Continuous quantum walk in a 1-dimensional plasmonic lattice structure based on metal strip waveguides

Area of Science:

• Quantum physics
• Nanophotonics
• Condensed matter physics

Background:

• Quantum walks are essential for quantum computation and simulation.
• Developing scalable and high-fidelity quantum simulators is a key challenge.
• Plasmonic systems offer unique properties for light-matter interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally investigate the time evolution of a plasmonic walker in a 1D lattice.
• To assess the potential of plasmonic systems for quantum walk simulation.
• To quantify the fidelity of the plasmonic quantum walk simulator.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a 1D lattice structure using long-range surface plasmon polariton waveguides.
• Experimental observation of the continuous time evolution of a plasmonic walker.
• Comparison of experimental results with numerical simulations to determine fidelity.

Main Results:

• The plasmonic walker exhibited a typical 1D quantum walk time evolution.
• The experimental results closely matched numerical simulations.
• The fidelity of the plasmonic quantum walk simulator was estimated to be > 0.96.

Conclusions:

• The studied plasmonic system is a viable platform for quantum walk simulation.
• The high fidelity suggests feasibility for large-scale and high-dimensional quantum walk simulators.
• This work opens avenues for novel quantum simulation platforms based on plasmonics.