Reflecting boundary induced modulation of tripartite coherence harvesting

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Wu, Shu-Min, Jiang, Xiao-Ying, Yu, Xiang-Yue, Liu, Zhihong, Huang, Xiao-Li
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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_version_ 1866917231002124288
author Wu, Shu-Min
Jiang, Xiao-Ying
Yu, Xiang-Yue
Liu, Zhihong
Huang, Xiao-Li
author_facet Wu, Shu-Min
Jiang, Xiao-Ying
Yu, Xiang-Yue
Liu, Zhihong
Huang, Xiao-Li
contents We study the extraction of quantum coherence by three static Unruh-DeWitt (UDW) detectors that interact locally with a massless scalar vacuum field in the vicinity of an infinite perfectly reflecting boundary. Depending on the setup, the detectors are positioned either parallel or orthogonal to the boundary, with their energy gaps chosen to satisfy the hierarchy $Ω_C\geq Ω_B\geq Ω_A$. Our analysis reveals that decreasing the detector-boundary separation leads to a monotonic degradation of quantum coherence, whereas the same boundary effect can simultaneously preserve and even amplify the harvested quantum entanglement. Moreover, when the detectors possess distinct energy gaps, coherence extraction is further inhibited; strikingly, such non-identical configurations substantially enhance the efficiency of entanglement harvesting and markedly extend the range of detector separations over which non-negligible entanglement can be generated. Nevertheless, the harvesting of nonlocal quantum coherence is achievable over a significantly broader range of detector separations than that of quantum entanglement. Despite exhibiting similar overall behavior, orthogonal detector configurations outperform parallel ones in coherence harvesting, highlighting the quantitative influence of detector geometry. Overall, our study reveals a hierarchical distinction between quantum coherence and entanglement as operational resources in structured vacuum fields: quantum coherence is not only more readily accessible across space but also more robust than entanglement, whereas entanglement exhibits richer features and can be selectively activated and enhanced through boundary effects and detector non-uniformity.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_21240
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Reflecting boundary induced modulation of tripartite coherence harvesting
Wu, Shu-Min
Jiang, Xiao-Ying
Yu, Xiang-Yue
Liu, Zhihong
Huang, Xiao-Li
Quantum Physics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
We study the extraction of quantum coherence by three static Unruh-DeWitt (UDW) detectors that interact locally with a massless scalar vacuum field in the vicinity of an infinite perfectly reflecting boundary. Depending on the setup, the detectors are positioned either parallel or orthogonal to the boundary, with their energy gaps chosen to satisfy the hierarchy $Ω_C\geq Ω_B\geq Ω_A$. Our analysis reveals that decreasing the detector-boundary separation leads to a monotonic degradation of quantum coherence, whereas the same boundary effect can simultaneously preserve and even amplify the harvested quantum entanglement. Moreover, when the detectors possess distinct energy gaps, coherence extraction is further inhibited; strikingly, such non-identical configurations substantially enhance the efficiency of entanglement harvesting and markedly extend the range of detector separations over which non-negligible entanglement can be generated. Nevertheless, the harvesting of nonlocal quantum coherence is achievable over a significantly broader range of detector separations than that of quantum entanglement. Despite exhibiting similar overall behavior, orthogonal detector configurations outperform parallel ones in coherence harvesting, highlighting the quantitative influence of detector geometry. Overall, our study reveals a hierarchical distinction between quantum coherence and entanglement as operational resources in structured vacuum fields: quantum coherence is not only more readily accessible across space but also more robust than entanglement, whereas entanglement exhibits richer features and can be selectively activated and enhanced through boundary effects and detector non-uniformity.
title Reflecting boundary induced modulation of tripartite coherence harvesting
topic Quantum Physics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.21240