English

Breaking the limits of purification: Postselection enhances heat-bath algorithmic cooling

Quantum Physics 2023-02-10 v3

Abstract

Quantum technologies require pure states, which are often generated by extreme refrigeration. Heat-bath algorithmic cooling is the theoretically optimal refrigeration technique: it shuttles entropy from a multiparticle system to a thermal bath, thereby generating a quantum state with a high degree of purity. Here, we show how to surpass this hitherto-optimal technique by taking advantage of a single binary-outcome measurement. Our protocols can create arbitrary numbers of pure quantum states without any residual mixedness by using a recently discovered device known as a quantum switch to put two operations in superposition, with postselection certifying the complete purification.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2108.08853,
  title  = {Breaking the limits of purification: Postselection enhances heat-bath algorithmic cooling},
  author = {Aaron Z. Goldberg and Khabat Heshami},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2108.08853},
  year   = {2023}
}

Comments

11 pages, 3 figures, 1 appendix; updated references; close to published version

R2 v1 2026-06-24T05:15:52.467Z