Pulsation of quantum walk between two arbitrary graphs with weakly connected bridge

Abstract We consider the Grover walk on a finite graph composed of two arbitrary simple graphs connected by one edge, referred to as a bridge. The parameter ϵ > 0 assigned at the bridge represents the strength of connectivity: if ϵ = 0, then the graph is completely separated. We show that for sufficiently small values of ϵ , a phenomenon called pulsation occurs. The pulsation is characterized by the periodic transfer of the quantum walker between the two graphs. An asymptotic expression with respect to small ϵ for the probability of finding the walker on either of the two graphs is derived. This expression reveals that the pulsation depends solely on the number of edges in each graph, regardless of their detailed adjacency information or the position of the bridge between them. In addition, we obtain that the quantum walker is transferred periodically between the two graphs, with a period of order O ( ϵ −1/2 ). Furthermore, when the number of edges of two graphs is equal, the quantum walker is almost completely transferred.