Publications
preprints
Unraveling Open Quantum Dynamics with Time-Dependent Variational Monte Carlo
C. Apostoli, J. D’Alberto, M. G. Genoni, G. Bertaina, D. E. Galli
arXiv:2506.23928 [quant-ph]
We introduce a method to simulate open quantum many-body dynamics by combining time-dependent variational Monte Carlo (tVMC) with quantum trajectory techniques. Our approach unravels the Lindblad master equation into an ensemble of stochastic Schrödinger equations for a variational ansatz, avoiding the exponential cost of density matrix evolution. The method is compatible with generic ansatzë, including expressive neural-network wavefunctions. We derive the nonlinear stochastic equations of motion for the variational parameters and employ suitable Stratonovich numerical solvers. To validate our approach, we simulate quenches in the locally dissipative long-range Ising model in a transverse field, accurately capturing non-equilibrium magnetization and spin squeezing dynamics relevant to trapped-ion and Rydberg atom experiments. The framework is computationally efficient, scalable on high-performance computing platforms, and can be readily integrated into existing tVMC implementations. This work enables large-scale simulations of complex, dissipative quantum systems in higher dimensions, with broad implications for quantum technology and fundamental science.
Spin squeezing generation in atom-cavity systems: on the effects of adiabatic elimination beyond the leading order
S. Giaccari, G. Dellea, M. G. Genoni, G. Bertaina
arXiv:2506.22383 [quant-ph]
Spin-squeezed states are a prototypical example of metrologically useful quantum states where structured entanglement allows for enhanced sensing with respect to that possible using classically correlated particles. Key challenges include the efficient preparation of spin-squeezed states and the scalability of estimation precision with the number N of probes. Recently, in the context of the generation of spin-squeezed states via coupling of three-level atoms to an optical cavity, it was shown that increasing the atom-cavity coupling can be detrimental to spin-squeezing generation, an effect that is not captured by the standard second-order adiabatic cavity removal approximation. We describe adiabatic elimination techniques to derive an effective Lindblad master equation up to third order for the atomic degrees of freedom. We then show through numerical simulations that the spin-squeezing scalability loss is correctly reproduced by the reduced open system dynamics, pinpointing the relevant role of higher-order contributions.
Daemonic ergotropy of Gaussian quantum states and the role of measurement-induced purification via general-dyne detection
K. H. Kua, A. Serafini, M. G. Genoni
arXiv:2506.22288 [quant-ph]
According to the Maxwell demon paradigm, additional work can be extracted from a classical or quantum system by exploiting information obtained through measurements on a correlated ancillary system. In the quantum setting, the maximum work extractable via unitary operations in such measurement-assisted protocols is referred to as daemonic ergotropy. In this work, we explore this concept in the context of continuous-variable quantum systems, focusing on Gaussian states and general-dyne (Gaussian) measurements. We derive a general expression for the daemonic ergotropy and examine two key scenarios: (i) bipartite Gaussian states where a general-dyne measurement is performed on one of the two parties, and (ii) open Gaussian quantum systems under continuous general-dyne monitoring of the environment. Remarkably, we show that for single-mode Gaussian states, the ergotropy depends solely on the state’s energy and purity. This enables us to express the daemonic ergotropy as a simple function of the unconditional energy and the purity of the conditional states, revealing that enhanced daemonic work extraction is directly linked to measurement-induced purification. We illustrate our findings through two paradigmatic examples: extracting daemonic work from a two-mode squeezed thermal state and from a continuously monitored optical parametric oscillator. In both case we identify the optimal general-dyne strategies that maximize the conditional purity and, in turn, the daemonic ergotropy.
Adaptive quantum dynamics with the time-dependent variational Monte Carlo method
R. Salioni, R. Martinazzo, D. E. Galli, C. Apostoli
arXiv:2506.08575 [quant-ph]
We introduce an extension of the time-dependent variational Monte Carlo (tVMC) method that adaptively controls the expressivity of the variational quantum state during the simulation. This adaptive tVMC approach addresses numerical instabilities that arise when the variational ansatz is overparameterized or contains redundant degrees of freedom. Building on the concept of the local-in-time error (LITE), a measure of the deviation between variational and exact evolution, we introduce a procedure to quantify each parameter’s contribution to reducing the LITE, using only quantities already computed in standard tVMC simulations. These relevance estimates guide the selective evolution of only the most significant parameters at each time step, while maintaining a prescribed level of accuracy. We benchmark the algorithm on quantum quenches in the one-dimensional transverse-field Ising model using both spin-Jastrow and restricted Boltzmann machine wave functions, with an emphasis on overparameterized regimes. The adaptive scheme significantly improves numerical stability and reduces the need for strong regularization, enabling reliable simulations with highly expressive variational ansätze.
Bounding fidelity in quantum feedback control: theory and applications to Dicke state preparation
E. O’Connor, H. Ma, M.G. Genoni
arXiv:2503.19151 [quant-ph]
Achieving unit fidelity in quantum state preparation is often impossible in the presence of environmental decoherence. While continuous monitoring and feedback control can improve fidelity, perfect state preparation remains elusive in many scenarios. Inspired by quantum speed limits, we derive an ultimate bound on the steady-state average fidelity achievable via continuous monitoring and feedback control. This bound depends only on the unconditional Lindblad dynamics, the maximum control Hamiltonian strength, and the target state. We also adapt the bound to the case of Markovian feedback strategies. We then focus on preparing Dicke states in an atomic ensemble subject to collective damping and dispersive coupling. By imposing additional constraints on control Hamiltonians and monitoring strategies, we derive tighter fidelity bounds. Finally, we propose specific control strategies and validate them using reinforcement learning. Benchmarking their performance against our theoretical bounds highlights the relevance and usefulness of these bounds in characterizing quantum feedback control strategies.
peer-reviewed journals
Experimental simulation of daemonic work extraction in open quantum batteries on a digital quantum computer
S.N. Elyasi, M.A.C. Rossi, M.G. Genoni
Quantum Science and Technology 10, 025017 (2025).
The possibility of extracting more work from a physical system thanks to the information obtained from measurements has been a topic of fundamental interest in the context of thermodynamics since the formulation of the Maxwell’s demon thought experiment. We here consider this problem from the perspective of an open quantum battery interacting with an environment that can be continuously measured. By modeling it via a continuously monitored collisional model, we show how to implement the corresponding dynamics as a quantum circuit, including the final conditional feedback unitary evolution that allows to enhance the amount of work extracted. By exploiting the flexibility of IBM quantum computers and by properly modelling the corresponding quantum circuit, we experimentally simulate the work extraction protocol showing how the obtained experimental values of the daemonic extracted work are close to their theoretical upper bound quantified by the so-called daemonic ergotropy. We also demonstrate how by properly modelling the noise affecting the quantum circuit, one
Analysis of spin-squeezing generation in cavity-coupled atomic ensembles with continuous measurements
A. Caprotti, M. Barbiero, M.G. Tarallo, M.G. Genoni, G. Bertaina
Quantum Science and Technology 9, 035032 (2024).
We analyze the generation of spin-squeezed states via coupling of three-level atoms to an optical cavity and continuous quantum measurement of the transmitted cavity field in order to monitor the evolution of the atomic ensemble. Using analytical treatment and microscopic simulations of the dynamics, we show that one can achieve significant spin squeezing, favorably scaling with the number of atoms N. However, contrary to some previous literature, we clarify that it is not possible to obtain Heisenberg scaling without the continuous feedback that is proposed in optimal approaches. In fact, in the adiabatic cavity removal approximation and large N limit, we find the scaling behavior N^(-2/3) for spin squeezing and N^(-1/3) for the corresponding protocol duration. These results can be obtained only by considering the curvature of the Bloch sphere, since linearizing the collective spin operators tangentially to its equator yields inaccurate predictions. With full simulations, we characterize how spin-squeezing generation depends on the system parameters and departs from the bad cavity regime, by gradually mixing with cavity-filling dynamics until metrological advantage is lost. Finally, we discuss the relevance of this spin-squeezing protocol to state-of-the-art optical clocks.
A pedagogical introduction to continuously monitored quantum systems and measurement-based feedback
F. Albarelli, M.G. Genoni
Physics Letters A 494, 129260 (2024)
In this manuscript we present a pedagogical introduction to continuously monitored quantum systems. We start by giving a simplified derivation of the Markovian master equation in Lindblad form, in the spirit of collision models and input-output theory, which describes the unconditional dynamics of a continuously monitored system. The same formalism is then exploited to derive stochastic master equations that describe the conditional dynamics. We focus on the two most paradigmatic examples of continuous monitoring: continuous photodetection, leading to a discontinuous dynamics with “quantum jumps”, and continuous homodyne measurements, leading to a diffusive dynamics. We then present a derivation of feedback master equations that describe the dynamics (either conditional or unconditional) when the continuous measurement photocurrents are fed back to the system as a linear driving Hamiltonian, a paradigm known as linear Markovian feedback. In the second part of the manuscript we focus on continuous-variable Gaussian systems: we first present the equations for first and second moments describing the dynamics under continuous general-dyne measurements, and we then discuss in more detail the conditional and unconditional dynamics under Markovian and state-based feedback.