Memory Effects in Quantum Processes

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel framework for characterizing quantum memory effects, unambiguously defining quantum Markov order, and quantifying temporal correlations, which advances understanding of quantum processes with finite memory.

Contribution

It develops a quantum Markov order condition, characterizes structural constraints on finite-memory quantum processes, and introduces a measure of memory strength dependent on experimental interventions.

Findings

Unambiguous quantum Markov order definition established.

Structural constraints on finite-memory quantum processes characterized.

Instrument-specific memory strength quantification introduced.

Abstract

Understanding temporal processes and their correlations in time is of paramount importance for the development of near-term technologies that operate under realistic conditions. Capturing the complete multi-time statistics defining a stochastic process lies at the heart of any proper treatment of memory effects. In this thesis, using a novel framework for the characterisation of quantum stochastic processes, we first solve the long standing question of unambiguously describing the memory length of a quantum processes. This is achieved by constructing a quantum Markov order condition that naturally generalises its classical counterpart for the quantification of finite-length memory effects. As measurements are inherently invasive in quantum mechanics, one has no choice but to define Markov order with respect to the interrogating instruments that are used to probe the process at hand: different memory effects are exhibited depending on how one addresses the system, in contrast to the standard classical setting. We then fully characterise the structural constraints imposed on quantum processes with finite Markov order, shedding light on a variety of memory effects that can arise through various examples. Lastly, we introduce an instrument-specific notion of memory strength that allows for a meaningful quantification of the temporal correlations between the history and the future of a process for a given choice of experimental intervention. These findings are directly relevant to both characterising and exploiting memory effects that persist for a finite duration. In particular, immediate applications range from developing efficient compression and recovery schemes for the description of quantum processes with memory to designing coherent control protocols that efficiently perform information-theoretic tasks, amongst a plethora of others.