Quantum de Finetti theorems and mean-field theory from quantum phase space representations

Since the very early days of quantum theory there have been numerous attempts to interpret quantum mechanics as a statistical theory. This is equivalent to describing quantum states and ensembles together with their dynamics entirely in terms of phase-space distributions. Finite dimensional systems have historically been an issue. In recent works [Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 180401 and Phys. Rev. A 96, 022117] we presented a framework for representing any quantum state as a complete continuous Wigner function. Here we extend this work to its partner function -- the Weyl function. In doing so we complete the phase-space formulation of quantum mechanics -- extending work by Wigner, Weyl, Moyal, and others to any quantum system. This work is structured in three parts. Firstly we provide a brief modernized discussion of the general framework of phase-space quantum mechanics. We extend previous work and show how this leads to a framework that can describe any system in phase space -- putting it for the first time on a truly equal footing to Schr\"odinger's and Heisenberg's formulation of quantum mechanics. Importantly, we do this in a way that respects the unifying principles of "parity" and "displacement" in a natural broadening of previously developed phase space concepts and methods. Secondly we consider how this framework is realized for different quantum systems; in particular we consider the proper construction of Weyl functions for some example finite dimensional systems. Finally we relate the Wigner and Weyl distributions to statistical properties of any quantum system or set of systems.

The structure of the global “quantum phase space” is analyzed for the harmonic oscillator perturbed by a monochromatic wave in the limit when the perturbation amplitude is small. Usually, the phenomenon of quantum resonance was studied in nondegenerate [G. M. Zaslavsky, Chaos in Dynamic Systems (Harwood Academic, Chur, 1985)] and degenerate [Demikhovskii, Kamenev, and Luna-Acosta, Phys. Rev. E 52, 3351 (1995)] classically chaotic systems only in the particular regions of the classical phase space, such as the center of the resonance or near the separatrix. The system under consideration is degenerate, and even an infinitely small perturbation generates in the classical phase space an infinite number of the resonant cells which are arranged in the pattern with the axial symmetry of the order 2μ (where μ is the resonance number). We show analytically that the Husimi functions of all Floquet states (the quantum phase space) have the same symmetry as the classical phase space. This correspondence is demonstrated numerically for the Husimi functions of the Floquet states corresponding to the motion near the elliptic stable points (centers of the classical resonance cells). The derived results are valid in the resonance approximation when the perturbation amplitude is small enough, and the stochastic layers in the classical phase space are exponentially thin. The developed approach can be used for studying a global symmetry of more complicated quantum systems with chaotic behavior.

The Weyl correspondence for obtaining quantum operators from functions of classical coordinates and momenta is known to be incorrect. To calculate quantum-mechanical expectation values as phase-space averages with the Wigner density function, one cannot use classical functions but must use Weyl transforms. These transforms are defined and their properties derived from quantum mechanics. Their properties are expressed in terms of a Hermitian operator Δ(Q, K) whose Weyl transform is a δ function. The Wigner function is the transform of the density operator. Every Weyl transform is exhibited as a difference of two functions which are nonnegative on the phase spece. Weyl transforms do not obey the algebra of classical functions. In the classical limit ℏ → 0, Weyl transforms become classical functions, the Wigner function becomes nonnegative throughout the phase space, and the Hilbert space is spanned by an orthonormal set of vectors which are simultaneous eigenkets of the commuting coordinate and momentum operators.

κ-Poincaré–Hopf algebra and Hopf algebroid structure of phase space from twist

While the scaling of entanglement in a quantum system can be used to distinguish many-body quantum phases, it is usually hard to quantify the amount of entanglement in mixed states of open quantum systems, while measuring entanglement experimentally, even for the closed systems, requires in general quantum state tomography. In this work we show how to remedy this situation in system with a fixed or conserved charge, e.g., density or magnetization, due to an emerging relation between quantum correlations and coherence. First, we show how, in these cases, the presence of multipartite entanglement or quantumness can be faithfully witnessed simply by detecting coherence in the quantum system, while bipartite entanglement or bipartite quantum discord are implied by asymmetry (block coherence) in the system. Second, we prove that the relation between quantum correlations and coherence is also quantitative. Namely, we establish upper and lower bounds on the amount of multipartite and bipartite entanglement in a many-body system with a fixed local charge, in terms of the amount of coherence and asymmetry present in the system. Importantly, both for pure and mixed quantum states, these bounds are expressed as closed formulas, and furthermore, for bipartite entanglement, are experimentally accessible by means of the multiple quantum coherence spectra. In particular, in one-dimensional systems, our bounds may detect breaking of the area law of entanglement entropy. We illustrate our results on the example of a many-body localized system, also in the presence of dephasing.

This thesis is divided into two parts. In the first part we study quantum phases in bosonic systems in an optical lattice by using numerical unbiased Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) method. Ultracold atoms experiments in optical lattices provide a possibility to simulate the materials of condensed matter in a clean and well-controled way. We focus on two components bosonic systems where exotic phases such as pair-superfluid and pair-supersolid appear. In the second part we provide numerical methods based on QMC simulations to study the entanglement properties of strong correlated systems. By employing the replica trick, we reconstruct the entanglement spectrum from the Renyi entropies. Furthermore, we study the trace of the power of the partial transposed reduced density matrix, which is related to the entanglement measurement negativity for mixed states. In the following we briefly summarize each chapter. In Chapter 1 we very briefly introduce the cold atom systems and the connection with QMC simulations. In Chapter 2 we review the QMC method based on the path integral (world line) representation. We focus on the directed worm algorithm which is an efficient algorithm with global updtae for bosonic and spin systems. All the following methods in this thesis – the method of two component bosonic systems, the reconstruction of entanglement spectrum and the measuring of partial transposed quantities, are based on directed worm algorithm introduced in this chapter. In Chapter 3 we discuss two component bosons in a square lattice. We show that the interspecies attraction and nearest-neighbor intraspecies repulsion result in the pair-supersolid phase, where a diagonal solid order coexists with an off-diagonal pair-superfluid order. The quantum and thermal transitions out of the pair-supersolid phase are characterized. It is found that there is a direct first-order transition from the pair-supersolid phase to the double-superfluid phase without an intermediate region. Furthermore, the melting of the pair-supersolid occurs in two steps. Upon heating, first the pair-superfluid is destroyed via a Kosterlitz-Thouless transition, then the solid order melts via an Ising transition. In Chapter 4 we represent a new method to reconstruct a subset of the entanglement spectrum of quantum many body systems by QMC, where the method can in principle be applied to two or higher dimension. The approach builds on the replica trick to evaluate particle number resolved traces of the first n of powers of a reduced density matrix. From this information we reconstruct first n entanglement spectrum levels using a polynomial root solver. We illustrate the power and limitations of the method by an application to the extended Bose-Hubbard model in one dimension where we are able to resolve the quasidegeneracy of the entanglement spectrum in the Haldane-insulator phase. In general, the method is able to reconstruct the largest few eigenvalues in each symmetry sector. In Chapter 5 we devise a Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) method to calculate the moments of the partially transposed reduced density matrix at finite temperature. These are used to construct scale invariant combinations that are related to the negativity, a true measure of entanglement for two intervals embedded in a chain. In particular, we study several scale invariant combinations of the moments for the 1D hard-core boson model. For two adjacent intervals unusual finite size corrections are present, showing parity effects that oscillate with a filling dependent period. For large chains we find perfect agreement with conformal field theory (CFT) calculations. Oppositely, for disjoint intervals corrections are more severe and CFT is recovered only asymptotically. Furthermore, we provide evidence that their exponent is the same as that governing the corrections of the mutual information. Additionally we study the 1D Bose-Hubbard model in the superfluid phase. The finite-size effects are smaller and QMC data are already in impressive agreement with CFT at moderate large sizes.

We consider evolution of dynamical systems described by non-Hermitian Hamiltonians, using the density operator approach. The latter is formulated both at the level of the Hilbert space and the phase space, and adapted for applications to open quantum systems. We illustrate the formalism using a family of non-Hermitian system, which generators are quadratic with respect to both momentum and position. Despite the initial simplicity of a Hamiltonian, the structure of its solutions and spectral characteristics are nontrivial, and they can drastically change depending on parameters of the model and its symmetry in phase space. We present analytical solutions in L2(ℝ) and in phase space, and an explicit form of the similarity transformation changing these generators into the corresponding normal operators.

Phase space characterization of solitons with the Wigner transform

Several methods in nonadiabatic molecular dynamics are based on Madelung’s hydrodynamic description of nuclear motion, while the electronic component is treated as a finite-dimensional quantum system. In this context, the quantum potential leads to severe computational challenges and one often seeks to neglect its contribution, thereby approximating nuclear motion as classical. The resulting model couples classical hydrodynamics for the nuclei to the quantum motion of the electronic component, leading to the structure of a complex fluid system. This type of mixed quantum–classical fluid models has also appeared in solvation dynamics to describe the coupling between liquid solvents and the quantum solute molecule. While these approaches represent a promising direction, their mathematical structure requires a certain care. In some cases, challenging higher-order gradients make these equations hardly tractable. In other cases, these models are based on phase-space formulations that suffer from well-known consistency issues. Here, we present a new complex fluid system that resolves these difficulties. Unlike common approaches, the current system is obtained by applying the fluid closure at the level of the action principle of the original phase-space model. As a result, the system inherits a Hamiltonian structure and retains energy/momentum balance. After discussing some of its structural properties and dynamical invariants, we illustrate the model in the case of pure-dephasing dynamics. We conclude by presenting some invariant planar models.

A fluctuation theorem for the nonequilibrium entropy production in quantum phase space is derived, which enables the consistent thermodynamic description of arbitrary quantum systems, open and closed. The new treatment naturally generalizes classical results to the quantum domain. As an illustration the harmonic oscillator dragged through a thermal bath is solved numerically. Finally, the significance of the new approach is discussed in detail, and the phase space treatment is opposed to the two-time energy measurement approach.

We consider questions related to the following quantization scheme: a classical variable f: Ω → ℝ on a phase space Ω is associated with a unique semispectral measure Ef, such that the kth moment operator of Ef is required to coincide with the operator integral L(fk, E) of fk with respect to a certain fixed phase space semispectral measure E. Mainly, we take the phase space Ω to be a locally compact unimodular group. In the concrete case where Ω = ℝ2 and E is a translation covariant semispectral measure, we determine explicitly the relevant operators L(fk, E) for certain variables f. In addition, we consider the question under what conditions a positive operator measure is projection valued.

It is shown that continuous classical nonlinear canonical (Poisson) maps have a distinguished role in quantum mechanics. They act unitarily on the quantum phase space and generate ℏ-independent quantum nonlinear canonical maps. It is also shown that such maps act in the non-commutative phase space under the classical covariance. A crucial result of the work is that under the action of Poisson maps a local quantum mechanical picture is converted onto a non-local picture which is then represented in a non-local Hilbert space. On the other hand, it is known that a non-local picture is equivalent by the Weyl map to a non-commutative picture which, in the context of this work, corresponds to a phase space formulation of the theory. As a result of this equivalence, a phase space Schrödinger picture can be formulated. In particular, we obtain the ⋆-genvalue equation of Fairlie (1964 Proc. Camb. Phil. Soc. 60 581) and Curtright, Fairlie and Zachos (1998 Phys. Rev. D 58 025002). In a non-local picture entanglement becomes a crucial concept. The connection between the entanglement and non-locality is explored in the context of Poisson maps and specific examples of the generation of entanglement from a local wavefunction are provided by using the concept of generalized Bell states. The results obtained are also relevant for the non-commutative soliton picture in the non-commutative field theories. We elaborate on this in the context of the scalar non-commutative field theory.

This thesis presents a comprehensive study of phase-space measurements, decoherence, and the emergence of classicality in quantum systems. Motivated by limitations of position-based localisation in standard decoherence models, we develop a phase-space decoherence formalism using coherent-state positive operator-valued measures (POVMs). These generalised measurements, constructed from overcomplete sets of coherent states, provide a natural and physically motivated framework for modelling coarse-grained quantum observations. We develop an iterative measurement scheme for phase-space decoherence in systems with Heisenberg-Weyl, $\mathrm{SU}(2)$, $\mathrm{SU}(1,1)$, and $\mathrm{SU}(N)$ symmetries. In each case, repeated weak measurements gradually suppress quantum interference, driving the system toward a maximally mixed state. A universal structure is shown to emerge: a single iteration maps the Wigner function to the Husimi $Q$-function, removing negativity, while full decoherence maps the singular Glauber-Sudarshan $P$-function to the $Q$-function, eliminating all singularities. This establishes a group-independent mechanism by which phase-space measurements induce classicality. We compare this model to Lindblad-type dynamics, which describe open quantum systems via completely positive, trace-preserving semigroups. For Heisenberg-Weyl and tomographic $\mathrm{SU}(N)$ systems, the measurement channel coincides exactly with isotropic Lindblad evolution. In $\mathrm{SU}(2)$ and $\mathrm{SU}(1,1)$ cases, the correspondence is only partial, with exact agreement in asymptotic regimes. A universal decoherence timescale, $t_*$, emerges beyond which quasi-probability distributions become strictly positive. We then construct a stochastic unravelling based on Brownian motion on phase space, offering a geometric alternative to standard stochastic Schr\"odinger equations. This reveals that decoherence occurs without GKSL-type dynamics in noncompact systems. Such unravellings preserve the intrinsic phase-space symmetry and provide a natural setting for studying semiclassical limits and quantum-to-classical transitions. Finally, we extend the framework to relativistic quantum systems by defining a covariant coherent-state POVM on the future tube and constructing a Bargmann transform to the forward light cone. Preliminary results on relativistic phase-space decoherence are presented, along with possible directions for future research.

We study a two-qutrit system which is described by the Bose–Hubbard Hamiltonian with two external magnetic fields. The entanglement (through the negativity) and quantum correlation (through the geometric discord) between the qutrits are calculated as functions of the magnetic field (B), the temperature (T), the linear and nonlinear coupling constants among two spins (J and K). Then, we compare the effect of these parameters on entanglement and quantum correlation of this system. For some values of system parameters, we show that the negativity is zero while, the geometric discord is nonzero. Moreover, we investigate the effect of finite external magnetic fields direction on these measures. This study leads to some new and interesting results as well.

Using the Wigner function formalism in phase space, we analyze the decay of quantum coherences in phase-sensitive reservoirs. We show that the decay rate of quantum coherences in phase-sensitive reservoirs can be significantly modified compared to the decay rate in ordinary (phase-insensitive) thermal reservoirs. Depending on the phases of the quantum system (field mode) and the squeezed reservoir, the decay rate of the quantum coherence can be either enhanced or significantly suppressed, which is in agreement with the results obtained recently by other methods [T. A. B. Kennedy and D. F. Walls, Phys. Rev. A 37, 152 (1988)]. We show that in an ideally squeezed reservoir with a high degree of squeezing, the decay rate of the quantum coherence (i.e., the decay rate of off-diagonal terms of the density matrix in the coherent-state basis) can be equal to the decay rate of the energy of the system (i.e., the decay rate of diagonal terms of the density matrix). Suppression of the decay rate of the quantum coherence leads to preservation of nonclassical effects such as the oscillations in the photon number distribution. Moreover, we find that some initial superposition states of light exhibiting super-Poissonian photon statistics can be transformed into intermediate sub-Poissonian states under the influence of phase-sensitive reservoirs.