Time Reversal and Charge Conjugation in an Embedding Quantum Simulator

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates an embedding quantum simulator using a trapped ion to encode and observe unphysical antiunitary symmetry operations like time reversal and charge conjugation, expanding quantum simulation capabilities.

Contribution

It introduces a method to encode unphysical operations in a quantum simulator, enabling the experimental realization of antiunitary symmetries.

Findings

Successfully implemented time reversal and charge conjugation operations.

Observed phenomena related to nonunitary Majorana dynamics.

Enhanced quantum simulation toolbox for unphysical operations.

Abstract

The understanding of symmetry operations has brought enormous advancements in physics, ranging from elementary particle to condensed matter systems. In quantum mechanics, symmetry operations are described by either unitary or antiunitary operators, where the latter are unphysical transformations that cannot be realized in physical systems. So far, quantum simulators of unitary and dissipative processes, the only allowed physical dynamics, have been realized in key experiments. Here, we present an embedding quantum simulator able to encode unphysical operations in a multilevel single trapped ion. In this sense, we experimentally observe phenomena associated with the nonunitary Majorana dynamics and implement antiunitary symmetry operations, i.e., time reversal and charge conjugation, at arbitrary evolution times. These experiments enhance the toolbox of quantum simulations towards applications involving unphysical operations.