Quantum recurrence of a subspace and operator-valued Schur functions

Abstract: A notion of monitored recurrence for discrete-time quantum processes was recently introduced in [Commun. Math. Phys., DOI 10.1007/s00220-012-1645-2] (see also arXiv:1202.3903) taking the initial state as an absorbing one. We extend this notion of monitored recurrence to absorbing subspaces of arbitrary finite dimension. The generating function approach leads to a connection with the well-known theory of operator-valued Schur functions. This is the cornerstone of a spectral characterization of subspace recurrence that generalizes some of the main results in the above mentioned paper. The spectral decomposition of the unitary step operator driving the evolution yields a spectral measure, which we project onto the subspace to obtain a new spectral measure that is purely singular iff the subspace is recurrent, and consists of a pure point spectrum with a finite number of masses precisely when all states in the subspace have a finite expected return time. This notion of subspace recurrence also links the concept of expected return time to an Aharonov-Anandan phase that, in contrast to the case of state recurrence, can be non-integer. Even more surprising is the fact that averaging such geometrical phases over the absorbing subspace yields an integer with a topological meaning, so that the averaged expected return time is always a rational number. Moreover, state recurrence can occasionally give higher return probabilities than subspace recurrence, a fact that reveals once more the counterintuitive behavior of quantum systems. All these phenomena are illustrated with explicit examples, including as a natural application the analysis of site recurrence for coined walks.

Review text

This article explores subspace recurrence for quantum dynamical systems. Recall that a quantum dynamical system consists of a Hilbert space \(\mathcal H\) and a unitary operator \(U\) on \(\mathcal H\); let now \(V\) be a closed subspace and let \(P\) denote orthogonal projection to \(V\). The quantum random process is then defined on functions as follows. Given an initial state \(\psi\in V\) of norm \(1\), repeatedly apply \(U\) followed by the projection to \(V^\perp\) followed by normalization, unless the vector belongs to \(V\). Therefore, the random process's evolution is a scalar multiple of \(\tilde U:=(1-P)U\). Following Born's probabilistic interpretation, \(\|\tilde U^n\psi\|^2\) is the probability that the process did not yet return to \(V\) in \(n\) steps, and \(\|PU\tilde U^{n-1}P\psi\|^2\) is the \(n\)-step first \(V\)-return probability of \(\psi\). The state \(\psi\) is called ``\(V\)-recurrent if these probabilities sum to \(1\). Note that the random process interacts with \(V\) at each step, by projection. The probabilities \(\|PU^n\psi\|^2\) can therefore be dramatically different, and the authors explain in some detail an example in which \(V\) is not recurrent, but some subspaces are recurrent. The reader will find a wealth of examples, illustrations and explanations in this article, but few theorems. The main one gives a characterization of subspaces \(V\) all of whose states are \(V\)-recurrent with finite expected \(V\)-return time. The main tool used are operator-valued generating functions.

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