Odd-periodic Grover walk

TL;DR

This paper characterizes graphs with odd-periodic Grover walks, revealing their structure and relationship to odd cycles, using combinatorial methods to extend understanding of quantum walk periodicity.

Contribution

It provides a complete combinatorial characterization of graphs with odd-periodic Grover walks, expanding the known classifications beyond even periods.

Findings

Graphs with odd-periodic Grover walks are characterized as odd cycles.

The paper establishes a direct link between odd periods and odd cycle graphs.

New combinatorial methods are introduced for analyzing quantum walk periodicity.

Abstract

The Grover walk is one of the most well-studied quantum walks on graphs. In this paper, we investigate its periodicity to reveal the relationship between the quantum walk and the underlying graph, focusing particularly on the characterization of graphs exhibiting a periodic Grover walk. Graphs having a periodic Grover walk with periods of $2, 3, 4$, and $5$ have previously been characterized. It is expected that graphs exhibiting a periodic Grover walk with odd period correspond to cycles with odd length. We address that problem and are able to perfectly characterize the class of graphs exhibiting an odd-periodic Grover walk by using a combinatorial method.