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Third Workshop on Density Functional Theory: Fundamentals, Developments, and Applications (DFT2025)

March 25 (Tue) - 27 (Thu) 2025

The density functional theory (DFT) is one of the powerful methods to solve quantum many-body problems, which, in principle, gives the exact energy and density of the ground state. The accuracy of DFT is, in practice, determined by the accuracy of an energy density functional (EDF) since the exact EDF is still unknown. Currently, DFT has been used in many communities, including nuclear physics, quantum chemistry, and condensed matter physics, while the fundamental study of DFT, such as the first principle derivations of an accurate EDF and methods to calculate many observables from obtained densities and excited states, is still ongoing. However, there has been little opportunity to have interdisciplinary communication. On December 2022, we had the first workshop on this series (DFT2022) at Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kyoto University, and several interdisciplinary discussions and collaborations were started. On February 2024, we had the second workshop on this series (DFT2024) at RIKEN Kobe Campus, and more stimulated discussion occured. To keep and extend collaborations, we organize the third workshop. Since the third workshop, we extend the scope of the workshop to the development and application of DFT as well. In this workshop, the current status and issues of each discipline will be shared towards solving these problems by meeting together among researchers in mathematics, nuclear physics, quantum chemistry, and condensed matter physics. This workshop mainly comprises lectures/seminars on cutting-edge topics and discussion, while sessions composed of contributed talks are also planned.

Venue: 8F, Integrated Innovation Building (IIB) / via Zoom

Event Official Language: English

A Century of Quantum Mechanics

March 24 (Mon) 14:00 - 15:30, 2025

Gordon Baym (Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois, USA)

This is a RIKEN iTHEMS - The Univ. of Tokyo, Phys. Dept. Joint Seminar. This year, 2025, the "International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ)," is the 100th anniversary of the "formal" start of quantum mechanics, the description of the microscopic world. 1925 is the year in which Werner Heisenberg and others formulated "matrix mechanics," and physicists began to understand how to accurately predict microscopic phenomena. In this talk I will describe how quantum mechanics came about, starting with physicists in the late nineteenth century trying to understand the colors of hot metals and other hot objects, noting crucial advances leading to the fully developed wave and matrix quantum mechanics in the mid 1920's, to steps towards understanding real materials, culminating with spectacular applications such as smartphones, scarcely a century later.

Venue: The Univ. of Tokyo, Faculty of Science Building #4, room 1220 (Main Venue) / via Zoom

Event Official Language: English

The puzzle of angular momentum conservation in beta decay and related processes.

March 21 (Fri) 14:00 - 15:30, 2025

Gordon Baym (Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois, USA)

This is a iTHEMS-FQSP joint seminar. We ask the question of how angular momentum is conserved in a number of related processes, from elastic scattering of a circularly polarized photon by an atom, where the scattered photon has a different spin direction than the original photon; to scattering of a fully relativistic spin-1/2 particle by a central potential; to inverse beta decay in which an electron is emitted following the capture of a neutrino on a nucleus, where the final spin is in a different direction than that of the neutrino – an apparent change of angular momentum. The apparent non-conservation of angular momentum arises in the quantum measurement process in which the measuring apparatus does not have an initially well-defined angular momentum, but is localized in direction in the outside world. We generalize the discussion to massive neutrinos and electrons, and examine nuclear beta decay and electron-positron annihilation processes through the same lens, enabling physically transparent derivations of angular and helicity distributions in these reactions.

Venue: Seminar Room #359 (Main Venue) / via Zoom

Event Official Language: English

Asymptotically flat black hole spacetimes with multiple injections

March 14 (Fri) 15:30 - 17:00, 2025

Yuta Saito (Ph.D. Student, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nihon University)

In quantum gravity, Hawking radiation presents several fundamental problems. One of the problems is the black hole (BH) information paradox, in which the entanglement entropy (EE), which quantifies quantum entanglement, exceeds its upper bound. In the absence of the paradox, EE follows the Page curve. Recent progress has been made in resolving this paradox using the island formula, a method for computing EE that successfully reproduces the expected Page curve. In this approach, a portion of the black hole interior is treated as part of the radiation region. Meanwhile, an alternative scenario has been proposed where multiple collapsing shells prevent the formation of a well-defined event horizon [1]. In this case, radiation is emitted throughout the collapse process, shifting dynamically the Schwarzschild radius inward, and a surface structure is formed just outside. This leads to a distinction between the conventional event horizon and the surface, introducing an intermediate region between the Schwarzschild radius and the surface. Interestingly, this model also suggests that part of the black hole interior effectively belongs to the radiation region, drawing a possible parallel to the island formula. In this talk, we explore spacetimes with multiple energy injections in asymptotically flat two-dimensional black hole backgrounds and analyze the entanglement entropy in such scenarios. Since considering backreaction in gravitational collapse in two dimensions is difficult, we instead construct a spacetime solution with multiple energy injections and analyze EE within this background. The main focus of this talk is to derive the spacetime and examine its properties. Additionally, we perform EE calculations in parallel with previous studies [2], which consider the case of α single injection, and confirm that the behavior of EE depends on the interval between energy injections.

Venue: Hybrid Format (3F #359 and Zoom), Seminar Room #359 (Main Venue) / via Zoom

Event Official Language: English

RIKEN Quantum hands-on workshop on QURI SDK for creating and executing quantum algorithms on various quantum computers and simulators

March 13 (Thu) 15:00 - 17:30, 2025

This workshop will be a hands-on session on QURI SDK, following the RIKEN Quantum seminar by Andreas Thomasen (QunaSys) on January 27. Even if you did not attend the previous seminar, please join us if you would like to learn how to use QURI SDK.

Venue: Seminar Room #359 (Main Venue) / via Zoom

Event Official Language: English

Kyushu IAS-iTHEMS conference: Non-perturbative methods in QFT

March 10 (Mon) - 14 (Fri) 2025

The most commonly used approach in the study of QFT is perturbation theory. Indeed, we have succeeded in extracting various physical quantities from perturbative (asymptotic) expansions. However, some physical phenomena cannot be captured through perturbative analyses alone. How can we extract these non-perturbative effects? In QFTs with conformal symmetry (i.e., CFTs), correlation functions can be computed using a method called the conformal bootstrap. This non-perturbative method differs entirely from the usual correlation function analysis methods of QFT, as it does not even assume the existence of a Lagrangian. Through the use of the conformal bootstrap, we have actually made significant progress in the non-perturbative understanding of CFTs. Furthermore, according to the holographic principle, CFTs provide a non-perturbative formulation of QFTs with gravity (i.e., quantum gravity). By applying the holographic principle to various non-perturbative results from CFTs, such as those obtained from the conformal bootstrap, we have made remarkable advances in understanding the non-perturbative aspects of quantum gravity. Conversely, the holographic principle is also used to understand properties of QFTs that are difficult to analyze perturbatively, through gravity.

Venue: Kyushu University Ito Campus, Inamori Hall

Event Official Language: English

Quantum-Centric Supercomputing Software

February 26 (Wed) 13:00 - 14:00, 2025

Hanhee Paik (Head of IBM Quantum Japan, IBM Quantum)

A quantum-centric supercomputer represents the next generation of computing, combining a quantum computer with a classical supercomputer. It leverages error mitigation and error correction techniques to deliver results within practical timeframes. When fully developed, this system relies on advanced middleware to seamlessly integrate quantum circuits with classical computing resources. In this presentation, we will introduce IBM Quantum’s middleware for quantum-centric supercomputers, highlighting collaborative projects with our research partners.

Venue: Seminar Room #359 (Main Venue) / via Zoom

Event Official Language: English

Asymptotics in astrophysics iTHEMS workshop

February 25 (Tue) - 28 (Fri) 2025

This workshop will include overview talks of application of asymptotics and perturbation theory techniques in (wave transport or oscillation related) astrophysics and cosmology eigenvalue problems. In addition, there will be introductory talks about fundamental asymptotics and perturbation theory techniques used in theoretical physics. The purpose of this interdisciplinary workshop is to identify problems in astrophysics and related fields including, but not limited to, stellar structure and evolution, black holes and high-energy physics which can be solved using existing asymptotics and perturbation theory methods in theoretical physics problems (e.g. quantum field theory, gravity), and vice versa.

Venue: 8F, Integrated Innovation Building (IIB)

Event Official Language: English

Exploiting hidden low-rank structures in quantum field theories

February 24 (Mon) 13:00 - 14:30, 2025

Hiroshi Shinaoka (Associate Professor, Department of Physics, Saitama University)

Tensor networks are a powerful tool for compressing wave functions and density matrices of quantum systems in physics. Recent developments have shown that tensor network techniques can efficiently compress many functions beyond these traditional objects. Notable examples include the solutions to turbulence in Navier–Stokes equations [1] and the computation of Feynman diagrams [2,3]. These advancements have heralded a new era in the use of tensor networks for expediting the resolution of various complex equations in physics. This talk will provide an overview of our work utilizing tensor networks for computations based on quantum field theories. First, we will introduce the Quantics/quantized Tensor Train (QTT) representation [3,4] for compressing the space-time dependence of correlation functions in quantum systems [5], leveraging inherent length-scale separation for efficient representation. Second, we will present a robust tool named "Quantics Tensor Cross Interpolation" [6], which learns a quantics low-rank representation of a given function. Applications include the computation of Brillouin zone integrals [6] and integration of complex self-energy Feynman diagrams for multiorbital electron-phonon impurity models [7]. Finally, we will introduce new algorithms [8] and open-source libraries [9] for tensor cross interpolation.

Venue: via Zoom / Hong Kong University Science and Technology

Event Official Language: English

The Topology, Geometry and Physics of non-Hausdorff manifolds

February 19 (Wed) 15:00 - 17:00, 2025

O'Connell David (Ph.D. Student, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST))

Non-Hausdorff manifolds are manifolds containing "doubled points" that cannot be separated by disjoint open sets. In this talk we will survey some mathematical and physical results surrounding these unusual spaces. As a theme, we will start with their fundamental description as a topological space, and slowly add in more and more structure of interest until we can meaningfully phrase questions of physics. On the mathematical side, we will see descriptions of non- Hausdorff manifolds as colimits of ordinary manifolds, which allows us to describe their geometric features without appealing to arbitrarily- existent partitions of unity. On the physical side, we will consider the inclusion of non-Hausdorff manifolds in a naïve 2d Lorentzian path integral for gravity, and (time permitting) explain how construct quantum fields on a non-Hausdorff background. Ultimately, we will see that these latter two arguments suggest that non-Hausdorff manifolds may be more appropriate than the standard "Trousers space" for the modelling of topology change in Lorentzian signature.

Venue: Hybrid Format (3F #359 and Zoom), Seminar Room #359

Event Official Language: English

New topological quantum order in 2D lattices from non-invertible symmetries

February 18 (Tue) 15:00 - 16:00, 2025

Ayan Mukhopadhyay (Associate Professor, Valparaiso University, Chile)

I will introduce an exactly solvable 2D lattice model which reveals a large number of distinct topological phases with non-invertible (generalized) symmetries. In all these topological phases, which have topological ground state degeneracy, a commutative stabilizer monoid of Hermitian operators leave the ground state invariant and can also distinguish *all* local excitations, (These symmetries are indeed symmetry operations.) There exists novel confined fractonic excitations which change the nature of deconfined excitatons profoundly. The fusion rules form an associative but noncommutative. non-Abelian and non-unital category, and are distinct for each of these phases. A class of these phases are adiabatically connected to a limit which can be described in terms of generalized free field theories. I will describe systematic ways to construct such phases. I will also discuss phases which do not have generalized free field limits. These phases have novel forms of non-local entanglement as many of them share the same topological entanglement entropy. They also violate the entanglement bootstrap axioms. When the phases do not have a generalized free field limit, the violation of the entanglement bootstrap axioms can happen for arbitrary large subregions signifying new forms of long-range entanglement.

Venue: Hybrid Format (3F #359 and Zoom), Seminar Room #359

Event Official Language: English

Linking quantum error correction and gauge theories with quantum reference frames

February 14 (Fri) 10:30 - 11:30, 2025

Philipp Hoehn (Assistant Professor, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST))

Redundancy is the hallmark of both quantum error correction and gauge theories. In this talk, I will show that this analogy is not merely a coincidence but that there is a deeper underlying structural relationship. The key ingredient to this observation is quantum reference frames (QRFs), which constitute a universal tool for dealing with symmetries in quantum systems. They define a split between redundant and physical information in gauge systems, thereby establishing a notion of encoding in that context. This leads to an exact dictionary between (group-based) quantum error correcting codes and QRF setups. In stabilizer codes, this uncovers a correspondence between errors and QRFs: every maximal set of correctable errors generates a unique QRF, and each QRF is associated with a unique class of correctable errors. This allows for a reinterpretation of the Knill-Laflamme condition and novel insights into the relation between correctability and redundancy. The dictionary also reveals a novel error duality, based on Pontryagin duality, and somewhat akin to electromagnetic duality. Time permitting, I will illustrate these findings in surface codes, which can be understood as both codes and lattice gauge theories. These findings may find use in code design and quantum simulations of gauge theories.

Venue: #345-347, 3F, Main Research Building

Event Official Language: English

Quantum Error Mitigation

January 28 (Tue) - 29 (Wed) 2025

Suguru Endo (Ph.D. Researcher, Research Center for Theoretical Quantum Information, NTT Computer and Data Science Laboratories)

Note for registration [2024-12:24]: We are sorry that the number of registration has reached the capacity of the lecture room. Thank you for your understanding. Note for participants [2024-12:18]: For participants, please register from the above form. We may limit the number of participants due to the capacity of the lecture room. For participants in RIKEN who have already answered a questionnaire on this lecture, you do not have to register. Program: Day 1 (Jan. 28th) 10:30-12:00 Lecture 1 12:00-13:30 Lunch time 13:30-15:00 Lecture 2 15:00-15:30 Coffee break 15:30-17:00 Lecture 3 Day 2 (Jan. 29th) 10:30-12:00 Lecture 4 12:00-13:30 Lunch time 13:30-15:00 Lecture 5 15:00-15:30 Coffee break 15:30-17:00 Lecture 6 Abstract: Quantum Error Mitigation (QEM) offers a practical approach to reducing errors in noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices without requiring the encoding of qubits. In this seminar, I will begin by discussing the fundamentals of noise modeling in quantum systems, followed by an overview of QEM techniques, including extrapolation, probabilistic error cancellation (PEC), virtual distillation, quantum subspace expansion, and Clifford data regression. Next, I will present advanced QEM methods, such as the stochastic PEC approach, which mitigates the effects of Lindblad terms in Lindblad master equations and the generalized quantum subspace expansion, which is a unified framework of QEM. I will also explore recent research on the information-theoretic analysis of QEM, shedding light on its fundamental limits and connections to non-Markovian dynamics. Furthermore, I will discuss studies combining QEM with quantum error correction to enhance the reliability of computations in the early fault-tolerant quantum computing era. Lastly, I will highlight the relevance of hybrid tensor networks, particularly their connections to quantum subspace expansion techniques.

Venue: #435-437, 4F, Main Research Building

Event Official Language: English

Architectures and algorithms for early FTQC

January 27 (Mon) 16:00 - 17:15, 2025

Andreas Thomasen (R&D Engineer, QunaSys Inc.)

The NISQ era of quantum computing is characterized by quantum devices that have low error rates, but no error correction and typically on the order of 100 qubits, whereas the era of FTQC requires devices with full error correction facilitated by hundreds of thousands to millions of qubits for every logical qubit. Due to the distinct requirements and operating characteristics of these devices, algorithms and applications supported by NISQ and FTQC respectively are highly distinct as well. However, this leaves a large gap, both in terms of devices, algorithms and applications which exist in the intermediate regime where partial error correction is possible and the devices support on the order of tens of thousands of qubits. In this seminar we will give a brief introduction to quantum computing for a non-specialist audience. We will then describe device architectures and algorithms that are specifically designed to fill this gap during the so-called early FTQC era. We will present the space-time efficient analogue rotation (STAR) architecture together with some algorithms that are well supported by it, namely quantum selected configuration interaction (QSCI) and statistical phase estimation (SPE). This seminar serves as theoretical background for our QURI SDK hands-on session at a later date. The algorithms introduced are directly available as OSS as described in the link below.

Venue: Seminar Room #359 (Main Venue) / via Zoom

Event Official Language: English

Krylov subspace method for quantum dynamics

December 23 (Mon) 14:00 - 15:00, 2024

Kazutaka Takahashi (Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Physics and Materials Science, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg)

For a given system, the structure of the minimal subspace where the state unfolds determines the static and dynamical properties of the state. The Krylov subspace method is a mathematical framework for constructing the space systematically and has been applied to a wide variety of problems. The method was applicable only for systems with time-indepedent generators. As applications to quantum dynamics with time-dependent Hamiltonians, we discuss the constrution of the adiabatic gauge potential and the generalization of the Krylov algorithm to time-dependent generators.

Venue: Hybrid Format (3F #359 and Zoom), Seminar Room #359

Event Official Language: English

7th QGG Intensive Lectures: Emergence of space-time in matrix models

December 17 (Tue) - 19 (Thu) 2024

Asato Tsuchiya (Professor, Shizuoka University)

Emergence of space-time is a key concept in matrix models as a nonperturbative formulation of string theory. In this lecture, starting with a brief introduction to nonperturbative effects in string theory, I will review various aspects of emergence of space-time in matrix models. The topics I discuss include dynamical triangulation, double scaling limit, eigenvalue instanton, large-N reduction, T-duality for D-brane effective theories (orbifolding), noncommutative geometry and covariant derivative interpretation. Finally, I will introduce the type IIB matrix model. (This is the 7th Intensive Lectures by Quantum Gravity Gatherings in iTHEMS. ) Program December 17 10.15~10.30 Registration and Coffee 10.30~12.00 Lecture 1 12.00~13.30 Lunch 13.30~15.00 Lecture 2 15.00~16.00 Coffee break 16.00~17.00 Lecture 3 17.30~19.30 Banquet December 18 10.15~11.45 Lecture 4 11.45~13.30 Lunch 13.30~15.00 Lecture 5 15.00~16.00 Coffee break 16.00~17.00 Lecture 6 December 19 10.15~11.45 Lecture 7 11.45~13.30 Lunch 13.30~15.00 Lecture 8 15.00~16.00 Coffee break 16.00~17.00 Lecture 9

Venue: #435-437, 4F, Main Research Building

Event Official Language: English

Hopfions in Condensed Matter and Field Theory

December 16 (Mon) 16:00 - 17:30, 2024

Avadh Saxena (Professor, Los Alamos National Laboratory, USA)

Abstract: Nontrivial topological defects such as knotted solitons called hopfions have been observed in a variety of materials including chiral magnets, nematic liquid crystals and even in ferroelectrics as well as studied in other physical contexts such as Bose-Einstein condensates. These topological entities can be modeled using the relevant physical variable, e.g., magnetization, polarization or the director field. Specifically, we find exact static soliton solutions for the unit spin vector field of an inhomogeneous, anisotropic three-dimensional (3D) Heisenberg ferromagnet and calculate the corresponding Hopf invariant H analytically and obtain an integer, demonstrating that these solitons are indeed hopfions [1]. H is a product of two integers, the first being the usual winding number of a skyrmion in two dimensions, while the second encodes the periodicity in the third dimension. We also study the underlying geometry of H, by mapping the 3D unit vector field to tangent vectors of three appropriately defined space curves. Our analysis shows that a certain intrinsic twist is necessary to yield a nontrivial topological invariant: linking number [2]. Finally, we focus on the formation energy of hopfions to study their properties for potential applications. Short bio: Avadh Saxena is former Group Leader of the Condensed Matter and Complex Systems group (T-4) at Los Alamos National Lab, New Mexico, USA where he has been since 1990. He is also an affiliate of the Center for Nonlinear Studies at Los Alamos. His main research interests include phase transitions, optical, electronic, vibrational, transport and magnetic properties of functional materials, device physics, soft condensed matter, non-Hermitian quantum mechanics, geometry, topology and nonlinear phenomena & materials harboring topological defects such as solitons, polarons, excitons, breathers, skyrmions and hopfions. He recently completed a book on “Phase Transitions from a Materials Perspective” (Cambridge University Press, 2024). He is an Affiliate Professor at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden and holds adjunct professor positions at the University of Barcelona, Spain, University of Crete, Greece, Virginia Tech and the University of Arizona, Tucson. He is Scientific Advisor to National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba, Japan. He is a Fellow of Los Alamos National Lab, a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS), a Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and a member of the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society, APS and American Ceramic Society (ACerS).

Venue: Hybrid Format (3F #359 and Zoom), Seminar Room #359

Event Official Language: English

Detecting single gravitons with quantum controlled mechanical oscillators

December 16 (Mon) 14:00 - 15:30, 2024

Germain Tobar (PhD Fellow, Stockholm University, Norway)

The quantisation of gravity is widely believed to result in gravitons - particles of discrete energy that form gravitational waves. But their detection has so far been considered impossible. Here we show that signatures of single gravitons can be observed in laboratory experiments. We show that stimulated and spontaneous single graviton processes can become relevant for massive quantum acoustic resonators and that stimulated absorption can be resolved through optomechanical read-out of single phonons of a multi-mode bar resonator. We analyse the feasibility of observing a signal from the inspiral, merger and post-merger phase of a compact binary inspiral. Our results show that single graviton signatures are within reach of experiments. In analogy to the discovery of the photoelectric effect for photons, such signatures can provide the first experimental evidence of the quantisation of gravity. [1] G. Tobar, S. K. Manikandan, T. Beitel, and I. Pikovski, Nature Communications 15, 7229. [2] G. Tobar, Igor Pikovski ,Michael E. Tobar, arXiv:2406.16898 (2024).

Venue: Seminar Room #359

Event Official Language: English

How Neural Networks reduce the Fermionic Sign Problem and what we can learn from them

December 11 (Wed) 15:30 - 16:30, 2024

Johann Ostmeyer (Post-doctoral Fellow, Helmholtz-Institut für Strahlen- und Kernphysik, University of Bonn, Germany)

When simulating fermionic quantum systems, non-perturbative Monte Carlo techniques are often the most efficient approach known to date. However, beyond half filling they suffer from the so-called sign problem, i.e. negative "probabilities", so that stochastic sampling becomes infeasible. Recently, considerable progress has been made in alleviating the sign problem by deforming the integration contour of the path integral into the complex plane and applying machine learning to find near-optimal alternative contours. In this talk, I am going to present a particularly successful architecture, based on complex-valued affine coupling layers. Furthermore, I will demonstrate how insight gained from the trained network can be used for simpler analytic approaches.

Venue: via Zoom / Hybrid Format (3F #359 and Zoom), Seminar Room #359

Event Official Language: English

Simulating Parton Fragmentation on Quantum Computers

December 11 (Wed) 13:30 - 15:00, 2024

Tianyin Li (Ph.D. Student, Institute of Quantum Matter, South China Normal University, China)

Parton fragmentation functions (FFs) are indispensable for understanding processes of hadron production ubiquitously existing in high-energy collisions, but their first principle determination has never been realized due to the insurmountable difficulties in encoding their operator definition using traditional lattice methodology. We propose a framework that makes a first step for evaluating FFs utilizing quantum computing methodology. The key element is to construct a semi-inclusive hadron operator for filtering out hadrons of desired types in a collection of particles encoded in the quantum state. We illustrate the framework by elaborating on the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model with numeral simulations. Remarkably, We show that the semi-inclusive hadron operator can be constructed efficiently with a variational quantum algorithm. Moreover, we develop error mitigation techniques tailed for accurately calculating the FFs in the presence of quantum noises. Our work opens a new avenue for investigating QCD hadronization on near-term quantum computers.

Venue: Hybrid Format (3F #359 and Zoom), Seminar Room #359

Event Official Language: English