-classical light, for the field enhancement can be engineered to enhance or suppress specific nonlinear processes. A particularly interesting case is that of the generation of photon pairs in structures composed of several resonators, whose interactions can be control at the linear and nonlinear level, granting the necessary flexibility to engineer the desired quantum state. In this talk will discuss the latest progresses in the generation of photon pairs in integrated devices from two-photon states in linearly uncoupled resonators to bright squeezed light in nanophotonic molecules.

Prof. Marco Liscidini received the Ph.D. degree in physics from the University of Pavia (Italy) 2006. From 2007 to 2009, he was Post-Doctoral Fellow in the group of Prof. J. E. Sipe at the Department of Physics of the University of Toronto, Canada. He is currently Associate Professor at the Department of Physics of the University of Pavia, and he serves as technical advisor to Xanadu Quantum Technologies Inc, Toronto, Canada. His research activity is focused on the theoretical study and modelling of the light-matter interaction in micro- and nano­structures. He works in several areas of photonics, including classical and quantum nonlinear optics, spontaneous emission, plasmon and QW-exciton polaritons, optical sensing and bio-sensing, and photovoltaic effects. His theoretical research activity is in strong collaboration with experimental groups and in the framework of national, European, US, and Canadian research programs.