ExpandQISE: Track 1: Exceptional entanglement transition and supersensitive quantum sensing empowered by anti-Hermiticity and symmetries

摘要：量子信息科学与工程（QISE）作为一个新兴的跨学科研究领域，将给计算、通信、信号处理、网络、计量、传感等领域带来革命性的变化。然而，尽管在这一领域取得了显著的进展，量子态的退相干不可避免地在量子操作中引入了缺陷和错误。在这个项目中，该团队的目标是通过利用非厄米物理，以及非厄米性和对称性来解决这一挑战，通过开创性的理论和实验演示来保持和增强两个互补开放量子系统中的非经典相关性和纠缠特性。这些进步可以在超灵敏量子传感中具有示范应用。此外，对这两个系统的研究揭示了对非厄米量子物理的独特特征的新见解，这些特征与经典或厄米物理根本不同。该项目还优先考虑学生培训，特别关注那些来自代表性不足的少数民族的学生，从而加强为QISE提供科学和工程劳动力的管道。外展活动，如公开讲座和高中量子暑期研究实习，迎合高中生和公众，从而促进更广泛地参与量子科学和技术。技术摘要：集成量子光子学和超导电路正在成为各种QISE任务的两个主要竞争者。然而，它们的量子性能非常容易受到退相干的影响。目前主流的QISE研究集中在控制和减轻各种退相干因素以保持量子态的相干性上，但仍然存在重大挑战。在这个项目中，该团队利用了反厄米性和对称性的影响，比如奇偶时间对称性，以及它们引起的非平凡相变。将开发首个连接双光束或两个耦合量子比特的相敏放大或自然耗散的试验台。这些试验台可以分别用于正交和量子力学被动奇偶时间对称性的研究。该项目强调具有非经典关联和纠缠的量子系统的非厄米演化，探索它们与非厄米性和对称性之间复杂甚至违反直觉的联系。此外，本项目探讨了这些系统在超灵敏量子传感中的潜在应用。这一建议的成功结果将加深我们对对称性基础物理学中增益和损失的基本作用及其在开放量子系统中的含义的理解。此外，它还将为目前正在进行集中辩论的几个开放问题提供实验性见解。此外，基于连续变量和离散变量的奇异量子光子处理，在正交和被动奇偶时间对称下，可以为使用现有厄米方法无法克服的关键挑战提供优雅的解决方案。虽然目前的实验研究仅限于展示一些基本的量子效应，但从这项开创性的研究中开发的系统和技术可以部署到广泛的基于连续变量和离散变量的QISE研究中。该项目由多学科活动办公室（MPS/OMA）和技术前沿计划（TIP/TF）共同资助。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Non-technical Abstract: As an emerging interdisciplinary research area, Quantum Information Science and Engineering (QISE) is poised to revolutionize computing, communication, signal processing, networks, metrology, sensing, and more. However, despite notable progress in this field, the decoherence of quantum states inevitably introduces imperfections and errors in quantum operations. In this project, the team aims to tackle this challenge by harnessing non-Hermitian physics, along with non-Hermiticity and symmetries, to preserve and enhance nonclassical correlations and entanglement properties in two complementary open quantum systems with groundbreaking theoretical and experimental demonstrations. These advancements can have exemplary applications in supersensitive quantum sensing. Moreover, the study of these two systems unveils new insights into the distinct characteristics of non-Hermitian quantum physics, which fundamentally differ from classical or Hermitian physics. This project also prioritizes student training, particularly focusing on those from underrepresented minorities, thereby strengthening the pipeline that supplies the science and engineering workforce in QISE. Outreach activities, such as public lectures and high school quantum summer research internships, cater to high-school students and the general public, thus fostering broader engagement with quantum science and technology.Technical Abstract: Integrated quantum photonics and superconducting circuits are emerging as two primary contenders for various QISE tasks. However, their quantum performance is highly susceptible to decoherence. The current mainstream QISE research focuses on controlling and mitigating various decoherence factors to preserve the coherence of quantum states, yet, significant challenges persist. In this project, the team exploits the effects of anti-Hermiticity and symmetries such as parity-time symmetry, and their induced nontrivial phase transitions. First-of-its-kind testbeds, which link twin beams or two coupled qubits with phase-sensitive amplification or natural dissipation, will be developed. These testbeds enable studies on quadrature and quantum-mechanical passive parity-time symmetries, respectively. The project emphasizes the non-Hermitian evolution of quantum systems with nonclassical correlations and entanglement, exploring their intricate and even counterintuitive connections with non-Hermiticity and symmetries. Furthermore, this project explores the potential applications of these systems in supersensitive quantum sensing. The successful outcomes of this proposal will deepen our understanding of the fundamental roles of gain and loss in symmetry-underlying physics and their implications in open quantum systems. Additionally, it will provide experimental insights into several open questions that are currently subject to focused debate. Moreover, the exotic quantum photonic processing, based on continuous variables and discrete variables, under quadrature and passive parity-time symmetries, can offer elegant solutions to key challenges that are insurmountable using existing Hermitian methodologies. While the current experimental research is limited to demonstrating a few fundamental quantum effects, developed systems and techniques from this groundbreaking research can be deployed to a wide range of continuous-variables- and discretized-variables-based QISE studies.This project is jointly funded by the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities (MPS/OMA), and the Technology Frontiers Program (TIP/TF).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.