Limit Theorem for Continuous-Time Quantum Walk on the Line

Norio Konno

Published 2004-08-23, updated 2006-02-10Version 5

Concerning a discrete-time quantum walk X^{(d)}_t with a symmetric distribution on the line, whose evolution is described by the Hadamard transformation, it was proved by the author that the following weak limit theorem holds: X^{(d)}_t /t \to dx / \pi (1-x^2) \sqrt{1 - 2 x^2} as t \to \infty. The present paper shows that a similar type of weak limit theorems is satisfied for a {\it continuous-time} quantum walk X^{(c)}_t on the line as follows: X^{(c)}_t /t \to dx / \pi \sqrt{1 - x^2} as t \to \infty. These results for quantum walks form a striking contrast to the central limit theorem for symmetric discrete- and continuous-time classical random walks: Y_{t}/ \sqrt{t} \to e^{-x^2/2} dx / \sqrt{2 \pi} as t \to \infty. The work deals also with issue of the relationship between discrete and continuous-time quantum walks. This topic, subject of a long debate in the previous literature, is treated within the formalism of matrix representation and the limit distributions are exhaustively compared in the two cases.