Coherence Power of Quantum Processes

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Quantum systems can exist simultaneously in different physical states. This fundamental property of nature, known as quantum coherence, or superposition, is widely believed to represent an essential ingredient in a variety of fields ranging from quantum information processing and quantum metrology to quantum biology. This project aims to develop a powerful and general scientific framework to assess and control the coherence generating power of quantum processes, both natural and artificial. This is important because the ability to efficiently generate quantum coherence lies at the very heart of all quantum technologies, and underpins their potential for huge societal impact based on unprecedented computational and communication power. This project thus aims to promote the progress of fundamental science, and it will help to foster the development of potentially disruptive quantum technological applications.This team will introduce mathematical measures to quantify the coherence generating power of various quantum mechanical operations associated with physical processes. The mathematical approach is based on probabilistic tools and completely positive maps. Rigorous results that are amenable to direct experimental tests will be derived. This approach introduces a formulation in terms of elegant geometrical structures, both global and local. This team will also extend this conceptual and mathematical framework in several directions including studies of open quantum systems and quantum algorithms. This team will also explore the connection of quantum coherence with some fundamental and fascinating problems in modern condensed matter physics e.g., many-body localization.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.