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Updated: Oct 28, 2026

Generation and Coherent Control of Pulsed Quantum Frequency Combs
Published on: June 8, 2018
Distinct Modes of Quantum Information Transfer in Power-Law Long-Range Spin Networks
Ellis E Marshall1,2, Chad C Nelmes1,3, Tony J G Apollaro4
1School of Physics, Engineering and Technology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK.
Abstract:
We identify different regimes of quantum state transfer in long-range coupled spin-12 systems, where naturally occurring power-law interactions enable rapid, high-fidelity transfer with minimal engineering. Across a broad range of interaction profiles, from effectively nearest-neighbour coupling to Coulomb interactions, we show how long-range connectivity fundamentally reshapes the mechanisms underlying information propagation within such systems. For effectively short-range interactions, transfer follows familiar ballistic transfer dynamics: an initially localised excitation spreads across many eigenmodes concentrated within the approximately linear region of the spectrum, enabling robust wavepacket motion. In contrast, increasing long-distance interactions via lowering the power-law exponent α (α=1-2) drives a striking transformation, where the initial state becomes confined to progressively fewer eigenmodes, ultimately reducing the dynamics to the coherent participation of only a few states corresponding to the highest eigenenergies. This spectral localisation gives rise to emergent long-range oscillations between distant sites, revealing a distinct-and faster-transfer mechanism arising from the intrinsic structure of long-range quantum interactions rather than from full-system engineering pathways.
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