Abstract: The aim of this paper is to build quantum circuits that implement discrete-time quantum walks having an arbitrary position-dependent coin operator. The position of the walker is encoded in base 2: with n wires, each corresponding to one qubit, we encode 2(n) position states. The data necessary to define an arbitrary position-dependent coin operator is therefore exponential in n. Hence, the exponentiality will necessarily appear somewhere in our circuits. We first propose a circuit implementing the position-dependent coin operator, that is naive, in the sense that it has exponential depth and implements sequentially all appropriate position-dependent coin operators. We then propose a circuit that “transfers” all the depth into ancillae, yielding a final depth that is linear in n at the cost of an exponential number of ancillae. Themain idea of this linear-depth circuit is to implement in parallel all coin operators at the different positions. Reducing the depth exponentially at the cost of having an exponential number of ancillae is a goal which has already been achieved for the problem of loading classical data on a quantum circuit (Araujo in Sci Rep 11:6329, 2021) (notice that such a circuit can be used to load the initial state of the walker). Here, we achieve this goal for the problem of applying a position-dependent coin operator in a discrete-time quantum walk. Finally, we extend the result of Welch (New J Phys 16:033040, 2014) from position-dependent unitaries which are diagonal in the position basis to position-dependent 2 x 2-block-diagonal unitaries: indeed, we show that for a position dependence of the coin operator (the block-diagonal unitary) which is smooth enough, one can find an efficient quantum-circuit implementation approximating the coin operator up to an error epsilon (in terms of the spectral norm), the depth and size of which scale as O(1/epsilon). A typical application of the efficient implementation would be the quantum simulation of a relativistic spin-1/2 particle on a lattice, coupled to a smooth external gauge field; notice that recently, quantum spatial-search schemes have been developed which use gauge fields as the oracle, to mark the vertex to be found (Zylberman in Entropy 23:1441, 2021), (Fredon arXiv:2210.13920). A typical application of the linear-depth circuit would be when there is spatial noise on the coin operator (and hence a non-smooth dependence in the position).

Abstract: We extend our previous investigation of the effects of prehydrodynamic evolution on final-state observables in heavy-ion collisions [38] to smaller systems. We use a state-of-the-art hybrid model for the numerical simulations with optimal parameters obtained from a previous Bayesian study. By studying p-Pb collisions, we find that the effects due to the assumption of a conformal evolution in the prehydrodynamical stage are even more important in small systems. We also show that this effect depends on the time duration of the pre-equilibrium stage, which is further enhanced in small systems. Finally, we show that the recent proposal of a free-streaming with subluminal velocity for the pre-equilibrium stage, thus effectively breaking conformal invariance, can alleviate the contamination of final-state observables. Our study further reinforces the need for moving beyond conformal approaches in pre-equilibrium dynamics modeling, especially when extracting transport coefficients from hybrid models in the high-precision era of heavy-ion collisions.

Abstract: We study the implications for bc=c(2595) and c(2625)] decays that can be deduced from heavy quark spin symmetry (HQSS). Identifying the odd parity c(2595) and c(2625) resonances as HQSS partners, with total angular momentum-parity jqP=1- for the light degrees of freedom, we find that the ratios (bc(2595)-)/(bc(2625)-) and (bc(2595)) agree, within errors, with the experimental values given in the Review of Particle Physics. We discuss how future, and more precise, measurements of the above branching fractions could be used to shed light into the inner HQSS structure of the narrow c(2595) odd-parity resonance. Namely, we show that such studies would constrain the existence of a sizable jqP</mml:msubsup>=0- component in its wave-function, and/or of a two-pole pattern, in analogy to the case of the similar (1405) resonance in the strange sector, as suggested by most of the approaches that describe the c(2595) as a hadron molecule. We also investigate the lepton flavor universality ratios R[c]=B( may be affected by a new source of potentially large systematic errors if there are two) poles.

Abstract: We present a detailed study of the lowest-lying 1/2(-) and 3/2(-) Lambda Q resonances both in the heavy 2 2 quark (bottom and charm) and the strange sectors. We have paid special attention to the interplay between the constituent quark-model and chiral baryon-meson degrees of freedom, which are coupled using a unitarized scheme consistent with leading-order heavy quark symmetries. We show that the Lambda(b)(5912) [J(P) = 1/2(-)], Lambda(b)(5920) [J(P) = 3/2(-)] and the Lambda(c)(2625) [J(P) = 3/2-], and the Lambda(1520) [J(P) = 3/2(-)] admitting larger breaking corrections, are heavyquark spin-flavor siblings. They can be seen as dressed quark-model states with Sigma Q(()*()) pi molecular components of the order of 30%. The J(P)=1(-) Lambda(2595) has, however, a higher molecular 2 probability of at least 50%, and even values greater than 70% can be easily accommodated. This is because it is located almost on top of the threshold of the Sigma(c)pi pair, which largely influences its properties. Although the light degrees of freedom in this resonance would be coupled to spin-parity 1(-) as in the Lambda(b)(5912), Lambda(b)(5920) and Lambda(c)(2625), the Lambda(c)(2595) should not be considered as a heavy-quark spin-flavor partner of the former ones. We also show that the Lambda(1405) chiral two-pole pattern does not have analogs in the 1 – charmed and bottomed sectors, because the 2 N D-(*()) and N (B) over bar (()*()) channels do not play for heavy quarks the decisive role that the N (K) over bar does in the strange sector, and the notable influence of the bare quark-model states for the charm and bottom resonances. Finally, we predict the existence of two Lambda(b)(6070) and two Lambda(c)(2765) heavy-quark spin and flavor sibling odd parity states.

Abstract: Xe-136 is used as the target medium for many experiments searching for 0 nu beta beta. Despite underground operation, cosmic muons that reach the laboratory can produce spallation neutrons causing activation of detector materials. A potential background that is difficult to veto using muon tagging comes in the form of Xe-137 created by the capture of neutrons on Xe-136. This isotope decays via beta decay with a half-life of 3.8 min and a Q(beta) of similar to 4.16 MeV. This work proposes and explores the concept of adding a small percentage of He-3 to xenon as a means to capture thermal neutrons and reduce the number of activations in the detector volume. When using this technique we find the contamination from Xe-137 activation can be reduced to negligible levels in tonne and multi-tonne scale high pressure gas xenon neutrinoless double beta decay experiments running at any depth in an underground laboratory.