English

Quantum SWITCH-induced non-Markovianity is not entirely quantum

Quantum Physics 2026-08-05 v1

Abstract

Indefinite causal order extends quantum information processing beyond fixed causal structures, with the quantum SWITCH serving as its canonical realization. By coherently superposing different orders of quantum channels, the quantum SWITCH has been shown to provide operational advantages in communication, computation, metrology, and related tasks. Despite these advances, the physical resources responsible for these advantages remains unclear. Recent studies have further revealed that the quantum SWITCH can generate memory effects, manifested as non-Markovian information backflow. In this work, we examine the origin of such memory and determine whether they reflect genuine (quantum) non-Markovianity or instead arises from classical origin. To this end, we analyze two representative scenarios: one based on discrete-time evolution and another formulated through dynamical maps in open quantum systems. We show that the memory effects generated by the quantum SWITCH are not genuinely quantum non-Markovian, thereby prompting a re-examination of the source of quantum advantage in indefinite causal order frameworks.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2608.04685,
  title  = {Quantum SWITCH-induced non-Markovianity is not entirely quantum},
  author = {Rajeev Gangwar and Ananda G. Maity},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2608.04685},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

9 pages, 7 figures, Comments are welcome!