Violation of Bell’s inequality: Must the Einstein locality really be abandoned?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Kurt

2017-08-01

Since John Bell has established his famous inequality and several independent experiments have confirmed the distinct polarization correlation of entangled photons predicted by quantum mechanics it is evident that quantum mechanics cannot be explained by local realistic theories. Actually, the observed polarization correlation can be deduced from wave optical considerations. The correlation has its origin in the phase coupling of the two circularly polarized wave packets leaving the photon source simultaneously. The experimental results violate Bell’s inequality although no non-local interactions have to be assumed. In consequence the principle of locality remains valid in the scope of quantum mechanics. However, the principle of realism has to be replaced by the less stringent principle of contextuality.

Foundations of Quantum Mechanics: Derivation of a dissipative Schrödinger equation from first principles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gonçalves, L.A.; Olavo, L.S.F., E-mail: olavolsf@gmail.com

Dissipation in Quantum Mechanics took some time to become a robust field of investigation after the birth of the field. The main issue hindering developments in the field is that the Quantization process was always tightly connected to the Hamiltonian formulation of Classical Mechanics. In this paper we present a quantization process that does not depend upon the Hamiltonian formulation of Classical Mechanics (although still departs from Classical Mechanics) and thus overcome the problem of finding, from first principles, a completely general Schrödinger equation encompassing dissipation. This generalized process of quantization is shown to be nothing but an extension ofmore » a more restricted version that is shown to produce the Schrödinger equation for Hamiltonian systems from first principles (even for Hamiltonian velocity dependent potential). - Highlights: • A Quantization process independent of the Hamiltonian formulation of quantum Mechanics is proposed. • This quantization method is applied to dissipative or absorptive systems. • A Dissipative Schrödinger equation is derived from first principles.« less

Particles, Waves, and the Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christoudouleas, N. D.

1975-01-01

Presents an explanation, without mathematical equations, of the basic principles of quantum mechanics. Includes wave-particle duality, the probability character of the wavefunction, and the uncertainty relations. (MLH)

Physical concepts in the development of constitutive equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cassenti, B. N.

1985-01-01

Proposed viscoplastic material models include in their formulation observed material response but do not generally incorporate principles from thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and quantum mechanics. Numerous hypotheses were made for material response based on first principles. Many of these hypotheses were tested experimentally. The proposed viscoplastic theories and the experimental basis of these hypotheses must be checked against the hypotheses. The physics of thermodynamics, statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics, and the effects of defects, are reviewed for their application to the development of constitutive laws.

Single-Atom Demonstration of the Quantum Landauer Principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, L. L.; Xiong, T. P.; Rehan, K.; Zhou, F.; Liang, D. F.; Chen, L.; Zhang, J. Q.; Yang, W. L.; Ma, Z. H.; Feng, M.

2018-05-01

One of the outstanding challenges to information processing is the eloquent suppression of energy consumption in the execution of logic operations. The Landauer principle sets an energy constraint in deletion of a classical bit of information. Although some attempts have been made to experimentally approach the fundamental limit restricted by this principle, exploring the Landauer principle in a purely quantum mechanical fashion is still an open question. Employing a trapped ultracold ion, we experimentally demonstrate a quantum version of the Landauer principle, i.e., an equality associated with the energy cost of information erasure in conjunction with the entropy change of the associated quantized environment. Our experimental investigation substantiates an intimate link between information thermodynamics and quantum candidate systems for information processing.

Equivalence principle and quantum mechanics: quantum simulation with entangled photons.

PubMed

Longhi, S

2018-01-15

Einstein's equivalence principle (EP) states the complete physical equivalence of a gravitational field and corresponding inertial field in an accelerated reference frame. However, to what extent the EP remains valid in non-relativistic quantum mechanics is a controversial issue. To avoid violation of the EP, Bargmann's superselection rule forbids a coherent superposition of states with different masses. Here we suggest a quantum simulation of non-relativistic Schrödinger particle dynamics in non-inertial reference frames, which is based on the propagation of polarization-entangled photon pairs in curved and birefringent optical waveguides and Hong-Ou-Mandel quantum interference measurement. The photonic simulator can emulate superposition of mass states, which would lead to violation of the EP.

Enhancing light-harvesting power with coherent vibrational interactions: A quantum heat engine picture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Killoran, N.; Huelga, S. F.; Plenio, M. B.

2015-10-01

Recent evidence suggests that quantum effects may have functional importance in biological light-harvesting systems. Along with delocalized electronic excitations, it is now suspected that quantum coherent interactions with certain near-resonant vibrations may contribute to light-harvesting performance. However, the actual quantum advantage offered by such coherent vibrational interactions has not yet been established. We investigate a quantum design principle, whereby coherent exchange of single energy quanta between electronic and vibrational degrees of freedom can enhance a light-harvesting system's power above what is possible by thermal mechanisms alone. We present a prototype quantum heat engine which cleanly illustrates this quantum design principle and quantifies its quantum advantage using thermodynamic measures of performance. We also demonstrate the principle's relevance in parameter regimes connected to natural light-harvesting structures.

Investigating and improving student understanding of quantum mechanics in the context of single photon interference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshman, Emily; Singh, Chandralekha

2017-06-01

Single photon experiments involving a Mach-Zehnder interferometer can illustrate the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics, e.g., the wave-particle duality of a single photon, single photon interference, and the probabilistic nature of quantum measurement involving single photons. These experiments explicitly make the connection between the abstract quantum theory and concrete laboratory settings and have the potential to help students develop a solid grasp of the foundational issues in quantum mechanics. Here we describe students' conceptual difficulties with these topics in the context of Mach-Zehnder interferometer experiments with single photons and how the difficulties found in written surveys and individual interviews were used as a guide in the development of a Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorial (QuILT). The QuILT uses an inquiry-based approach to learning and takes into account the conceptual difficulties found via research to help upper-level undergraduate and graduate students learn about foundational quantum mechanics concepts using the concrete quantum optics context. It strives to help students learn the basics of quantum mechanics in the context of single photon experiment, develop the ability to apply fundamental quantum principles to experimental situations in quantum optics, and explore the differences between classical and quantum ideas in a concrete context. We discuss the findings from in-class evaluations suggesting that the QuILT was effective in helping students learn these abstract concepts.

Unitary cocycle representations of the Galilean line group: Quantum mechanical principle of equivalence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

MacGregor, B.R.; McCoy, A.E.; Wickramasekara, S., E-mail: wickrama@grinnell.edu

2012-09-15

We present a formalism of Galilean quantum mechanics in non-inertial reference frames and discuss its implications for the equivalence principle. This extension of quantum mechanics rests on the Galilean line group, the semidirect product of the real line and the group of analytic functions from the real line to the Euclidean group in three dimensions. This group provides transformations between all inertial and non-inertial reference frames and contains the Galilei group as a subgroup. We construct a certain class of unitary representations of the Galilean line group and show that these representations determine the structure of quantum mechanics in non-inertialmore » reference frames. Our representations of the Galilean line group contain the usual unitary projective representations of the Galilei group, but have a more intricate cocycle structure. The transformation formula for the Hamiltonian under the Galilean line group shows that in a non-inertial reference frame it acquires a fictitious potential energy term that is proportional to the inertial mass, suggesting the equivalence of inertial mass and gravitational mass in quantum mechanics. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A formulation of Galilean quantum mechanics in non-inertial reference frames is given. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The key concept is the Galilean line group, an infinite dimensional group. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Unitary, cocycle representations of the Galilean line group are constructed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A non-central extension of the group underlies these representations. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Quantum equivalence principle and gravity emerge from these representations.« less

Uncertainty principle in loop quantum cosmology by Moyal formalism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perlov, Leonid

2018-03-01

In this paper, we derive the uncertainty principle for the loop quantum cosmology homogeneous and isotropic Friedmann-Lemaiter-Robertson-Walker model with the holonomy-flux algebra. The uncertainty principle is between the variables c, with the meaning of connection and μ having the meaning of the physical cell volume to the power 2/3, i.e., v2 /3 or a plaquette area. Since both μ and c are not operators, but rather the random variables, the Robertson uncertainty principle derivation that works for hermitian operators cannot be used. Instead we use the Wigner-Moyal-Groenewold phase space formalism. The Wigner-Moyal-Groenewold formalism was originally applied to the Heisenberg algebra of the quantum mechanics. One can derive it from both the canonical and path integral quantum mechanics as well as the uncertainty principle. In this paper, we apply it to the holonomy-flux algebra in the case of the homogeneous and isotropic space. Another result is the expression for the Wigner function on the space of the cylindrical wave functions defined on Rb in c variables rather than in dual space μ variables.

FAST TRACK COMMUNICATION Local randomness in Hardy's correlations: implications from the information causality principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajjak Gazi, MD.; Rai, Ashutosh; Kunkri, Samir; Rahaman, Ramij

2010-11-01

Study of non-local correlations in terms of Hardy's argument has been quite popular in quantum mechanics. Hardy's non-locality argument depends on some kind of asymmetry, but a two-qubit maximally entangled state, being symmetric, does not exhibit this kind of non-locality. Here we ask the following question: can this feature be explained by some principle outside quantum mechanics? The no-signaling condition does not provide a solution. But, interestingly, the information causality principle (Pawlowski et al 2009 Nature 461 1101) offers an explanation. It shows that any generalized probability theory which gives completely random results for local dichotomic observable, cannot provide Hardy's non-local correlation if it is restricted by a necessary condition for respecting the information causality principle. In fact, the applied necessary condition imposes even more restrictions on the local randomness of measured observable. Still, there are some restrictions imposed by quantum mechanics that are not reproduced from the considered information causality condition.

Heisenberg's observability principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolff, Johanna

2014-02-01

Werner Heisenberg's 1925 paper 'Quantum-theoretical re-interpretation of kinematic and mechanical relations' marks the beginning of quantum mechanics. Heisenberg famously claims that the paper is based on the idea that the new quantum mechanics should be 'founded exclusively upon relationships between quantities which in principle are observable'. My paper is an attempt to understand this observability principle, and to see whether its employment is philosophically defensible. Against interpretations of 'observability' along empiricist or positivist lines I argue that such readings are philosophically unsatisfying. Moreover, a careful comparison of Heisenberg's reinterpretation of classical kinematics with Einstein's argument against absolute simultaneity reveals that the positivist reading does not fit with Heisenberg's strategy in the paper. Instead the appeal to observability should be understood as a specific criticism of the causal inefficacy of orbital electron motion in Bohr's atomic model. I conclude that the tacit philosophical principle behind Heisenberg's argument is not a positivistic connection between observability and meaning, but the idea that a theory should not contain causally idle wheels.

Retrocausal Effects As A Consequence of Orthodox Quantum Mechanics Refined To Accommodate The Principle Of Sufficient Reason

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stapp, Henry P.

2011-11-01

The principle of sufficient reason asserts that anything that happens does so for a reason: no definite state of affairs can come into being unless there is a sufficient reason why that particular thing should happen. This principle is usually attributed to Leibniz, although the first recorded Western philosopher to use it was Anaximander of Miletus. The demand that nature be rational, in the sense that it be compatible with the principle of sufficient reason, conflicts with a basic feature of contemporary orthodox physical theory, namely the notion that nature's response to the probing action of an observer is determined by pure chance, and hence on the basis of absolutely no reason at all. This appeal to pure chance can be deemed to have no rational fundamental place in reason-based Western science. It is argued here, on the basis of the other basic principles of quantum physics, that in a world that conforms to the principle of sufficient reason, the usual quantum statistical rules will naturally emerge at the pragmatic level, in cases where the reason behind nature's choice of response is unknown, but that the usual statistics can become biased in an empirically manifest way when the reason for the choice is empirically identifiable. It is shown here that if the statistical laws of quantum mechanics were to be biased in this way then the basically forward-in-time unfolding of empirical reality described by orthodox quantum mechanics would generate the appearances of backward-time-effects of the kind that have been reported in the scientific literature.

Quantum formalism for classical statistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wetterich, C.

2018-06-01

In static classical statistical systems the problem of information transport from a boundary to the bulk finds a simple description in terms of wave functions or density matrices. While the transfer matrix formalism is a type of Heisenberg picture for this problem, we develop here the associated Schrödinger picture that keeps track of the local probabilistic information. The transport of the probabilistic information between neighboring hypersurfaces obeys a linear evolution equation, and therefore the superposition principle for the possible solutions. Operators are associated to local observables, with rules for the computation of expectation values similar to quantum mechanics. We discuss how non-commutativity naturally arises in this setting. Also other features characteristic of quantum mechanics, such as complex structure, change of basis or symmetry transformations, can be found in classical statistics once formulated in terms of wave functions or density matrices. We construct for every quantum system an equivalent classical statistical system, such that time in quantum mechanics corresponds to the location of hypersurfaces in the classical probabilistic ensemble. For suitable choices of local observables in the classical statistical system one can, in principle, compute all expectation values and correlations of observables in the quantum system from the local probabilistic information of the associated classical statistical system. Realizing a static memory material as a quantum simulator for a given quantum system is not a matter of principle, but rather of practical simplicity.

Heisenberg and the Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camilleri, Kristian

2011-09-01

Preface; 1. Introduction; Part I. The Emergence of Quantum Mechanics: 2. Quantum mechanics and the principle of observability; 3. The problem of interpretation; Part II. The Heisenberg-Bohr Dialogue: 4. The wave-particle duality; 5. Indeterminacy and the limits of classical concepts: the turning point in Heisenberg's thought; 6. Heisenberg and Bohr: divergent viewpoints of complementarity; Part III. Heisenberg's Epistemology and Ontology of Quantum Mechanics: 7. The transformation of Kantian philosophy; 8. The linguistic turn in Heisenberg's thought; Conclusion; References; Index.

Heisenberg and the Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camilleri, Kristian

2009-02-01

Preface; 1. Introduction; Part I. The Emergence of Quantum Mechanics: 2. Quantum mechanics and the principle of observability; 3. The problem of interpretation; Part II. The Heisenberg-Bohr Dialogue: 4. The wave-particle duality; 5. Indeterminacy and the limits of classical concepts: the turning point in Heisenberg's thought; 6. Heisenberg and Bohr: divergent viewpoints of complementarity; Part III. Heisenberg's Epistemology and Ontology of Quantum Mechanics: 7. The transformation of Kantian philosophy; 8. The linguistic turn in Heisenberg's thought; Conclusion; References; Index.

Tampering detection system using quantum-mechanical systems

DOEpatents

Humble, Travis S [Knoxville, TN; Bennink, Ryan S [Knoxville, TN; Grice, Warren P [Oak Ridge, TN

2011-12-13

The use of quantum-mechanically entangled photons for monitoring the integrity of a physical border or a communication link is described. The no-cloning principle of quantum information science is used as protection against an intruder's ability to spoof a sensor receiver using a `classical` intercept-resend attack. Correlated measurement outcomes from polarization-entangled photons are used to protect against quantum intercept-resend attacks, i.e., attacks using quantum teleportation.

Investigating and Improving Student Understanding of Quantum Mechanics in the Context of Single Photon Interference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshman, Emily; Singh, Chandralekha

2017-01-01

Single photon experiments involving a Mach-Zehnder interferometer can illustrate the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics, e.g., the wave-particle duality of a single photon, single photon interference, and the probabilistic nature of quantum measurement involving single photons. These experiments explicitly make the connection between the…

Quantum Information Biology: From Information Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics to Applications in Molecular Biology and Cognitive Psychology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asano, Masanari; Basieva, Irina; Khrennikov, Andrei; Ohya, Masanori; Tanaka, Yoshiharu; Yamato, Ichiro

2015-10-01

We discuss foundational issues of quantum information biology (QIB)—one of the most successful applications of the quantum formalism outside of physics. QIB provides a multi-scale model of information processing in bio-systems: from proteins and cells to cognitive and social systems. This theory has to be sharply distinguished from "traditional quantum biophysics". The latter is about quantum bio-physical processes, e.g., in cells or brains. QIB models the dynamics of information states of bio-systems. We argue that the information interpretation of quantum mechanics (its various forms were elaborated by Zeilinger and Brukner, Fuchs and Mermin, and D' Ariano) is the most natural interpretation of QIB. Biologically QIB is based on two principles: (a) adaptivity; (b) openness (bio-systems are fundamentally open). These principles are mathematically represented in the framework of a novel formalism— quantum adaptive dynamics which, in particular, contains the standard theory of open quantum systems.

How far do EPR-Bell experiments constrain physical collapse theories?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leggett, A. J.

2007-03-01

A class of theories alternative to standard quantum mechanics, including that of Ghirardi et al ('GRWP'), postulates that when a quantum superposition becomes amplified to the point that the superposed states reach some level of 'macroscopic distinctness', then some non-quantum-mechanical principle comes into play and realizes one or other of the two macroscopic outcomes. Without specializing to any particular theory of this class, I ask how far such 'macrorealistic' theories are generically constrained, if one insists that the physical reduction process should respect Einstein locality, by the results of existing EPR-Bell experiments. I conclude that provided one does not demand that the prescription for reduction respects Lorentz invariance, at least some theories of this type, while in principle inevitably making some predictions that conflict with those of standard quantum mechanics, are not refuted by any existing experiment.

Reply to "Comment on 'Fractional quantum mechanics' and 'Fractional Schrödinger equation' ".

PubMed

Laskin, Nick

2016-06-01

The fractional uncertainty relation is a mathematical formulation of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle in the framework of fractional quantum mechanics. Two mistaken statements presented in the Comment have been revealed. The origin of each mistaken statement has been clarified and corrected statements have been made. A map between standard quantum mechanics and fractional quantum mechanics has been presented to emphasize the features of fractional quantum mechanics and to avoid misinterpretations of the fractional uncertainty relation. It has been shown that the fractional probability current equation is correct in the area of its applicability. Further studies have to be done to find meaningful quantum physics problems with involvement of the fractional probability current density vector and the extra term emerging in the framework of fractional quantum mechanics.

From classical to quantum mechanics: ``How to translate physical ideas into mathematical language''

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergeron, H.

2001-09-01

Following previous works by E. Prugovečki [Physica A 91A, 202 (1978) and Stochastic Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Space-time (Reidel, Dordrecht, 1986)] on common features of classical and quantum mechanics, we develop a unified mathematical framework for classical and quantum mechanics (based on L2-spaces over classical phase space), in order to investigate to what extent quantum mechanics can be obtained as a simple modification of classical mechanics (on both logical and analytical levels). To obtain this unified framework, we split quantum theory in two parts: (i) general quantum axiomatics (a system is described by a state in a Hilbert space, observables are self-adjoints operators, and so on) and (ii) quantum mechanics proper that specifies the Hilbert space as L2(Rn); the Heisenberg rule [pi,qj]=-iℏδij with p=-iℏ∇, the free Hamiltonian H=-ℏ2Δ/2m and so on. We show that general quantum axiomatics (up to a supplementary "axiom of classicity") can be used as a nonstandard mathematical ground to formulate physical ideas and equations of ordinary classical statistical mechanics. So, the question of a "true quantization" with "ℏ" must be seen as an independent physical problem not directly related with quantum formalism. At this stage, we show that this nonstandard formulation of classical mechanics exhibits a new kind of operation that has no classical counterpart: this operation is related to the "quantization process," and we show why quantization physically depends on group theory (the Galilei group). This analytical procedure of quantization replaces the "correspondence principle" (or canonical quantization) and allows us to map classical mechanics into quantum mechanics, giving all operators of quantum dynamics and the Schrödinger equation. The great advantage of this point of view is that quantization is based on concrete physical arguments and not derived from some "pure algebraic rule" (we exhibit also some limit of the correspondence principle). Moreover spins for particles are naturally generated, including an approximation of their interaction with magnetic fields. We also recover by this approach the semi-classical formalism developed by E. Prugovečki [Stochastic Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Space-time (Reidel, Dordrecht, 1986)].

Retrocausal Effects as a Consequence of Quantum Mechanics Refined to Accommodate the Principle of Sufficient Reason

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stapp, Henry P.

2011-05-10

The principle of sufficient reason asserts that anything that happens does so for a reason: no definite state of affairs can come into being unless there is a sufficient reason why that particular thing should happen. This principle is usually attributed to Leibniz, although the first recorded Western philosopher to use it was Anaximander of Miletus. The demand that nature be rational, in the sense that it be compatible with the principle of sufficient reason, conflicts with a basic feature of contemporary orthodox physical theory, namely the notion that nature's response to the probing action of an observer is determinedmore » by pure chance, and hence on the basis of absolutely no reason at all. This appeal to pure chance can be deemed to have no rational fundamental place in reason-based Western science. It is argued here, on the basis of the other basic principles of quantum physics, that in a world that conforms to the principle of sufficient reason, the usual quantum statistical rules will naturally emerge at the pragmatic level, in cases where the reason behind nature's choice of response is unknown, but that the usual statistics can become biased in an empirically manifest way when the reason for the choice is empirically identifiable. It is shown here that if the statistical laws of quantum mechanics were to be biased in this way then the basically forward-in-time unfolding of empirical reality described by orthodox quantum mechanics would generate the appearances of backward-time-effects of the kind that have been reported in the scientific literature.« less

The actual content of quantum theoretical kinematics and mechanics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heisenberg, W.

1983-01-01

First, exact definitions are supplied for the terms: position, velocity, energy, etc. (of the electron, for instance), such that they are valid also in quantum mechanics. Canonically conjugated variables are determined simultaneously only with a characteristic uncertainty. This uncertainty is the intrinsic reason for the occurrence of statistical relations in quantum mechanics. Mathematical formulation is made possible by the Dirac-Jordan theory. Beginning from the basic principles thus obtained, macroscopic processes are understood from the viewpoint of quantum mechanics. Several imaginary experiments are discussed to elucidate the theory.

Board Games and Board Game Design as Learning Tools for Complex Scientific Concepts: Some Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiarello, Fabio; Castellano, Maria Gabriella

2016-01-01

In this paper the authors report different experiences in the use of board games as learning tools for complex and abstract scientific concepts such as Quantum Mechanics, Relativity or nano-biotechnologies. In particular we describe "Quantum Race," designed for the introduction of Quantum Mechanical principles, "Lab on a chip,"…

Lectures on Quantum Mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weinberg, Steven

2015-09-01

Preface; Notation; 1. Historical introduction; 2. Particle states in a central potential; 3. General principles of quantum mechanics; 4. Spin; 5. Approximations for energy eigenstates; 6. Approximations for time-dependent problems; 7. Potential scattering; 8. General scattering theory; 9. The canonical formalism; 10. Charged particles in electromagnetic fields; 11. The quantum theory of radiation; 12. Entanglement; Author index; Subject index.

OpenFlow arbitrated programmable network channels for managing quantum metadata

DOE PAGES

Dasari, Venkat R.; Humble, Travis S.

2016-10-10

Quantum networks must classically exchange complex metadata between devices in order to carry out information for protocols such as teleportation, super-dense coding, and quantum key distribution. Demonstrating the integration of these new communication methods with existing network protocols, channels, and data forwarding mechanisms remains an open challenge. Software-defined networking (SDN) offers robust and flexible strategies for managing diverse network devices and uses. We adapt the principles of SDN to the deployment of quantum networks, which are composed from unique devices that operate according to the laws of quantum mechanics. We show how quantum metadata can be managed within a software-definedmore » network using the OpenFlow protocol, and we describe how OpenFlow management of classical optical channels is compatible with emerging quantum communication protocols. We next give an example specification of the metadata needed to manage and control quantum physical layer (QPHY) behavior and we extend the OpenFlow interface to accommodate this quantum metadata. Here, we conclude by discussing near-term experimental efforts that can realize SDN’s principles for quantum communication.« less

OpenFlow arbitrated programmable network channels for managing quantum metadata

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dasari, Venkat R.; Humble, Travis S.

Quantum networks must classically exchange complex metadata between devices in order to carry out information for protocols such as teleportation, super-dense coding, and quantum key distribution. Demonstrating the integration of these new communication methods with existing network protocols, channels, and data forwarding mechanisms remains an open challenge. Software-defined networking (SDN) offers robust and flexible strategies for managing diverse network devices and uses. We adapt the principles of SDN to the deployment of quantum networks, which are composed from unique devices that operate according to the laws of quantum mechanics. We show how quantum metadata can be managed within a software-definedmore » network using the OpenFlow protocol, and we describe how OpenFlow management of classical optical channels is compatible with emerging quantum communication protocols. We next give an example specification of the metadata needed to manage and control quantum physical layer (QPHY) behavior and we extend the OpenFlow interface to accommodate this quantum metadata. Here, we conclude by discussing near-term experimental efforts that can realize SDN’s principles for quantum communication.« less

Particle in a box in PT-symmetric quantum mechanics and an electromagnetic analog

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dasarathy, Anirudh; Isaacson, Joshua P.; Jones-Smith, Katherine; Tabachnik, Jason; Mathur, Harsh

2013-06-01

In PT-symmetric quantum mechanics a fundamental principle of quantum mechanics, that the Hamiltonian must be Hermitian, is replaced by another set of requirements, including notably symmetry under PT, where P denotes parity and T denotes time reversal. Here we study the role of boundary conditions in PT-symmetric quantum mechanics by constructing a simple model that is the PT-symmetric analog of a particle in a box. The model has the usual particle-in-a-box Hamiltonian but boundary conditions that respect PT symmetry rather than Hermiticity. We find that for a broad class of PT-symmetric boundary conditions the model respects the condition of unbroken PT symmetry, namely, that the Hamiltonian and the symmetry operator PT have simultaneous eigenfunctions, implying that the energy eigenvalues are real. We also find that the Hamiltonian is self-adjoint under the PT-symmetric inner product. Thus we obtain a simple soluble model that fulfills all the requirements of PT-symmetric quantum mechanics. In the second part of this paper we formulate a variational principle for PT-symmetric quantum mechanics that is the analog of the textbook Rayleigh-Ritz principle. Finally we consider electromagnetic analogs of the PT-symmetric particle in a box. We show that the isolated particle in a box may be realized as a Fabry-Perot cavity between an absorbing medium and its conjugate gain medium. Coupling the cavity to an external continuum of incoming and outgoing states turns the energy levels of the box into sharp resonances. Remarkably we find that the resonances have a Breit-Wigner line shape in transmission and a Fano line shape in reflection; by contrast, in the corresponding Hermitian case the line shapes always have a Breit-Wigner form in both transmission and reflection.

Interactive simulations for quantum key distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohnle, Antje; Rizzoli, Aluna

2017-05-01

Secure communication protocols are becoming increasingly important, e.g. for internet-based communication. Quantum key distribution (QKD) allows two parties, commonly called Alice and Bob, to generate a secret sequence of 0s and 1s called a key that is only known to themselves. Classically, Alice and Bob could never be certain that their communication was not compromised by a malicious eavesdropper. Quantum mechanics however makes secure communication possible. The fundamental principle of quantum mechanics that taking a measurement perturbs the system (unless the measurement is compatible with the quantum state) also applies to an eavesdropper. Using appropriate protocols to create the key, Alice and Bob can detect the presence of an eavesdropper by errors in their measurements. As part of the QuVis Quantum Mechanics Visualisation Project, we have developed a suite of four interactive simulations that demonstrate the basic principles of three different QKD protocols. The simulations use either polarised photons or spin 1/2 particles as physical realisations. The simulations and accompanying activities are freely available for use online or download, and run on a wide range of devices including tablets and PCs. Evaluation with students over three years was used to refine the simulations and activities. Preliminary studies show that the refined simulations and activities help students learn the basic principles of QKD at both the introductory and advanced undergraduate levels.

The New Quantum Logic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Griffiths, Robert B.

2014-06-01

It is shown how all the major conceptual difficulties of standard (textbook) quantum mechanics, including the two measurement problems and the (supposed) nonlocality that conflicts with special relativity, are resolved in the consistent or decoherent histories interpretation of quantum mechanics by using a modified form of quantum logic to discuss quantum properties (subspaces of the quantum Hilbert space), and treating quantum time development as a stochastic process. The histories approach in turn gives rise to some conceptual difficulties, in particular the correct choice of a framework (probabilistic sample space) or family of histories, and these are discussed. The central issue is that the principle of unicity, the idea that there is a unique single true description of the world, is incompatible with our current understanding of quantum mechanics.

From Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox to quantum nonlocality: experimental investigation of quantum correlations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Jin-Shi; Li, Chuan-Feng; Guo, Guang-Can

2016-11-01

In 1935, Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen published their influential paper proposing a now famous paradox (the EPR paradox) that threw doubt on the completeness of quantum mechanics. Two fundamental concepts: entanglement and steering, were given in the response to the EPR paper by Schrodinger, which both reflect the nonlocal nature of quantum mechanics. In 1964, John Bell obtained an experimentally testable inequality, in which its violation contradicts the prediction of local hidden variable models and agrees with that of quantum mechanics. Since then, great efforts have been made to experimentally investigate the nonlocal feature of quantum mechanics and many distinguished quantum properties were observed. In this work, along with the discussion of the development of quantum nonlocality, we would focus on our recent experimental efforts in investigating quantum correlations and their applications with optical systems, including the study of entanglement-assisted entropic uncertainty principle, Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering and the dynamics of quantum correlations.

Niels Bohr's discussions with Albert Einstein, Werner Heisenberg, and Erwin Schroedinger: the origins of the principles of uncertainty and complementarity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mehra, J.

1987-05-01

In this paper, the main outlines of the discussions between Niels Bohr with Albert Einstein, Werner Heisenberg, and Erwin Schroedinger during 1920-1927 are treated. From the formulation of quantum mechanics in 1925-1926 and wave mechanics in 1926, there emerged Born's statistical interpretation of the wave function in summer 1926, and on the basis of the quantum mechanical transformation theory - formulated in fall 1926 by Dirac, London, and Jordan - Heisenberg formulated the uncertainty principle in early 1927. At the Volta Conference in Como in September 1927 and at the fifth Solvay Conference in Brussels the following month, Bohr publiclymore » enunciated his complementarity principle, which had been developing in his mind for several years. The Bohr-Einstein discussions about the consistency and completeness of quantum mechanics and of physical theory as such - formally begun in October 1927 at the fifth Solvay Conference and carried on at the sixth Solvay Conference in October 1930 - were continued during the next decades. All these aspects are briefly summarized.« less

The Real and the Mathematical in Quantum Modeling: From Principles to Models and from Models to Principles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plotnitsky, Arkady

2017-06-01

The history of mathematical modeling outside physics has been dominated by the use of classical mathematical models, C-models, primarily those of a probabilistic or statistical nature. More recently, however, quantum mathematical models, Q-models, based in the mathematical formalism of quantum theory have become more prominent in psychology, economics, and decision science. The use of Q-models in these fields remains controversial, in part because it is not entirely clear whether Q-models are necessary for dealing with the phenomena in question or whether C-models would still suffice. My aim, however, is not to assess the necessity of Q-models in these fields, but instead to reflect on what the possible applicability of Q-models may tell us about the corresponding phenomena there, vis-à-vis quantum phenomena in physics. In order to do so, I shall first discuss the key reasons for the use of Q-models in physics. In particular, I shall examine the fundamental principles that led to the development of quantum mechanics. Then I shall consider a possible role of similar principles in using Q-models outside physics. Psychology, economics, and decision science borrow already available Q-models from quantum theory, rather than derive them from their own internal principles, while quantum mechanics was derived from such principles, because there was no readily available mathematical model to handle quantum phenomena, although the mathematics ultimately used in quantum did in fact exist then. I shall argue, however, that the principle perspective on mathematical modeling outside physics might help us to understand better the role of Q-models in these fields and possibly to envision new models, conceptually analogous to but mathematically different from those of quantum theory, helpful or even necessary there or in physics itself. I shall suggest one possible type of such models, singularized probabilistic, SP, models, some of which are time-dependent, TDSP-models. The necessity of using such models may change the nature of mathematical modeling in science and, thus, the nature of science, as it happened in the case of Q-models, which not only led to a revolutionary transformation of physics but also opened new possibilities for scientific thinking and mathematical modeling beyond physics.

Interpretations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellac, Michel Le

2014-11-01

Although nobody can question the practical efficiency of quantum mechanics, there remains the serious question of its interpretation. As Valerio Scarani puts it, "We do not feel at ease with the indistinguishability principle (that is, the superposition principle) and some of its consequences." Indeed, this principle which pervades the quantum world is in stark contradiction with our everyday experience. From the very beginning of quantum mechanics, a number of physicists--but not the majority of them!--have asked the question of its "interpretation". One may simply deny that there is a problem: according to proponents of the minimalist interpretation, quantum mechanics is self-sufficient and needs no interpretation. The point of view held by a majority of physicists, that of the Copenhagen interpretation, will be examined in Section 10.1. The crux of the problem lies in the status of the state vector introduced in the preceding chapter to describe a quantum system, which is no more than a symbolic representation for the Copenhagen school of thought. Conversely, one may try to attribute some "external reality" to this state vector, that is, a correspondence between the mathematical description and the physical reality. In this latter case, it is the measurement problem which is brought to the fore. In 1932, von Neumann was first to propose a global approach, in an attempt to build a purely quantum theory of measurement examined in Section 10.2. This theory still underlies modern approaches, among them those grounded on decoherence theory, or on the macroscopic character of the measuring apparatus: see Section 10.3. Finally, there are non-standard interpretations such as Everett's many worlds theory or the hidden variables theory of de Broglie and Bohm (Section 10.4). Note, however, that this variety of interpretations has no bearing whatsoever on the practical use of quantum mechanics. There is no controversy on the way we should use quantum mechanics!

Generalized uncertainty principles and quantum field theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husain, Viqar; Kothawala, Dawood; Seahra, Sanjeev S.

2013-01-01

Quantum mechanics with a generalized uncertainty principle arises through a representation of the commutator [x^,p^]=if(p^). We apply this deformed quantization to free scalar field theory for f±=1±βp2. The resulting quantum field theories have a rich fine scale structure. For small wavelength modes, the Green’s function for f+ exhibits a remarkable transition from Lorentz to Galilean invariance, whereas for f- such modes effectively do not propagate. For both cases Lorentz invariance is recovered at long wavelengths.

Quantum information aspects of noncommutative quantum mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertolami, Orfeu; Bernardini, Alex E.; Leal, Pedro

2018-01-01

Some fundamental aspects related with the construction of Robertson-Schrödinger-like uncertainty-principle inequalities are reported in order to provide an overall description of quantumness, separability and nonlocality of quantum systems in the noncommutative phase-space. Some consequences of the deformed noncommutative algebra are also considered in physical systems of interest.

Real quantum cybernetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grössing, Gerhard

1987-05-01

It is shown on the basis of quantum cybernetics that one can obtain the usual predictions of quantum theory without ever referring to complex numbered “quantum mechanical amplitudes”. Instead, a very simple formula for transition and certain conditional probabilities is developed that involves real numbers only, thus relating intuitively understandable and in principle directly observable physical quantities.

Wave-Particle Duality and Uncertainty Principle: Phenomenographic Categories of Description of Tertiary Physics Students' Depictions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ayene, Mengesha; Kriek, Jeanne; Damtie, Baylie

2011-01-01

Quantum mechanics is often thought to be a difficult subject to understand, not only in the complexity of its mathematics but also in its conceptual foundation. In this paper we emphasize students' depictions of the uncertainty principle and wave-particle duality of quantum events, phenomena that could serve as a foundation in building an…

Do the Modified Uncertainty Principle and Polymer Quantization predict same physics?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majumder, Barun; Sen, Sourav

2012-10-01

In this Letter we study the effects of the Modified Uncertainty Principle as proposed in Ali et al. (2009) [5] in simple quantum mechanical systems and study its thermodynamic properties. We have assumed that the quantum particles follow Maxwell-Boltzmann statistics with no spin. We compare our results with the results found in the GUP and polymer quantum mechanical frameworks. Interestingly we find that the corrected thermodynamic entities are exactly the same compared to the polymer results but the length scale considered has a theoretically different origin. Hence we express the need of further study for an investigation whether these two approaches are conceptually connected in the fundamental level.

Composition in the Quantum World

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, Edward Jonathan

This thesis presents a problem for the foundations of quantum mechanics. It arises from the way that theory describes the composition of larger systems in terms of smaller ones, and renders untenable a wide range of interpretations of quantum mechanics. That quantum mechanics is difficult to interpret is old news, given the well-known Measurement Problem. But the problem I raise is quite different, and in important respects more fundamental. In brief: The physical world exhibits mereological structure: physical objects have parts, which in turn have parts, and so on. A natural way to try to represent this structure is by means of a particle theory, according to which the physical world consists entirely enduring physical objects which themselves have no proper parts, but aggregates of which are, or compose, all physical objects. Elementary, non-relativistic quantum mechanics can be cast in this mold--at least, according to the usual expositions of that theory. But herein lies the problem: the standard attempt to give a systematic particle interpretation to elementary quantum mechanics results in nonsense, thanks to the well-established principle of Permutation Invariance, which constrains the quantum -mechanical description of systems containing identical particles. Specifically, it follows from the most minimal principles of a particle interpretation (much weaker than those needed to generate the Measurement Problem), together with Permutation Invariance, that systems identical in composition must have the same physical state. In other words, systems which merely have the same numbers of the same types of particles are therefore, at all times, perfect physical duplicates. This conclusion is absurd: e.g., it is quite plausible that some of those particles which compose my body make up a system identical in composition to some pepperoni pizza. Yet no part of me is a qualitative physical duplicate of any pepperoni pizza. Perhaps "you are what you eat" --but not in this sense! In what follows I develop the principles needed to explore this problem, contrast it with the Measurement Problem, and consider, finally, how it should influence our judgments of the relative merits of the many extant interpretations of quantum mechanics.

Quantum clocks and the foundations of relativity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, Paul C. W.

2004-05-01

The conceptual foundations of the special and general theories of relativity differ greatly from those of quantum mechanics. Yet in all cases investigated so far, quantum mechanics seems to be consistent with the principles of relativity theory, when interpreted carefully. In this paper I report on a new investigation of this consistency using a model of a quantum clock to measure time intervals; a topic central to all metric theories of gravitation, and to cosmology. Results are presented for two important scenarios related to the foundations of relativity theory: the speed of light as a limiting velocity and the weak equivalence principle (WEP). These topics are investigated in the light of claims of superluminal propagation in quantum tunnelling and possible violations of WEP. Special attention is given to the role of highly non-classical states. I find that by using a definition of time intervals based on a precise model of a quantum clock, ambiguities are avoided and, at least in the scenarios investigated, there is consistency with the theory of relativity, albeit with some subtleties.

The quantum universe: philosophical foundations and oriental medicine.

PubMed

Kafatos, Menas C; Yang, Keun-Hang

2016-12-01

The existence of universal principles in both science and medicine implies that one can explore their common applicability. Here we explore what we have learned from quantum mechanics, phenomena such as entanglement and nonlocality, the role of participation of the observer, and how these may apply to oriental medicine. The universal principles of integrated polarity, recursion, and creative interactivity apply to all levels of existence and all human activities, including healing and medicine. This review examines the possibility that what we have learned from quantum mechanics may provide clues to better understand the operational principles of oriental medicine in an integrated way. Common to both is the assertion that Consciousness is at the foundation of the universe and the inner core of all human beings. This view goes beyond both science and medicine and has strong philosophical foundations in Western philosophy as well as monistic systems of the East.

Dynamical basis sets for algebraic variational calculations in quantum-mechanical scattering theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sun, Yan; Kouri, Donald J.; Truhlar, Donald G.; Schwenke, David W.

1990-01-01

New basis sets are proposed for linear algebraic variational calculations of transition amplitudes in quantum-mechanical scattering problems. These basis sets are hybrids of those that yield the Kohn variational principle (KVP) and those that yield the generalized Newton variational principle (GNVP) when substituted in Schlessinger's stationary expression for the T operator. Trial calculations show that efficiencies almost as great as that of the GNVP and much greater than the KVP can be obtained, even for basis sets with the majority of the members independent of energy.

Photoelectron Imaging as a Quantum Chemistry Visualization Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grumbling, Emily R.; Pichugin, Kostyantyn; Mabbs, Richard; Sanov, Andrei

2011-01-01

An overview and simple example of photoelectron imaging is presented, highlighting its efficacy as a pedagogical tool for visualizing quantum phenomena. Specifically, photoelectron imaging of H[superscript -] (the simplest negative ion) is used to demonstrate several quantum mechanical principles. This example could be incorporated into an…

Quantum enhanced feedback cooling of a mechanical oscillator using nonclassical light.

PubMed

Schäfermeier, Clemens; Kerdoncuff, Hugo; Hoff, Ulrich B; Fu, Hao; Huck, Alexander; Bilek, Jan; Harris, Glen I; Bowen, Warwick P; Gehring, Tobias; Andersen, Ulrik L

2016-11-29

Laser cooling is a fundamental technique used in primary atomic frequency standards, quantum computers, quantum condensed matter physics and tests of fundamental physics, among other areas. It has been known since the early 1990s that laser cooling can, in principle, be improved by using squeezed light as an electromagnetic reservoir; while quantum feedback control using a squeezed light probe is also predicted to allow improved cooling. Here we show the implementation of quantum feedback control of a micro-mechanical oscillator using squeezed probe light. This allows quantum-enhanced feedback cooling with a measurement rate greater than it is possible with classical light, and a consequent reduction in the final oscillator temperature. Our results have significance for future applications in areas ranging from quantum information networks, to quantum-enhanced force and displacement measurements and fundamental tests of macroscopic quantum mechanics.

Free energies of binding from large-scale first-principles quantum mechanical calculations: application to ligand hydration energies.

PubMed

Fox, Stephen J; Pittock, Chris; Tautermann, Christofer S; Fox, Thomas; Christ, Clara; Malcolm, N O J; Essex, Jonathan W; Skylaris, Chris-Kriton

2013-08-15

Schemes of increasing sophistication for obtaining free energies of binding have been developed over the years, where configurational sampling is used to include the all-important entropic contributions to the free energies. However, the quality of the results will also depend on the accuracy with which the intermolecular interactions are computed at each molecular configuration. In this context, the energy change associated with the rearrangement of electrons (electronic polarization and charge transfer) upon binding is a very important effect. Classical molecular mechanics force fields do not take this effect into account explicitly, and polarizable force fields and semiempirical quantum or hybrid quantum-classical (QM/MM) calculations are increasingly employed (at higher computational cost) to compute intermolecular interactions in free-energy schemes. In this work, we investigate the use of large-scale quantum mechanical calculations from first-principles as a way of fully taking into account electronic effects in free-energy calculations. We employ a one-step free-energy perturbation (FEP) scheme from a molecular mechanical (MM) potential to a quantum mechanical (QM) potential as a correction to thermodynamic integration calculations within the MM potential. We use this approach to calculate relative free energies of hydration of small aromatic molecules. Our quantum calculations are performed on multiple configurations from classical molecular dynamics simulations. The quantum energy of each configuration is obtained from density functional theory calculations with a near-complete psinc basis set on over 600 atoms using the ONETEP program.

Principles of Empiricism and the Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaroszkiewicz, George

The interpretation of quantum mechanics (QM) is discussed in terms of the principles and logic of empiricism. First, we list a set of issues that should be settled before any consistent interpretation is attempted. This includes questions such as whether we can use an exophysical perspective or an endophysical perspective, and whether a completely reductionist approach makes sense or are we forced to incorporate emergent laws of physics. We then list the scientific pr nciples that should be strictly adhered to in any debate on QM. We follow this with a list of cautions and warnings about misleading concepts that should be avoided, such as ignoring contextuality and the meaning of scientific truth values. These principles and warning are then used to decide on the issues we first identified, giving us a basis for an interpretation of QM from the perspective of observers and quantum signal states of apparatus, rather than in terms of qu ntum states of systems under observation. Finally, we review a proposed mathematical formalism that encodes this interpretation in terms of quantum registers.

Quantum probability ranking principle for ligand-based virtual screening.

PubMed

Al-Dabbagh, Mohammed Mumtaz; Salim, Naomie; Himmat, Mubarak; Ahmed, Ali; Saeed, Faisal

2017-04-01

Chemical libraries contain thousands of compounds that need screening, which increases the need for computational methods that can rank or prioritize compounds. The tools of virtual screening are widely exploited to enhance the cost effectiveness of lead drug discovery programs by ranking chemical compounds databases in decreasing probability of biological activity based upon probability ranking principle (PRP). In this paper, we developed a novel ranking approach for molecular compounds inspired by quantum mechanics, called quantum probability ranking principle (QPRP). The QPRP ranking criteria would make an attempt to draw an analogy between the physical experiment and molecular structure ranking process for 2D fingerprints in ligand based virtual screening (LBVS). The development of QPRP criteria in LBVS has employed the concepts of quantum at three different levels, firstly at representation level, this model makes an effort to develop a new framework of molecular representation by connecting the molecular compounds with mathematical quantum space. Secondly, estimate the similarity between chemical libraries and references based on quantum-based similarity searching method. Finally, rank the molecules using QPRP approach. Simulated virtual screening experiments with MDL drug data report (MDDR) data sets showed that QPRP outperformed the classical ranking principle (PRP) for molecular chemical compounds.

Quantum probability ranking principle for ligand-based virtual screening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Dabbagh, Mohammed Mumtaz; Salim, Naomie; Himmat, Mubarak; Ahmed, Ali; Saeed, Faisal

2017-04-01

Chemical libraries contain thousands of compounds that need screening, which increases the need for computational methods that can rank or prioritize compounds. The tools of virtual screening are widely exploited to enhance the cost effectiveness of lead drug discovery programs by ranking chemical compounds databases in decreasing probability of biological activity based upon probability ranking principle (PRP). In this paper, we developed a novel ranking approach for molecular compounds inspired by quantum mechanics, called quantum probability ranking principle (QPRP). The QPRP ranking criteria would make an attempt to draw an analogy between the physical experiment and molecular structure ranking process for 2D fingerprints in ligand based virtual screening (LBVS). The development of QPRP criteria in LBVS has employed the concepts of quantum at three different levels, firstly at representation level, this model makes an effort to develop a new framework of molecular representation by connecting the molecular compounds with mathematical quantum space. Secondly, estimate the similarity between chemical libraries and references based on quantum-based similarity searching method. Finally, rank the molecules using QPRP approach. Simulated virtual screening experiments with MDL drug data report (MDDR) data sets showed that QPRP outperformed the classical ranking principle (PRP) for molecular chemical compounds.

The Madelung Picture as a Foundation of Geometric Quantum Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reddiger, Maik

2017-10-01

Despite its age, quantum theory still suffers from serious conceptual difficulties. To create clarity, mathematical physicists have been attempting to formulate quantum theory geometrically and to find a rigorous method of quantization, but this has not resolved the problem. In this article we argue that a quantum theory recursing to quantization algorithms is necessarily incomplete. To provide an alternative approach, we show that the Schrödinger equation is a consequence of three partial differential equations governing the time evolution of a given probability density. These equations, discovered by Madelung, naturally ground the Schrödinger theory in Newtonian mechanics and Kolmogorovian probability theory. A variety of far-reaching consequences for the projection postulate, the correspondence principle, the measurement problem, the uncertainty principle, and the modeling of particle creation and annihilation are immediate. We also give a speculative interpretation of the equations following Bohm, Vigier and Tsekov, by claiming that quantum mechanical behavior is possibly caused by gravitational background noise.

Econophysics: from Game Theory and Information Theory to Quantum Mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jimenez, Edward; Moya, Douglas

2005-03-01

Rationality is the universal invariant among human behavior, universe physical laws and ordered and complex biological systems. Econophysics isboth the use of physical concepts in Finance and Economics, and the use of Information Economics in Physics. In special, we will show that it is possible to obtain the Quantum Mechanics principles using Information and Game Theory.

Local U(2,2) symmetry in relativistic quantum mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finster, Felix

1998-12-01

Local gauge freedom in relativistic quantum mechanics is derived from a measurement principle for space and time. For the Dirac equation, one obtains local U(2,2) gauge transformations acting on the spinor index of the wave functions. This local U(2,2) symmetry allows a unified description of electrodynamics and general relativity as a classical gauge theory.

Determination of the Unstable States of the Solid State Plasma in Semiconductor Devices

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-05-01

of the carrier moving through the lattice potentials, which alter the carrier’s response to an external electromag- netic field. so If the average...see quantum mechanical affects from the lattice potentials and a spread in carrier momentums due to the Heisenburg Uncertainty Principle. We can...us to account for the quantum mechanical source of the plasma. That source is the lattice . At values of the quantum compression parameter near unity

Lagrangian dynamics for classical, Brownian, and quantum mechanical particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavon, Michele

1996-07-01

In the framework of Nelson's stochastic mechanics [E. Nelson, Dynamical Theories of Brownian Motion (Princeton University, Princeton, 1967); F. Guerra, Phys. Rep. 77, 263 (1981); E. Nelson, Quantum Fluctuations (Princeton University, Princeton, 1985)] we seek to develop the particle counterpart of the hydrodynamic results of M. Pavon [J. Math. Phys. 36, 6774 (1995); Phys. Lett. A 209, 143 (1995)]. In particular, a first form of Hamilton's principle is established. We show that this variational principle leads to the correct equations of motion for the classical particle, the Brownian particle in thermodynamical equilibrium, and the quantum particle. In the latter case, the critical process q satisfies a stochastic Newton law. We then introduce the momentum process p, and show that the pair (q,p) satisfies canonical-like equations.

Interpretations of quantum mechanics, joint measurement of incompatible observables, and counterfactual definiteness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Muynck, W. M.; de Baere, W.; Martens, H.

1994-12-01

The validity of the conclusion to the nonlocality of quantum mechanics, accepted widely today as the only reasonable solution to the EPR and Bell issues, is questioned and criticized. Arguments are presented which remove the compelling character of this conclusion and make clear that it is not the most obvious solution. Alternative solutions are developed which are free of the contradictions related with the nonlocality conclusion. Firstly, the dependence on the adopted interpretation is shown, with the conclusion that the alleged nonlocality property of the quantum formalism may have been reached on the basis of an interpretation that is unnecessarily restrictive. Secondly, by extending the conventional quantum formalism along the lines of Ludwig and Davies it is shown that the Bell problem may be related to complementarity rather than to nonlocality. Finally, the dependence on counterfactual reasoning is critically examined. It appears that locality on the quantum level may still be retained provided one accepts a newly proposed principle of nonreproducibility at the individual quantum level as an alternative of quantum nonlocality. It is concluded that the locality principle can retain its general validity, in full conformity with all experimental data.

Interpretations of quantum mechanics, joint measurement of incompatible observables, and counterfactual definiteness

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Muynck, W.M. de; Martens, H.; De Baere, W.

1994-12-01

The validity of the conclusion to the nonlocality of quantum mechanics, accepted widely today as the only reasonable solution to the EPR and Bell issues, is questioned and criticized. Arguments are presented which remove the compelling character of this conclusion and make clear that it is not the most obvious solution. Alternative solutions are developed which are free of the contradictions related with the nonlocality conclusion. Firstly, the dependence on the adopted interpretation is shown, with the conclusion that the alleged nonlocality property of the quantum formalism may have been reached on the basis of an interpretation that is unnecessarilymore » restrictive. Secondly, by extending the conventional quantum formalism along the lines of Ludwig and Davies it is shown that the Bell problem may be related to complementarity rather than to nonlocality. Finally, the dependence on counterfactual reasoning is critically examined. It appears that locality on the quantum level may still be retained provided one accepts a newly proposed principle of nonreproducibility at the individual quantum level as an alternative of quantum nonlocality. It is concluded that the locality principle can retain its general validity, in full conformity with all experimental data.« less

Equilibration, thermalisation, and the emergence of statistical mechanics in closed quantum systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gogolin, Christian; Eisert, Jens

2016-05-01

We review selected advances in the theoretical understanding of complex quantum many-body systems with regard to emergent notions of quantum statistical mechanics. We cover topics such as equilibration and thermalisation in pure state statistical mechanics, the eigenstate thermalisation hypothesis, the equivalence of ensembles, non-equilibration dynamics following global and local quenches as well as ramps. We also address initial state independence, absence of thermalisation, and many-body localisation. We elucidate the role played by key concepts for these phenomena, such as Lieb-Robinson bounds, entanglement growth, typicality arguments, quantum maximum entropy principles and the generalised Gibbs ensembles, and quantum (non-)integrability. We put emphasis on rigorous approaches and present the most important results in a unified language.

Equilibration, thermalisation, and the emergence of statistical mechanics in closed quantum systems.

PubMed

Gogolin, Christian; Eisert, Jens

2016-05-01

We review selected advances in the theoretical understanding of complex quantum many-body systems with regard to emergent notions of quantum statistical mechanics. We cover topics such as equilibration and thermalisation in pure state statistical mechanics, the eigenstate thermalisation hypothesis, the equivalence of ensembles, non-equilibration dynamics following global and local quenches as well as ramps. We also address initial state independence, absence of thermalisation, and many-body localisation. We elucidate the role played by key concepts for these phenomena, such as Lieb-Robinson bounds, entanglement growth, typicality arguments, quantum maximum entropy principles and the generalised Gibbs ensembles, and quantum (non-)integrability. We put emphasis on rigorous approaches and present the most important results in a unified language.

The quantum limit for gravitational-wave detectors and methods of circumventing it

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thorne, K. S.; Caves, C. M.; Sandberg, V. D.; Zimmermann, M.; Drever, R. W. P.

1979-01-01

The Heisenberg uncertainty principle prevents the monitoring of the complex amplitude of a mechanical oscillator more accurately than a certain limit value. This 'quantum limit' is a serious obstacle to the achievement of a 10 to the -21st gravitational-wave detection sensitivity. This paper examines the principles of the back-action evasion technique and finds that this technique may be able to overcome the problem of the quantum limit. Back-action evasion does not solve, however, other problems of detection, such as weak coupling, large amplifier noise, and large Nyquist noise.

Localization in quantum field theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balachandran, A. P.

In non-relativistic quantum mechanics, Born’s principle of localization is as follows: For a single particle, if a wave function ψK vanishes outside a spatial region K, it is said to be localized in K. In particular, if a spatial region K‧ is disjoint from K, a wave function ψK‧ localized in K‧ is orthogonal to ψK. Such a principle of localization does not exist compatibly with relativity and causality in quantum field theory (QFT) (Newton and Wigner) or interacting point particles (Currie, Jordan and Sudarshan). It is replaced by symplectic localization of observables as shown by Brunetti, Guido and Longo, Schroer and others. This localization gives a simple derivation of the spin-statistics theorem and the Unruh effect, and shows how to construct quantum fields for anyons and for massless particles with “continuous” spin. This review outlines the basic principles underlying symplectic localization and shows or mentions its deep implications. In particular, it has the potential to affect relativistic quantum information theory and black hole physics.

Adaptive Schools in a Quantum Universe.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garmston, Robert; Wellman, Bruce

1995-01-01

Information from quantum mechanics, chaos theory, fractal geometry, and the new biology can help educators rethink school-improvement approaches. Chaos and order exist simultaneously. Adaptability, the central operating principle of successful organizations, stems from five human energy fields: efficacy, flexibility, craftsmanship, consciousness,…

Efficient hybrid-symbolic methods for quantum mechanical calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, T. C.; Zhang, Wenxing

2015-06-01

We present hybrid symbolic-numerical tools to generate optimized numerical code for rapid prototyping and fast numerical computation starting from a computer algebra system (CAS) and tailored to any given quantum mechanical problem. Although a major focus concerns the quantum chemistry methods of H. Nakatsuji which has yielded successful and very accurate eigensolutions for small atoms and molecules, the tools are general and may be applied to any basis set calculation with a variational principle applied to its linear and non-linear parameters.

Black Hole Interior in Quantum Gravity.

PubMed

Nomura, Yasunori; Sanches, Fabio; Weinberg, Sean J

2015-05-22

We discuss the interior of a black hole in quantum gravity, in which black holes form and evaporate unitarily. The interior spacetime appears in the sense of complementarity because of special features revealed by the microscopic degrees of freedom when viewed from a semiclassical standpoint. The relation between quantum mechanics and the equivalence principle is subtle, but they are still consistent.

Quantum Mechanics and the Principle of Least Radix Economy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Morales, Vladimir

2015-03-01

A new variational method, the principle of least radix economy, is formulated. The mathematical and physical relevance of the radix economy, also called digit capacity, is established, showing how physical laws can be derived from this concept in a unified way. The principle reinterprets and generalizes the principle of least action yielding two classes of physical solutions: least action paths and quantum wavefunctions. A new physical foundation of the Hilbert space of quantum mechanics is then accomplished and it is used to derive the Schrödinger and Dirac equations and the breaking of the commutativity of spacetime geometry. The formulation provides an explanation of how determinism and random statistical behavior coexist in spacetime and a framework is developed that allows dynamical processes to be formulated in terms of chains of digits. These methods lead to a new (pre-geometrical) foundation for Lorentz transformations and special relativity. The Parker-Rhodes combinatorial hierarchy is encompassed within our approach and this leads to an estimate of the interaction strength of the electromagnetic and gravitational forces that agrees with the experimental values to an error of less than one thousandth. Finally, it is shown how the principle of least-radix economy naturally gives rise to Boltzmann's principle of classical statistical thermodynamics. A new expression for a general (path-dependent) nonequilibrium entropy is proposed satisfying the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

A universal test for gravitational decoherence

PubMed Central

Pfister, C.; Kaniewski, J.; Tomamichel, M.; Mantri, A.; Schmucker, R.; McMahon, N.; Milburn, G.; Wehner, S.

2016-01-01

Quantum mechanics and the theory of gravity are presently not compatible. A particular question is whether gravity causes decoherence. Several models for gravitational decoherence have been proposed, not all of which can be described quantum mechanically. Since quantum mechanics may need to be modified, one may question the use of quantum mechanics as a calculational tool to draw conclusions from the data of experiments concerning gravity. Here we propose a general method to estimate gravitational decoherence in an experiment that allows us to draw conclusions in any physical theory where the no-signalling principle holds, even if quantum mechanics needs to be modified. As an example, we propose a concrete experiment using optomechanics. Our work raises the interesting question whether other properties of nature could similarly be established from experimental observations alone—that is, without already having a rather well-formed theory of nature to make sense of experimental data. PMID:27694976

Classical, Quantum and Superquantum Correlations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghirardi, Giancarlo; Romano, Raffaele

2012-04-01

A deeper understanding of the origin of quantum correlations is expected to allow a better comprehension of the physical principles underlying quantum mechanics. In this work, we reconsider the possibility of devising "crypto-nonlocal theories", using a terminology firstly introduced by Leggett. We generalize and simplify the investigations on this subject which can be found in the literature. At their deeper level, such theories allow nonlocal correlations which can overcome the quantum limit.

Classical, Quantum and Superquantum Correlations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghirardi, Giancarlo; Romano, Raffaele

2013-01-01

A deeper understanding of the origin of quantum correlations is expected to allow a better comprehension of the physical principles underlying quantum mechanics. In this work, we reconsider the possibility of devising "crypto-nonlocal theories", using a terminology firstly introduced by Leggett. We generalize and simplify the investigations on this subject which can be found in the literature. At their deeper level, such theories allow nonlocal correlations which can overcome the quantum limit.

A New Principle in Physiscs: the Principle "Finiteness", and Some Consequences

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abraham Sternlieb

2010-06-25

In this paper I propose a new principle in physics: the principle of "finiteness". It stems from the definition of physics as a science that deals (among other things) with measurable dimensional physical quantities. Since measurement results, including their errors, are always finite, the principle of finiteness postulates that the mathematical formulation of "legitimate" laws of physics should prevent exactly zero or infinite solutions. Some consequences of the principle of finiteness are discussed, in general, and then more specifically in the fields of special relativity, quantum mechanics, and quantum gravity. The consequences are derived independently of any other theory ormore » principle in physics. I propose "finiteness" as a postulate (like the constancy of the speed of light in vacuum, "c"), as opposed to a notion whose validity has to be corroborated by, or derived theoretically or experimentally from other facts, theories, or principles.« less

Quantum Tic-Tac-Toe as Metaphor for Quantum Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goff, Allan; Lehmann, Dale; Siegel, Joel

2004-02-01

Quantum Tic-Tac-Toe is presented as an abstract quantum system derived from the rules of Classical Tic-Tac-Toe. Abstract quantum systems can be constructed from classical systems by the addition of three types of rules; rules of Superposition, rules of Entanglement, and rules of Collapse. This is formally done for Quantum Tic-Tac-Toe. As a part of this construction it is shown that abstract quantum systems can be viewed as an ensemble of classical systems. That is, the state of a quantum game implies a set of simultaneous classical games. The number and evolution of the ensemble of classical games is driven by the superposition, entanglement, and collapse rules. Various aspects and play situations provide excellent metaphors for standard features of quantum mechanics. Several of the more significant metaphors are discussed, including a measurement mechanism, the correspondence principle, Everett's Many Worlds Hypothesis, an ascertainity principle, and spooky action at a distance. Abstract quantum systems also show the consistency of backwards-in-time causality, and the influence on the present of both pasts and futures that never happened. The strongest logical argument against faster-than-light (FTL) phenomena is that since FTL implies backwards-in-time causality, temporal paradox is an unavoidable consequence of FTL; hence FTL is impossible. Since abstract quantum systems support backwards-in-time causality but avoid temporal paradox through pruning of the classical ensemble, it may be that quantum based FTL schemes are possible allowing backwards-in-time causality, but prohibiting temporal paradox.

Non Locality Proofs in Quantum Mechanics Analyzed by Ordinary Mathematical Logic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nisticò, Giuseppe

2014-10-01

The so-called non-locality theorems aim to show that Quantum Mechanics is not consistent with the Locality Principle. Their proofs require, besides the standard postulates of Quantum Theory, further conditions, as for instance the Criterion of Reality, which cannot be formulated in the language of Standard Quantum Theory; this difficulty makes the proofs not verifiable according to usual logico-mathematical methods, and therefore it is a source of the controversial debate about the real implications of these theorems. The present work addresses this difficulty for Bell-type and Stapp's arguments of non-locality. We supplement the formalism of Quantum Mechanics with formal statements inferred from the further conditions in the two different cases. Then an analysis of the two arguments is performed according to ordinary mathematical logic.

Quantum superposition at the half-metre scale.

PubMed

Kovachy, T; Asenbaum, P; Overstreet, C; Donnelly, C A; Dickerson, S M; Sugarbaker, A; Hogan, J M; Kasevich, M A

2015-12-24

The quantum superposition principle allows massive particles to be delocalized over distant positions. Though quantum mechanics has proved adept at describing the microscopic world, quantum superposition runs counter to intuitive conceptions of reality and locality when extended to the macroscopic scale, as exemplified by the thought experiment of Schrödinger's cat. Matter-wave interferometers, which split and recombine wave packets in order to observe interference, provide a way to probe the superposition principle on macroscopic scales and explore the transition to classical physics. In such experiments, large wave-packet separation is impeded by the need for long interaction times and large momentum beam splitters, which cause susceptibility to dephasing and decoherence. Here we use light-pulse atom interferometry to realize quantum interference with wave packets separated by up to 54 centimetres on a timescale of 1 second. These results push quantum superposition into a new macroscopic regime, demonstrating that quantum superposition remains possible at the distances and timescales of everyday life. The sub-nanokelvin temperatures of the atoms and a compensation of transverse optical forces enable a large separation while maintaining an interference contrast of 28 per cent. In addition to testing the superposition principle in a new regime, large quantum superposition states are vital to exploring gravity with atom interferometers in greater detail. We anticipate that these states could be used to increase sensitivity in tests of the equivalence principle, measure the gravitational Aharonov-Bohm effect, and eventually detect gravitational waves and phase shifts associated with general relativity.

Partial Measurements and the Realization of Quantum-Mechanical Counterfactuals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paraoanu, G. S.

2011-07-01

We propose partial measurements as a conceptual tool to understand how to operate with counterfactual claims in quantum physics. Indeed, unlike standard von Neumann measurements, partial measurements can be reversed probabilistically. We first analyze the consequences of this rather unusual feature for the principle of superposition, for the complementarity principle, and for the issue of hidden variables. Then we move on to exploring non-local contexts, by reformulating the EPR paradox, the quantum teleportation experiment, and the entanglement-swapping protocol for the situation in which one uses partial measurements followed by their stochastic reversal. This leads to a number of counter-intuitive results, which are shown to be resolved if we give up the idea of attributing reality to the wavefunction of a single quantum system.

Superposing pure quantum states with partial prior information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dogra, Shruti; Thomas, George; Ghosh, Sibasish; Suter, Dieter

2018-05-01

The principle of superposition is an intriguing feature of quantum mechanics, which is regularly exploited in many different circumstances. A recent work [M. Oszmaniec et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 110403 (2016), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.110403] shows that the fundamentals of quantum mechanics restrict the process of superimposing two unknown pure states, even though it is possible to superimpose two quantum states with partial prior knowledge. The prior knowledge imposes geometrical constraints on the choice of input states. We discuss an experimentally feasible protocol to superimpose multiple pure states of a d -dimensional quantum system and carry out an explicit experimental realization for two single-qubit pure states with partial prior information on a two-qubit NMR quantum information processor.

Photosynthetic Energy Transfer at the Quantum/Classical Border.

PubMed

Keren, Nir; Paltiel, Yossi

2018-06-01

Quantum mechanics diverges from the classical description of our world when very small scales or very fast processes are involved. Unlike classical mechanics, quantum effects cannot be easily related to our everyday experience and are often counterintuitive to us. Nevertheless, the dimensions and time scales of the photosynthetic energy transfer processes puts them close to the quantum/classical border, bringing them into the range of measurable quantum effects. Here we review recent advances in the field and suggest that photosynthetic processes can take advantage of the sensitivity of quantum effects to the environmental 'noise' as means of tuning exciton energy transfer efficiency. If true, this design principle could be a base for 'nontrivial' coherent wave property nano-devices. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantum mechanics in non-inertial reference frames: Time-dependent rotations and loop prolongations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Klink, W.H., E-mail: william-klink@uiowa.edu; Wickramasekara, S., E-mail: wickrama@grinnell.edu; Department of Physics, Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA 50112

2013-09-15

This is the fourth in a series of papers on developing a formulation of quantum mechanics in non-inertial reference frames. This formulation is grounded in a class of unitary cocycle representations of what we have called the Galilean line group, the generalization of the Galilei group to include transformations amongst non-inertial reference frames. These representations show that in quantum mechanics, just as the case in classical mechanics, the transformations to accelerating reference frames give rise to fictitious forces. In previous work, we have shown that there exist representations of the Galilean line group that uphold the non-relativistic equivalence principle asmore » well as representations that violate the equivalence principle. In these previous studies, the focus was on linear accelerations. In this paper, we undertake an extension of the formulation to include rotational accelerations. We show that the incorporation of rotational accelerations requires a class of loop prolongations of the Galilean line group and their unitary cocycle representations. We recover the centrifugal and Coriolis force effects from these loop representations. Loops are more general than groups in that their multiplication law need not be associative. Hence, our broad theoretical claim is that a Galilean quantum theory that holds in arbitrary non-inertial reference frames requires going beyond groups and group representations, the well-established framework for implementing symmetry transformations in quantum mechanics. -- Highlights: •A formulation of Galilean quantum mechanics in non-inertial reference frames is presented. •The Galilei group is generalized to infinite dimensional Galilean line group. •Loop prolongations of Galilean line group contain central extensions of Galilei group. •Unitary representations of the loops are constructed. •These representations lead to terms in the Hamiltonian corresponding to fictitious forces, including centrifugal and Coriolis forces.« less

Physics of Electronic Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rammer, Jørgen

2017-03-01

1. Quantum mechanics; 2. Quantum tunneling; 3. Standard metal model; 4. Standard conductor model; 5. Electric circuit theory; 6. Quantum wells; 7. Particle in a periodic potential; 8. Bloch currents; 9. Crystalline solids; 10. Semiconductor doping; 11. Transistors; 12. Heterostructures; 13. Mesoscopic physics; 14. Arithmetic, logic and machines; Appendix A. Principles of quantum mechanics; Appendix B. Dirac's delta function; Appendix C. Fourier analysis; Appendix D. Classical mechanics; Appendix E. Wave function properties; Appendix F. Transfer matrix properties; Appendix G. Momentum; Appendix H. Confined particles; Appendix I. Spin and quantum statistics; Appendix J. Statistical mechanics; Appendix K. The Fermi-Dirac distribution; Appendix L. Thermal current fluctuations; Appendix M. Gaussian wave packets; Appendix N. Wave packet dynamics; Appendix O. Screening by symmetry method; Appendix P. Commutation and common eigenfunctions; Appendix Q. Interband coupling; Appendix R. Common crystal structures; Appendix S. Effective mass approximation; Appendix T. Integral doubling formula; Bibliography; Index.

Relativistic quantum chaos-An emergent interdisciplinary field.

PubMed

Lai, Ying-Cheng; Xu, Hong-Ya; Huang, Liang; Grebogi, Celso

2018-05-01

Quantum chaos is referred to as the study of quantum manifestations or fingerprints of classical chaos. A vast majority of the studies were for nonrelativistic quantum systems described by the Schrödinger equation. Recent years have witnessed a rapid development of Dirac materials such as graphene and topological insulators, which are described by the Dirac equation in relativistic quantum mechanics. A new field has thus emerged: relativistic quantum chaos. This Tutorial aims to introduce this field to the scientific community. Topics covered include scarring, chaotic scattering and transport, chaos regularized resonant tunneling, superpersistent currents, and energy level statistics-all in the relativistic quantum regime. As Dirac materials have the potential to revolutionize solid-state electronic and spintronic devices, a good understanding of the interplay between chaos and relativistic quantum mechanics may lead to novel design principles and methodologies to enhance device performance.

Relativistic quantum chaos—An emergent interdisciplinary field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Ying-Cheng; Xu, Hong-Ya; Huang, Liang; Grebogi, Celso

2018-05-01

Quantum chaos is referred to as the study of quantum manifestations or fingerprints of classical chaos. A vast majority of the studies were for nonrelativistic quantum systems described by the Schrödinger equation. Recent years have witnessed a rapid development of Dirac materials such as graphene and topological insulators, which are described by the Dirac equation in relativistic quantum mechanics. A new field has thus emerged: relativistic quantum chaos. This Tutorial aims to introduce this field to the scientific community. Topics covered include scarring, chaotic scattering and transport, chaos regularized resonant tunneling, superpersistent currents, and energy level statistics—all in the relativistic quantum regime. As Dirac materials have the potential to revolutionize solid-state electronic and spintronic devices, a good understanding of the interplay between chaos and relativistic quantum mechanics may lead to novel design principles and methodologies to enhance device performance.

On quantum models of the human mind.

PubMed

Wang, Hongbin; Sun, Yanlong

2014-01-01

Recent years have witnessed rapidly increasing interests in developing quantum theoretical models of human cognition. Quantum mechanisms have been taken seriously to describe how the mind reasons and decides. Papers in this special issue report the newest results in the field. Here we discuss why the two levels of commitment, treating the human brain as a quantum computer and merely adopting abstract quantum probability principles to model human cognition, should be integrated. We speculate that quantum cognition models gain greater modeling power due to a richer representation scheme. Copyright © 2013 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

A Novel Quantum Solution to Privacy-Preserving Nearest Neighbor Query in Location-Based Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Zhen-yu; Shi, Run-hua; Xu, Min; Zhang, Shun

2018-04-01

We present a cheating-sensitive quantum protocol for Privacy-Preserving Nearest Neighbor Query based on Oblivious Quantum Key Distribution and Quantum Encryption. Compared with the classical related protocols, our proposed protocol has higher security, because the security of our protocol is based on basic physical principles of quantum mechanics, instead of difficulty assumptions. Especially, our protocol takes single photons as quantum resources and only needs to perform single-photon projective measurement. Therefore, it is feasible to implement this protocol with the present technologies.

The Variation Theorem Applied to H-2+: A Simple Quantum Chemistry Computer Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robiette, Alan G.

1975-01-01

Describes a student project which requires limited knowledge of Fortran and only minimal computing resources. The results illustrate such important principles of quantum mechanics as the variation theorem and the virial theorem. Presents sample calculations and the subprogram for energy calculations. (GS)

Uncertainty in quantum mechanics: faith or fantasy?

PubMed

Penrose, Roger

2011-12-13

The word 'uncertainty', in the context of quantum mechanics, usually evokes an impression of an essential unknowability of what might actually be going on at the quantum level of activity, as is made explicit in Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, and in the fact that the theory normally provides only probabilities for the results of quantum measurement. These issues limit our ultimate understanding of the behaviour of things, if we take quantum mechanics to represent an absolute truth. But they do not cause us to put that very 'truth' into question. This article addresses the issue of quantum 'uncertainty' from a different perspective, raising the question of whether this term might be applied to the theory itself, despite its unrefuted huge success over an enormously diverse range of observed phenomena. There are, indeed, seeming internal contradictions in the theory that lead us to infer that a total faith in it at all levels of scale leads us to almost fantastical implications.

First-principles quantum-mechanical investigations: The role of water in catalytic conversion of furfural on Pd(111)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Wenhua; Borja, Miguel Gonzalez; Resasco, Daniel E.; Wang, Sanwu

2015-03-01

In the study of catalytic reactions of biomass, furfural conversion over metal catalysts with the presence of water has attracted wide attention. Recent experiments showed that the proportion of alcohol product from catalytic reactions of furfural conversion with palladium in the presence of water is significantly increased, when compared with other solvent including dioxane, decalin, and ethanol. We investigated the microscopic mechanism of the reactions based on first-principles quantum-mechanical calculations. We particularly identified the important role of water and the liquid/solid interface in furfural conversion. Our results provide atomic-scale details for the catalytic reactions. Supported by DOE (DE-SC0004600). This research used the supercomputer resources at NERSC, of XSEDE, at TACC, and at the Tandy Supercomputing Center.

Quantum cybernetics and its test in “late choice” experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grössing, Gerhard

1986-11-01

A relativistically invariant wave equation for the propagation of wave fronts S = const ( S being the action function) is derived on the basis of a cybernetic model of quantum systems involving “hidden variables”. This equation can be considered both as an expression of Huygens' principle and as a general continuity equation providing a close link between classical and quantum mechanics. Although the theory reproduces ordinary quantum mechanics, there are particular situations providing experimental predictions differing from those existing theories. Such predictions are made for so-called “late choice” experiments, which are modified versions of the familiar “delayed choice” experiments.

The 4th Thermodynamic Principle?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Montero Garcia, Jose de la Luz; Novoa Blanco, Jesus Francisco

2007-04-28

It should be emphasized that the 4th Principle above formulated is a thermodynamic principle and, at the same time, is mechanical-quantum and relativist, as it should inevitably be and its absence has been one of main the theoretical limitations of the physical theory until today.We show that the theoretical discovery of Dimensional Primitive Octet of Matter, the 4th Thermodynamic Principle, the Quantum Hexet of Matter, the Global Hexagonal Subsystem of Fundamental Constants of Energy and the Measurement or Connected Global Scale or Universal Existential Interval of the Matter is that it is possible to be arrived at a global formulationmore » of the four 'forces' or fundamental interactions of nature. The Einstein's golden dream is possible.« less

Counterfactual quantum cryptography.

PubMed

Noh, Tae-Gon

2009-12-04

Quantum cryptography allows one to distribute a secret key between two remote parties using the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics. The well-known established paradigm for the quantum key distribution relies on the actual transmission of signal particle through a quantum channel. In this Letter, we show that the task of a secret key distribution can be accomplished even though a particle carrying secret information is not in fact transmitted through the quantum channel. The proposed protocols can be implemented with current technologies and provide practical security advantages by eliminating the possibility that an eavesdropper can directly access the entire quantum system of each signal particle.

Counterfactual Quantum Cryptography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noh, Tae-Gon

2009-12-01

Quantum cryptography allows one to distribute a secret key between two remote parties using the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics. The well-known established paradigm for the quantum key distribution relies on the actual transmission of signal particle through a quantum channel. In this Letter, we show that the task of a secret key distribution can be accomplished even though a particle carrying secret information is not in fact transmitted through the quantum channel. The proposed protocols can be implemented with current technologies and provide practical security advantages by eliminating the possibility that an eavesdropper can directly access the entire quantum system of each signal particle.

Ignorance is a bliss: Mathematical structure of many-box models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tylec, Tomasz I.; Kuś, Marek

2018-03-01

We show that the propositional system of a many-box model is always a set-representable effect algebra. In particular cases of 2-box and 1-box models, it is an orthomodular poset and an orthomodular lattice, respectively. We discuss the relation of the obtained results with the so-called Local Orthogonality principle. We argue that non-classical properties of box models are the result of a dual enrichment of the set of states caused by the impoverishment of the set of propositions. On the other hand, quantum mechanical models always have more propositions as well as more states than the classical ones. Consequently, we show that the box models cannot be considered as generalizations of quantum mechanical models and seeking additional principles that could allow us to "recover quantum correlations" in box models are, at least from the fundamental point of view, pointless.

The divine clockwork: Bohr's correspondence principle and Nelson's stochastic mechanics for the atomic elliptic state

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Durran, Richard; Neate, Andrew; Truman, Aubrey

2008-03-15

We consider the Bohr correspondence limit of the Schroedinger wave function for an atomic elliptic state. We analyze this limit in the context of Nelson's stochastic mechanics, exposing an underlying deterministic dynamical system in which trajectories converge to Keplerian motion on an ellipse. This solves the long standing problem of obtaining Kepler's laws of planetary motion in a quantum mechanical setting. In this quantum mechanical setting, local mild instabilities occur in the Keplerian orbit for eccentricities greater than (1/{radical}(2)) which do not occur classically.

Minimal Length Scale Scenarios for Quantum Gravity.

PubMed

Hossenfelder, Sabine

2013-01-01

We review the question of whether the fundamental laws of nature limit our ability to probe arbitrarily short distances. First, we examine what insights can be gained from thought experiments for probes of shortest distances, and summarize what can be learned from different approaches to a theory of quantum gravity. Then we discuss some models that have been developed to implement a minimal length scale in quantum mechanics and quantum field theory. These models have entered the literature as the generalized uncertainty principle or the modified dispersion relation, and have allowed the study of the effects of a minimal length scale in quantum mechanics, quantum electrodynamics, thermodynamics, black-hole physics and cosmology. Finally, we touch upon the question of ways to circumvent the manifestation of a minimal length scale in short-distance physics.

A Framework for Understanding the Patterns of Student Difficulties in Quantum Mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Chandralekha

2015-04-01

Compared with introductory physics, relatively little is known about the development of expertise in advanced physics courses, especially in the case of quantum mechanics. We describe a theoretical framework for understanding the patterns of student reasoning difficulties and how students develop expertise in quantum mechanics. The framework posits that the challenges many students face in developing expertise in quantum mechanics are analogous to the challenges introductory students face in developing expertise in introductory classical mechanics. This framework incorporates the effects of diversity in students' prior preparation, goals and motivation for taking upper-level physics courses in general as well as the ``paradigm shift'' from classical mechanics to quantum mechanics. The framework is based on empirical investigations demonstrating that the patterns of reasoning, problem-solving, and self-monitoring difficulties in quantum mechanics bear a striking resemblance to those found in introductory classical mechanics. Examples from research in quantum mechanics and introductory classical mechanics will be discussed to illustrate how the patterns of difficulties are analogous as students learn to unpack the respective principles and grasp the formalism in each knowledge domain during the development of expertise. Embracing such a theoretical framework and contemplating the parallels between the difficulties in these two knowledge domains can enable researchers to leverage the extensive literature for introductory physics education research to guide the design of teaching and learning tools for helping students develop expertise in quantum mechanics. Support from the National Science Foundation is gratefully acknowledged.

The principle of finiteness - a guideline for physical laws

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sternlieb, Abraham

2013-04-01

I propose a new principle in physics-the principle of finiteness (FP). It stems from the definition of physics as a science that deals with measurable dimensional physical quantities. Since measurement results including their errors, are always finite, FP postulates that the mathematical formulation of legitimate laws in physics should prevent exactly zero or infinite solutions. I propose finiteness as a postulate, as opposed to a statement whose validity has to be corroborated by, or derived theoretically or experimentally from other facts, theories or principles. Some consequences of FP are discussed, first in general, and then more specifically in the fields of special relativity, quantum mechanics, and quantum gravity. The corrected Lorentz transformations include an additional translation term depending on the minimum length epsilon. The relativistic gamma is replaced by a corrected gamma, that is finite for v=c. To comply with FP, physical laws should include the relevant extremum finite values in their mathematical formulation. An important prediction of FP is that there is a maximum attainable relativistic mass/energy which is the same for all subatomic particles, meaning that there is a maximum theoretical value for cosmic rays energy. The Generalized Uncertainty Principle required by Quantum Gravity is actually a necessary consequence of FP at Planck's scale. Therefore, FP may possibly contribute to the axiomatic foundation of Quantum Gravity.

Quantum Hamilton equations of motion for bound states of one-dimensional quantum systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Köppe, J.; Patzold, M.; Grecksch, W.; Paul, W.

2018-06-01

On the basis of Nelson's stochastic mechanics derivation of the Schrödinger equation, a formal mathematical structure of non-relativistic quantum mechanics equivalent to the one in classical analytical mechanics has been established in the literature. We recently were able to augment this structure by deriving quantum Hamilton equations of motion by finding the Nash equilibrium of a stochastic optimal control problem, which is the generalization of Hamilton's principle of classical mechanics to quantum systems. We showed that these equations allow a description and numerical determination of the ground state of quantum problems without using the Schrödinger equation. We extend this approach here to deliver the complete discrete energy spectrum and related eigenfunctions for bound states of one-dimensional stationary quantum systems. We exemplify this analytically for the one-dimensional harmonic oscillator and numerically by analyzing a quartic double-well potential, a model of broad importance in many areas of physics. We furthermore point out a relation between the tunnel splitting of such models and mean first passage time concepts applied to Nelson's diffusion paths in the ground state.

Quantum Corrections in Nanoplasmonics: Shape, Scale, and Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christensen, Thomas; Yan, Wei; Jauho, Antti-Pekka; Soljačić, Marin; Mortensen, N. Asger

2017-04-01

The classical treatment of plasmonics is insufficient at the nanometer-scale due to quantum mechanical surface phenomena. Here, an extension of the classical paradigm is reported which rigorously remedies this deficiency through the incorporation of first-principles surface response functions—the Feibelman d parameters—in general geometries. Several analytical results for the leading-order plasmonic quantum corrections are obtained in a first-principles setting; particularly, a clear separation of the roles of shape, scale, and material is established. The utility of the formalism is illustrated by the derivation of a modified sum rule for complementary structures, a rigorous reformulation of Kreibig's phenomenological damping prescription, and an account of the small-scale resonance shifting of simple and noble metal nanostructures.

Are Quantum Models for Order Effects Quantum?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreira, Catarina; Wichert, Andreas

2017-12-01

The application of principles of Quantum Mechanics in areas outside of physics has been getting increasing attention in the scientific community in an emergent disciplined called Quantum Cognition. These principles have been applied to explain paradoxical situations that cannot be easily explained through classical theory. In quantum probability, events are characterised by a superposition state, which is represented by a state vector in a N-dimensional vector space. The probability of an event is given by the squared magnitude of the projection of this superposition state into the desired subspace. This geometric approach is very useful to explain paradoxical findings that involve order effects, but do we really need quantum principles for models that only involve projections? This work has two main goals. First, it is still not clear in the literature if a quantum projection model has any advantage towards a classical projection. We compared both models and concluded that the Quantum Projection model achieves the same results as its classical counterpart, because the quantum interference effects play no role in the computation of the probabilities. Second, it intends to propose an alternative relativistic interpretation for rotation parameters that are involved in both classical and quantum models. In the end, instead of interpreting these parameters as a similarity measure between questions, we propose that they emerge due to the lack of knowledge concerned with a personal basis state and also due to uncertainties towards the state of world and towards the context of the questions.

Short distance modification of the quantum virial theorem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Qin; Faizal, Mir; Zaz, Zaid

2017-07-01

In this letter, we will analyse the deformation of a semi-classical gravitational system from minimal measurable length scale. In the semi-classical approximation, the gravitational field will be analysed as a classical field, and the matter fields will be treated quantum mechanically. Thus, using this approximation, this system will be represented by a deformation of Schrödinger-Newton equation by the generalised uncertainty principle (GUP). We will analyse the effects of this GUP deformed Schrödinger-Newton equation on the behaviour of such a semi-classical gravitational system. As the quantum mechanical virial theorem can be obtained using the Schrödinger-Newton equation, a short distance modification of the Schrödinger-Newton equation will also result in a short distance modification of the quantum mechanical virial theorem.

Development of Canonical Transformations from Hamilton's Principle.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quade, C. Richard

1979-01-01

The theory of canonical transformations and its development are discussed with regard to its application to Hutton's principle. Included are the derivation of the equations of motion and a lack of symmetry in the formulaion with respect to Lagrangian and the fundamental commutator relations of quantum mechanics. (Author/SA)

Devil's staircases, quantum dimer models, and stripe formation in strong coupling models of quantum frustration.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raman, Kumar; Papanikolaou, Stefanos; Fradkin, Eduardo

2007-03-01

We construct a two-dimensional microscopic model of interacting quantum dimers that displays an infinite number of periodic striped phases in its T=0 phase diagram. The phases form an incomplete devil's staircase and the period becomes arbitrarily large as the staircase is traversed. The Hamiltonian has purely short-range interactions, does not break any symmetries, and is generic in that it does not involve the fine tuning of a large number of parameters. Our model, a quantum mechanical analog of the Pokrovsky-Talapov model of fluctuating domain walls in two dimensional classical statistical mechanics, provides a mechanism by which striped phases with periods large compared to the lattice spacing can, in principle, form in frustrated quantum magnetic systems with only short-ranged interactions and no explicitly broken symmetries. Please see cond-mat/0611390 for more details.

Nilpotent Quantum Mechanics: Analogues and Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marcer, Peter; Rowlands, Peter

2017-07-01

The most significant characteristic of nilpotent quantum mechanics is that the quantum system (fermion state) and its environment (vacuum) are, in mathematical terms, mirror images of each other. So a change in one automatically leads to corresponding changes in the other. We have used this characteristic as a model for self-organization, which has applications well beyond quantum physics. The nilpotent structure has also been identified as being constructed from two commutative vector spaces. This construction has a number of identifiable characteristics which we can expect to find in systems where self-organization is dominant, and a case presented after the publication of a paper by us on ‘The ‘Logic’ of Self-Organizing Systems’,1 in the organization of the neurons in the visual cortex. We expect to find many more complex systems where our general principles, based, by analogy, on nilpotent quantum mechanics, will apply.

Bell's Theorem, Entaglement, Quantum Teleportation and All That

ScienceCinema

Leggett, Anthony

2018-04-19

One of the most surprising aspects of quantum mechanics is that under certain circumstances it does not allow individual physical systems, even when isolated, to possess properties in their own right. This feature, first clearly appreciated by John Bell in 1964, has in the last three decades been tested experimentally and found (in most people's opinion) to be spectacularly confirmed. More recently it has been realized that it permits various operations which are classically impossible, such as "teleportation" and secure-in-principle cryptography. This talk is a very basic introduction to the subject, which requires only elementary quantum mechanics.

Elementary Aharonov-Bohm system in three space dimensions: Quantum attraction with no classical force

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldhaber, Alfred; Requist, Ryan

2003-07-01

As a consequence of the Aharonov-Bohm effect, there is a quantum-induced attraction between a charged particle and a rigid, impenetrable hoop made from an arbitrarily thin tube containing a superconductor quantum of magnetic flux. This is remarkable because in classical physics there is no force between the two objects, and quantum-mechanical effects (associated with uncertainty-principle energy) generally are repulsive rather than attractive. For an incident spinless charged particle in a P wave (in a configuration with total angular momentum zero) we verify a resonance just above threshold using the Kohn variational principle in its S-matrix form. Even if optimistic choices of parameters describing a model system with these properties were feasible, the temperature required to observe the resonance would be far lower than has yet been attained in the laboratory.

Generalized uncertainty principle and quantum gravity phenomenology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bosso, Pasquale

The fundamental physical description of Nature is based on two mutually incompatible theories: Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity. Their unification in a theory of Quantum Gravity (QG) remains one of the main challenges of theoretical physics. Quantum Gravity Phenomenology (QGP) studies QG effects in low-energy systems. The basis of one such phenomenological model is the Generalized Uncertainty Principle (GUP), which is a modified Heisenberg uncertainty relation and predicts a deformed canonical commutator. In this thesis, we compute Planck-scale corrections to angular momentum eigenvalues, the hydrogen atom spectrum, the Stern-Gerlach experiment, and the Clebsch-Gordan coefficients. We then rigorously analyze the GUP-perturbed harmonic oscillator and study new coherent and squeezed states. Furthermore, we introduce a scheme for increasing the sensitivity of optomechanical experiments for testing QG effects. Finally, we suggest future projects that may potentially test QG effects in the laboratory.

The prediction of crystal structure by merging knowledge methods with first principles quantum mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ceder, Gerbrand

2007-03-01

The prediction of structure is a key problem in computational materials science that forms the platform on which rational materials design can be performed. Finding structure by traditional optimization methods on quantum mechanical energy models is not possible due to the complexity and high dimensionality of the coordinate space. An unusual, but efficient solution to this problem can be obtained by merging ideas from heuristic and ab initio methods: In the same way that scientist build empirical rules by observation of experimental trends, we have developed machine learning approaches that extract knowledge from a large set of experimental information and a database of over 15,000 first principles computations, and used these to rapidly direct accurate quantum mechanical techniques to the lowest energy crystal structure of a material. Knowledge is captured in a Bayesian probability network that relates the probability to find a particular crystal structure at a given composition to structure and energy information at other compositions. We show that this approach is highly efficient in finding the ground states of binary metallic alloys and can be easily generalized to more complex systems.

Can Quantum-Mechanical Description of Physical Reality Be Considered Correct?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brassard, Gilles; Méthot, André Allan

2010-04-01

In an earlier paper written in loving memory of Asher Peres, we gave a critical analysis of the celebrated 1935 paper in which Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen (EPR) challenged the completeness of quantum mechanics. There, we had pointed out logical shortcomings in the EPR paper. Now, we raise additional questions concerning their suggested program to find a theory that would “provide a complete description of the physical reality”. In particular, we investigate the extent to which the EPR argumentation could have lead to the more dramatic conclusion that quantum mechanics is in fact incorrect. With this in mind, we propose a speculation, made necessary by a logical shortcoming in the EPR paper caused by the lack of a necessary condition for “elements of reality”, and surmise that an eventually complete theory would either be inconsistent with quantum mechanics, or would at least violate Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle.

Geometric rectification for nanoscale vibrational energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bustos-Marún, Raúl A.

2018-02-01

In this work, we present a mechanism that, based on quantum-mechanical principles, allows one to recover kinetic energy at the nanoscale. Our premise is that very small mechanical excitations, such as those arising from sound waves propagating through a nanoscale system or similar phenomena, can be quite generally converted into useful electrical work by applying the same principles behind conventional adiabatic quantum pumping. The proposal is potentially useful for nanoscale vibrational energy harvesting where it can have several advantages. The most important one is that it avoids the use of classical rectification mechanisms as it is based on what we call geometric rectification. We show that this geometric rectification results from applying appropriate but quite general initial conditions to damped harmonic systems coupled to electronic reservoirs. We analyze an analytically solvable example consisting of a wire suspended over permanent charges where we find the condition for maximizing the pumped charge. We also studied the effects of coupling the system to a capacitor including the effect of current-induced forces and analyzing the steady-state voltage of operation. Finally, we show how quantum effects can be used to boost the performance of the proposed device.

Framework for understanding the patterns of student difficulties in quantum mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshman, Emily; Singh, Chandralekha

2015-12-01

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Upper Division Physics Courses.] Compared with introductory physics, relatively little is known about the development of expertise in advanced physics courses, especially in the case of quantum mechanics. Here, we describe a framework for understanding the patterns of student reasoning difficulties and how students develop expertise in quantum mechanics. The framework posits that the challenges many students face in developing expertise in quantum mechanics are analogous to the challenges introductory students face in developing expertise in introductory classical mechanics. This framework incorporates both the effects of diversity in upper-level students' prior preparation, goals, and motivation in general (i.e., the facts that even in upper-level courses, students may be inadequately prepared, have unclear goals, and have insufficient motivation to excel) as well as the "paradigm shift" from classical mechanics to quantum mechanics. The framework is based on empirical investigations demonstrating that the patterns of reasoning, problem-solving, and self-monitoring difficulties in quantum mechanics bear a striking resemblance to those found in introductory classical mechanics. Examples from research in quantum mechanics and introductory classical mechanics are discussed to illustrate how the patterns of difficulties are analogous as students learn to unpack the respective principles and grasp the formalism in each knowledge domain during the development of expertise. Embracing such a framework and contemplating the parallels between the difficulties in these two knowledge domains can enable researchers to leverage the extensive literature for introductory physics education research to guide the design of teaching and learning tools for helping students develop expertise in quantum mechanics.

Resolving the vacuum fluctuations of an optomechanical system using an artificial atom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lecocq, F.; Teufel, J. D.; Aumentado, J.; Simmonds, R. W.

2015-08-01

Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle results in one of the strangest quantum behaviours: a mechanical oscillator can never truly be at rest. Even at a temperature of absolute zero, its position and momentum are still subject to quantum fluctuations. However, direct energy detection of the oscillator in its ground state makes it seem motionless, and in linear position measurements detector noise can masquerade as mechanical fluctuations. Thus, how can we resolve quantum fluctuations? Here, we parametrically couple a micromechanical oscillator to a microwave cavity to prepare the system in its quantum ground state and then amplify the remaining vacuum fluctuations into real energy quanta. We monitor the photon/phonon-number distributions using a superconducting qubit, allowing us to resolve the quantum vacuum fluctuations of the macroscopic oscillator’s motion. Our results further demonstrate the ability to control a long-lived mechanical oscillator using a non-Gaussian resource, directly enabling applications in quantum information processing and enhanced detection of displacement and forces.

Statistical Mechanical Proof of the Second Law of Thermodynamics based on Volume Entropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campisi, Michele

2007-10-01

As pointed out in [M. Campisi. Stud. Hist. Phil. M. P. 36 (2005) 275-290] the volume entropy (that is the logarithm of the volume of phase space enclosed by the constant energy hyper-surface) provides a good mechanical analogue of thermodynamic entropy because it satisfies the heat theorem and it is an adiabatic invariant. This property explains the ``equal'' sign in Clausius principle (Sf>=Si) in a purely mechanical way and suggests that the volume entropy might explain the ``larger than'' sign (i.e. the Law of Entropy Increase) if non adiabatic transformations were considered. Based on the principles of quantum mechanics here we prove that, provided the initial equilibrium satisfy the natural condition of decreasing ordering of probabilities, the expectation value of the volume entropy cannot decrease for arbitrary transformations performed by some external sources of work on a insulated system. This can be regarded as a rigorous quantum mechanical proof of the Second Law.

Research on active imaging information transmission technology of satellite borne quantum remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bi, Siwen; Zhen, Ming; Yang, Song; Lin, Xuling; Wu, Zhiqiang

2017-08-01

According to the development and application needs of Remote Sensing Science and technology, Prof. Siwen Bi proposed quantum remote sensing. Firstly, the paper gives a brief introduction of the background of quantum remote sensing, the research status and related researches at home and abroad on the theory, information mechanism and imaging experiments of quantum remote sensing and the production of principle prototype.Then, the quantization of pure remote sensing radiation field, the state function and squeezing effect of quantum remote sensing radiation field are emphasized. It also describes the squeezing optical operator of quantum light field in active imaging information transmission experiment and imaging experiments, achieving 2-3 times higher resolution than that of coherent light detection imaging and completing the production of quantum remote sensing imaging prototype. The application of quantum remote sensing technology can significantly improve both the signal-to-noise ratio of information transmission imaging and the spatial resolution of quantum remote sensing .On the above basis, Prof.Bi proposed the technical solution of active imaging information transmission technology of satellite borne quantum remote sensing, launched researches on its system composition and operation principle and on quantum noiseless amplifying devices, providing solutions and technical basis for implementing active imaging information technology of satellite borne Quantum Remote Sensing.

Quantum Computation: Entangling with the Future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jiang, Zhang

2017-01-01

Commercial applications of quantum computation have become viable due to the rapid progress of the field in the recent years. Efficient quantum algorithms are discovered to cope with the most challenging real-world problems that are too hard for classical computers. Manufactured quantum hardware has reached unprecedented precision and controllability, enabling fault-tolerant quantum computation. Here, I give a brief introduction on what principles in quantum mechanics promise its unparalleled computational power. I will discuss several important quantum algorithms that achieve exponential or polynomial speedup over any classical algorithm. Building a quantum computer is a daunting task, and I will talk about the criteria and various implementations of quantum computers. I conclude the talk with near-future commercial applications of a quantum computer.

Zweideutigkeit about "Zweideutigkeit": Sommerfeld, Pauli, and the methodological origins of quantum mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seth, Suman

In early 1925, Wolfgang Pauli (1900-1958) published the paper for which he is now most famous and for which he received the Nobel Prize in 1945. The paper detailed what we now know as his "exclusion principle." This essay situates the work leading up to Pauli's principle within the traditions of the "Sommerfeld School," led by Munich University's renowned theorist and teacher, Arnold Sommerfeld (1868-1951). Offering a substantial corrective to previous accounts of the birth of quantum mechanics, which have tended to sideline Sommerfeld's work, it is suggested here that both the method and the content of Pauli's paper drew substantially on the work of the Sommerfeld School in the early 1920s. Part One describes Sommerfeld's turn away from a faith in the power of model-based (modellmässig) methods in his early career towards the use of a more phenomenological emphasis on empirical regularities (Gesetzmässigkeiten) during precisely the period that both Pauli and Werner Heisenberg (1901-1976), among others, were his students. Part two delineates the importance of Sommerfeld's phenomenology to Pauli's methods in the exclusion principle paper, a paper that also eschewed modellmässig approaches in favour of a stress on Gesetzmässigkeiten. In terms of content, a focus on Sommerfeld's work reveals the roots of Pauli's understanding of the fundamental Zweideutigkeit (ambiguity) involving the quantum number of electrons within the atom. The conclusion points to the significance of these results to an improved historical understanding of the origin of aspects of Heisenberg's 1925 paper on the "Quantum-theoretical Reformulation (Umdeutung) of Kinematical and Mechanical Relations."

Quantum microbiology.

PubMed

Trevors, J T; Masson, L

2011-01-01

During his famous 1943 lecture series at Trinity College Dublin, the reknown physicist Erwin Schrodinger discussed the failure and challenges of interpreting life by classical physics alone and that a new approach, rooted in Quantum principles, must be involved. Quantum events are simply a level of organization below the molecular level. This includes the atomic and subatomic makeup of matter in microbial metabolism and structures, as well as the organic, genetic information code of DNA and RNA. Quantum events at this time do not elucidate, for example, how specific genetic instructions were first encoded in an organic genetic code in microbial cells capable of growth and division, and its subsequent evolution over 3.6 to 4 billion years. However, due to recent technological advances, biologists and physicists are starting to demonstrate linkages between various quantum principles like quantum tunneling, entanglement and coherence in biological processes illustrating that nature has exerted some level quantum control to optimize various processes in living organisms. In this article we explore the role of quantum events in microbial processes and endeavor to show that after nearly 67 years, Schrödinger was prophetic and visionary in his view of quantum theory and its connection with some of the fundamental mechanisms of life.

Cosmological horizons, uncertainty principle, and maximum length quantum mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perivolaropoulos, L.

2017-05-01

The cosmological particle horizon is the maximum measurable length in the Universe. The existence of such a maximum observable length scale implies a modification of the quantum uncertainty principle. Thus due to nonlocality of quantum mechanics, the global properties of the Universe could produce a signature on the behavior of local quantum systems. A generalized uncertainty principle (GUP) that is consistent with the existence of such a maximum observable length scale lmax is Δ x Δ p ≥ℏ2/1/1 -α Δ x2 where α =lmax-2≃(H0/c )2 (H0 is the Hubble parameter and c is the speed of light). In addition to the existence of a maximum measurable length lmax=1/√{α }, this form of GUP implies also the existence of a minimum measurable momentum pmin=3/√{3 } 4 ℏ√{α }. Using appropriate representation of the position and momentum quantum operators we show that the spectrum of the one-dimensional harmonic oscillator becomes E¯n=2 n +1 +λnα ¯ where E¯n≡2 En/ℏω is the dimensionless properly normalized n th energy level, α ¯ is a dimensionless parameter with α ¯≡α ℏ/m ω and λn˜n2 for n ≫1 (we show the full form of λn in the text). For a typical vibrating diatomic molecule and lmax=c /H0 we find α ¯˜10-77 and therefore for such a system, this effect is beyond the reach of current experiments. However, this effect could be more important in the early Universe and could produce signatures in the primordial perturbation spectrum induced by quantum fluctuations of the inflaton field.

Wigner flow reveals topological order in quantum phase space dynamics.

PubMed

Steuernagel, Ole; Kakofengitis, Dimitris; Ritter, Georg

2013-01-18

The behavior of classical mechanical systems is characterized by their phase portraits, the collections of their trajectories. Heisenberg's uncertainty principle precludes the existence of sharply defined trajectories, which is why traditionally only the time evolution of wave functions is studied in quantum dynamics. These studies are quite insensitive to the underlying structure of quantum phase space dynamics. We identify the flow that is the quantum analog of classical particle flow along phase portrait lines. It reveals hidden features of quantum dynamics and extra complexity. Being constrained by conserved flow winding numbers, it also reveals fundamental topological order in quantum dynamics that has so far gone unnoticed.

Entropic no-disturbance as a physical principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Zhih-Ahn; Zhai, Rui; Yu, Bai-Chu; Wu, Yu-Chun; Guo, Guang-Can

2018-05-01

The celebrated Bell-Kochen-Specker no-go theorem asserts that quantum mechanics does not present the property of realism; the essence of the theorem is the lack of a joint probability distribution for some experiment settings. We exploit the information theoretic form of the theorem using information measure instead of probabilistic measure and indicate that quantum mechanics does not present such kind of entropic realism either. The entropic form of Gleason's no-disturbance principle is developed and characterized by the intersection of several entropic cones. Entropic contextuality and entropic nonlocality are investigated in depth in this framework as well. We show how one can construct monogamy relations using entropic cone and basic Shannon-type inequalities. The general criterion for several entropic tests to be monogamous is also developed; using the criterion, we demonstrate that entropic nonlocal correlations, entropic contextuality tests, and entropic nonlocality and entropic contextuality are monogamous. Finally, we analyze the entropic monogamy relations for the multiparty and many-test case, which may play a crucial role in quantum network communication.

Entanglement of quantum clocks through gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castro Ruiz, Esteban; Giacomini, Flaminia; Brukner, Časlav

2017-03-01

In general relativity, the picture of space-time assigns an ideal clock to each world line. Being ideal, gravitational effects due to these clocks are ignored and the flow of time according to one clock is not affected by the presence of clocks along nearby world lines. However, if time is defined operationally, as a pointer position of a physical clock that obeys the principles of general relativity and quantum mechanics, such a picture is, at most, a convenient fiction. Specifically, we show that the general relativistic mass-energy equivalence implies gravitational interaction between the clocks, whereas the quantum mechanical superposition of energy eigenstates leads to a nonfixed metric background. Based only on the assumption that both principles hold in this situation, we show that the clocks necessarily get entangled through time dilation effect, which eventually leads to a loss of coherence of a single clock. Hence, the time as measured by a single clock is not well defined. However, the general relativistic notion of time is recovered in the classical limit of clocks.

Entanglement of quantum clocks through gravity.

PubMed

Castro Ruiz, Esteban; Giacomini, Flaminia; Brukner, Časlav

2017-03-21

In general relativity, the picture of space-time assigns an ideal clock to each world line. Being ideal, gravitational effects due to these clocks are ignored and the flow of time according to one clock is not affected by the presence of clocks along nearby world lines. However, if time is defined operationally, as a pointer position of a physical clock that obeys the principles of general relativity and quantum mechanics, such a picture is, at most, a convenient fiction. Specifically, we show that the general relativistic mass-energy equivalence implies gravitational interaction between the clocks, whereas the quantum mechanical superposition of energy eigenstates leads to a nonfixed metric background. Based only on the assumption that both principles hold in this situation, we show that the clocks necessarily get entangled through time dilation effect, which eventually leads to a loss of coherence of a single clock. Hence, the time as measured by a single clock is not well defined. However, the general relativistic notion of time is recovered in the classical limit of clocks.

Entanglement of quantum clocks through gravity

PubMed Central

Castro Ruiz, Esteban; Giacomini, Flaminia; Brukner, Časlav

2017-01-01

In general relativity, the picture of space–time assigns an ideal clock to each world line. Being ideal, gravitational effects due to these clocks are ignored and the flow of time according to one clock is not affected by the presence of clocks along nearby world lines. However, if time is defined operationally, as a pointer position of a physical clock that obeys the principles of general relativity and quantum mechanics, such a picture is, at most, a convenient fiction. Specifically, we show that the general relativistic mass–energy equivalence implies gravitational interaction between the clocks, whereas the quantum mechanical superposition of energy eigenstates leads to a nonfixed metric background. Based only on the assumption that both principles hold in this situation, we show that the clocks necessarily get entangled through time dilation effect, which eventually leads to a loss of coherence of a single clock. Hence, the time as measured by a single clock is not well defined. However, the general relativistic notion of time is recovered in the classical limit of clocks. PMID:28270623

The Non-Signalling theorem in generalizations of Bell's theorem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walleczek, J.; Grössing, G.

2014-04-01

Does "epistemic non-signalling" ensure the peaceful coexistence of special relativity and quantum nonlocality? The possibility of an affirmative answer is of great importance to deterministic approaches to quantum mechanics given recent developments towards generalizations of Bell's theorem. By generalizations of Bell's theorem we here mean efforts that seek to demonstrate the impossibility of any deterministic theories to obey the predictions of Bell's theorem, including not only local hidden-variables theories (LHVTs) but, critically, of nonlocal hidden-variables theories (NHVTs) also, such as de Broglie-Bohm theory. Naturally, in light of the well-established experimental findings from quantum physics, whether or not a deterministic approach to quantum mechanics, including an emergent quantum mechanics, is logically possible, depends on compatibility with the predictions of Bell's theorem. With respect to deterministic NHVTs, recent attempts to generalize Bell's theorem have claimed the impossibility of any such approaches to quantum mechanics. The present work offers arguments showing why such efforts towards generalization may fall short of their stated goal. In particular, we challenge the validity of the use of the non-signalling theorem as a conclusive argument in favor of the existence of free randomness, and therefore reject the use of the non-signalling theorem as an argument against the logical possibility of deterministic approaches. We here offer two distinct counter-arguments in support of the possibility of deterministic NHVTs: one argument exposes the circularity of the reasoning which is employed in recent claims, and a second argument is based on the inconclusive metaphysical status of the non-signalling theorem itself. We proceed by presenting an entirely informal treatment of key physical and metaphysical assumptions, and of their interrelationship, in attempts seeking to generalize Bell's theorem on the basis of an ontic, foundational interpretation of the non-signalling theorem. We here argue that the non-signalling theorem must instead be viewed as an epistemic, operational theorem i.e. one that refers exclusively to what epistemic agents can, or rather cannot, do. That is, we emphasize that the non-signalling theorem is a theorem about the operational inability of epistemic agents to signal information. In other words, as a proper principle, the non-signalling theorem may only be employed as an epistemic, phenomenological, or operational principle. Critically, our argument emphasizes that the non-signalling principle must not be used as an ontic principle about physical reality as such, i.e. as a theorem about the nature of physical reality independently of epistemic agents e.g. human observers. One major reason in favor of our conclusion is that any definition of signalling or of non-signalling invariably requires a reference to epistemic agents, and what these agents can actually measure and report. Otherwise, the non-signalling theorem would equal a general "no-influence" theorem. In conclusion, under the assumption that the non-signalling theorem is epistemic (i.e. "epistemic non-signalling"), the search for deterministic approaches to quantum mechanics, including NHVTs and an emergent quantum mechanics, continues to be a viable research program towards disclosing the foundations of physical reality at its smallest dimensions.

Playing with Quantum Toys: Julian Schwinger's Measurement Algebra and the Material Culture of Quantum Mechanics Pedagogy at Harvard in the 1960s

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gauvin, Jean-François

2018-03-01

In the early 1960s, a PhD student in physics, Costas Papaliolios, designed a simple—and playful—system of Polaroid polarizer filters with a specific goal in mind: explaining the core principles behind Julian Schwinger's quantum mechanical measurement algebra, developed at Harvard in the late 1940s and based on the Stern-Gerlach experiment confirming the quantization of electron spin. Papaliolios dubbed his invention "quantum toys." This article looks at the origins and function of this amusing pedagogical device, which landed half a century later in the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments at Harvard University. Rendering the abstract tangible was one of Papaliolios's demonstration tactics in reforming basic teaching of quantum mechanics. This article contends that Papaliolios's motivation in creating the quantum toys came from a renowned endeavor aimed, inter alia, at reforming high-school physics training in the United States: Harvard Project Physics. The pedagogical study of these quantum toys, finally, compels us to revisit the central role playful discovery performs in pedagogy, at all levels of training and in all fields of knowledge.

Secure Multiparty Quantum Computation for Summation and Multiplication.

PubMed

Shi, Run-hua; Mu, Yi; Zhong, Hong; Cui, Jie; Zhang, Shun

2016-01-21

As a fundamental primitive, Secure Multiparty Summation and Multiplication can be used to build complex secure protocols for other multiparty computations, specially, numerical computations. However, there is still lack of systematical and efficient quantum methods to compute Secure Multiparty Summation and Multiplication. In this paper, we present a novel and efficient quantum approach to securely compute the summation and multiplication of multiparty private inputs, respectively. Compared to classical solutions, our proposed approach can ensure the unconditional security and the perfect privacy protection based on the physical principle of quantum mechanics.

Secure Multiparty Quantum Computation for Summation and Multiplication

PubMed Central

Shi, Run-hua; Mu, Yi; Zhong, Hong; Cui, Jie; Zhang, Shun

2016-01-01

As a fundamental primitive, Secure Multiparty Summation and Multiplication can be used to build complex secure protocols for other multiparty computations, specially, numerical computations. However, there is still lack of systematical and efficient quantum methods to compute Secure Multiparty Summation and Multiplication. In this paper, we present a novel and efficient quantum approach to securely compute the summation and multiplication of multiparty private inputs, respectively. Compared to classical solutions, our proposed approach can ensure the unconditional security and the perfect privacy protection based on the physical principle of quantum mechanics. PMID:26792197

On the hypothesis that quantum mechanism manifests classical mechanics: Numerical approach to the correspondence in search of quantum chaos

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Sang-Bong

1993-09-01

Quantum manifestation of classical chaos has been one of the extensively studied subjects for more than a decade. Yet clear understanding of its nature still remains to be an open question partly due to the lack of a canonical definition of quantum chaos. The classical definition seems to be unsuitable in quantum mechanics partly because of the Heisenberg quantum uncertainty. In this regard, quantum chaos is somewhat misleading and needs to be clarified at the very fundamental level of physics. Since it is well known that quantum mechanics is more fundamental than classical mechanics, the quantum description of classically chaoticmore » nature should be attainable in the limit of large quantum numbers. The focus of my research, therefore, lies on the correspondence principle for classically chaotic systems. The chaotic damped driven pendulum is mainly studied numerically using the split operator method that solves the time-dependent Schroedinger equation. For classically dissipative chaotic systems in which (multi)fractal strange attractors often emerge, several quantum dissipative mechanisms are also considered. For instance, Hoover`s and Kubo-Fox-Keizer`s approaches are studied with some computational analyses. But the notion of complex energy with non-Hermiticity is extensively applied. Moreover, the Wigner and Husimi distribution functions are examined with an equivalent classical distribution in phase-space, and dynamical properties of the wave packet in configuration and momentum spaces are also explored. The results indicate that quantum dynamics embraces classical dynamics although the classicalquantum correspondence fails to be observed in the classically chaotic regime. Even in the semi-classical limits, classically chaotic phenomena would eventually be suppressed by the quantum uncertainty.« less

Existence of dark matter with observed properties of cosmic microwave background radiation substantiates three conservation laws of classical physics and all principles of quantum mechanics as creates the value of Planck’s constant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boriev, I. A.

2018-03-01

Astronomical data indicate a presence of dark matter (DM) in the space, what is necessary for explanation of observed dynamics of the galaxies within Newtonian mechanics. DM, at its very low density (∼10-26kg/m3), constitutes main part of the matter in the Universe, 10 times the mass of all visible cosmic bodies. No doubt, namely properties of DM, which fills space, must determine its physical properties and fundamental physical laws. Taking into account observed properties of cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR), whose energy is ∼90% of all cosmic radiation, and understanding that this radiation is produced by DM motion, conservation laws of classical physics and principles of quantum mechanics receive their materialistic substantiation. Thus, CMBR high homogeneity and isotropy (∼10-4), and hence the same properties of DM (and space) justify momentum and angular momentum conservation laws, respectively, according to E. Noether's theorems. CMBR has black body spectrum at ∼2.7K with maximum wavelength ∼1.9·10-3m, what allows calculate the value of mechanical action produced by DM thermal motion (∼7·10-34 J·s). This value corresponds well to the Planck’s constant, which is the mechanical action too, what gives materialistic basis for all principles of quantum mechanics. Obtained results directly confirm the reality of DM existence, and show that CMBR is an observed display of DM thermal motion. Understanding that namely from DM occur known creation of electron-positron pairs as contrarily rotating material vortexes (according to their spins) let substantiate positron nature of ball lightning what first explains all its observed specific properties.

Importance of parametrizing constraints in quantum-mechanical variational calculations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chung, Kwong T.; Bhatia, A. K.

1992-01-01

In variational calculations of quantum mechanics, constraints are sometimes imposed explicitly on the wave function. These constraints, which are deduced by physical arguments, are often not uniquely defined. In this work, the advantage of parametrizing constraints and letting the variational principle determine the best possible constraint for the problem is pointed out. Examples are carried out to show the surprising effectiveness of the variational method if constraints are parameterized. It is also shown that misleading results may be obtained if a constraint is not parameterized.

Quantum chaos: An entropy approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sl/omczyński, Wojciech; Życzkowski, Karol

1994-11-01

A new definition of the entropy of a given dynamical system and of an instrument describing the measurement process is proposed within the operational approach to quantum mechanics. It generalizes other definitions of entropy, in both the classical and quantum cases. The Kolmogorov-Sinai (KS) entropy is obtained for a classical system and the sharp measurement instrument. For a quantum system and a coherent states instrument, a new quantity, coherent states entropy, is defined. It may be used to measure chaos in quantum mechanics. The following correspondence principle is proved: the upper limit of the coherent states entropy of a quantum map as ℏ→0 is less than or equal to the KS-entropy of the corresponding classical map. ``Chaos umpire sits, And by decision more imbroils the fray By which he reigns: next him high arbiter Chance governs all.'' John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book II

Wigner's quantum phase-space current in weakly-anharmonic weakly-excited two-state systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kakofengitis, Dimitris; Steuernagel, Ole

2017-09-01

There are no phase-space trajectories for anharmonic quantum systems, but Wigner's phase-space representation of quantum mechanics features Wigner current J . This current reveals fine details of quantum dynamics —finer than is ordinarily thought accessible according to quantum folklore invoking Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. Here, we focus on the simplest, most intuitive, and analytically accessible aspects of J. We investigate features of J for bound states of time-reversible, weakly-anharmonic one-dimensional quantum-mechanical systems which are weakly-excited. We establish that weakly-anharmonic potentials can be grouped into three distinct classes: hard, soft, and odd potentials. We stress connections between each other and the harmonic case. We show that their Wigner current fieldline patterns can be characterised by J's discrete stagnation points, how these arise and how a quantum system's dynamics is constrained by the stagnation points' topological charge conservation. We additionally show that quantum dynamics in phase space, in the case of vanishing Planck constant ℏ or vanishing anharmonicity, does not pointwise converge to classical dynamics.

Principles of Quantum Mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landé, Alfred

2013-10-01

Preface; Introduction: 1. Observation and interpretation; 2. Difficulties of the classical theories; 3. The purpose of quantum theory; Part I. Elementary Theory of Observation (Principle of Complementarity): 4. Refraction in inhomogeneous media (force fields); 5. Scattering of charged rays; 6. Refraction and reflection at a plane; 7. Absolute values of momentum and wave length; 8. Double ray of matter diffracting light waves; 9. Double ray of matter diffracting photons; 10. Microscopic observation of ρ (x) and σ (p); 11. Complementarity; 12. Mathematical relation between ρ (x) and σ (p) for free particles; 13. General relation between ρ (q) and σ (p); 14. Crystals; 15. Transition density and transition probability; 16. Resultant values of physical functions; matrix elements; 17. Pulsating density; 18. General relation between ρ (t) and σ (є); 19. Transition density; matrix elements; Part II. The Principle of Uncertainty: 20. Optical observation of density in matter packets; 21. Distribution of momenta in matter packets; 22. Mathematical relation between ρ and σ; 23. Causality; 24. Uncertainty; 25. Uncertainty due to optical observation; 26. Dissipation of matter packets; rays in Wilson Chamber; 27. Density maximum in time; 28. Uncertainty of energy and time; 29. Compton effect; 30. Bothe-Geiger and Compton-Simon experiments; 31. Doppler effect; Raman effect; 32. Elementary bundles of rays; 33. Jeans' number of degrees of freedom; 34. Uncertainty of electromagnetic field components; Part III. The Principle of Interference and Schrödinger's equation: 35. Physical functions; 36. Interference of probabilities for p and q; 37. General interference of probabilities; 38. Differential equations for Ψp (q) and Xq (p); 39. Differential equation for фβ (q); 40. The general probability amplitude Φβ' (Q); 41. Point transformations; 42. General theorem of interference; 43. Conjugate variables; 44. Schrödinger's equation for conservative systems; 45. Schrödinger's equation for non-conservative systems; 46. Pertubation theory; 47. Orthogonality, normalization and Hermitian conjugacy; 48. General matrix elements; Part IV. The Principle of Correspondence: 49. Contact transformations in classical mechanics; 50. Point transformations; 51. Contact transformations in quantum mechanics; 52. Constants of motion and angular co-ordinates; 53. Periodic orbits; 54. De Broglie and Schrödinger function; correspondence to classical mechanics; 55. Packets of probability; 56. Correspondence to hydrodynamics; 57. Motion and scattering of wave packets; 58. Formal correspondence between classical and quantum mechanics; Part V. Mathematical Appendix: Principle of Invariance: 59. The general theorem of transformation; 60. Operator calculus; 61. Exchange relations; three criteria for conjugacy; 62. First method of canonical transformation; 63. Second method of canonical transformation; 64. Proof of the transformation theorem; 65. Invariance of the matrix elements against unitary transformations; 66. Matrix mechanics; Index of literature; Index of names and subjects.

EPR, Bell, and quantum locality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Griffiths, Robert B.

2011-09-01

Maudlin has claimed that no local theory can reproduce the predictions of standard quantum mechanics that violate Bell's inequality for Bohm's version (two spin-half particles in a singlet state) of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen problem. It is argued that, on the contrary, standard quantum mechanics itself is a counterexample to Maudlin's claim, because it is local in the appropriate sense (measurements at one place do not influence what occurs elsewhere there) when formulated using consistent principles in place of the inconsistent appeals to "measurement" found in current textbooks. This argument sheds light on the claim of Blaylock that counterfactual definiteness is an essential ingredient in derivations of Bell's inequality.

The physical origins of the uncertainty theorem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giese, Albrecht

2013-10-01

The uncertainty principle is an important element of quantum mechanics. It deals with certain pairs of physical parameters which cannot be determined to an arbitrary level of precision at the same time. According to the so-called Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics, this uncertainty is an intrinsic property of the physical world. - This paper intends to show that there are good reasons for adopting a different view. According to the author, the uncertainty is not a property of the physical world but rather a limitation of our knowledge about the actual state of a physical process. This view conforms to the quantum theory of Louis de Broglie and to Albert Einstein's interpretation.

Stochastic mechanics of reciprocal diffusions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levy, Bernard C.; Krener, Arthur J.

1996-02-01

The dynamics and kinematics of reciprocal diffusions were examined in a previous paper [J. Math. Phys. 34, 1846 (1993)], where it was shown that reciprocal diffusions admit a chain of conservation laws, which close after the first two laws for two disjoint subclasses of reciprocal diffusions, the Markov and quantum diffusions. For the case of quantum diffusions, the conservation laws are equivalent to Schrödinger's equation. The Markov diffusions were employed by Schrödinger [Sitzungsber. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Phys. Math Kl. 144 (1931); Ann. Inst. H. Poincaré 2, 269 (1932)], Nelson [Dynamical Theories of Brownian Motion (Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 1967); Quantum Fluctuations (Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 1985)], and other researchers to develop stochastic formulations of quantum mechanics, called stochastic mechanics. We propose here an alternative version of stochastic mechanics based on quantum diffusions. A procedure is presented for constructing the quantum diffusion associated to a given wave function. It is shown that quantum diffusions satisfy the uncertainty principle, and have a locality property, whereby given two dynamically uncoupled but statistically correlated particles, the marginal statistics of each particle depend only on the local fields to which the particle is subjected. However, like Wigner's joint probability distribution for the position and momentum of a particle, the finite joint probability densities of quantum diffusions may take negative values.

Nontrivial Quantum Effects in Biology: A Skeptical Physicists' View

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiseman, Howard; Eisert, Jens

The following sections are included: * Introduction * A Quantum Life Principle * A quantum chemistry principle? * The anthropic principle * Quantum Computing in the Brain * Nature did everything first? * Decoherence as the make or break issue * Quantum error correction * Uselessness of quantum algorithms for organisms * Quantum Computing in Genetics * Quantum search * Teleological aspects and the fast-track to life * Quantum Consciousness * Computability and free will * Time scales * Quantum Free Will * Predictability and free will * Determinism and free will * Acknowledgements * References

Quantum limits to gravity estimation with optomechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armata, F.; Latmiral, L.; Plato, A. D. K.; Kim, M. S.

2017-10-01

We present a table-top quantum estimation protocol to measure the gravitational acceleration g by using an optomechanical cavity. In particular, we exploit the nonlinear quantum light-matter interaction between an optical field and a massive mirror acting as mechanical oscillator. The gravitational field influences the system dynamics affecting the phase of the cavity field during the interaction. Reading out such a phase carried by the radiation leaking from the cavity, we provide an estimate of the gravitational acceleration through interference measurements. Contrary to previous studies, having adopted a fully quantum description, we are able to propose a quantum analysis proving the ultimate bound to the estimability of the gravitational acceleration and verifying optimality of homodyne detection. Noticeably, thanks to the light-matter decoupling at the measurement time, no initial cooling of the mechanical oscillator is demanded in principle.

The Principle of General Tovariance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heunen, C.; Landsman, N. P.; Spitters, B.

2008-06-01

We tentatively propose two guiding principles for the construction of theories of physics, which should be satisfied by a possible future theory of quantum gravity. These principles are inspired by those that led Einstein to his theory of general relativity, viz. his principle of general covariance and his equivalence principle, as well as by the two mysterious dogmas of Bohr's interpretation of quantum mechanics, i.e. his doctrine of classical concepts and his principle of complementarity. An appropriate mathematical language for combining these ideas is topos theory, a framework earlier proposed for physics by Isham and collaborators. Our principle of general tovariance states that any mathematical structure appearing in the laws of physics must be definable in an arbitrary topos (with natural numbers object) and must be preserved under so-called geometric morphisms. This principle identifies geometric logic as the mathematical language of physics and restricts the constructions and theorems to those valid in intuitionism: neither Aristotle's principle of the excluded third nor Zermelo's Axiom of Choice may be invoked. Subsequently, our equivalence principle states that any algebra of observables (initially defined in the topos Sets) is empirically equivalent to a commutative one in some other topos.

Physical theories, eternal inflation, and the quantum universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nomura, Yasunori

2011-11-01

Infinities in eternal inflation have long been plaguing cosmology, making any predictions highly sensitive to how they are regulated. The problem exists already at the level of semi-classical general relativity, and has a priori nothing to do with quantum gravity. On the other hand, we know that certain problems in semi-classical gravity, for example physics of black holes and their evaporation, have led to understanding of surprising, quantum natures of spacetime and gravity, such as the holographic principle and horizon complementarity. In this paper, we present a framework in which well-defined predictions are obtained in an eternally inflating multiverse, based on the principles of quantum mechanics. We propose that the entire multiverse is described purely from the viewpoint of a single "observer," who describes the world as a quantum state defined on his/her past light cones bounded by the (stretched) apparent horizons. We find that quantum mechanics plays an essential role in regulating infinities. The framework is "gauge invariant," i.e. predictions do not depend on how spacetime is parametrized, as it should be in a theory of quantum gravity. Our framework provides a fully unified treatment of quantum measurement processes and the multiverse. We conclude that the eternally inflating multiverse and many worlds in quantum mechanics are the same. Other important implications include: global spacetime can be viewed as a derived concept; the multiverse is a transient phenomenon during the world relaxing into a supersymmetric Minkowski state. We also present a model of "initial conditions" for the multiverse. By extrapolating our framework to the extreme, we arrive at a picture that the entire multiverse is a fluctuation in the stationary, fractal "mega-multiverse," in which an infinite sequence of multiverse productions occurs. The framework discussed here does not suffer from problems/paradoxes plaguing other measures proposed earlier, such as the youngness paradox and the Boltzmann brain problem.

Dark energy: A brief review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Miao; Li, Xiao-Dong; Wang, Shuang; Wang, Yi

2013-12-01

The problem of dark energy is briefly reviewed in both theoretical and observational aspects. In the theoretical aspect, dark energy scenarios are classified into symmetry, anthropic principle, tuning mechanism, modified gravity, quantum cosmology, holographic principle, back-reaction and phenomenological types. In the observational aspect, we introduce cosmic probes, dark energy related projects, observational constraints on theoretical models and model independent reconstructions.

Generalized Entropic Uncertainty Relations with Tsallis' Entropy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Portesi, M.; Plastino, A.

1996-01-01

A generalization of the entropic formulation of the Uncertainty Principle of Quantum Mechanics is considered with the introduction of the q-entropies recently proposed by Tsallis. The concomitant generalized measure is illustrated for the case of phase and number operators in quantum optics. Interesting results are obtained when making use of q-entropies as the basis for constructing generalized entropic uncertainty measures.

Principles of Discrete Time Mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaroszkiewicz, George

2014-04-01

1. Introduction; 2. The physics of discreteness; 3. The road to calculus; 4. Temporal discretization; 5. Discrete time dynamics architecture; 6. Some models; 7. Classical cellular automata; 8. The action sum; 9. Worked examples; 10. Lee's approach to discrete time mechanics; 11. Elliptic billiards; 12. The construction of system functions; 13. The classical discrete time oscillator; 14. Type 2 temporal discretization; 15. Intermission; 16. Discrete time quantum mechanics; 17. The quantized discrete time oscillator; 18. Path integrals; 19. Quantum encoding; 20. Discrete time classical field equations; 21. The discrete time Schrodinger equation; 22. The discrete time Klein-Gordon equation; 23. The discrete time Dirac equation; 24. Discrete time Maxwell's equations; 25. The discrete time Skyrme model; 26. Discrete time quantum field theory; 27. Interacting discrete time scalar fields; 28. Space, time and gravitation; 29. Causality and observation; 30. Concluding remarks; Appendix A. Coherent states; Appendix B. The time-dependent oscillator; Appendix C. Quaternions; Appendix D. Quantum registers; References; Index.

Universe or Multiverse?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carr, Bernard

2009-08-01

Part I. Overviews: 1. Introduction and overview Bernard Carr; 2. Living in the multiverse Steven Weinberg; 3. Enlightenment, knowledge, ignorance, temptation Frank Wilczek; Part II. Cosmology and Astrophysics: 4. Cosmology and the multiverse Martin J. Rees; 5. The anthropic principle revisited Bernard Carr; 6. Cosmology from the top down Stephen Hawking; 7. The multiverse hierarchy Max Tegmark; 8. The inflationary universe Andrei Linde; 9. A model of anthropic reasoning: the dark to ordinary matter ratio Frank Wilczek; 10. Anthropic predictions: the case of the cosmological constant Alexander Vilenkin; 11. The definition and classification of universes James D. Bjorken; 12. M/string theory and anthropic reasoning Renata Kallosh; 13. The anthropic principle, dark energy and the LHC Savas Dimopoulos and Scott Thomas; Part III. Particle Physics and Quantum Theory: 14. Quarks, electrons and atoms in closely related universes Craig J. Hogan; 15. The fine-tuning problems of particle physics and anthropic mechanisms John F. Donoghue; 16. The anthropic landscape of string theory Leonard Susskind; 17. Cosmology and the many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics Viatcheslav Mukhanov; 18. Anthropic reasoning and quantum cosmology James B. Hartle; 19. Micro-anthropic principle for quantum theory Brandon Carter; Part IV. More General Philosophical Issues: 20. Scientific alternatives to the anthropic principle Lee Smolin; 21. Making predictions in a multiverse: conundrums, dangers, coincidences Anthony Aguirre; 22. Multiverses: description, uniqueness and testing George Ellis; 23. Predictions and tests of multiverse theories Don N. Page; 24. Observation selection theory and cosmological fine-tuning Nick Bostrom; 25. Are anthropic arguments, involving multiverses and beyond, legitimate? William R. Stoeger; 26. The multiverse hypothesis: a theistic perspective Robin Collins; 27. Living in a simulated universe John D. Barrow; 28. Universes galore: where will it all end? Paul Davies; Index.

Entropic uncertainty and measurement reversibility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berta, Mario; Wehner, Stephanie; Wilde, Mark M.

2016-07-01

The entropic uncertainty relation with quantum side information (EUR-QSI) from (Berta et al 2010 Nat. Phys. 6 659) is a unifying principle relating two distinctive features of quantum mechanics: quantum uncertainty due to measurement incompatibility, and entanglement. In these relations, quantum uncertainty takes the form of preparation uncertainty where one of two incompatible measurements is applied. In particular, the ‘uncertainty witness’ lower bound in the EUR-QSI is not a function of a post-measurement state. An insightful proof of the EUR-QSI from (Coles et al 2012 Phys. Rev. Lett. 108 210405) makes use of a fundamental mathematical consequence of the postulates of quantum mechanics known as the non-increase of quantum relative entropy under quantum channels. Here, we exploit this perspective to establish a tightening of the EUR-QSI which adds a new state-dependent term in the lower bound, related to how well one can reverse the action of a quantum measurement. As such, this new term is a direct function of the post-measurement state and can be thought of as quantifying how much disturbance a given measurement causes. Our result thus quantitatively unifies this feature of quantum mechanics with the others mentioned above. We have experimentally tested our theoretical predictions on the IBM quantum experience and find reasonable agreement between our predictions and experimental outcomes.

First-principles anharmonic quantum calculations for peptide spectroscopy: VSCF calculations and comparison with experiments.

PubMed

Roy, Tapta Kanchan; Sharma, Rahul; Gerber, R Benny

2016-01-21

First-principles quantum calculations for anharmonic vibrational spectroscopy of three protected dipeptides are carried out and compared with experimental data. Using hybrid HF/MP2 potentials, the Vibrational Self-Consistent Field with Second-Order Perturbation Correction (VSCF-PT2) algorithm is used to compute the spectra without any ad hoc scaling or fitting. All of the vibrational modes (135 for the largest system) are treated quantum mechanically and anharmonically using full pair-wise coupling potentials to represent the interaction between different modes. In the hybrid potential scheme the MP2 method is used for the harmonic part of the potential and a modified HF method is used for the anharmonic part. The overall agreement between computed spectra and experiment is very good and reveals different signatures for different conformers. This study shows that first-principles spectroscopic calculations of good accuracy are possible for dipeptides hence it opens possibilities for determination of dipeptide conformer structures by comparison of spectroscopic calculations with experiment.

Nuclear quantum effects of light and heavy water studied by all-electron first principles path integral simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Machida, Masahiko; Kato, Koichiro; Shiga, Motoyuki

2018-03-01

The isotopologs of liquid water, H2O, D2O, and T2O, are studied systematically by first principles PIMD simulations, in which the whole entity of the electrons and nuclei are treated quantum mechanically. The simulation results are in reasonable agreement with available experimental data on isotope effects, in particular, on the peak shift in the radial distributions of H2O and D2O and the shift in the evaporation energies. It is found that, due to differences in nuclear quantum effects, the H atoms in the OH bonds more easily access the dissociative region up to the hydrogen bond center than the D (T) atoms in the OD (OT) bonds. The accuracy and limitation in the use of the current density-functional-theory-based first principles PIMD simulations are also discussed. It is argued that the inclusion of the dispersion correction or relevant improvements in the density functionals are required for the quantitative estimation of isotope effects.

Higher-order gravity and the classical equivalence principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Accioly, Antonio; Herdy, Wallace

2017-11-01

As is well known, the deflection of any particle by a gravitational field within the context of Einstein’s general relativity — which is a geometrical theory — is, of course, nondispersive. Nevertheless, as we shall show in this paper, the mentioned result will change totally if the bending is analyzed — at the tree level — in the framework of higher-order gravity. Indeed, to first order, the deflection angle corresponding to the scattering of different quantum particles by the gravitational field mentioned above is not only spin dependent, it is also dispersive (energy-dependent). Consequently, it violates the classical equivalence principle (universality of free fall, or equality of inertial and gravitational masses) which is a nonlocal principle. However, contrary to popular belief, it is in agreement with the weak equivalence principle which is nothing but a statement about purely local effects. It is worthy of note that the weak equivalence principle encompasses the classical equivalence principle locally. We also show that the claim that there exists an incompatibility between quantum mechanics and the weak equivalence principle, is incorrect.

Von Neumann's impossibility proof: Mathematics in the service of rhetorics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dieks, Dennis

2017-11-01

According to what has become a standard history of quantum mechanics, in 1932 von Neumann persuaded the physics community that hidden variables are impossible as a matter of principle, after which leading proponents of the Copenhagen interpretation put the situation to good use by arguing that the completeness of quantum mechanics was undeniable. This state of affairs lasted, so the story continues, until Bell in 1966 exposed von Neumann's proof as obviously wrong. The realization that von Neumann's proof was fallacious then rehabilitated hidden variables and made serious foundational research possible again. It is often added in recent accounts that von Neumann's error had been spotted almost immediately by Grete Hermann, but that her discovery was of no effect due to the dominant Copenhagen Zeitgeist. We shall attempt to tell a story that is more historically accurate and less ideologically charged. Most importantly, von Neumann never claimed to have shown the impossibility of hidden variables tout court, but argued that hidden-variable theories must possess a structure that deviates fundamentally from that of quantum mechanics. Both Hermann and Bell appear to have missed this point; moreover, both raised unjustified technical objections to the proof. Von Neumann's argument was basically that hidden-variables schemes must violate the ;quantum principle; that physical quantities are to be represented by operators in a Hilbert space. As a consequence, hidden-variables schemes, though possible in principle, necessarily exhibit a certain kind of contextuality. As we shall illustrate, early reactions to Bohm's theory are in agreement with this account. Leading physicists pointed out that Bohm's theory has the strange feature that pre-existing particle properties do not generally reveal themselves in measurements, in accordance with von Neumann's result. They did not conclude that the ;impossible was done; and that von Neumann had been shown wrong.

Tales from the prehistory of Quantum Gravity. Léon Rosenfeld's earliest contributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peruzzi, Giulio; Rocci, Alessio

2018-05-01

The main purpose of this paper is to analyse the earliest work of Léon Rosenfeld, one of the pioneers in the search of Quantum Gravity, the supposed theory unifying quantum theory and general relativity. We describe how and why Rosenfeld tried to face this problem in 1927, analysing the role of his mentors: Oskar Klein, Louis de Broglie and Théophile De Donder. Rosenfeld asked himself how quantum mechanics should concretely modify general relativity. In the context of a five-dimensional theory, Rosenfeld tried to construct a unifying framework for the gravitational and electromagnetic interaction and wave mechanics. Using a sort of "general relativistic quantum mechanics" Rosenfeld introduced a wave equation on a curved background. He investigated the metric created by what he called `quantum phenomena', represented by wave functions. Rosenfeld integrated Einstein equations in the weak field limit, with wave functions as source of the gravitational field. The author performed a sort of semi-classical approximation obtaining at the first order the Reissner-Nordström metric. We analyse how Rosenfeld's work is part of the history of Quantum Mechanics, because in his investigation Rosenfeld was guided by Bohr's correspondence principle. Finally we briefly discuss how his contribution is connected with the task of finding out which metric can be generated by a quantum field, a problem that quantum field theory on curved backgrounds will start to address 35 years later.

Tales from the prehistory of Quantum Gravity - Léon Rosenfeld's earliest contributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peruzzi, Giulio; Rocci, Alessio

2018-04-01

The main purpose of this paper is to analyse the earliest work of Léon Rosenfeld, one of the pioneers in the search of Quantum Gravity, the supposed theory unifying quantum theory and general relativity. We describe how and why Rosenfeld tried to face this problem in 1927, analysing the role of his mentors: Oskar Klein, Louis de Broglie and Théophile De Donder. Rosenfeld asked himself how quantum mechanics should concretely modify general relativity. In the context of a five-dimensional theory, Rosenfeld tried to construct a unifying framework for the gravitational and electromagnetic interaction and wave mechanics. Using a sort of "general relativistic quantum mechanics" Rosenfeld introduced a wave equation on a curved background. He investigated the metric created by what he called `quantum phenomena', represented by wave functions. Rosenfeld integrated Einstein equations in the weak field limit, with wave functions as source of the gravitational field. The author performed a sort of semi-classical approximation obtaining at the first order the Reissner-Nordström metric. We analyse how Rosenfeld's work is part of the history of Quantum Mechanics, because in his investigation Rosenfeld was guided by Bohr's correspondence principle. Finally we briefly discuss how his contribution is connected with the task of finding out which metric can be generated by a quantum field, a problem that quantum field theory on curved backgrounds will start to address 35 years later.

Revealing the Mystery of the Galilean Principle of Relativity. Part I: Basic Assertions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yarman, Tolga

2009-08-01

As Galileo has formulated, one cannot detect, once embarked in a uniform translational motion, and not receiving any information from the outside, how fast he is moving. Why? No one that we recall of, has worked out the answer of this question, although the Galilean Principle of Relativity ( GPR), constituted a major ingredient of the Special Theory of Relativity (STR). Thus, consider a quantum mechanical object of “ clock mass” M 0 ( which is just a mass), doing a “ clock motion”, such as rotation, vibration, etc., with a total energy E 0, in a space of size ℛ0. Previously we have established that, if the mass M 0 is multiplied by an arbitrary number γ, then through the relativistic or non-relativistic quantum mechanical description of the object ( which ever is appropriate to describe the case in hand), the size ℛ0 of it, shrinks as much, and the total energy E 0, concomitantly, increases as much. This quantum mechanical occurrence yields, at once, the invariance of the quantity E 0 M 0ℛ{0/2} with regards to the mass change in question, the object being overall at rest; this latter quantity is, on the other hand, as induced by the quantum mechanical framework, necessarily strapped to h 2, the square of the Planck Constant. But this constant is already, dimension wise, Lorentz invariant. Thus, any quantity bearing the dimension of h 2, is Lorentz invariant, too. So is then, the quantity E 0 M 0ℛ{0/2} ( no matter how the size of concern lies with respect to the direction of uniform translational motion) that would come into play. Thence, the quantum mechanical invariance of the quantity E 0 M 0ℛ{0/2} with regards to an arbitrary mass change, comes to be identical to the Lorentz invariance of this quantity, were the object brought to a uniform translational motion. It is this prevalence, which displays, amazingly, the underlying mechanism, securing the end results of the STR, and this via quantum mechanics. The Lorentz invariant quantum mechanical architecture, E 0 M 0ℛ{0/2}˜ h 2, more fundamentally, constitutes the answer of the mystery drawn by the GPR. In this article, we frame the basic assertions, which will be used in a subsequent article, to display the quantum mechanical machinery making the GPR, and to draw the bridge between the GPR and the architecture, we disclose.

About Essence of the Wave Function on Atomic Level and in Superconductors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nikulov, A. V.

The wave function was proposed for description of quantum phenomena on the atomic level. But now it is well known that quantum phenomena are observed not only on atomic level and the wave function is used for description of macroscopic quantum phenomena, such as superconductivity. The essence of the wave function on level elementary particles was and is the subject of heated argument among founders of quantum mechanics and other physicists. This essence seems more clear in superconductor. But impossibility of probabilistic interpretation of wave function in this case results to obvious contradiction of quantum principles with some fundamental principlesmore » of physics.« less

A quantum framework for likelihood ratios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bond, Rachael L.; He, Yang-Hui; Ormerod, Thomas C.

The ability to calculate precise likelihood ratios is fundamental to science, from Quantum Information Theory through to Quantum State Estimation. However, there is no assumption-free statistical methodology to achieve this. For instance, in the absence of data relating to covariate overlap, the widely used Bayes’ theorem either defaults to the marginal probability driven “naive Bayes’ classifier”, or requires the use of compensatory expectation-maximization techniques. This paper takes an information-theoretic approach in developing a new statistical formula for the calculation of likelihood ratios based on the principles of quantum entanglement, and demonstrates that Bayes’ theorem is a special case of a more general quantum mechanical expression.

First-Principles Studies of Structure-Property Relationships: Enabling Design of Functional Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Qunfei

First-principles calculations based on quantum mechanics have been proved to be powerful for accurately regenerating experimental results, uncovering underlying myths of experimental phenomena, and accelerating the design of innovative materials. This work has been motivated by the demand to design next-generation thermionic emitting cathodes and techniques to allow for synthesis of photo-responsive polymers on complex surfaces with controlled thickness and patterns. For Os-coated tungsten thermionic dispenser cathodes, we used first-principles methods to explore the bulk and surface properties of W-Os alloys in order to explain the previously observed experimental phenomena that thermionic emission varies significantly with W-Os alloy composition. Meanwhile, we have developed a new quantum mechanical approach to quantitatively predict the thermionic emission current density from materials perspective without any semi-empirical approximations or complicated analytical models, which leads to better understanding of thermionic emission mechanism. The methods from this work could be used to accelerate the design of next-generation thermionic cathodes. For photoresponsive materials, we designed a novel type of azobenzene-containing monomer for light-mediated ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) toward the fabrication of patterned, photo-responsive polymers by controlling ring strain energy (RSE) of the monomer that drives ROMP. This allows for unprecedented remote, noninvasive, instantaneous spatial and temporal control of photo-responsive polymer deposition on complex surfaces.This work on the above two different materials systems showed the power of quantum mechanical calculations on predicting, understanding and discovering the structures and properties of both known and unknown materials in a fast, efficient and reliable way.

Challenges in large scale quantum mechanical calculations: Challenges in large scale quantum mechanical calculations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ratcliff, Laura E.; Mohr, Stephan; Huhs, Georg

2016-11-07

During the past decades, quantum mechanical methods have undergone an amazing transition from pioneering investigations of experts into a wide range of practical applications, made by a vast community of researchers. First principles calculations of systems containing up to a few hundred atoms have become a standard in many branches of science. The sizes of the systems which can be simulated have increased even further during recent years, and quantum-mechanical calculations of systems up to many thousands of atoms are nowadays possible. This opens up new appealing possibilities, in particular for interdisciplinary work, bridging together communities of different needs andmore » sensibilities. In this review we will present the current status of this topic, and will also give an outlook on the vast multitude of applications, challenges and opportunities stimulated by electronic structure calculations, making this field an important working tool and bringing together researchers of many different domains.« less

Aspects of perturbation theory in quantum mechanics: The BenderWuMATHEMATICA® package

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sulejmanpasic, Tin; Ünsal, Mithat

2018-07-01

We discuss a general setup which allows the study of the perturbation theory of an arbitrary, locally harmonic 1D quantum mechanical potential as well as its multi-variable (many-body) generalization. The latter may form a prototype for regularized quantum field theory. We first generalize the method of Bender-Wu,and derive exact recursion relations which allow the determination of the perturbative wave-function and energy corrections to an arbitrary order, at least in principle. For 1D systems, we implement these equations in an easy to use MATHEMATICA® package we call BenderWu. Our package enables quick home-computer computation of high orders of perturbation theory (about 100 orders in 10-30 s, and 250 orders in 1-2 h) and enables practical study of a large class of problems in Quantum Mechanics. We have two hopes concerning the BenderWu package. One is that due to resurgence, large amount of non-perturbative information, such as non-perturbative energies and wave-functions (e.g. WKB wave functions), can in principle be extracted from the perturbative data. We also hope that the package may be used as a teaching tool, providing an effective bridge between perturbation theory and non-perturbative physics in textbooks. Finally, we show that for the multi-variable case, the recursion relation acquires a geometric character, and has a structure which allows parallelization to computer clusters.

Optical communication with two-photon coherent stages. I - Quantum-state propagation and quantum-noise reduction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yuen, H. P.; Shapiro, J. H.

1978-01-01

To determine the ultimate performance limitations imposed by quantum effects, it is also essential to consider optimum quantum-state generation. Certain 'generalized' coherent states of the radiation field possess novel quantum noise characteristics that offer the potential for greatly improved optical communications. These states have been called two-photon coherent states because they can be generated, in principle, by stimulated two-photon processes. The use of two-photon coherent state (TCS) radiation in free-space optical communications is considered. A simple theory of quantum state propagation is developed. The theory provides the basis for representing the free-space channel in a quantum-mechanical form convenient for communication analysis. The new theory is applied to TCS radiation.

Betting on the outcomes of measurements: a Bayesian theory of quantum probability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pitowsky, Itamar

We develop a systematic approach to quantum probability as a theory of rational betting in quantum gambles. In these games of chance, the agent is betting in advance on the outcomes of several (finitely many) incompatible measurements. One of the measurements is subsequently chosen and performed and the money placed on the other measurements is returned to the agent. We show how the rules of rational betting imply all the interesting features of quantum probability, even in such finite gambles. These include the uncertainty principle and the violation of Bell's inequality among others. Quantum gambles are closely related to quantum logic and provide a new semantics for it. We conclude with a philosophical discussion on the interpretation of quantum mechanics.

Quantum stopwatch: how to store time in a quantum memory.

PubMed

Yang, Yuxiang; Chiribella, Giulio; Hayashi, Masahito

2018-05-01

Quantum mechanics imposes a fundamental trade-off between the accuracy of time measurements and the size of the systems used as clocks. When the measurements of different time intervals are combined, the errors due to the finite clock size accumulate, resulting in an overall inaccuracy that grows with the complexity of the set-up. Here, we introduce a method that, in principle, eludes the accumulation of errors by coherently transferring information from a quantum clock to a quantum memory of the smallest possible size. Our method could be used to measure the total duration of a sequence of events with enhanced accuracy, and to reduce the amount of quantum communication needed to stabilize clocks in a quantum network.

First-Principles Quantum Dynamics of Singlet Fission: Coherent versus Thermally Activated Mechanisms Governed by Molecular π Stacking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamura, Hiroyuki; Huix-Rotllant, Miquel; Burghardt, Irene; Olivier, Yoann; Beljonne, David

2015-09-01

Singlet excitons in π -stacked molecular crystals can split into two triplet excitons in a process called singlet fission that opens a route to carrier multiplication in photovoltaics. To resolve controversies about the mechanism of singlet fission, we have developed a first principles nonadiabatic quantum dynamical model that reveals the critical role of molecular stacking symmetry and provides a unified picture of coherent versus thermally activated singlet fission mechanisms in different acenes. The slip-stacked equilibrium packing structure of pentacene derivatives is found to enhance ultrafast singlet fission mediated by a coherent superexchange mechanism via higher-lying charge transfer states. By contrast, the electronic couplings for singlet fission strictly vanish at the C2 h symmetric equilibrium π stacking of rubrene. In this case, singlet fission is driven by excitations of symmetry-breaking intermolecular vibrations, rationalizing the experimentally observed temperature dependence. Design rules for optimal singlet fission materials therefore need to account for the interplay of molecular π -stacking symmetry and phonon-induced coherent or thermally activated mechanisms.

Quantum mechanics from Newton's second law and the canonical commutation relation [X, P] = i

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palenik, Mark C.

2014-07-01

Despite the fact that it has been known since the time of Heisenberg that quantum operators obey a quantum version of Newton's laws, students are often told that derivations of quantum mechanics must necessarily follow from the Hamiltonian or Lagrangian formulations of mechanics. Here, we first derive the existing Heisenberg equations of motion from Newton's laws and the uncertainty principle using only the equations F=\\frac{dP}{dt}, P=m\\frac{dV}{dt}, and [X, P] = i. Then, a new expression for the propagator is derived that makes a connection between time evolution in quantum mechanics and the motion of a classical particle under Newton's laws. The propagator is solved for three cases where an exact solution is possible: (1) the free particle; (2) the harmonic oscillator; and (3) a constant force, or linear potential in the standard interpretation. We then show that for a general for a general force F(X), by Taylor expanding X(t) in time, we can use this methodology to reproduce the Feynman path integral formula for the propagator. Such a picture may be useful for students as they make the transition from classical to quantum mechanics and help solidify the equivalence of the Hamiltonian, Lagrangian, and Newtonian pictures of physics in their minds.

Non-commutative methods in quantum mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Millard, Andrew Clive

1997-09-01

Non-commutativity appears in physics almost hand in hand with quantum mechanics. Non-commuting operators corresponding to observables lead to Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, which is often used as a prime example of how quantum mechanics transcends 'common sense', while the operators that generate a symmetry group are usually given in terms of their commutation relations. This thesis discusses a number of new developments which go beyond the usual stopping point of non-commuting quantities as matrices with complex elements. Chapter 2 shows how certain generalisations of quantum mechanics, from using complex numbers to using other (often non-commutative) algebras, can still be written as linear systems with symplectic phase flows. Chapter 3 deals with Adler's trace dynamics, a non-linear graded generalisation of Hamiltonian dynamics with supersymmetry applications, where the phase space coordinates are (generally non-commuting) operators, and reports on aspects of a demonstration that the statistical averages of the dynamical variables obey the rules of complex quantum field theory. The last two chapters discuss specific aspects of quaternionic quantum mechanics. Chapter 4 reports a generalised projective representation theory and presents a structure theorem that categorises quaternionic projective representations. Chapter 5 deals with a generalisation of the coherent states formalism and examines how it may be applied to two commonly used groups.

Aspects of Geodesical Motion with Fisher-Rao Metric: Classical and Quantum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciaglia, Florio M.; Cosmo, Fabio Di; Felice, Domenico; Mancini, Stefano; Marmo, Giuseppe; Pérez-Pardo, Juan M.

The purpose of this paper is to exploit the geometric structure of quantum mechanics and of statistical manifolds to study the qualitative effect that the quantum properties have in the statistical description of a system. We show that the end points of geodesics in the classical setting coincide with the probability distributions that minimise Shannon’s entropy, i.e. with distributions of zero dispersion. In the quantum setting this happens only for particular initial conditions, which in turn correspond to classical submanifolds. This result can be interpreted as a geometric manifestation of the uncertainty principle.

Developing an Action Concept Inventory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGinness, Lachlan P.; Savage, C. M.

2016-01-01

We report on progress towards the development of an Action Concept Inventory (ACI), a test that measures student understanding of action principles in introductory mechanics and optics. The ACI also covers key concepts of many-paths quantum mechanics, from which classical action physics arises. We used a multistage iterative development cycle for…

Maximum predictive power and the superposition principle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Summhammer, Johann

1994-01-01

In quantum physics the direct observables are probabilities of events. We ask how observed probabilities must be combined to achieve what we call maximum predictive power. According to this concept the accuracy of a prediction must only depend on the number of runs whose data serve as input for the prediction. We transform each probability to an associated variable whose uncertainty interval depends only on the amount of data and strictly decreases with it. We find that for a probability which is a function of two other probabilities maximum predictive power is achieved when linearly summing their associated variables and transforming back to a probability. This recovers the quantum mechanical superposition principle.

In search of multipath interference using large molecules

PubMed Central

Cotter, Joseph P.; Brand, Christian; Knobloch, Christian; Lilach, Yigal; Cheshnovsky, Ori; Arndt, Markus

2017-01-01

The superposition principle is fundamental to the quantum description of both light and matter. Recently, a number of experiments have sought to directly test this principle using coherent light, single photons, and nuclear spin states. We extend these experiments to massive particles for the first time. We compare the interference patterns arising from a beam of large dye molecules diffracting at single, double, and triple slit material masks to place limits on any high-order, or multipath, contributions. We observe an upper bound of less than one particle in a hundred deviating from the expectations of quantum mechanics over a broad range of transverse momenta and de Broglie wavelength. PMID:28819641

Multipartite Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering and genuine tripartite entanglement with optical networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armstrong, Seiji; Wang, Meng; Teh, Run Yan; Gong, Qihuang; He, Qiongyi; Janousek, Jiri; Bachor, Hans-Albert; Reid, Margaret D.; Lam, Ping Koy

2015-02-01

Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen (EPR) pointed out in their famous paradox that two quantum-entangled particles can have perfectly correlated positions and momenta. Such correlations give evidence for the nonlocality of quantum mechanics and form the basis for quantum cryptography and teleportation. EPR steering is the nonlocality associated with the EPR paradox and has traditionally been investigated between only two parties. Using optical networks and efficient detection, we present experimental observations of multiparty EPR steering and of the genuine entanglement of three intense optical beams. We entangle the quadrature phase amplitudes of distinct fields, in analogy to the position-momentum entanglement of the original paradox. Our experiments complement tests of quantum mechanics that have entangled small systems or have demonstrated tripartite inseparability. Our methods establish principles for the development of multiparty quantum communication protocols with asymmetric observers, and can be extended to qubits, whether photonic, atomic, superconducting, or otherwise.

Chemical Potential for the Interacting Classical Gas and the Ideal Quantum Gas Obeying a Generalized Exclusion Principle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sevilla, F. J.; Olivares-Quiroz, L.

2012-01-01

In this work, we address the concept of the chemical potential [mu] in classical and quantum gases towards the calculation of the equation of state [mu] = [mu](n, T) where n is the particle density and "T" the absolute temperature using the methods of equilibrium statistical mechanics. Two cases seldom discussed in elementary textbooks are…

Quantum speed limits: from Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle to optimal quantum control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deffner, Sebastian; Campbell, Steve

2017-11-01

One of the most widely known building blocks of modern physics is Heisenberg’s indeterminacy principle. Among the different statements of this fundamental property of the full quantum mechanical nature of physical reality, the uncertainty relation for energy and time has a special place. Its interpretation and its consequences have inspired continued research efforts for almost a century. In its modern formulation, the uncertainty relation is understood as setting a fundamental bound on how fast any quantum system can evolve. In this topical review we describe important milestones, such as the Mandelstam-Tamm and the Margolus-Levitin bounds on the quantum speed limit, and summarise recent applications in a variety of current research fields—including quantum information theory, quantum computing, and quantum thermodynamics amongst several others. To bring order and to provide an access point into the many different notions and concepts, we have grouped the various approaches into the minimal time approach and the geometric approach, where the former relies on quantum control theory, and the latter arises from measuring the distinguishability of quantum states. Due to the volume of the literature, this topical review can only present a snapshot of the current state-of-the-art and can never be fully comprehensive. Therefore, we highlight but a few works hoping that our selection can serve as a representative starting point for the interested reader.

Quantum Feynman Ratchet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goyal, Ketan; Kawai, Ryoichi

As nanotechnology advances, understanding of the thermodynamic properties of small systems becomes increasingly important. Such systems are found throughout physics, biology, and chemistry manifesting striking properties that are a direct result of their small dimensions where fluctuations become predominant. The standard theory of thermodynamics for macroscopic systems is powerless for such ever fluctuating systems. Furthermore, as small systems are inherently quantum mechanical, influence of quantum effects such as discreteness and quantum entanglement on their thermodynamic properties is of great interest. In particular, the quantum fluctuations due to quantum uncertainty principles may play a significant role. In this talk, we investigate thermodynamic properties of an autonomous quantum heat engine, resembling a quantum version of the Feynman Ratchet, in non-equilibrium condition based on the theory of open quantum systems. The heat engine consists of multiple subsystems individually contacted to different thermal environments.

What is behind small deviations of quantum mechanics theory from experiments? Observer's mathematics point of view

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khots, Boris; Khots, Dmitriy

2014-12-01

Certain results that have been predicted by Quantum Mechanics (QM) theory are not always supported by experiments. This defines a deep crisis in contemporary physics and, in particular, quantum mechanics. We believe that, in fact, the mathematical apparatus employed within today's physics is a possible reason. In particular, we consider the concept of infinity that exists in today's mathematics as the root cause of this problem. We have created Observer's Mathematics that offers an alternative to contemporary mathematics. This paper is an attempt to relay how Observer's Mathematics may explain some of the contradictions in QM theory results. We consider the Hamiltonian Mechanics, Newton equation, Schrodinger equation, two slit interference, wave-particle duality for single photons, uncertainty principle, Dirac equations for free electron in a setting of arithmetic, algebra, and topology provided by Observer's Mathematics (see www.mathrelativity.com). Certain results and communications pertaining to solution of these problems are provided.

Quantum cryptography over underground optical fibers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hughes, R.J.; Luther, G.G.; Morgan, G.L.

1996-05-01

Quantum cryptography is an emerging technology in which two parties may simultaneously generated shared, secret cryptographic key material using the transmission of quantum states of light whose security is based on the inviolability of the laws of quantum mechanics. An adversary can neither successfully tap the key transmissions, nor evade detection, owing to Heisenberg`s uncertainty principle. In this paper the authors describe the theory of quantum cryptography, and the most recent results from their experimental system with which they are generating key material over 14-km of underground optical fiber. These results show that optical-fiber based quantum cryptography could allow secure,more » real-time key generation over ``open`` multi-km node-to-node optical fiber communications links between secure ``islands.``« less

Quantum mechanics and reality: An interpretation of Everett's theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehner, Christoph Albert

The central part of Everett's formulation of quantum mechanics is a quantum mechanical model of memory and of observation as the recording of information in a memory. To use this model as an answer to the measurement problem, Everett has to assume that a conscious observer can be in a superposition of such memory states and be unaware of it. This assumption has puzzled generations of readers. The fundamental aim of this dissertation is to find a set of simpler assumptions which are sufficient to show that Everett's model is empirically adequate. I argue that Everett's model needs three assumptions to account for the process of observation: an assumption of decoherence of observers as quantum mechanical systems; an assumption of supervenience of mental states (qualities) over quantum mechanical properties; and an assumption about the interpretation of quantum mechanical states in general: quantum mechanical states describe ensembles of states of affairs coexisting in the same system. I argue that the only plausible understanding of such ensembles is as ensembles of possibilities, and that all standard no-collapse interpretations agree in this reading of quantum mechanical states. Their differences can be understood as different theories about what marks the real state within this ensemble, and Everett's theory as the claim that no additional 'mark of reality' is necessary. Using the three assumptions, I argue that introspection cannot determine the objective quantum mechanical state of an observer. Rather, the introspective qualities of a quantum mechanical state can be represented by a (classical) statistical ensemble of subjective states. An analysis of these subjective states and their dynamics leads to the conclusion that they suffice to give empirically correct predictions. The argument for the empirical adequacy of the subjective state entails that knowledge of the objective quantum mechanical state is impossible in principle. Empirical reality for a conscious observer is not described by the objective state, but by a Everettian relative state conditional on the subjective state, and no theoretical 'mark of reality' is necessary for this concept of reality. I compare the resulting concept of reality to Kant's distinction between empirical and transcendental reality.

Quantum Spacetime: Mimicry of Paths and Black Holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spaans, Marco

2015-08-01

Since its inception, general relativity has been unreceptive to a marriage with the quantum aspects of our universe. Following the ideas of Einstein, one may pursue an approach that allows spacetime itself to take center stage. The quantum properties of matter are then carried by the dynamics of spacetime shape and connectivity. This monograph introduces the reader to the foundations of quantum spacetime in a manner accessible to researchers and students. Likewise, interested laymen that lack a strong background in quantum mechanics or spacetime studies but are keen to learn will find this book worthwhile. It is shown from first principles how spacetime is globally built up by paths which constitute entire histories in four dimensions. The central physical idea is that the collective existence of observers and observed derives from one mimicking the other unremittingly, thereby inducing tangible reality. This world of identity by mimicry creates a multitude of interacting histories. Throughout the text, thought experiments are used to derive physical principles. Obtained results are therefore intuitive and accessible to non-experts. This monograph also discusses consequences of quantum spacetime for black holes, dark energy, inflation, the Higgs boson, and the multiverse.

Operating Quantum States in Single Magnetic Molecules: Implementation of Grover's Quantum Algorithm.

PubMed

Godfrin, C; Ferhat, A; Ballou, R; Klyatskaya, S; Ruben, M; Wernsdorfer, W; Balestro, F

2017-11-03

Quantum algorithms use the principles of quantum mechanics, such as, for example, quantum superposition, in order to solve particular problems outperforming standard computation. They are developed for cryptography, searching, optimization, simulation, and solving large systems of linear equations. Here, we implement Grover's quantum algorithm, proposed to find an element in an unsorted list, using a single nuclear 3/2 spin carried by a Tb ion sitting in a single molecular magnet transistor. The coherent manipulation of this multilevel quantum system (qudit) is achieved by means of electric fields only. Grover's search algorithm is implemented by constructing a quantum database via a multilevel Hadamard gate. The Grover sequence then allows us to select each state. The presented method is of universal character and can be implemented in any multilevel quantum system with nonequal spaced energy levels, opening the way to novel quantum search algorithms.

Operating Quantum States in Single Magnetic Molecules: Implementation of Grover's Quantum Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Godfrin, C.; Ferhat, A.; Ballou, R.; Klyatskaya, S.; Ruben, M.; Wernsdorfer, W.; Balestro, F.

2017-11-01

Quantum algorithms use the principles of quantum mechanics, such as, for example, quantum superposition, in order to solve particular problems outperforming standard computation. They are developed for cryptography, searching, optimization, simulation, and solving large systems of linear equations. Here, we implement Grover's quantum algorithm, proposed to find an element in an unsorted list, using a single nuclear 3 /2 spin carried by a Tb ion sitting in a single molecular magnet transistor. The coherent manipulation of this multilevel quantum system (qudit) is achieved by means of electric fields only. Grover's search algorithm is implemented by constructing a quantum database via a multilevel Hadamard gate. The Grover sequence then allows us to select each state. The presented method is of universal character and can be implemented in any multilevel quantum system with nonequal spaced energy levels, opening the way to novel quantum search algorithms.

Quantum noise and the threshold of hearing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bialek, W.; Schweitzer, A.

1985-01-01

It is argued that the sensitivity of the ear reaches a limit imposed by the uncertainty principle. This is possible only if the receptor cell holds the detector elements in a special nonequilibrium state which has the same noise characteristics as a ground (T = 0 K) state. To accomplish this 'active cooling' the molecular dynamics of the system must maintain quantum mechanical coherence over the time scale of the measurement.

A Concise Introduction to Quantum Mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swanson, Mark S.

2018-02-01

Assuming a background in basic classical physics, multivariable calculus, and differential equations, A Concise Introduction to Quantum Mechanics provides a self-contained presentation of the mathematics and physics of quantum mechanics. The relevant aspects of classical mechanics and electrodynamics are reviewed, and the basic concepts of wave-particle duality are developed as a logical outgrowth of experiments involving blackbody radiation, the photoelectric effect, and electron diffraction. The Copenhagen interpretation of the wave function and its relation to the particle probability density is presented in conjunction with Fourier analysis and its generalization to function spaces. These concepts are combined to analyze the system consisting of a particle confined to a box, developing the probabilistic interpretation of observations and their associated expectation values. The Schrödinger equation is then derived by using these results and demanding both Galilean invariance of the probability density and Newtonian energy-momentum relations. The general properties of the Schrödinger equation and its solutions are analyzed, and the theory of observables is developed along with the associated Heisenberg uncertainty principle. Basic applications of wave mechanics are made to free wave packet spreading, barrier penetration, the simple harmonic oscillator, the Hydrogen atom, and an electric charge in a uniform magnetic field. In addition, Dirac notation, elements of Hilbert space theory, operator techniques, and matrix algebra are presented and used to analyze coherent states, the linear potential, two state oscillations, and electron diffraction. Applications are made to photon and electron spin and the addition of angular momentum, and direct product multiparticle states are used to formulate both the Pauli exclusion principle and quantum decoherence. The book concludes with an introduction to the rotation group and the general properties of angular momentum.

Black holes are almost optimal quantum cloners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adami, Christoph; Ver Steeg, Greg

2015-06-01

If black holes were able to clone quantum states, a number of paradoxes in black hole physics would disappear. However, the linearity of quantum mechanics forbids exact cloning of quantum states. Here we show that black holes indeed clone incoming quantum states with a fidelity that depends on the black hole’s absorption coefficient, without violating the no-cloning theorem because the clones are only approximate. Perfectly reflecting black holes are optimal universal ‘quantum cloning machines’ and operate on the principle of stimulated emission, exactly as their quantum optical counterparts. In the limit of perfect absorption, the fidelity of clones is only equal to what can be obtained via quantum state estimation methods. But for any absorption probability less than one, the cloning fidelity is nearly optimal as long as ω /T≥slant 10, a common parameter for modest-sized black holes.

Enhancing light-harvesting power with coherent vibrational interactions: A quantum heat engine picture

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Killoran, N.; Huelga, S. F.; Plenio, M. B.

Recent evidence suggests that quantum effects may have functional importance in biological light-harvesting systems. Along with delocalized electronic excitations, it is now suspected that quantum coherent interactions with certain near-resonant vibrations may contribute to light-harvesting performance. However, the actual quantum advantage offered by such coherent vibrational interactions has not yet been established. We investigate a quantum design principle, whereby coherent exchange of single energy quanta between electronic and vibrational degrees of freedom can enhance a light-harvesting system’s power above what is possible by thermal mechanisms alone. We present a prototype quantum heat engine which cleanly illustrates this quantum design principlemore » and quantifies its quantum advantage using thermodynamic measures of performance. We also demonstrate the principle’s relevance in parameter regimes connected to natural light-harvesting structures.« less

Quantum cellular automata and free quantum field theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Ariano, Giacomo Mauro; Perinotti, Paolo

2017-02-01

In a series of recent papers [1-4] it has been shown how free quantum field theory can be derived without using mechanical primitives (including space-time, special relativity, quantization rules, etc.), but only considering the easiest quantum algorithm encompassing a countable set of quantum systems whose network of interactions satisfies the simple principles of unitarity, homogeneity, locality, and isotropy. This has opened the route to extending the axiomatic information-theoretic derivation of the quantum theory of abstract systems [5, 6] to include quantum field theory. The inherent discrete nature of the informational axiomatization leads to an extension of quantum field theory to a quantum cellular automata theory, where the usual field theory is recovered in a regime where the discrete structure of the automata cannot be probed. A simple heuristic argument sets the scale of discreteness to the Planck scale, and the customary physical regime where discreteness is not visible is the relativistic one of small wavevectors. In this paper we provide a thorough derivation from principles that in the most general case the graph of the quantum cellular automaton is the Cayley graph of a finitely presented group, and showing how for the case corresponding to Euclidean emergent space (where the group resorts to an Abelian one) the automata leads to Weyl, Dirac and Maxwell field dynamics in the relativistic limit. We conclude with some perspectives towards the more general scenario of non-linear automata for interacting quantum field theory.

Free Quantum Field Theory from Quantum Cellular Automata

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bisio, Alessandro; D'Ariano, Giacomo Mauro; Perinotti, Paolo; Tosini, Alessandro

2015-10-01

After leading to a new axiomatic derivation of quantum theory (see D'Ariano et al. in Found Phys, 2015), the new informational paradigm is entering the domain of quantum field theory, suggesting a quantum automata framework that can be regarded as an extension of quantum field theory to including an hypothetical Planck scale, and with the usual quantum field theory recovered in the relativistic limit of small wave-vectors. Being derived from simple principles (linearity, unitarity, locality, homogeneity, isotropy, and minimality of dimension), the automata theory is quantum ab-initio, and does not assume Lorentz covariance and mechanical notions. Being discrete it can describe localized states and measurements (unmanageable by quantum field theory), solving all the issues plaguing field theory originated from the continuum. These features make the theory an ideal framework for quantum gravity, with relativistic covariance and space-time emergent solely from the interactions, and not assumed a priori. The paper presents a synthetic derivation of the automata theory, showing how the principles lead to a description in terms of a quantum automaton over a Cayley graph of a group. Restricting to Abelian groups we show how the automata recover the Weyl, Dirac and Maxwell dynamics in the relativistic limit. We conclude with some new routes about the more general scenario of non-Abelian Cayley graphs. The phenomenology arising from the automata theory in the ultra-relativistic domain and the analysis of corresponding distorted Lorentz covariance is reviewed in Bisio et al. (Found Phys 2015, in this same issue).

Dealing with quantum weirdness: Holism and related issues

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Elby, Andrew Richard

1995-12-01

Various issues are discussed in interpretation of quantum mechanics. All these explorations point toward the same conclusion, that some systems are holistically connected, i.e., some composite systems have properties that cannot, even in principle, be reduced to the properties of its subsystems. This is argued to be the central metaphysical lesson of quantum theory; this will remain pertinent even if quantum mechanics gets replaced by a superior theory. Chap. 2 discusses nonlocality and rules out hidden-variable theories that approximately reproduce the perfect correlations of quantum mechanics, as well as theories that obey locality conditions weaker than those needed to derivemore » Bell`s inequality. Chap. 3 shows that SQUID experiments can rule out non-invasive measurability if not macrorealism. Chap. 4 looks at interpretational issues surrounding decoherence, the dissipative interaction between a system and its environment. Decoherence klcan help ``modal`` interpretations pick out the desired ``preferred`` basis. Chap. 5 explores what varieties of causation can and cannot ``explain`` EPR correlations. Instead of relying on ``watered down`` causal explanations, we should instead develop new, holistic explanatory frameworks.« less

A Formulation of Quantum Field Theory Realizing a Sea of Interacting Dirac Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finster, Felix

2011-08-01

In this survey article, we explain a few ideas behind the fermionic projector approach and summarize recent results which clarify the connection to quantum field theory. The fermionic projector is introduced, which describes the physical system by a collection of Dirac states, including the states of the Dirac sea. Formulating the interaction by an action principle for the fermionic projector, we obtain a consistent description of interacting quantum fields which reproduces the results of perturbative quantum field theory. We find a new mechanism for the generation of boson masses and obtain small corrections to the field equations which violate causality.

Physical and Constructive (Limiting) Criterions of Gear Wheels Wear

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedorov, S. V.

2018-01-01

We suggest using a generalized model of friction - the model of elastic-plastic deformation of the body element, which is located on the surface of the friction pairs. This model is based on our new engineering approach to the problem of friction-triboergodynamics. Friction is examined as transformative and dissipative process. Structural-energetic interpretation of friction as a process of elasto-plastic deformation and fracture contact volumes is proposed. The model of Hertzian (heavy-loaded) friction contact evolution is considered. The least wear particle principle is formulated. It is mechanical (nano) quantum. Mechanical quantum represents the least structural form of solid material body in conditions of friction. It is dynamic oscillator of dissipative friction structure and it can be examined as the elementary nanostructure of metal’s solid body. At friction in state of most complete evolution of elementary tribosystem (tribocontact) all mechanical quanta (subtribosystems) with the exception of one, elasticity and reversibly transform energy of outer impact (mechanic movement). In these terms only one mechanical quantum is the lost - standard of wear. From this position we can consider the physical criterion of wear and the constructive (limiting) criterion of gear teeth and other practical examples of tribosystems efficiency with new tribology notion - mechanical (nano) quantum.

Al transmon qubits on silicon-on-insulator for quantum device integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keller, Andrew J.; Dieterle, Paul B.; Fang, Michael; Berger, Brett; Fink, Johannes M.; Painter, Oskar

2017-07-01

We present the fabrication and characterization of an aluminum transmon qubit on a silicon-on-insulator substrate. Key to the qubit fabrication is the use of an anhydrous hydrofluoric vapor process which selectively removes the lossy silicon oxide buried underneath the silicon device layer. For a 5.6 GHz qubit measured dispersively by a 7.1 GHz resonator, we find T1 = 3.5 μs and T2* = 2.2 μs. This process in principle permits the co-fabrication of silicon photonic and mechanical elements, providing a route towards chip-scale integration of electro-opto-mechanical transducers for quantum networking of superconducting microwave quantum circuits. The additional processing steps are compatible with established fabrication techniques for aluminum transmon qubits on silicon.

Karl Popper's Quantum Ghost

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shields, William

2004-05-01

Karl Popper, though not trained as a physicist and embarrassed early in his career by a physics error pointed out by Einstein and Bohr, ultimately made substantial contributions to the interpretation of quantum mechanics. As was often the case, Popper initially formulated his position by criticizing the views of others - in this case Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg. Underlying Popper's criticism was his belief that, first, the "standard interpretation" of quantum mechanics, sometimes called the Copenhagen interpretation, abandoned scientific realism and second, the assertion that quantum theory was "complete" (an assertion rejected by Einstein among others) amounted to an unfalsifiable claim. Popper insisted that the most basic predictions of quantum mechanics should continue to be tested, with an eye towards falsification rather than mere adding of decimal places to confirmatory experiments. His persistent attacks on the Copenhagen interpretation were aimed not at the uncertainty principle itself and the formalism from which it was derived, but at the acceptance by physicists of an unclear epistemology and ontology that left critical questions unanswered. In 1999, physicists at the University of Maryland conducted a version of Popper's Experiment, re-igniting the debate over quantum predictions and the role of locality in physics.

Phenomenology of small violations of Fermi and Bose statistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greenberg, O. W.; Mohapatra, Rabindra N.

1989-04-01

In a recent paper, we proposed a ``paronic'' field-theory framework for possible small deviations from the Pauli exclusion principle. This theory cannot be represented in a positive-metric (Hilbert) space. Nonetheless, the issue of possible small violations of the exclusion principle can be addressed in the framework of quantum mechanics, without being connected with a local quantum field theory. In this paper, we discuss the phenomenology of small violations of both Fermi and Bose statistics. We consider the implications of such violations in atomic, nuclear, particle, and condensed-matter physics and in astrophysics and cosmology. We also discuss experiments that can detect small violations of Fermi and Bose statistics or place stringent bounds on their validity.

Separability and Non-Individuality: Is It Possible to Conciliate (At Least A Form Of) Einstein's Realism with Quantum Mechanics?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krause, Décio; Arenhart, Jonas R. B.

2014-12-01

In this paper we argue that physical theories, including quantum mechanics, refer to some kind of `objects', even if only implicitly. We raise questions about the logico-mathematical apparatuses commonly employed in such theories, bringing to light some metaphysical presuppositions underlying such apparatuses. We point out to some incongruities in the discourse holding that quantum objects would be entities of some `new kind' while still adhering to the logico-mathematical framework we use to deal with classical objects. The use of such apparatus would hinder us from being in complete agreement with the ontological novelties the theories of quanta seem to advance. Thus, we join those who try to investigate a `logic of quantum mechanics', but from a different point of view: looking for a formal foundation for a supposed new ontology. As a consequence of this move, we can revisit Einstein's ideas on physical reality and propose that, by considering a new kind of object traditionally termed `non-individuals', it is possible to sustain that they still obey some of Einstein's conditions for `physical realities', so that it will be possible to talk of a `principle of separability' in a sense which is not in complete disagreement with quantum mechanics. So, Einstein's departure from quantum mechanics might be softened at least concerning a form of his realism, which sees separated physical objects as distinct `physical realities'.

Feynman’s clock, a new variational principle, and parallel-in-time quantum dynamics

PubMed Central

McClean, Jarrod R.; Parkhill, John A.; Aspuru-Guzik, Alán

2013-01-01

We introduce a discrete-time variational principle inspired by the quantum clock originally proposed by Feynman and use it to write down quantum evolution as a ground-state eigenvalue problem. The construction allows one to apply ground-state quantum many-body theory to quantum dynamics, extending the reach of many highly developed tools from this fertile research area. Moreover, this formalism naturally leads to an algorithm to parallelize quantum simulation over time. We draw an explicit connection between previously known time-dependent variational principles and the time-embedded variational principle presented. Sample calculations are presented, applying the idea to a hydrogen molecule and the spin degrees of freedom of a model inorganic compound, demonstrating the parallel speedup of our method as well as its flexibility in applying ground-state methodologies. Finally, we take advantage of the unique perspective of this variational principle to examine the error of basis approximations in quantum dynamics. PMID:24062428

Computer network defense through radial wave functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malloy, Ian J.

The purpose of this research is to synthesize basic and fundamental findings in quantum computing, as applied to the attack and defense of conventional computer networks. The concept focuses on uses of radio waves as a shield for, and attack against traditional computers. A logic bomb is analogous to a landmine in a computer network, and if one was to implement it as non-trivial mitigation, it will aid computer network defense. As has been seen in kinetic warfare, the use of landmines has been devastating to geopolitical regions in that they are severely difficult for a civilian to avoid triggering given the unknown position of a landmine. Thus, the importance of understanding a logic bomb is relevant and has corollaries to quantum mechanics as well. The research synthesizes quantum logic phase shifts in certain respects using the Dynamic Data Exchange protocol in software written for this work, as well as a C-NOT gate applied to a virtual quantum circuit environment by implementing a Quantum Fourier Transform. The research focus applies the principles of coherence and entanglement from quantum physics, the concept of expert systems in artificial intelligence, principles of prime number based cryptography with trapdoor functions, and modeling radio wave propagation against an event from unknown parameters. This comes as a program relying on the artificial intelligence concept of an expert system in conjunction with trigger events for a trapdoor function relying on infinite recursion, as well as system mechanics for elliptic curve cryptography along orbital angular momenta. Here trapdoor both denotes the form of cipher, as well as the implied relationship to logic bombs.

Quantum back-action-evading measurement of motion in a negative mass reference frame

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Møller, Christoffer B.; Thomas, Rodrigo A.; Vasilakis, Georgios; Zeuthen, Emil; Tsaturyan, Yeghishe; Balabas, Mikhail; Jensen, Kasper; Schliesser, Albert; Hammerer, Klemens; Polzik, Eugene S.

2017-07-01

Quantum mechanics dictates that a continuous measurement of the position of an object imposes a random quantum back-action (QBA) perturbation on its momentum. This randomness translates with time into position uncertainty, thus leading to the well known uncertainty on the measurement of motion. As a consequence of this randomness, and in accordance with the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, the QBA puts a limitation—the so-called standard quantum limit—on the precision of sensing of position, velocity and acceleration. Here we show that QBA on a macroscopic mechanical oscillator can be evaded if the measurement of motion is conducted in the reference frame of an atomic spin oscillator. The collective quantum measurement on this hybrid system of two distant and disparate oscillators is performed with light. The mechanical oscillator is a vibrational ‘drum’ mode of a millimetre-sized dielectric membrane, and the spin oscillator is an atomic ensemble in a magnetic field. The spin oriented along the field corresponds to an energetically inverted spin population and realizes a negative-effective-mass oscillator, while the opposite orientation corresponds to an oscillator with positive effective mass. The QBA is suppressed by -1.8 decibels in the negative-mass setting and enhanced by 2.4 decibels in the positive-mass case. This hybrid quantum system paves the way to entanglement generation and distant quantum communication between mechanical and spin systems and to sensing of force, motion and gravity beyond the standard quantum limit.

Quantum back-action-evading measurement of motion in a negative mass reference frame.

PubMed

Møller, Christoffer B; Thomas, Rodrigo A; Vasilakis, Georgios; Zeuthen, Emil; Tsaturyan, Yeghishe; Balabas, Mikhail; Jensen, Kasper; Schliesser, Albert; Hammerer, Klemens; Polzik, Eugene S

2017-07-12

Quantum mechanics dictates that a continuous measurement of the position of an object imposes a random quantum back-action (QBA) perturbation on its momentum. This randomness translates with time into position uncertainty, thus leading to the well known uncertainty on the measurement of motion. As a consequence of this randomness, and in accordance with the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, the QBA puts a limitation-the so-called standard quantum limit-on the precision of sensing of position, velocity and acceleration. Here we show that QBA on a macroscopic mechanical oscillator can be evaded if the measurement of motion is conducted in the reference frame of an atomic spin oscillator. The collective quantum measurement on this hybrid system of two distant and disparate oscillators is performed with light. The mechanical oscillator is a vibrational 'drum' mode of a millimetre-sized dielectric membrane, and the spin oscillator is an atomic ensemble in a magnetic field. The spin oriented along the field corresponds to an energetically inverted spin population and realizes a negative-effective-mass oscillator, while the opposite orientation corresponds to an oscillator with positive effective mass. The QBA is suppressed by -1.8 decibels in the negative-mass setting and enhanced by 2.4 decibels in the positive-mass case. This hybrid quantum system paves the way to entanglement generation and distant quantum communication between mechanical and spin systems and to sensing of force, motion and gravity beyond the standard quantum limit.

Quantum reversibility is relative, or does a quantum measurement reset initial conditions?

PubMed

Zurek, Wojciech H

2018-07-13

I compare the role of the information in classical and quantum dynamics by examining the relation between information flows in measurements and the ability of observers to reverse evolutions. I show that in the Newtonian dynamics reversibility is unaffected by the observer's retention of the information about the measurement outcome. By contrast-even though quantum dynamics is unitary, hence, reversible-reversing quantum evolution that led to a measurement becomes, in principle, impossible for an observer who keeps the record of its outcome. Thus, quantum irreversibility can result from the information gain rather than just its loss-rather than just an increase of the (von Neumann) entropy. Recording of the outcome of the measurement resets, in effect, initial conditions within the observer's (branch of) the Universe. Nevertheless, I also show that the observer's friend-an agent who knows what measurement was successfully carried out and can confirm that the observer knows the outcome but resists his curiosity and does not find out the result-can, in principle, undo the measurement. This relativity of quantum reversibility sheds new light on the origin of the arrow of time and elucidates the role of information in classical and quantum physics. Quantum discord appears as a natural measure of the extent to which dissemination of information about the outcome affects the ability to reverse the measurement.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Foundations of quantum mechanics and their impact on contemporary society'. © 2018 The Author(s).

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lamoureux, Louis-Philippe; Navez, Patrick; Cerf, Nicolas J.

It is shown that any quantum operation that perfectly clones the entanglement of all maximally entangled qubit pairs cannot preserve separability. This 'entanglement no-cloning' principle naturally suggests that some approximate cloning of entanglement is nevertheless allowed by quantum mechanics. We investigate a separability-preserving optimal cloning machine that duplicates all maximally entangled states of two qubits, resulting in 0.285 bits of entanglement per clone, while a local cloning machine only yields 0.060 bits of entanglement per clone.

Generalized quantum no-go theorems of pure states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hui-Ran; Luo, Ming-Xing; Lai, Hong

2018-07-01

Various results of the no-cloning theorem, no-deleting theorem and no-superposing theorem in quantum mechanics have been proved using the superposition principle and the linearity of quantum operations. In this paper, we investigate general transformations forbidden by quantum mechanics in order to unify these theorems. First, we prove that any useful information cannot be created from an unknown pure state which is randomly chosen from a Hilbert space according to the Harr measure. And then, we propose a unified no-go theorem based on a generalized no-superposing result. The new theorem includes the no-cloning theorem, no-anticloning theorem, no-partial-erasure theorem, no-splitting theorem, no-superposing theorem or no-encoding theorem as a special case. Moreover, it implies various new results. Third, we extend the new theorem into another form that includes the no-deleting theorem as a special case.

Identical Quantum Particles and Weak Discernibility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dieks, Dennis; Versteegh, Marijn A. M.

2008-10-01

Saunders has recently claimed that “identical quantum particles” with an anti-symmetric state (fermions) are weakly discernible objects, just like irreflexively related ordinary objects in situations with perfect symmetry (Black’s spheres, for example). Weakly discernible objects have all their qualitative properties in common but nevertheless differ from each other by virtue of (a generalized version of) Leibniz’s principle, since they stand in relations an entity cannot have to itself. This notion of weak discernibility has been criticized as question begging, but we defend and accept it for classical cases likes Black’s spheres. We argue, however, that the quantum mechanical case is different. Here the application of the notion of weak discernibility indeed is question begging and in conflict with standard interpretational ideas. We conclude that the introduction of the conceptual resource of weak discernibility does not change the interpretational status quo in quantum mechanics.

A novel quantum scheme for secure two-party distance computation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Zhen-wan; Shi, Run-hua; Zhong, Hong; Cui, Jie; Zhang, Shun

2017-12-01

Secure multiparty computational geometry is an essential field of secure multiparty computation, which computes a computation geometric problem without revealing any private information of each party. Secure two-party distance computation is a primitive of secure multiparty computational geometry, which computes the distance between two points without revealing each point's location information (i.e., coordinate). Secure two-party distance computation has potential applications with high secure requirements in military, business, engineering and so on. In this paper, we present a quantum solution to secure two-party distance computation by subtly using quantum private query. Compared to the classical related protocols, our quantum protocol can ensure higher security and better privacy protection because of the physical principle of quantum mechanics.

Deterministic quantum teleportation with atoms.

PubMed

Riebe, M; Häffner, H; Roos, C F; Hänsel, W; Benhelm, J; Lancaster, G P T; Körber, T W; Becher, C; Schmidt-Kaler, F; James, D F V; Blatt, R

2004-06-17

Teleportation of a quantum state encompasses the complete transfer of information from one particle to another. The complete specification of the quantum state of a system generally requires an infinite amount of information, even for simple two-level systems (qubits). Moreover, the principles of quantum mechanics dictate that any measurement on a system immediately alters its state, while yielding at most one bit of information. The transfer of a state from one system to another (by performing measurements on the first and operations on the second) might therefore appear impossible. However, it has been shown that the entangling properties of quantum mechanics, in combination with classical communication, allow quantum-state teleportation to be performed. Teleportation using pairs of entangled photons has been demonstrated, but such techniques are probabilistic, requiring post-selection of measured photons. Here, we report deterministic quantum-state teleportation between a pair of trapped calcium ions. Following closely the original proposal, we create a highly entangled pair of ions and perform a complete Bell-state measurement involving one ion from this pair and a third source ion. State reconstruction conditioned on this measurement is then performed on the other half of the entangled pair. The measured fidelity is 75%, demonstrating unequivocally the quantum nature of the process.

Beyond the Quantum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nieuwenhuizen, Theo M.; Mehmani, Bahar; Špička, Václav; Aghdami, Maryam J.; Khrennikov, Andrei Yu

2007-09-01

pt. A. Introductions. The mathematical basis for deterministic quantum mechanics / G.'t Hooft. What did we learn from quantum gravity? / A. Ashtekar. Bose-Einstein condensates and EPR quantum non-locality / F. Laloe. The quantum measurement process: lessons from an exactly solvable model / A.E. Allahverdyan, R. Balian and Th. M. Nieuwenhuizen -- pt. B. Quantum mechanics and quantum information. POVMs: a small but important step beyond standard quantum mechanics / W. M. de Muynck. State reduction by measurements with a null result / G. Nienhuis. Solving open questions in the Bose-Einstein condensation of an ideal gas via a hybrid mixture of laser and statistical physics / M. Kim, A. Svidzinsky and M.O. Scully. Twin-Photon light scattering and causality / G. Puentes, A. Aiello and J. P. Woerdman. Simultaneous measurement of non-commuting observables / G. Aquino and B. Mehmani. Quantum decoherence and gravitational waves / M.T. Jaekel ... [et al.]. Role of various entropies in the black hole information loss problem / Th. M. Nieuwenhuizen and I.V. Volovich. Quantum and super-quantum correlations / G.S. Jaeger -- pt. C. Long distance correlations and bell inequalities. Understanding long-distance quantum correlations / L. Marchildon. Connection of probability models to EPR experiments: probability spaces and Bell's theorem / K. Hess and W. Philipp. Fair sampling vs no-signalling principle in EPR experiments / G. Adenier and A. Yu. Khrennikov -- pt. D. Mathematical foundations. Where the mathematical structure of quantum mechanics comes from / G.M. D'Ariano. Phase space description of quantum mechanics and non-commutative geometry: Wigner-Moyal and Bohm in a wider context / B.J. Hiley. Quantum mechanics as simple algorithm for approximation of classical integrals / A. Yu. Khrennikov. Noncommutative quantum mechanics viewed from Feynman Formalism / J. Lages ... [et al.]. Beyond the quantum in Snyder space / J.F.S. van Huele and M. K. Transtrum -- pt. E. Stochastic electrodynamics. Some quantum experiments from the point of view of Stochastic electrodynamics / V. Spicka ... [et al.]. On the ergodic behaviour of atomic systems under the action of the zero-point radiation field / L. De La Peña and A. M. Cetto. Inertia and the vacuum-view on the emergence of the inertia reaction force / A. Rueda and H. Sunahata -- pt. F. Models for the electron. Rotating Hopf-Kinks: oscillators in the sense of de Broglie / U. Enz. Kerr-Newman particles: symmetries and other properties / H.I. Arcos and J.G. Pereira. Kerr geometry beyond the quantum theory / Th. M. Nieuwenhuizen -- pt. G. Philosophical considerations. Probability in non-collapse interpretations of a quantum mechanics / D. Dieks. The Schrödinger-Park paradox about the concept of "State" in quantum statistical mechanics and quantum information theory is still open: one more reason to go beyond? / G.P. Beretta. The conjecture that local realism is possible / E. Santos -- pt. H. The round table. Round table discussion / A.M. Cetto ... [et al.].

Unprincipled microgravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mattingly, James

2014-05-01

I argue that the key principle of microgravity is what I have called elsewhere the Lorentzian strategy. This strategy may be seen as either a reverse-engineering approach or a descent with modification approach, but however one sees if the method works neither by attempting to propound a theory that is the quantum version of either an extant or generalized gravitation theory nor by attempting to propound a theory that is the final version of quantum mechanics and finding gravity within it. Instead the method works by beginning with what we are pretty sure is a good approximation to the low-energy limit of whatever the real microprocesses are that generate what we experience as gravitation. This method is powerful, fruitful, and not committed to principles for which we have, as yet, only scant evidence; the method begins with what we do know and teases out what we can know next. The principle is methodological, not ontological.

Extension of the Schrodinger equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Somsikov, Vyacheslav

2017-03-01

Extension of the Schrodinger equation is submitted by removing its limitations appearing due to the limitations of the formalism of Hamilton, based on which this equation was obtained. For this purpose the problems of quantum mechanics arising from the limitations of classical mechanics are discussed. These limitations, in particular, preclude the use of the Schrodinger equation to describe the time symmetry violation. The extension of the Schrodinger equation is realized based on the principle of duality symmetry. According to this principle the dynamics of the systems is determined by the symmetry of the system and by the symmetry of the space. The extension of the Schrodinger equation was obtained from the dual expression of energy, represented in operator form. For this purpose the independent micro - and macro-variables that determine respectively the dynamics of quantum particle system relative to its center of mass and the movement of the center of mass in space are used. The solution of the extended Schrodinger equation for the system near equilibrium is submitted. The main advantage of the extended Schrodinger equation is that it is applicable to describe the interaction and evolution of quantum systems in inhomogeneous field of external forces.

Is Einsteinian no-signalling violated in Bell tests?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kupczynski, Marian

2017-11-01

Relativistic invariance is a physical law verified in several domains of physics. The impossibility of faster than light influences is not questioned by quantum theory. In quantum electrodynamics, in quantum field theory and in the standard model relativistic invariance is incorporated by construction. Quantum mechanics predicts strong long range correlations between outcomes of spin projection measurements performed in distant laboratories. In spite of these strong correlations marginal probability distributions should not depend on what was measured in the other laboratory what is called shortly: non-signalling. In several experiments, performed to test various Bell-type inequalities, some unexplained dependence of empirical marginal probability distributions on distant settings was observed. In this paper we demonstrate how a particular identification and selection procedure of paired distant outcomes is the most probable cause for this apparent violation of no-signalling principle. Thus this unexpected setting dependence does not prove the existence of superluminal influences and Einsteinian no-signalling principle has to be tested differently in dedicated experiments. We propose a detailed protocol telling how such experiments should be designed in order to be conclusive. We also explain how magical quantum correlations may be explained in a locally causal way.

Unified quantum no-go theorems and transforming of quantum pure states in a restricted set

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Ming-Xing; Li, Hui-Ran; Lai, Hong; Wang, Xiaojun

2017-12-01

The linear superposition principle in quantum mechanics is essential for several no-go theorems such as the no-cloning theorem, the no-deleting theorem and the no-superposing theorem. In this paper, we investigate general quantum transformations forbidden or permitted by the superposition principle for various goals. First, we prove a no-encoding theorem that forbids linearly superposing of an unknown pure state and a fixed pure state in Hilbert space of a finite dimension. The new theorem is further extended for multiple copies of an unknown state as input states. These generalized results of the no-encoding theorem include the no-cloning theorem, the no-deleting theorem and the no-superposing theorem as special cases. Second, we provide a unified scheme for presenting perfect and imperfect quantum tasks (cloning and deleting) in a one-shot manner. This scheme may lead to fruitful results that are completely characterized with the linear independence of the representative vectors of input pure states. The upper bounds of the efficiency are also proved. Third, we generalize a recent superposing scheme of unknown states with a fixed overlap into new schemes when multiple copies of an unknown state are as input states.

Scale relativity: from quantum mechanics to chaotic dynamics.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nottale, L.

Scale relativity is a new approach to the problem of the origin of fundamental scales and of scaling laws in physics, which consists in generalizing Einstein's principle of relativity to the case of scale transformations of resolutions. We recall here how it leads one to the concept of fractal space-time, and to introduce a new complex time derivative operator which allows to recover the Schrödinger equation, then to generalize it. In high energy quantum physics, it leads to the introduction of a Lorentzian renormalization group, in which the Planck length is reinterpreted as a lowest, unpassable scale, invariant under dilatations. These methods are successively applied to two problems: in quantum mechanics, that of the mass spectrum of elementary particles; in chaotic dynamics, that of the distribution of planets in the Solar System.

Understanding the dielectric properties of water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elton, Daniel Christopher

Liquid water is a complex material with many anomalous properties. Three of these anomalies are an abnormally high dielectric constant, an abnormally high boiling point, and a solid phase which is less dense than the liquid phase. Each of these anomalies is known to have been critically important in the development of life on Earth. All of water's special properties can be linked to water's unique ability to form hydrogen bonds. Water's hydrogen bonds form a transient network. Understanding the average structure of this network and how it changes through the phase diagram remains the focus of intense research. In this thesis we focus on understanding dielectric and infrared measurements, which measure the absorption and refraction of electromagnetic waves at different frequencies. Computer simulation is a necessary tool for correctly interpreting these measurements in terms of the microscopic dynamics of molecules. In the first part of this thesis we compare three classes of water molecule model that are used in molecular dynamics simulation--rigid, flexible, and polarizable. We show how the inclusion of polarization is necessary to capture how water's properties change with pressure and temperature. This finding is relevant to biophysical simulation. In the next part, we conduct a detailed study of water's dielectric properties to discover vibrational modes that propagate through the hydrogen bond network. Parts of the absorption spectrum of water are due to electromagnetic waves coupling to these modes. Previously, vibrational motions in water were thought to be confined to small clusters of perhaps five molecules. Our work upends this view by arguing that dynamics occur on the hydrogen bond network, resulting in modes that can propagate surprisingly long distances of up to two nanometers. These modes bear many similarities to optical phonon modes in ice. We show how the LO-TO splitting of these modes provides a new window into the structure of the hydrogen bond network. In the final part of this thesis we turn to the problems one encounters when trying to simulate water from "first principles'', ie. from the laws of quantum mechanics. The primary technique that physicists use to approximate the quantum mechanics of electrons, density functional theory, does not work well for water, and much work is being done to understand how to fix this problem. A usual assumption in first principles simulation is that only electrons need to be treated quantum mechanically. We argue that both electrons and nuclei need to be treated quantum mechanically and we present a new code to do this. The custom code presented in this thesis implements a novel algorithm which greatly speeds up the calculation of nuclear quantum effects with only minor losses in accuracy. We hope that others will start using our technique to advance first principles simulation. Accurate first principles simulation of water is important for understanding and developing solar water splitting catalysts and batteries. First principles simulations are also being increasingly used to understand proteins and drug molecules, and this trend will continue with Moore's law.

Quantum Common Causes and Quantum Causal Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, John-Mark A.; Barrett, Jonathan; Horsman, Dominic C.; Lee, Ciarán M.; Spekkens, Robert W.

2017-07-01

Reichenbach's principle asserts that if two observed variables are found to be correlated, then there should be a causal explanation of these correlations. Furthermore, if the explanation is in terms of a common cause, then the conditional probability distribution over the variables given the complete common cause should factorize. The principle is generalized by the formalism of causal models, in which the causal relationships among variables constrain the form of their joint probability distribution. In the quantum case, however, the observed correlations in Bell experiments cannot be explained in the manner Reichenbach's principle would seem to demand. Motivated by this, we introduce a quantum counterpart to the principle. We demonstrate that under the assumption that quantum dynamics is fundamentally unitary, if a quantum channel with input A and outputs B and C is compatible with A being a complete common cause of B and C , then it must factorize in a particular way. Finally, we show how to generalize our quantum version of Reichenbach's principle to a formalism for quantum causal models and provide examples of how the formalism works.

Fundamental Principles of Coherent-Feedback Quantum Control

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-08

in metrology (acceleration sensing, vibrometry, gravity wave detection) and in quantum information processing (continuous-variables quantum ...AFRL-OSR-VA-TR-2015-0009 FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF COHERENT-FEEDBACK QUANTUM CONTROL Hideo Mabuchi LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIV CA Final Report 12/08...foundations and potential applications of coherent-feedback quantum control. We have focused on potential applications in quantum -enhanced metrology and

Quantization of Non-Lagrangian Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kochan, Denis

A novel method for quantization of non-Lagrangian (open) systems is proposed. It is argued that the essential object, which provides both classical and quantum evolution, is a certain canonical two-form defined in extended velocity space. In this setting classical dynamics is recovered from the stringy-type variational principle, which employs umbilical surfaces instead of histories of the system. Quantization is then accomplished in accordance with the introduced variational principle. The path integral for the transition probability amplitude (propagator) is rearranged to a surface functional integral. In the standard case of closed (Lagrangian) systems the presented method reduces to the standard Feynman's approach. The inverse problem of the calculus of variation, the problem of quantization ambiguity and the quantum mechanics in the presence of friction are analyzed in detail.

What is behind small deviations of quantum mechanics theory from experiments? Observer's mathematics point of view

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Khots, Boris, E-mail: bkhots@cccglobal.com; Khots, Dmitriy, E-mail: dkhots@imathconsulting.com

2014-12-10

Certain results that have been predicted by Quantum Mechanics (QM) theory are not always supported by experiments. This defines a deep crisis in contemporary physics and, in particular, quantum mechanics. We believe that, in fact, the mathematical apparatus employed within today's physics is a possible reason. In particular, we consider the concept of infinity that exists in today's mathematics as the root cause of this problem. We have created Observer's Mathematics that offers an alternative to contemporary mathematics. This paper is an attempt to relay how Observer's Mathematics may explain some of the contradictions in QM theory results. We considermore » the Hamiltonian Mechanics, Newton equation, Schrodinger equation, two slit interference, wave-particle duality for single photons, uncertainty principle, Dirac equations for free electron in a setting of arithmetic, algebra, and topology provided by Observer's Mathematics (see www.mathrelativity.com). Certain results and communications pertaining to solution of these problems are provided.« less

A new perspective on the functioning of the brain and the mechanisms behind conscious processes

PubMed Central

Keppler, Joachim

2013-01-01

An essential prerequisite for the development of a theory of consciousness is the clarification of the fundamental mechanisms underlying conscious processes. In this article I present an approach that sheds new light on these mechanisms. This approach builds on stochastic electrodynamics (SED), a promising theoretical framework that provides a deeper understanding of quantum systems and reveals the origin of quantum phenomena. I outline the most important concepts and findings of SED and interpret the neurophysiological body of evidence in the context of these findings, indicating that the functioning of the brain rests upon exactly the same principles that are characteristic for quantum systems. On this basis, I construct a new hypothesis on the mechanisms behind conscious processes and discuss the new perspectives this hypothesis opens up for consciousness research. In particular, it offers the possibility of elucidating the relationship between brain and consciousness, of specifying the connection between consciousness and information, and of answering the question of what distinguishes conscious processes from unconscious processes. PMID:23641229

Quantum mechanics from an equivalence principle

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Faraggi, A.E.; Matone, M.

1997-05-15

The authors show that requiring diffeomorphic equivalence for one-dimensional stationary states implies that the reduced action S{sub 0} satisfies the quantum Hamilton-Jacobi equation with the Planck constant playing the role of a covariantizing parameter. The construction shows the existence of a fundamental initial condition which is strictly related to the Moebius symmetry of the Legendre transform and to its involutive character. The universal nature of the initial condition implies the Schroedinger equation in any dimension.

On the correspondence between quantum and classical variational principles

DOE PAGES

Ruiz, D. E.; Dodin, I. Y.

2015-06-10

Here, classical variational principles can be deduced from quantum variational principles via formal reparameterization of the latter. It is shown that such reparameterization is possible without invoking any assumptions other than classicality and without appealing to dynamical equations. As examples, first principle variational formulations of classical point-particle and cold-fluid motion are derived from their quantum counterparts for Schrodinger, Pauli, and Klein-Gordon particles.

First principles calculation of thermo-mechanical properties of thoria using Quantum ESPRESSO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malakkal, Linu; Szpunar, Barbara; Zuniga, Juan Carlos; Siripurapu, Ravi Kiran; Szpunar, Jerzy A.

2016-05-01

In this work, we have used Quantum ESPRESSO (QE), an open source first principles code, based on density-functional theory, plane waves, and pseudopotentials, along with quasi-harmonic approximation (QHA) to calculate the thermo-mechanical properties of thorium dioxide (ThO2). Using Python programming language, our group developed qe-nipy-advanced, an interface to QE, which can evaluate the structural and thermo-mechanical properties of materials. We predicted the phonon contribution to thermal conductivity (kL) using the Slack model. We performed the calculations within local density approximation (LDA) and generalized gradient approximation (GGA) with the recently proposed version for solids (PBEsol). We employed a Monkhorst-Pack 5 × 5 × 5 k-points mesh in reciprocal space with a plane wave cut-off energy of 150 Ry to obtain the convergence of the structure. We calculated the dynamical matrices of the lattice on a 4 × 4 × 4 mesh. We have predicted the heat capacity, thermal expansion and the phonon contribution to thermal conductivity, as a function of temperature up to 1400K, and compared them with the previous work and known experimental results.

Grand Canonical adaptive resolution simulation for molecules with electrons: A theoretical framework based on physical consistency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delle Site, Luigi

2018-01-01

A theoretical scheme for the treatment of an open molecular system with electrons and nuclei is proposed. The idea is based on the Grand Canonical description of a quantum region embedded in a classical reservoir of molecules. Electronic properties of the quantum region are calculated at constant electronic chemical potential equal to that of the corresponding (large) bulk system treated at full quantum level. Instead, the exchange of molecules between the quantum region and the classical environment occurs at the chemical potential of the macroscopic thermodynamic conditions. The Grand Canonical Adaptive Resolution Scheme is proposed for the treatment of the classical environment; such an approach can treat the exchange of molecules according to first principles of statistical mechanics and thermodynamic. The overall scheme is build on the basis of physical consistency, with the corresponding definition of numerical criteria of control of the approximations implied by the coupling. Given the wide range of expertise required, this work has the intention of providing guiding principles for the construction of a well founded computational protocol for actual multiscale simulations from the electronic to the mesoscopic scale.

Anticipatory dynamics of biological systems: from molecular quantum states to evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Igamberdiev, Abir U.

2015-08-01

Living systems possess anticipatory behaviour that is based on the flexibility of internal models generated by the system's embedded description. The idea was suggested by Aristotle and is explicitly introduced to theoretical biology by Rosen. The possibility of holding the embedded internal model is grounded in the principle of stable non-equilibrium (Bauer). From the quantum mechanical view, this principle aims to minimize energy dissipation in expense of long relaxation times. The ideas of stable non-equilibrium were developed by Liberman who viewed living systems as subdivided into the quantum regulator and the molecular computer supporting coherence of the regulator's internal quantum state. The computational power of the cell molecular computer is based on the possibility of molecular rearrangements according to molecular addresses. In evolution, the anticipatory strategies are realized both as a precession of phylogenesis by ontogenesis (Berg) and as the anticipatory search of genetic fixation of adaptive changes that incorporates them into the internal model of genetic system. We discuss how the fundamental ideas of anticipation can be introduced into the basic foundations of theoretical biology.

Non Kolmogorov Probability Models Outside Quantum Mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Accardi, Luigi

2009-03-01

This paper is devoted to analysis of main conceptual problems in the interpretation of QM: reality, locality, determinism, physical state, Heisenberg principle, "deterministic" and "exact" theories, laws of chance, notion of event, statistical invariants, adaptive realism, EPR correlations and, finally, the EPR-chameleon experiment.

The Possibility of a New Metaphysics for Quantum Mechanics from Meinong's Theory of Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graffigna, Matías

According to de Ronde it was Bohr's interpretation of Quantum Mechanics (QM) which closed the possibility of understanding physical reality beyond the realm of the actual, so establishing the Orthodox Line of Research. In this sense, it is not the task of any physical theory to look beyond the language and metaphysics supposed by classical physics, in order to account for what QM describes. If one wishes to maintain a realist position (though not nave) regarding physical theories, one seems then to be trapped by an array of concepts that do not allow to understand the main principles involved in the most successful physical theory thus far, mainly: the quantum postulate, the principle of indetermination and the superposition principle. If de Ronde is right in proposing QM can only be completed as a physical theory by the introduction of `new concepts' that admit as real a domain beyond actuality, then a new ontology that goes beyond Aristotelian and Newtonian actualism is needed. It was already in the early 20th century that misunderstood philosopher Alexius von Meinong proposed a Theory of Objects that admits a domain of being beyond existence-actuality. Member of the so called `School of Brentano', Meinong's concerns were oriented to provide an ontology of everything that can be thought of, and at the same time an intentionality theory of how objects are thought of. I wish to argue that in Meinong's theory of objects we find the rudiments of the ontology and the intentionality theory we need to account for QM's basic principles: mainly the possibility of predicating properties of non-entities, or in other words, the possibility of objectively describing a domain of what is, that is different from the domain of actual existence.

Quantum and Multidimensional Explanations in a Neurobiological Context of Mind.

PubMed

Korf, Jakob

2015-08-01

This article examines the possible relevance of physical-mathematical multidimensional or quantum concepts aiming at understanding the (human) mind in a neurobiological context. Some typical features of the quantum and multidimensional concepts are briefly introduced, including entanglement, superposition, holonomic, and quantum field theories. Next, we consider neurobiological principles, such as the brain and its emerging (physical) mind, evolutionary and ontological origins, entropy, syntropy/neg-entropy, causation, and brain energy metabolism. In many biological processes, including biochemical conversions, protein folding, and sensory perception, the ubiquitous involvement of quantum mechanisms is well recognized. Quantum and multidimensional approaches might be expected to help describe and model both brain and mental processes, but an understanding of their direct involvement in mental activity, that is, without mediation by molecular processes, remains elusive. More work has to be done to bridge the gap between current neurobiological and physical-mathematical concepts with their associated quantum-mind theories. © The Author(s) 2014.

Spin Entanglement Witness for Quantum Gravity.

PubMed

Bose, Sougato; Mazumdar, Anupam; Morley, Gavin W; Ulbricht, Hendrik; Toroš, Marko; Paternostro, Mauro; Geraci, Andrew A; Barker, Peter F; Kim, M S; Milburn, Gerard

2017-12-15

Understanding gravity in the framework of quantum mechanics is one of the great challenges in modern physics. However, the lack of empirical evidence has lead to a debate on whether gravity is a quantum entity. Despite varied proposed probes for quantum gravity, it is fair to say that there are no feasible ideas yet to test its quantum coherent behavior directly in a laboratory experiment. Here, we introduce an idea for such a test based on the principle that two objects cannot be entangled without a quantum mediator. We show that despite the weakness of gravity, the phase evolution induced by the gravitational interaction of two micron size test masses in adjacent matter-wave interferometers can detectably entangle them even when they are placed far apart enough to keep Casimir-Polder forces at bay. We provide a prescription for witnessing this entanglement, which certifies gravity as a quantum coherent mediator, through simple spin correlation measurements.

Spin Entanglement Witness for Quantum Gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bose, Sougato; Mazumdar, Anupam; Morley, Gavin W.; Ulbricht, Hendrik; Toroš, Marko; Paternostro, Mauro; Geraci, Andrew A.; Barker, Peter F.; Kim, M. S.; Milburn, Gerard

2017-12-01

Understanding gravity in the framework of quantum mechanics is one of the great challenges in modern physics. However, the lack of empirical evidence has lead to a debate on whether gravity is a quantum entity. Despite varied proposed probes for quantum gravity, it is fair to say that there are no feasible ideas yet to test its quantum coherent behavior directly in a laboratory experiment. Here, we introduce an idea for such a test based on the principle that two objects cannot be entangled without a quantum mediator. We show that despite the weakness of gravity, the phase evolution induced by the gravitational interaction of two micron size test masses in adjacent matter-wave interferometers can detectably entangle them even when they are placed far apart enough to keep Casimir-Polder forces at bay. We provide a prescription for witnessing this entanglement, which certifies gravity as a quantum coherent mediator, through simple spin correlation measurements.

Unified Field Mechanics: A Brief Introduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amoroso, Richard L.

Recently we hear more and more physicists saying, `spacetime is doomed', `spacetime is a mirage', the `end of spacetime', `spacetime is not fundamental but emergent' etc. "Henceforth space by itself and time by itself are doomed to fade into the mere shadows, and only a union of the two will preserve an independent reality." - 1908 Hermann Minkowski. We have come full circle from the time of Minkowski's 1908 statement to the brink of an imminent new age of discovery. The basis of our understanding of the natural world has evolved in modern times from Newtonian Mechanics to the 2nd regime of Quantum Mechanics; and now to the threshold of a 3rd regime - Unified Field Mechanics (UFM). The Planck scale stochastic quantum realm can no longer be considered the `basement' or fundamental level of reality. As hard as quantum reality was to imagine so is the fact that the quantum domain is a manifold of finite radius; and that the `sacrosanct - indelible' Quantum Uncertainty Principle can now be surmounted. For decades main stream physicists have been stymied by efforts to reconcile General Relativity with Quantum Mechanics. The stumbling block lies with the two theories conflicting views of space and time: For quantum theory, space and time offer a fixed backcloth against which particles move. In Einstein's relativities, space and time are not only inextricably linked, but the resultant spacetime is warped by the matter within it. In our nascent UFM paradigm for arcane reasons the quantum manifold is not the regime of integration with gravity; it is instead integrated with the domain of the unified field where the forces of nature are deemed to unify. We give a simplistic survey of the fundamental premises of UFM and summarize experimental protocols to falsify the model at this stage of the paradigm's development.

Microwave amplification with nanomechanical resonators.

PubMed

Massel, F; Heikkilä, T T; Pirkkalainen, J-M; Cho, S U; Saloniemi, H; Hakonen, P J; Sillanpää, M A

2011-12-14

The sensitive measurement of electrical signals is at the heart of modern technology. According to the principles of quantum mechanics, any detector or amplifier necessarily adds a certain amount of noise to the signal, equal to at least the noise added by quantum fluctuations. This quantum limit of added noise has nearly been reached in superconducting devices that take advantage of nonlinearities in Josephson junctions. Here we introduce the concept of the amplification of microwave signals using mechanical oscillation, which seems likely to enable quantum-limited operation. We drive a nanomechanical resonator with a radiation pressure force, and provide an experimental demonstration and an analytical description of how a signal input to a microwave cavity induces coherent stimulated emission and, consequently, signal amplification. This generic scheme, which is based on two linear oscillators, has the advantage of being conceptually and practically simpler than the Josephson junction devices. In our device, we achieve signal amplification of 25 decibels with the addition of 20 quanta of noise, which is consistent with the expected amount of added noise. The generality of the model allows for realization in other physical systems as well, and we anticipate that near-quantum-limited mechanical microwave amplification will soon be feasible in various applications involving integrated electrical circuits.

Applications of the principle of maximum entropy: from physics to ecology.

PubMed

Banavar, Jayanth R; Maritan, Amos; Volkov, Igor

2010-02-17

There are numerous situations in physics and other disciplines which can be described at different levels of detail in terms of probability distributions. Such descriptions arise either intrinsically as in quantum mechanics, or because of the vast amount of details necessary for a complete description as, for example, in Brownian motion and in many-body systems. We show that an application of the principle of maximum entropy for estimating the underlying probability distribution can depend on the variables used for describing the system. The choice of characterization of the system carries with it implicit assumptions about fundamental attributes such as whether the system is classical or quantum mechanical or equivalently whether the individuals are distinguishable or indistinguishable. We show that the correct procedure entails the maximization of the relative entropy subject to known constraints and, additionally, requires knowledge of the behavior of the system in the absence of these constraints. We present an application of the principle of maximum entropy to understanding species diversity in ecology and introduce a new statistical ensemble corresponding to the distribution of a variable population of individuals into a set of species not defined a priori.

Physics Without Physics. The Power of Information-theoretical Principles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Ariano, Giacomo Mauro

2017-01-01

David Finkelstein was very fond of the new information-theoretic paradigm of physics advocated by John Archibald Wheeler and Richard Feynman. Only recently, however, the paradigm has concretely shown its full power, with the derivation of quantum theory (Chiribella et al., Phys. Rev. A 84:012311, 2011; D'Ariano et al., 2017) and of free quantum field theory (D'Ariano and Perinotti, Phys. Rev. A 90:062106, 2014; Bisio et al., Phys. Rev. A 88:032301, 2013; Bisio et al., Ann. Phys. 354:244, 2015; Bisio et al., Ann. Phys. 368:177, 2016) from informational principles. The paradigm has opened for the first time the possibility of avoiding physical primitives in the axioms of the physical theory, allowing a re-foundation of the whole physics over logically solid grounds. In addition to such methodological value, the new information-theoretic derivation of quantum field theory is particularly interesting for establishing a theoretical framework for quantum gravity, with the idea of obtaining gravity itself as emergent from the quantum information processing, as also suggested by the role played by information in the holographic principle (Susskind, J. Math. Phys. 36:6377, 1995; Bousso, Rev. Mod. Phys. 74:825, 2002). In this paper I review how free quantum field theory is derived without using mechanical primitives, including space-time, special relativity, Hamiltonians, and quantization rules. The theory is simply provided by the simplest quantum algorithm encompassing a countable set of quantum systems whose network of interactions satisfies the three following simple principles: homogeneity, locality, and isotropy. The inherent discrete nature of the informational derivation leads to an extension of quantum field theory in terms of a quantum cellular automata and quantum walks. A simple heuristic argument sets the scale to the Planck one, and the currently observed regime where discreteness is not visible is the so-called "relativistic regime" of small wavevectors, which holds for all energies ever tested (and even much larger), where the usual free quantum field theory is perfectly recovered. In the present quantum discrete theory Einstein relativity principle can be restated without using space-time in terms of invariance of the eigenvalue equation of the automaton/walk under change of representations. Distortions of the Poincaré group emerge at the Planck scale, whereas special relativity is perfectly recovered in the relativistic regime. Discreteness, on the other hand, has some plus compared to the continuum theory: 1) it contains it as a special regime; 2) it leads to some additional features with GR flavor: the existence of an upper bound for the particle mass (with physical interpretation as the Planck mass), and a global De Sitter invariance; 3) it provides its own physical standards for space, time, and mass within a purely mathematical adimensional context. The paper ends with the future perspectives of this project, and with an Appendix containing biographic notes about my friendship with David Finkelstein, to whom this paper is dedicated.

Destructive interferences results in bosons anti bunching: refining Feynman's argument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchewka, Avi; Granot, Er'el

2014-09-01

The effect of boson bunching is frequently mentioned and discussed in the literature. This effect is the manifestation of bosons tendency to "travel" in clusters. One of the core arguments for boson bunching was formulated by Feynman in his well-known lecture series and has been frequently used ever since. By comparing the scattering probabilities of two bosons and of two distinguishable particles, he concluded: "We have the result that it is twice as likely to find two identical Bose particles scattered into the same state as you would calculate assuming the particles were different" [R.P. Feynman, R.B. Leighton, M. Sands, The Feynman Lectures on Physics: Quantum mechanics (Addison-Wesley, 1965)]. This argument was rooted in the scientific community (see for example [C. Cohen-Tannoudji, B. Diu, F. Laloë, Quantum Mechanics (John Wiley & Sons, Paris, 1977); W. Pauli, Exclusion Principle and Quantum Mechanics, Nobel Lecture (1946)]), however, while this sentence is completely valid, as is proved in [C. Cohen-Tannoudji, B. Diu, F. Laloë, Quantum Mechanics (John Wiley & Sons, Paris, 1977)], it is not a synonym of bunching. In fact, as it is shown in this paper, wherever one of the wavefunctions has a zero, bosons can anti-bunch and fermions can bunch. It should be stressed that zeros in the wavefunctions are ubiquitous in Quantum Mechanics and therefore the effect should be common. Several scenarios are suggested to witness the effect.

Bell's Inequalities for Any Spin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González-Robles, V. M.

John Ju Sakurai's classical book in quantum mechanics makes a very illuminative presentation that studies entangled states in a two spin s=1/2 particles system in a singlet state. A Bell's inequality emerges as a consequence. Bell's inequality is a relationship among observables that discriminates between Einstein's locality principle and the nonlocal point of view of orthodox quantum mechanics. Following Sakurai's style we propose, by making natural induction, a generalization for Bell's inequality for any two spin-s particles in a singlet state (s integer or half-integer). This inequality is expressed as a function of a θ parameter, which is a measure of the angle between two possible directions in which the spin is measured. Besides the expression for this general inequality we have found that - (a) for any finite half-integer spin Bell's inequality is violated for some interval of the θ-parameter. The right limit of this interval is fixed and equal to π/2, while the left one comes closer and closer to this value as spin number grows. A function fit shows clearly that the size of this θ-interval over which Bell's inequality is violated diminishes asymptotically to zero as 1/s1/2; (b) an analogous behavior for any finite integer spin. For large spins the disagreement between Einstein's locality principle and the nonlocal point of view in orthodox quantum mechanics disappears.

Implications of Einstein-Weyl Causality on Quantum Mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bendaniel, David

A fundamental physical principle that has consequences for the topology of space-time is the principle of Einstein-Weyl causality. This also has quantum mechanical manifestations. Borchers and Sen have rigorously investigated the mathematical implications of Einstein-Weyl causality and shown the denumerable space-time Q2 would be implied. They were left with important philosophical paradoxes regarding the nature of the physical real line E, e.g., whether E = R, the real line of mathematics. In order to remove these paradoxes an investigation into a constructible foundation is suggested. We have pursued such a program and find it indeed provides a dense, denumerable space-time and, moreover, an interesting connection with quantum mechanics. We first show that this constructible theory contains polynomial functions which are locally homeomorphic with a dense, denumerable metric space R* and are inherently quantized. Eigenfunctions governing fields can then be effectively obtained by computational iteration. Postulating a Lagrangian for fields in a compactified space-time, we get a general description of which the Schrodinger equation is a special case. From these results we can then also show that this denumerable space-time is relational (in the sense that space is not infinitesimally small if and only if it contains a quantized field) and, since Q2 is imbedded in R*2, it directly fulfills the strict topological requirements for Einstein-Weyl causality. Therefore, the theory predicts that E = R*.

On the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Paradox

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McWeeny, Roy

Central to the EPR paradox is a [`]thought experiment' in which two spins are initially coupled to a state with S = 0 and are then separated to a large distance, at which they can be separately observed. Quantum mechanics apparently predicts that the two spins remain forever coupled, but this conflicts with Einstein's principle of [`]locality' or [`]separability', according to which spatially well separated systems must be independent, no matter how strongly they have interacted in the past. It is now widely held that Einstein was wrong and that [`]non-locality' follows inevitably from quantum mechanics i.e. that even distant systems are never truly separable.

Quantum cosmology of a conformal multiverse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robles-Pérez, Salvador J.

2017-09-01

This paper studies the cosmology of a homogeneous and isotropic spacetime endorsed with a conformally coupled massless scalar field. We find six different solutions of the Friedmann equation that represent six different types of universes, and all of them are periodically distributed along the complex time axis. From a classical point of view, they are then isolated, separated by Euclidean regions that represent quantum mechanical barriers. Quantum mechanically, however, there is a nonzero probability for the state of the universes to tunnel out through a Euclidean instanton and suffer a sudden transition to another state of the spacetime. We compute the probability of transition for this and other nonlocal processes like the creation of universes in entangled pairs and, generally speaking, in multipartite entangled states. We obtain the quantum state of a single universe within the formalism of the Wheeler-DeWitt equation and give the semiclassical state of the universes that describes the quantum mechanics of a scalar field propagating in a de Sitter background spacetime. We show that the superposition principle of the quantum mechanics of matter fields alone is an emergent feature of the semiclassical description of the universe that is not valid, for instance, in the spacetime foam. We use the third quantization formalism to describe the creation of an entangled pair of universes with opposite signs of the momentum conjugated to the scale factor. Each universe of the entangled pair represents an expanding spacetime in terms of the Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin (WKB) time experienced by internal observers in their particle physics experiments. We compute the effective value of the Friedmann equation of the background spacetime of the two entangled universes, and thus, the effect that the entanglement would have in their expansion rates. We analyze as well the effects of the interuniversal entanglement in the properties of the scalar fields that propagate in each spacetime of the entangled pair. We find that the largest modes of the scalar field are unaware of the entanglement between the universes, but the effects can be significant for the lowest modes, allowing us to compute, in principle, detailed observational imprints of the multiverse in the properties of a single universe like ours.

Can quantum probes satisfy the weak equivalence principle?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Seveso, Luigi, E-mail: luigi.seveso@unimi.it; Paris, Matteo G.A.; INFN, Sezione di Milano, I-20133 Milano

We address the question whether quantum probes in a gravitational field can be considered as test particles obeying the weak equivalence principle (WEP). A formulation of the WEP is proposed which applies also in the quantum regime, while maintaining the physical content of its classical counterpart. Such formulation requires the introduction of a gravitational field not to modify the Fisher information about the mass of a freely-falling probe, extractable through measurements of its position. We discover that, while in a uniform field quantum probes satisfy our formulation of the WEP exactly, gravity gradients can encode nontrivial information about the particle’smore » mass in its wavefunction, leading to violations of the WEP. - Highlights: • Can quantum probes under gravity be approximated as test-bodies? • A formulation of the weak equivalence principle for quantum probes is proposed. • Quantum probes are found to violate it as a matter of principle.« less

Steepest entropy ascent model for far-nonequilibrium thermodynamics: Unified implementation of the maximum entropy production principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beretta, Gian Paolo

2014-10-01

By suitable reformulations, we cast the mathematical frameworks of several well-known different approaches to the description of nonequilibrium dynamics into a unified formulation valid in all these contexts, which extends to such frameworks the concept of steepest entropy ascent (SEA) dynamics introduced by the present author in previous works on quantum thermodynamics. Actually, the present formulation constitutes a generalization also for the quantum thermodynamics framework. The analysis emphasizes that in the SEA modeling principle a key role is played by the geometrical metric with respect to which to measure the length of a trajectory in state space. In the near-thermodynamic-equilibrium limit, the metric tensor is directly related to the Onsager's generalized resistivity tensor. Therefore, through the identification of a suitable metric field which generalizes the Onsager generalized resistance to the arbitrarily far-nonequilibrium domain, most of the existing theories of nonequilibrium thermodynamics can be cast in such a way that the state exhibits the spontaneous tendency to evolve in state space along the path of SEA compatible with the conservation constraints and the boundary conditions. The resulting unified family of SEA dynamical models is intrinsically and strongly consistent with the second law of thermodynamics. The non-negativity of the entropy production is a general and readily proved feature of SEA dynamics. In several of the different approaches to nonequilibrium description we consider here, the SEA concept has not been investigated before. We believe it defines the precise meaning and the domain of general validity of the so-called maximum entropy production principle. Therefore, it is hoped that the present unifying approach may prove useful in providing a fresh basis for effective, thermodynamically consistent, numerical models and theoretical treatments of irreversible conservative relaxation towards equilibrium from far nonequilibrium states. The mathematical frameworks we consider are the following: (A) statistical or information-theoretic models of relaxation; (B) small-scale and rarefied gas dynamics (i.e., kinetic models for the Boltzmann equation); (C) rational extended thermodynamics, macroscopic nonequilibrium thermodynamics, and chemical kinetics; (D) mesoscopic nonequilibrium thermodynamics, continuum mechanics with fluctuations; and (E) quantum statistical mechanics, quantum thermodynamics, mesoscopic nonequilibrium quantum thermodynamics, and intrinsic quantum thermodynamics.

Single-hidden-layer feed-forward quantum neural network based on Grover learning.

PubMed

Liu, Cheng-Yi; Chen, Chein; Chang, Ching-Ter; Shih, Lun-Min

2013-09-01

In this paper, a novel single-hidden-layer feed-forward quantum neural network model is proposed based on some concepts and principles in the quantum theory. By combining the quantum mechanism with the feed-forward neural network, we defined quantum hidden neurons and connected quantum weights, and used them as the fundamental information processing unit in a single-hidden-layer feed-forward neural network. The quantum neurons make a wide range of nonlinear functions serve as the activation functions in the hidden layer of the network, and the Grover searching algorithm outstands the optimal parameter setting iteratively and thus makes very efficient neural network learning possible. The quantum neuron and weights, along with a Grover searching algorithm based learning, result in a novel and efficient neural network characteristic of reduced network, high efficient training and prospect application in future. Some simulations are taken to investigate the performance of the proposed quantum network and the result show that it can achieve accurate learning. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tested Demonstrations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilbert, George L., Ed.

1981-01-01

Provides instructions and a list of materials needed to demonstrate: (1) a model of the quantum mechanical atom; (2) principles involved in metal corrosion and in the prevention of this destructive process by electrochemical means; and (3) a Thermit reaction, modified to make it more dramatic and interesting for students. (SK)

The equivalence principle in a quantum world

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bjerrum-Bohr, N. E. J.; Donoghue, John F.; El-Menoufi, Basem Kamal; Holstein, Barry R.; Planté, Ludovic; Vanhove, Pierre

2015-09-01

We show how modern methods can be applied to quantum gravity at low energy. We test how quantum corrections challenge the classical framework behind the equivalence principle (EP), for instance through introduction of nonlocality from quantum physics, embodied in the uncertainty principle. When the energy is small, we now have the tools to address this conflict explicitly. Despite the violation of some classical concepts, the EP continues to provide the core of the quantum gravity framework through the symmetry — general coordinate invariance — that is used to organize the effective field theory (EFT).

Investigating the applicability of activity-based quantum mechanics in a few high school physics classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Escalada, Lawrence Todd

Quantum physics is not traditionally introduced in high school physics courses because of the level of abstraction and mathematical formalism associated with the subject. As part of the Visual Quantum Mechanics project, activity-based instructional units have been developed that introduce quantum principles to students who have limited backgrounds in physics and mathematics. This study investigates the applicability of one unit, Solids & Light, that introduces quantum principles within the context of learning about light emitting diodes. An observation protocol, attitude surveys, and questionnaires were used to examine the implementation of materials and student-teacher interactions in various secondary physics classrooms. Aspects of Solids & Light including the use of hands-on activities, interactive computer programs, inexpensive materials, and the focus on conceptual understanding were very applicable in the various physics classrooms observed. Both teachers and students gave these instructional strategies favorable ratings in motivating students to make observations and to learn. These ratings were not significantly affected by gender or students, attitudes towards physics or computers. Solid's & Light was applicable in terms of content and teaching style for some teachers. However, a mismatch of teaching styles between some instructors and the unit posed some problems in determining applicability. Observations indicated that some instructors were not able to utilize the exploratory instructional strategy of Solid's & Light. Thus, Solids & Light must include additional support necessary to make the instructor comfortable with the subject matter and pedagogical style. With these revisions, Solids & Light, will have all the key components to make its implementation in a high school physics classroom a successful one.

Spins and photons: connecting quantum registers in diamond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Childress, Lily

2012-06-01

Long-lived electronic and nuclear spin states have made the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) defect in diamond a leading candidate for quantum information processing in the solid state. Multi-qubit quantum registers formed by single defects and nearby nuclear spins can currently be controlled and detected with high fidelity. Nevertheless, development of coherent connections between distant NVs remains an outstanding challenge. One advantage to working with solid-state defects is the opportunity to integrate them with microfabricated mechanical, electronic, or optical devices; in principle, such devices could mediate interactions between registers, turning them into nodes within a larger quantum network. In the last few months, several experiments have made key steps toward realizing a coherent quantum interface between individual NV centers using a mechanical quantum bus [1] or optical channels [2,3]. This talk will explore the current state of the art, and report on recent observation of two photon quantum interference between different gate-tunable defect centers [2]. These results pave the way towards measurement-based entanglement between remote NV centers and the realization of quantum networks with solid-state spins.[4pt] [1] Kolkowitz et al., Science 335, 1603 (2012)[2] Bernien et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 043604 (2012)[3] Sipahigil et al., http://lanl.arxiv.org/abs/1112.3975

Detailed Balance of Thermalization Dynamics in Rydberg-Atom Quantum Simulators.

PubMed

Kim, Hyosub; Park, YeJe; Kim, Kyungtae; Sim, H-S; Ahn, Jaewook

2018-05-04

Dynamics of large complex systems, such as relaxation towards equilibrium in classical statistical mechanics, often obeys a master equation that captures essential information from the complexities. Here, we find that thermalization of an isolated many-body quantum state can be described by a master equation. We observe sudden quench dynamics of quantum Ising-like models implemented in our quantum simulator, defect-free single-atom tweezers in conjunction with Rydberg-atom interaction. Saturation of their local observables, a thermalization signature, obeys a master equation experimentally constructed by monitoring the occupation probabilities of prequench states and imposing the principle of the detailed balance. Our experiment agrees with theories and demonstrates the detailed balance in a thermalization dynamics that does not require coupling to baths or postulated randomness.

Detailed Balance of Thermalization Dynamics in Rydberg-Atom Quantum Simulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hyosub; Park, YeJe; Kim, Kyungtae; Sim, H.-S.; Ahn, Jaewook

2018-05-01

Dynamics of large complex systems, such as relaxation towards equilibrium in classical statistical mechanics, often obeys a master equation that captures essential information from the complexities. Here, we find that thermalization of an isolated many-body quantum state can be described by a master equation. We observe sudden quench dynamics of quantum Ising-like models implemented in our quantum simulator, defect-free single-atom tweezers in conjunction with Rydberg-atom interaction. Saturation of their local observables, a thermalization signature, obeys a master equation experimentally constructed by monitoring the occupation probabilities of prequench states and imposing the principle of the detailed balance. Our experiment agrees with theories and demonstrates the detailed balance in a thermalization dynamics that does not require coupling to baths or postulated randomness.

Molecular Level Design Principle behind Optimal Sizes of Photosynthetic LH2 Complex: Taming Disorder through Cooperation of Hydrogen Bonding and Quantum Delocalization.

PubMed

Jang, Seogjoo; Rivera, Eva; Montemayor, Daniel

2015-03-19

The light harvesting 2 (LH2) antenna complex from purple photosynthetic bacteria is an efficient natural excitation energy carrier with well-known symmetric structure, but the molecular level design principle governing its structure-function relationship is unknown. Our all-atomistic simulations of nonnatural analogues of LH2 as well as those of a natural LH2 suggest that nonnatural sizes of LH2-like complexes could be built. However, stable and consistent hydrogen bonding (HB) between bacteriochlorophyll and the protein is shown to be possible only near naturally occurring sizes, leading to significantly smaller disorder than for nonnatural ones. Extensive quantum calculations of intercomplex exciton transfer dynamics, sampled for a large set of disorder, reveal that taming the negative effect of disorder through a reliable HB as well as quantum delocalization of the exciton is a critical mechanism that makes LH2 highly functional, which also explains why the natural sizes of LH2 are indeed optimal.

A unified electrostatic and cavitation model for first-principles molecular dynamics in solution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Scherlis, D A; Fattebert, J; Gygi, F

2005-11-14

The electrostatic continuum solvent model developed by Fattebert and Gygi is combined with a first-principles formulation of the cavitation energy based on a natural quantum-mechanical definition for the surface of a solute. Despite its simplicity, the cavitation contribution calculated by this approach is found to be in remarkable agreement with that obtained by more complex algorithms relying on a large set of parameters. The model allows for very efficient Car-Parrinello simulations of finite or extended systems in solution, and demonstrates a level of accuracy as good as that of established quantum-chemistry continuum solvent methods. They apply this approach to themore » study of tetracyanoethylene dimers in dichloromethane, providing valuable structural and dynamical insights on the dimerization phenomenon.« less

Dealing with indistinguishable particles and their entanglement.

PubMed

Compagno, Giuseppe; Castellini, Alessia; Lo Franco, Rosario

2018-07-13

Here, we discuss a particle-based approach to deal with systems of many identical quantum objects (particles) that never employs labels to mark them. We show that it avoids both methodological problems and drawbacks in the study of quantum correlations associated with the standard quantum mechanical treatment of identical particles. The core of this approach is represented by the multiparticle probability amplitude, whose structure in terms of single-particle amplitudes we derive here by first principles. To characterize entanglement among the identical particles, this new method uses the same notions, such as partial trace, adopted for non-identical ones. We highlight the connection between our approach and second quantization. We also define spin-exchanged multipartite states which contain a generalization of W states to identical particles. We prove that particle spatial overlap plays a role in the distributed entanglement within multipartite systems and is responsible for the appearance of non-local quantum correlations.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Foundations of quantum mechanics and their impact on contemporary society'. © 2018 The Author(s).

Quantum Bayesian networks with application to games displaying Parrondo's paradox

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pejic, Michael

Bayesian networks and their accompanying graphical models are widely used for prediction and analysis across many disciplines. We will reformulate these in terms of linear maps. This reformulation will suggest a natural extension, which we will show is equivalent to standard textbook quantum mechanics. Therefore, this extension will be termed quantum. However, the term quantum should not be taken to imply this extension is necessarily only of utility in situations traditionally thought of as in the domain of quantum mechanics. In principle, it may be employed in any modelling situation, say forecasting the weather or the stock market---it is up to experiment to determine if this extension is useful in practice. Even restricting to the domain of quantum mechanics, with this new formulation the advantages of Bayesian networks can be maintained for models incorporating quantum and mixed classical-quantum behavior. The use of these will be illustrated by various basic examples. Parrondo's paradox refers to the situation where two, multi-round games with a fixed winning criteria, both with probability greater than one-half for one player to win, are combined. Using a possibly biased coin to determine the rule to employ for each round, paradoxically, the previously losing player now wins the combined game with probabilitygreater than one-half. Using the extended Bayesian networks, we will formulate and analyze classical observed, classical hidden, and quantum versions of a game that displays this paradox, finding bounds for the discrepancy from naive expectations for the occurrence of the paradox. A quantum paradox inspired by Parrondo's paradox will also be analyzed. We will prove a bound for the discrepancy from naive expectations for this paradox as well. Games involving quantum walks that achieve this bound will be presented.

A quantum annealing architecture with all-to-all connectivity from local interactions.

PubMed

Lechner, Wolfgang; Hauke, Philipp; Zoller, Peter

2015-10-01

Quantum annealers are physical devices that aim at solving NP-complete optimization problems by exploiting quantum mechanics. The basic principle of quantum annealing is to encode the optimization problem in Ising interactions between quantum bits (qubits). A fundamental challenge in building a fully programmable quantum annealer is the competing requirements of full controllable all-to-all connectivity and the quasi-locality of the interactions between physical qubits. We present a scalable architecture with full connectivity, which can be implemented with local interactions only. The input of the optimization problem is encoded in local fields acting on an extended set of physical qubits. The output is-in the spirit of topological quantum memories-redundantly encoded in the physical qubits, resulting in an intrinsic fault tolerance. Our model can be understood as a lattice gauge theory, where long-range interactions are mediated by gauge constraints. The architecture can be realized on various platforms with local controllability, including superconducting qubits, NV-centers, quantum dots, and atomic systems.

A quantum annealing architecture with all-to-all connectivity from local interactions

PubMed Central

Lechner, Wolfgang; Hauke, Philipp; Zoller, Peter

2015-01-01

Quantum annealers are physical devices that aim at solving NP-complete optimization problems by exploiting quantum mechanics. The basic principle of quantum annealing is to encode the optimization problem in Ising interactions between quantum bits (qubits). A fundamental challenge in building a fully programmable quantum annealer is the competing requirements of full controllable all-to-all connectivity and the quasi-locality of the interactions between physical qubits. We present a scalable architecture with full connectivity, which can be implemented with local interactions only. The input of the optimization problem is encoded in local fields acting on an extended set of physical qubits. The output is—in the spirit of topological quantum memories—redundantly encoded in the physical qubits, resulting in an intrinsic fault tolerance. Our model can be understood as a lattice gauge theory, where long-range interactions are mediated by gauge constraints. The architecture can be realized on various platforms with local controllability, including superconducting qubits, NV-centers, quantum dots, and atomic systems. PMID:26601316

Quantum Biometrics with Retinal Photon Counting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loulakis, M.; Blatsios, G.; Vrettou, C. S.; Kominis, I. K.

2017-10-01

It is known that the eye's scotopic photodetectors, rhodopsin molecules, and their associated phototransduction mechanism leading to light perception, are efficient single-photon counters. We here use the photon-counting principles of human rod vision to propose a secure quantum biometric identification based on the quantum-statistical properties of retinal photon detection. The photon path along the human eye until its detection by rod cells is modeled as a filter having a specific transmission coefficient. Precisely determining its value from the photodetection statistics registered by the conscious observer is a quantum parameter estimation problem that leads to a quantum secure identification method. The probabilities for false-positive and false-negative identification of this biometric technique can readily approach 10-10 and 10-4, respectively. The security of the biometric method can be further quantified by the physics of quantum measurements. An impostor must be able to perform quantum thermometry and quantum magnetometry with energy resolution better than 10-9ℏ , in order to foil the device by noninvasively monitoring the biometric activity of a user.

The quantum universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hey, Anthony J. G.; Walters, Patrick

This book provides a descriptive, popular account of quantum physics. The basic topics addressed include: waves and particles, the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, the Schroedinger equation and matter waves, atoms and nuclei, quantum tunneling, the Pauli exclusion principle and the elements, quantum cooperation and superfluids, Feynman rules, weak photons, quarks, and gluons. The applications of quantum physics to astrophyics, nuclear technology, and modern electronics are addressed.

Autonomy, explanation, and theoretical values: physicists and chemists on molecular quantum mechanics.

PubMed

Hendry, Robin Findlay

2003-05-01

The emergence of quantum chemistry in the early twentieth century was an international as well as an interdisciplinary affair, involving dialogue between physicists and chemists in Germany, the United States, and Britain. Historians of science have recently documented both the causes and effects of this internationalism and interdisciplinarity. Chemists and physicists involved in the development of quantum chemistry in its first few decades tended to argue for opposing views on acceptable standards of explanation in their field, although the debate did not divide along disciplinary lines. The purpose of this paper is to investigate these different positions, through the methodological reflections of John Clarke Slater, Linus Pauling, and Charles Coulson. Slater tended to argue for quantum-mechanical rigor and the application of fundamental principles as the values guiding models of molecular bonding. Although they were on different sides of the debate between the valence-bond and molecular-orbital approaches, Pauling and Coulson both emphasized the recovery of traditional chemical explanations and systematic explanatory power within chemistry.

First-principles quantum dynamical theory for the dissociative chemisorption of H2O on rigid Cu(111)

PubMed Central

Zhang, Zhaojun; Liu, Tianhui; Fu, Bina; Yang, Xueming; Zhang, Dong H.

2016-01-01

Despite significant progress made in the past decades, it remains extremely challenging to investigate the dissociative chemisorption dynamics of molecular species on surfaces at a full-dimensional quantum mechanical level, in particular for polyatomic-surface reactions. Here we report, to the best of our knowledge, the first full-dimensional quantum dynamics study for the dissociative chemisorption of H2O on rigid Cu(111) with all the nine molecular degrees of freedom fully coupled, based on an accurate full-dimensional potential energy surface. The full-dimensional quantum mechanical reactivity provides the dynamics features with the highest accuracy, revealing that the excitations in vibrational modes of H2O are more efficacious than increasing the translational energy in promoting the reaction. The enhancement of the excitation in asymmetric stretch is the largest, but that of symmetric stretch becomes comparable at very low energies. The full-dimensional characterization also allows the investigation of the validity of previous reduced-dimensional and approximate dynamical models. PMID:27283908

The metaphysics of quantum mechanics: Modal interpretations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gluck, Stuart Murray

2004-11-01

This dissertation begins with the argument that a preferred way of doing metaphysics is through philosophy of physics. An understanding of quantum physics is vital to answering questions such as: What counts as an individual object in physical ontology? Is the universe fundamentally indeterministic? Are indiscernibles identical? This study explores how the various modal interpretations of quantum mechanics answer these sorts of questions; modal accounts are one of the two classes of interpretations along with so-called collapse accounts. This study suggests a new alternative within the class of modal views that yields a more plausible ontology, one in which the Principle of the Identity of Indisceribles is necessarily true. Next, it shows that modal interpretations can consistently deny that the universe must be fundamentally indeterministic so long as they accept certain other metaphysical commitments: either a perfect initial distribution of states in the universe or some form of primitive dispositional properties. Finally, the study sketches out a future research project for modal interpretations based on developing quantified quantum logic.

Quantum theory of multiscale coarse-graining.

PubMed

Han, Yining; Jin, Jaehyeok; Wagner, Jacob W; Voth, Gregory A

2018-03-14

Coarse-grained (CG) models serve as a powerful tool to simulate molecular systems at much longer temporal and spatial scales. Previously, CG models and methods have been built upon classical statistical mechanics. The present paper develops a theory and numerical methodology for coarse-graining in quantum statistical mechanics, by generalizing the multiscale coarse-graining (MS-CG) method to quantum Boltzmann statistics. A rigorous derivation of the sufficient thermodynamic consistency condition is first presented via imaginary time Feynman path integrals. It identifies the optimal choice of CG action functional and effective quantum CG (qCG) force field to generate a quantum MS-CG (qMS-CG) description of the equilibrium system that is consistent with the quantum fine-grained model projected onto the CG variables. A variational principle then provides a class of algorithms for optimally approximating the qMS-CG force fields. Specifically, a variational method based on force matching, which was also adopted in the classical MS-CG theory, is generalized to quantum Boltzmann statistics. The qMS-CG numerical algorithms and practical issues in implementing this variational minimization procedure are also discussed. Then, two numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the method. Finally, as an alternative strategy, a quasi-classical approximation for the thermal density matrix expressed in the CG variables is derived. This approach provides an interesting physical picture for coarse-graining in quantum Boltzmann statistical mechanics in which the consistency with the quantum particle delocalization is obviously manifest, and it opens up an avenue for using path integral centroid-based effective classical force fields in a coarse-graining methodology.

The operation principle of the well in quantum dot stack infrared photodetector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Jheng-Han; Wu, Zong-Ming; Liao, Yu-Min

2013-12-28

The well in the quantum dot stack infrared photodetector (WD-QDIP) is proposed which can be operated at high temperature ∼230 K. The operation principle of this device is investigated, including the carrier transport and the enhancement in the photocurrent. The WD-QDIPs with different well numbers are fabricated to study the mechanisms. It is realized that the carrier transport from the emitter to the collector in traditional quantum dot infrared photodetectors consists of two channels deduced from current-voltage characteristics and dark current activation energy at different temperatures. At temperatures below 77 K, the current transports through the InAs quantum dot channel, whereas atmore » temperatures higher than 77 K, the current is dominated by the GaAs leakage channel. In addition, the non-equilibrium situation at low temperatures is also observed owing to the presence of photovoltaic phenomenon. The carrier distribution inside the QDs is simulated to investigate the reasons for the increase of photocurrent. Based on the simulation and the photocurrent response, the hot carrier (electron) scattering effect by the insertion of a quantum well layer is inferred as the most probable reason that lead to the enhancement of the response and regarded as the key factor to achieve high- temperature operation.« less

Detection of light-matter interaction in the weak-coupling regime by quantum light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bin, Qian; Lü, Xin-You; Zheng, Li-Li; Bin, Shang-Wu; Wu, Ying

2018-04-01

"Mollow spectroscopy" is a photon statistics spectroscopy, obtained by scanning the quantum light scattered from a source system. Here, we apply this technique to detect the weak light-matter interaction between the cavity and atom (or a mechanical oscillator) when the strong system dissipation is included. We find that the weak interaction can be measured with high accuracy when exciting the target cavity by quantum light scattered from the source halfway between the central peak and each side peak. This originally comes from the strong correlation of the injected quantum photons. In principle, our proposal can be applied into the normal cavity quantum electrodynamics system described by the Jaynes-Cummings model and an optomechanical system. Furthermore, it is state of the art for experiment even when the interaction strength is reduced to a very small value.

The ambiguity of simplicity in quantum and classical simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aghamohammadi, Cina; Mahoney, John R.; Crutchfield, James P.

2017-04-01

A system's perceived simplicity depends on whether it is represented classically or quantally. This is not so surprising, as classical and quantum physics are descriptive frameworks built on different assumptions that capture, emphasize, and express different properties and mechanisms. What is surprising is that, as we demonstrate, simplicity is ambiguous: the relative simplicity between two systems can change sign when moving between classical and quantum descriptions. Here, we associate simplicity with small model-memory. We see that the notions of absolute physical simplicity at best form a partial, not a total, order. This suggests that appeals to principles of physical simplicity, via Ockham's Razor or to the ;elegance; of competing theories, may be fundamentally subjective. Recent rapid progress in quantum computation and quantum simulation suggest that the ambiguity of simplicity will strongly impact statistical inference and, in particular, model selection.

Universal Expression of Efficiency at Maximum Power: A Quantum-Mechanical Brayton Engine Working with a Single Particle Confined in a Power-Law Trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Zhuo-Lin; Li, Wei-Sheng; Lai, Yi-Ming; He, Ji-Zhou; Wang, Jian-Hui

2015-12-01

We propose a quantum-mechanical Brayton engine model that works between two superposed states, employing a single particle confined in an arbitrary power-law trap as the working substance. Applying the superposition principle, we obtain the explicit expressions of the power and efficiency, and find that the efficiency at maximum power is bounded from above by the function: η+ = θ/(θ + 1), with θ being a potential-dependent exponent. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 11505091, 11265010, and 11365015, and the Jiangxi Provincial Natural Science Foundation under Grant No. 20132BAB212009

Experimental non-classicality of an indivisible quantum system.

PubMed

Lapkiewicz, Radek; Li, Peizhe; Schaeff, Christoph; Langford, Nathan K; Ramelow, Sven; Wieśniak, Marcin; Zeilinger, Anton

2011-06-22

In contrast to classical physics, quantum theory demands that not all properties can be simultaneously well defined; the Heisenberg uncertainty principle is a manifestation of this fact. Alternatives have been explored--notably theories relying on joint probability distributions or non-contextual hidden-variable models, in which the properties of a system are defined independently of their own measurement and any other measurements that are made. Various deep theoretical results imply that such theories are in conflict with quantum mechanics. Simpler cases demonstrating this conflict have been found and tested experimentally with pairs of quantum bits (qubits). Recently, an inequality satisfied by non-contextual hidden-variable models and violated by quantum mechanics for all states of two qubits was introduced and tested experimentally. A single three-state system (a qutrit) is the simplest system in which such a contradiction is possible; moreover, the contradiction cannot result from entanglement between subsystems, because such a three-state system is indivisible. Here we report an experiment with single photonic qutrits which provides evidence that no joint probability distribution describing the outcomes of all possible measurements--and, therefore, no non-contextual theory--can exist. Specifically, we observe a violation of the Bell-type inequality found by Klyachko, Can, Binicioğlu and Shumovsky. Our results illustrate a deep incompatibility between quantum mechanics and classical physics that cannot in any way result from entanglement.

Numerical simulations in stochastic mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McClendon, Marvin; Rabitz, Herschel

1988-05-01

The stochastic differential equation of Nelson's stochastic mechanics is integrated numerically for several simple quantum systems. The calculations are performed with use of Helfand and Greenside's method and pseudorandom numbers. The resulting trajectories are analyzed both individually and collectively to yield insight into momentum, uncertainty principles, interference, tunneling, quantum chaos, and common models of diatomic molecules from the stochastic quantization point of view. In addition to confirming Shucker's momentum theorem, these simulations illustrate, within the context of stochastic mechanics, the position-momentum and time-energy uncertainty relations, the two-slit diffraction pattern, exponential decay of an unstable system, and the greater degree of anticorrelation in a valence-bond model as compared with a molecular-orbital model of H2. The attempt to find exponential divergence of initially nearby trajectories, potentially useful as a criterion for quantum chaos, in a periodically forced oscillator is inconclusive. A way of computing excited energies from the ground-state motion is presented. In all of these studies the use of particle trajectories allows a more insightful interpretation of physical phenomena than is possible within traditional wave mechanics.

Information transport in classical statistical systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wetterich, C.

2018-02-01

For "static memory materials" the bulk properties depend on boundary conditions. Such materials can be realized by classical statistical systems which admit no unique equilibrium state. We describe the propagation of information from the boundary to the bulk by classical wave functions. The dependence of wave functions on the location of hypersurfaces in the bulk is governed by a linear evolution equation that can be viewed as a generalized Schrödinger equation. Classical wave functions obey the superposition principle, with local probabilities realized as bilinears of wave functions. For static memory materials the evolution within a subsector is unitary, as characteristic for the time evolution in quantum mechanics. The space-dependence in static memory materials can be used as an analogue representation of the time evolution in quantum mechanics - such materials are "quantum simulators". For example, an asymmetric Ising model on a Euclidean two-dimensional lattice represents the time evolution of free relativistic fermions in two-dimensional Minkowski space.

Evanescent radiation, quantum mechanics and the Casimir effect

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schatten, Kenneth H.

1989-01-01

An attempt to bridge the gap between classical and quantum mechanics and to explain the Casimir effect is presented. The general nature of chaotic motion is discussed from two points of view: the first uses catastrophe theory and strange attractors to describe the deterministic view of this motion; the underlying framework for chaos in these classical dynamic systems is their extreme sensitivity to initial conditions. The second interpretation refers to randomness associated with probabilistic dynamics, as for Brownian motion. The present approach to understanding evanescent radiation and its relation to the Casimir effect corresponds to the first interpretation, whereas stochastic electrodynamics corresponds to the second viewpoint. The nonlinear behavior of the electromagnetic field is also studied. This well-understood behavior is utilized to examine the motions of two orbiting charges and shows a closeness between the classical behavior and the quantum uncertainty principle. The evanescent radiation is used to help explain the Casimir effect.

Establishing security of quantum key distribution without monitoring disturbance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koashi, Masato

2015-10-01

In conventional quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols, the information leak to an eavesdropper is estimated through the basic principle of quantum mechanics dictated in the original version of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. The amount of leaked information on a shared sifted key is bounded from above essentially by using information-disturbance trade-off relations, based on the amount of signal disturbance measured via randomly sampled or inserted probe signals. Here we discuss an entirely different avenue toward the private communication, which does not rely on the information disturbance trade-off relations and hence does not require a monitoring of signal disturbance. The independence of the amount of privacy amplification from that of disturbance tends to give it a high tolerance on the channel noises. The lifting of the burden of precise statistical estimation of disturbance leads to a favorable finite-key-size effect. A protocol based on the novel principle can be implemented by only using photon detectors and classical optics tools: a laser, a phase modulator, and an interferometer. The protocol resembles the differential-phase-shift QKD protocol in that both share a simple binary phase shift keying on a coherent train of weak pulses from a laser. The difference lies in the use of a variable-delay interferometer in the new protocol, which randomly changes the combination of pulse pairs to be superposed. This extra randomness has turned out to be enough to upper-bound the information extracted by the eavesdropper, regardless of how they have disturbed the quantum signal.

Full-field implementation of a perfect eavesdropper on a quantum cryptography system.

PubMed

Gerhardt, Ilja; Liu, Qin; Lamas-Linares, Antía; Skaar, Johannes; Kurtsiefer, Christian; Makarov, Vadim

2011-06-14

Quantum key distribution (QKD) allows two remote parties to grow a shared secret key. Its security is founded on the principles of quantum mechanics, but in reality it significantly relies on the physical implementation. Technological imperfections of QKD systems have been previously explored, but no attack on an established QKD connection has been realized so far. Here we show the first full-field implementation of a complete attack on a running QKD connection. An installed eavesdropper obtains the entire 'secret' key, while none of the parameters monitored by the legitimate parties indicate a security breach. This confirms that non-idealities in physical implementations of QKD can be fully practically exploitable, and must be given increased scrutiny if quantum cryptography is to become highly secure.

A novel quantum solution to secure two-party distance computation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Zhen-wan; Shi, Run-hua; Wang, Pan-hong; Zhang, Shun

2018-06-01

Secure Two-Party Distance Computation is an important primitive of Secure Multiparty Computational Geometry that it involves two parties, where each party has a private point, and the two parties want to jointly compute the distance between their points without revealing anything about their respective private information. Secure Two-Party Distance Computation has very important and potential applications in settings of high secure requirements, such as privacy-preserving Determination of Spatial Location-Relation, Determination of Polygons Similarity, and so on. In this paper, we present a quantum protocol for Secure Two-Party Distance Computation by using QKD-based Quantum Private Query. The security of the protocol is based on the physical principles of quantum mechanics, instead of difficulty assumptions, and therefore, it can ensure higher security than the classical related protocols.

Computation Through Neuronal Oscillations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hepp, K.

Some of us believe that natural sciences are governed by simple and predictive general principles. This hope has not yet been fulfilled in physics for unifying gravitation and quantum mechanics. Epigenetics has shaken the monopoly of the genetic code to determine inheritance (Alberts et al., Molecular Biology of the Cell. Garland, New York, 2008). It is therefore not surprising that quantum mechanics does not explain consciousness or more generally the coherence of the brain in perception, action and cognition. In an other context, others (Tegmark, Phys Rev E 61:4194-4206, 2000) and we (Koch and Hepp, Nature 440:611-612, 2006; Koch and Hepp, Visions of Discovery: New Light on Physics, Cosmology, and Consciousness. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2011) have strongly argued against the absurdity of such a claim, because consciousness is a higher brain function and not a molecular binding mechanism. Decoherence in the warm and wet brain is by many orders of magnitude too strong. Moreover, there are no efficient algorithms for neural quantum computations. However, the controversy over classical and quantum consciousness will probably never be resolved (see e.g. Hepp, J Math Phys 53:095222, 2012; Hameroff and Penrose, Phys Life Rev 11:39-78, 2013).

Steepest entropy ascent quantum thermodynamic model of electron and phonon transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Guanchen; von Spakovsky, Michael R.; Hin, Celine

2018-01-01

An advanced nonequilibrium thermodynamic model for electron and phonon transport is formulated based on the steepest-entropy-ascent quantum thermodynamics framework. This framework, based on the principle of steepest entropy ascent (or the equivalent maximum entropy production principle), inherently satisfies the laws of thermodynamics and mechanics and is applicable at all temporal and spatial scales even in the far-from-equilibrium realm. Specifically, the model is proven to recover the Boltzmann transport equations in the near-equilibrium limit and the two-temperature model of electron-phonon coupling when no dispersion is assumed. The heat and mass transport at a temperature discontinuity across a homogeneous interface where the dispersion and coupling of electron and phonon transport are both considered are then modeled. Local nonequilibrium system evolution and nonquasiequilibrium interactions are predicted and the results discussed.

Piezo-Phototronic Effect in a Quantum Well Structure.

PubMed

Huang, Xin; Du, Chunhua; Zhou, Yongli; Jiang, Chunyan; Pu, Xiong; Liu, Wei; Hu, Weiguo; Chen, Hong; Wang, Zhong Lin

2016-05-24

With enhancements in the performance of optoelectronic devices, the field of piezo-phototronics has attracted much attention, and several theoretical works have been reported based on semiclassical models. At present, the feature size of optoelectronic devices are rapidly shrinking toward several tens of nanometers, which results in the quantum confinement effect. Starting from the basic piezoelectricity equation, Schrödinger equation, Poisson equation, and Fermi's golden rule, a self-consistent theoretical model is proposed to study the piezo-phototronic effect in the framework of perturbation theory in quantum mechanics. The validity and universality of this model are well-proven with photoluminescence measurements in a single GaN/InGaN quantum well and multiple GaN/InGaN quantum wells. This study provides important insight into the working principle of nanoscale piezo-phototronic devices as well as guidance for the future device design.

Quantum-statistical theory of microwave detection using superconducting tunnel junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deviatov, I. A.; Kuzmin, L. S.; Likharev, K. K.; Migulin, V. V.; Zorin, A. B.

1986-09-01

A quantum-statistical theory of microwave and millimeter-wave detection using superconducting tunnel junctions is developed, with a rigorous account of quantum, thermal, and shot noise arising from fluctuation sources associated with the junctions, signal source, and matching circuits. The problem of the noise characterization in the quantum sensitivity range is considered and a general noise parameter Theta(N) is introduced. This parameter is shown to be an adequate figure of merit for most receivers of interest while some devices can require a more complex characterization. Analytical expressions and/or numerically calculated plots for Theta(N) are presented for the most promising detection modes including the parametric amplification, heterodyne mixing, and quadratic videodetection, using both the quasiparticle-current and the Cooper-pair-current nonlinearities. Ultimate minimum values of Theta(N) for each detection mode are compared and found to be in agreement with limitations imposed by the quantum-mechanical uncertainty principle.

Pentachlorophenol radical cations generated on Fe(III)-montmorillonite initiate octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin formation in clays: DFT and FTIR studies

PubMed Central

Gu, Cheng; Liu, Cun; Johnston, Cliff T.; Teppen, Brian J.; Li, Hui; Boyd, Stephen A.

2011-01-01

Octachlorodibenzodioxin (OCDD) forms spontaneously from pentachlorophenol (PCP) on the surfaces of Fe(III)-saturated smectite clay (1). Here, we used in situ FTIR methods and quantum mechanical calculations to determine the mechanism by which this reaction is initiated. As the clay was dehydrated, vibrational spectra showed new peaks that grew and then reversibly disappeared as the clay rehydrated. First principle DFT calculations of hydrated Fe-PCP clusters reproduced these transient FTIR peaks when inner-sphere complexation and concomitant electron transfer produced Fe(II) and PCP radical cations. Thus, our experimental (FTIR) and theoretical (quantum mechanical) results mutually support the hypothesis that OCDD formation on Fe-smectite surfaces is initiated by the reversible formation of metastable PCP radical cations via single electron transfer from PCP to Fe(III). The negatively charged clay surface apparently selects for this reaction mechanism by stabilizing PCP radical cations. PMID:21254769

Introduction: Principles of quantum gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crowther, Karen; Rickles, Dean

2014-05-01

In this introduction, we describe the rationale behind this special issue on Principles of Quantum Gravity. We explain what we mean by 'principles' and relate this to the various contributions. Finally, we draw out some general themes that can be found running throughout these contributions.

Adaptation of Acoustic Model Experiments of STM via Smartphones and Tablets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thees, Michael; Hochberg, Katrin; Kuhn, Jochen; Aeschlimann, Martin

2017-01-01

The importance of Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) in today's research and industry leads to the question of how to include such a key technology in physics education. Manfred Euler has developed an acoustic model experiment to illustrate the fundamental measuring principles based on an analogy between quantum mechanics and acoustics. Based on…

The Gravitational Analogue to the Hydrogen Atom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kober, Martin; Koch, Ben; Bleicher, Marcus

2007-01-01

This paper reports on a student summer project performed in 2006 at the University of Frankfurt. It is addressed to undergraduate students familiar with the basic principles of relativistic quantum mechanics and general relativity. The aim of the project was to study the Dirac equation in curved spacetime. To obtain the general relativistic Dirac…

The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle Demonstrated with An Electron Diffraction Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matteucci, Giorgio; Ferrari, Loris; Migliori, Andrea

2010-01-01

An experiment analogous to the classical diffraction of light from a circular aperture has been realized with electrons. The results are used to introduce undergraduate students to the wave behaviour of electrons. The diffraction fringes produced by the circular aperture are compared to those predicted by quantum mechanics and are exploited to…

Conceptual Change through Vicarious Learning in an Authentic Physics Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muller, Derek A.; Sharma, Manjula D.; Eklund, John; Reimann, Peter

2007-01-01

Recent research on principles of best practice for designing effective multimedia instruction has rarely taken into account students' alternative conceptions, which are known to strongly influence learning. The goal of this study was to determine how well students of quantum mechanics could learn "vicariously" by watching a student-tutor dialogue…

Antigravity Acts on Photons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brynjolfsson, Ari

2002-04-01

Einstein's general theory of relativity assumes that photons don't change frequency as they move from Sun to Earth. This assumption is correct in classical physics. All experiments proving the general relativity are in the domain of classical physics. This include the tests by Pound et al. of the gravitational redshift of 14.4 keV photons; the rocket experiments by Vessot et al.; the Galileo solar redshift experiments by Krisher et al.; the gravitational deflection of light experiments by Riveros and Vucetich; and delay of echoes of radar signals passing close to Sun as observed by Shapiro et al. Bohr's correspondence principle assures that quantum mechanical theory of general relativity agrees with Einstein's classical theory when frequency and gravitational field gradient approach zero, or when photons cannot interact with the gravitational field. When we treat photons as quantum mechanical particles; we find that gravitational force on photons is reversed (antigravity). This modified theory contradicts the equivalence principle, but is consistent with all experiments. Solar lines and distant stars are redshifted in accordance with author's plasma redshift theory. These changes result in a beautiful consistent cosmology.

Theory of diatomic molecules in an external electromagnetic field from first quantum mechanical principles.

PubMed

Sindelka, Milan; Moiseyev, Nimrod

2006-04-27

We study a general problem of the translational/rotational/vibrational/electronic dynamics of a diatomic molecule exposed to an interaction with an arbitrary external electromagnetic field. The theory developed in this paper is relevant to a variety of specific applications, such as alignment or orientation of molecules by lasers, trapping of ultracold molecules in optical traps, molecular optics and interferometry, rovibrational spectroscopy of molecules in the presence of intense laser light, or generation of high order harmonics from molecules. Starting from the first quantum mechanical principles, we derive an appropriate molecular Hamiltonian suitable for description of the center of mass, rotational, vibrational, and electronic molecular motions driven by the field within the electric dipole approximation. Consequently, the concept of the Born-Oppenheimer separation between the electronic and the nuclear degrees of freedom in the presence of an electromagnetic field is introduced. Special cases of the dc/ac-field limits are then discussed separately. Finally, we consider a perturbative regime of a weak dc/ac field, and obtain simple analytic formulas for the associated Born-Oppenheimer translational/rotational/vibrational molecular Hamiltonian.

Entanglement model of homeopathy as an example of generalized entanglement predicted by weak quantum theory.

PubMed

Walach, H

2003-08-01

Homeopathy is scientifically banned, both for lack of consistent empirical findings, but more so for lack of a sound theoretical model to explain its purported effects. This paper makes an attempt to introduce an explanatory idea based on a generalized version of quantum mechanics (QM), the weak quantum theory (WQT). WQT uses the algebraic formalism of QM proper, but drops some restrictions and definitions typical for QM. This results in a general axiomatic framework similar to QM, but more generalized and applicable to all possible systems. Most notably, WQT predicts entanglement, which in QM is known as Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) correlatedness within quantum systems. According to WQT, this entanglement is not only tied to quantum systems, but is to be expected whenever a global and a local variable describing a system are complementary. This idea is used here to reconstruct homeopathy as an exemplification of generalized entanglement as predicted by WQT. It transpires that homeopathy uses two instances of generalized entanglement: one between the remedy and the original substance (potentiation principle) and one between the individual symptoms of a patient and the general symptoms of a remedy picture (similarity principle). By bringing these two elements together, double entanglement ensues, which is reminiscent of cryptographic and teleportation applications of entanglement in QM proper. Homeopathy could be a macroscopic analogue to quantum teleportation. This model is exemplified and some predictions are derived, which make it possible to test the model. Copyright 2003 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg

Emergence and mechanism in the fractional quantum Hall effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bain, Jonathan

2016-11-01

For some authors, an adequate notion of emergence must include an account of a mechanism by means of which emergent behavior is realized. This appeal to mechanism is problematic in the case of the fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE). There is a consensus among physicists that the FQHE exhibits emergent phenomena, but there are at least four alternative explanations of the latter that, arguably, appeal to ontologically distinct mechanisms, both at the microphysics level and at the level of general organizing principles. In light of this underdetermination of mechanism, one is faced with the following options: (I) deny that emergence is present in the FQHE; (II) argue for the priority of one mechanistic explanation over the others; or (III) temper the desire for a mechanism-centric account of emergence. I will argue that there are good reasons to reject (I) and (II) and accept (III). In particular, I will suggest that a law-centric account of emergence does just fine in explaining the emergent phenomena associated with the FQHE.

A sub-ensemble theory of ideal quantum measurement processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allahverdyan, Armen E.; Balian, Roger; Nieuwenhuizen, Theo M.

2017-01-01

In order to elucidate the properties currently attributed to ideal measurements, one must explain how the concept of an individual event with a well-defined outcome may emerge from quantum theory which deals with statistical ensembles, and how different runs issued from the same initial state may end up with different final states. This so-called "measurement problem" is tackled with two guidelines. On the one hand, the dynamics of the macroscopic apparatus A coupled to the tested system S is described mathematically within a standard quantum formalism, where " q-probabilities" remain devoid of interpretation. On the other hand, interpretative principles, aimed to be minimal, are introduced to account for the expected features of ideal measurements. Most of the five principles stated here, which relate the quantum formalism to physical reality, are straightforward and refer to macroscopic variables. The process can be identified with a relaxation of S + A to thermodynamic equilibrium, not only for a large ensemble E of runs but even for its sub-ensembles. The different mechanisms of quantum statistical dynamics that ensure these types of relaxation are exhibited, and the required properties of the Hamiltonian of S + A are indicated. The additional theoretical information provided by the study of sub-ensembles remove Schrödinger's quantum ambiguity of the final density operator for E which hinders its direct interpretation, and bring out a commutative behaviour of the pointer observable at the final time. The latter property supports the introduction of a last interpretative principle, needed to switch from the statistical ensembles and sub-ensembles described by quantum theory to individual experimental events. It amounts to identify some formal " q-probabilities" with ordinary frequencies, but only those which refer to the final indications of the pointer. The desired properties of ideal measurements, in particular the uniqueness of the result for each individual run of the ensemble and von Neumann's reduction, are thereby recovered with economic interpretations. The status of Born's rule involving both A and S is re-evaluated, and contextuality of quantum measurements is made obvious.

Cut-and-paste restoration of entanglement transmission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cuevas, Álvaro; Mari, Andrea; De Pasquale, Antonella; Orieux, Adeline; Massaro, Marcello; Sciarrino, Fabio; Mataloni, Paolo; Giovannetti, Vittorio

2017-07-01

The distribution of entangled quantum systems among two or more nodes of a network is a key task at the basis of quantum communication, quantum computation, and quantum cryptography. Unfortunately, the transmission lines used in this procedure can introduce so many perturbations and so much noise in the transmitted signal that they prevent the possibility of restoring quantum correlations in the received messages either by means of encoding optimization or by exploiting local operations and classical communication. In this work we present a procedure which allows one to improve the performance of some of these channels. The mechanism underpinning this result is a protocol which we dub cut and paste, as it consists in extracting and reshuffling the subcomponents of these communication lines, which finally succeed in correcting each other. The proof of this counterintuitive phenomenon, while improving our theoretical understanding of quantum entanglement, also has a direct application in the realization of quantum information networks based on imperfect and highly noisy communication lines. A quantum optics experiment, based on the transmission of single-photon polarization states, is also presented which provides a proof-of-principle test of the proposed protocol.

Practical Quantum Cryptography for Secure Free-Space Communications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Buttler, W.T.; Hughes, R.J.; Kwiat, P.G.

1999-02-01

Quantum cryptography is an emerging technology in which two parties may simultaneously generate shared, secret cryptographic key material using the transmission of quantum states of light. The security of these transmissions is based on the inviolability of the laws of quantum mechanics and information-theoretically secure post-processing methods. An adversary can neither successfully tap the quantum transmissions, nor evade detection, owing to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. In this paper we describe the theory of quantum cryptography, and the most recent results from our experimental free-space system with which we have demonstrated for the first time the feasibility of quantum key generation overmore » a point-to-point outdoor atmospheric path in daylight. We achieved a transmission distance of 0.5 km, which was limited only by the length of the test range. Our results provide strong evidence that cryptographic key material could be generated on demand between a ground station and a satellite (or between two satellites), allowing a satellite to be securely re-keyed on orbit. We present a feasibility analysis of surface-to-satellite quantum key generation.« less

FREE-SPACE QUANTUM CRYPTOGRAPHY IN DAYLIGHT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hughes, R.J.; Buttler, W.T.

2000-01-01

Quantum cryptography is an emerging technology in which two parties may simultaneously generate shared, secret cryptographic key material using the transmission of quantum states of light. The security of these transmissions is based on the inviolability of the laws of quantum mechanics and information-theoretically secure post-processing methods. An adversary can neither successfully tap the quantum transmissions, nor evade detection, owing to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. In this paper we describe the theory of quantum cryptography, and the most recent results from our experimental free-space system with which we have demonstrated for the first time the feasibility of quantum key generation overmore » a point-to-point outdoor atmospheric path in daylight. We achieved a transmission distance of 0.5 km, which was limited only by the length of the test range. Our results provide strong evidence that cryptographic key material could be generated on demand between a ground station and a satellite (or between two satellites), allowing a satellite to be securely re-keyed on orbit. We present a feasibility analysis of surface-to-satellite quantum key generation.« less

Testing the quantum superposition principle: matter waves and beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulbricht, Hendrik

2015-05-01

New technological developments allow to explore the quantum properties of very complex systems, bringing the question of whether also macroscopic systems share such features, within experimental reach. The interest in this question is increased by the fact that, on the theory side, many suggest that the quantum superposition principle is not exact, departures from it being the larger, the more macroscopic the system. Testing the superposition principle intrinsically also means to test suggested extensions of quantum theory, so-called collapse models. We will report on three new proposals to experimentally test the superposition principle with nanoparticle interferometry, optomechanical devices and by spectroscopic experiments in the frequency domain. We will also report on the status of optical levitation and cooling experiments with nanoparticles in our labs, towards an Earth bound matter-wave interferometer to test the superposition principle for a particle mass of one million amu (atomic mass unit).

Quantum Correlations of Light from a Room-Temperature Mechanical Oscillator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sudhir, V.; Schilling, R.; Fedorov, S. A.; Schütz, H.; Wilson, D. J.; Kippenberg, T. J.

2017-07-01

When an optical field is reflected from a compliant mirror, its intensity and phase become quantum-correlated due to radiation pressure. These correlations form a valuable resource: the mirror may be viewed as an effective Kerr medium generating squeezed states of light, or the correlations may be used to erase backaction from an interferometric measurement of the mirror's position. To date, optomechanical quantum correlations have been observed in only a handful of cryogenic experiments, owing to the challenge of distilling them from thermomechanical noise. Accessing them at room temperature, however, would significantly extend their practical impact, with applications ranging from gravitational wave detection to chip-scale accelerometry. Here, we observe broadband quantum correlations developed in an optical field due to its interaction with a room-temperature nanomechanical oscillator, taking advantage of its high-cooperativity near-field coupling to an optical microcavity. The correlations manifest as a reduction in the fluctuations of a rotated quadrature of the field, in a frequency window spanning more than an octave below mechanical resonance. This is due to coherent cancellation of the two sources of quantum noise contaminating the measured quadrature—backaction and imprecision. Supplanting the backaction force with an off-resonant test force, we demonstrate the working principle behind a quantum-enhanced "variational" force measurement.

Protecting solid-state spins from a strongly coupled environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Mo; Calvin Sun, Won Kyu; Saha, Kasturi; Jaskula, Jean-Christophe; Cappellaro, Paola

2018-06-01

Quantum memories are critical for solid-state quantum computing devices and a good quantum memory requires both long storage time and fast read/write operations. A promising system is the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond, where the NV electronic spin serves as the computing qubit and a nearby nuclear spin as the memory qubit. Previous works used remote, weakly coupled 13C nuclear spins, trading read/write speed for long storage time. Here we focus instead on the intrinsic strongly coupled 14N nuclear spin. We first quantitatively understand its decoherence mechanism, identifying as its source the electronic spin that acts as a quantum fluctuator. We then propose a scheme to protect the quantum memory from the fluctuating noise by applying dynamical decoupling on the environment itself. We demonstrate a factor of 3 enhancement of the storage time in a proof-of-principle experiment, showing the potential for a quantum memory that combines fast operation with long coherence time.

Quantum and quasi-classical collisional dynamics of O{sub 2}–Ar at high temperatures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ulusoy, Inga S.; Center for Computational and Molecular Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0400; Andrienko, Daniil A.

A hypersonic vehicle traveling at a high speed disrupts the distribution of internal states in the ambient flow and introduces a nonequilibrium distribution in the post-shock conditions. We investigate the vibrational relaxation in diatom-atom collisions in the range of temperatures between 1000 and 10 000 K by comparing results of extensive fully quantum-mechanical and quasi-classical simulations with available experimental data. The present paper simulates the interaction of molecular oxygen with argon as the first step in developing the aerothermodynamics models based on first principles. We devise a routine to standardize such calculations also for other scattering systems. Our results demonstrate verymore » good agreement of vibrational relaxation time, derived from quantum-mechanical calculations with the experimental measurements conducted in shock tube facilities. At the same time, the quasi-classical simulations fail to accurately predict rates of vibrationally inelastic transitions at temperatures lower than 3000 K. This observation and the computational cost of adopted methods suggest that the next generation of high fidelity thermochemical models should be a combination of quantum and quasi-classical approaches.« less

Quantum and quasi-classical collisional dynamics of O2-Ar at high temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulusoy, Inga S.; Andrienko, Daniil A.; Boyd, Iain D.; Hernandez, Rigoberto

2016-06-01

A hypersonic vehicle traveling at a high speed disrupts the distribution of internal states in the ambient flow and introduces a nonequilibrium distribution in the post-shock conditions. We investigate the vibrational relaxation in diatom-atom collisions in the range of temperatures between 1000 and 10 000 K by comparing results of extensive fully quantum-mechanical and quasi-classical simulations with available experimental data. The present paper simulates the interaction of molecular oxygen with argon as the first step in developing the aerothermodynamics models based on first principles. We devise a routine to standardize such calculations also for other scattering systems. Our results demonstrate very good agreement of vibrational relaxation time, derived from quantum-mechanical calculations with the experimental measurements conducted in shock tube facilities. At the same time, the quasi-classical simulations fail to accurately predict rates of vibrationally inelastic transitions at temperatures lower than 3000 K. This observation and the computational cost of adopted methods suggest that the next generation of high fidelity thermochemical models should be a combination of quantum and quasi-classical approaches.

Causal localizations in relativistic quantum mechanics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Castrigiano, Domenico P. L., E-mail: castrig@ma.tum.de; Leiseifer, Andreas D., E-mail: andreas.leiseifer@tum.de

2015-07-15

Causal localizations describe the position of quantum systems moving not faster than light. They are constructed for the systems with finite spinor dimension. At the center of interest are the massive relativistic systems. For every positive mass, there is the sequence of Dirac tensor-localizations, which provides a complete set of inequivalent irreducible causal localizations. They obey the principle of special relativity and are fully Poincaré covariant. The boosters are determined by the causal position operator and the other Poincaré generators. The localization with minimal spinor dimension is the Dirac localization. Thus, the Dirac equation is derived here as a meremore » consequence of the principle of causality. Moreover, the higher tensor-localizations, not known so far, follow from Dirac’s localization by a simple construction. The probability of localization for positive energy states results to be described by causal positive operator valued (PO-) localizations, which are the traces of the causal localizations on the subspaces of positive energy. These causal Poincaré covariant PO-localizations for every irreducible massive relativistic system were, all the more, not known before. They are shown to be separated. Hence, the positive energy systems can be localized within every open region by a suitable preparation as accurately as desired. Finally, the attempt is made to provide an interpretation of the PO-localization operators within the frame of conventional quantum mechanics attributing an important role to the negative energy states.« less

Causal localizations in relativistic quantum mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castrigiano, Domenico P. L.; Leiseifer, Andreas D.

2015-07-01

Causal localizations describe the position of quantum systems moving not faster than light. They are constructed for the systems with finite spinor dimension. At the center of interest are the massive relativistic systems. For every positive mass, there is the sequence of Dirac tensor-localizations, which provides a complete set of inequivalent irreducible causal localizations. They obey the principle of special relativity and are fully Poincaré covariant. The boosters are determined by the causal position operator and the other Poincaré generators. The localization with minimal spinor dimension is the Dirac localization. Thus, the Dirac equation is derived here as a mere consequence of the principle of causality. Moreover, the higher tensor-localizations, not known so far, follow from Dirac's localization by a simple construction. The probability of localization for positive energy states results to be described by causal positive operator valued (PO-) localizations, which are the traces of the causal localizations on the subspaces of positive energy. These causal Poincaré covariant PO-localizations for every irreducible massive relativistic system were, all the more, not known before. They are shown to be separated. Hence, the positive energy systems can be localized within every open region by a suitable preparation as accurately as desired. Finally, the attempt is made to provide an interpretation of the PO-localization operators within the frame of conventional quantum mechanics attributing an important role to the negative energy states.

The Uncertainty Principle in the Presence of Quantum Memory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Renes, Joseph M.; Berta, Mario; Christandl, Matthias; Colbeck, Roger; Renner, Renato

2010-03-01

One consequence of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle is that no observer can predict the outcomes of two incompatible measurements performed on a system to arbitrary precision. However, this implication is invalid if the the observer possesses a quantum memory, a distinct possibility in light of recent technological advances. Entanglement between the system and the memory is responsible for the breakdown of the uncertainty principle, as illustrated by the EPR paradox. In this work we present an improved uncertainty principle which takes this entanglement into account. By quantifying uncertainty using entropy, we show that the sum of the entropies associated with incompatible measurements must exceed a quantity which depends on the degree of incompatibility and the amount of entanglement between system and memory. Apart from its foundational significance, the uncertainty principle motivated the first proposals for quantum cryptography, though the possibility of an eavesdropper having a quantum memory rules out using the original version to argue that these proposals are secure. The uncertainty relation introduced here alleviates this problem and paves the way for its widespread use in quantum cryptography.

Quantum Gauss-Jordan Elimination and Simulation of Accounting Principles on Quantum Computers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diep, Do Ngoc; Giang, Do Hoang; Van Minh, Nguyen

2017-06-01

The paper is devoted to a version of Quantum Gauss-Jordan Elimination and its applications. In the first part, we construct the Quantum Gauss-Jordan Elimination (QGJE) Algorithm and estimate the complexity of computation of Reduced Row Echelon Form (RREF) of N × N matrices. The main result asserts that QGJE has computation time is of order 2 N/2. The second part is devoted to a new idea of simulation of accounting by quantum computing. We first expose the actual accounting principles in a pure mathematics language. Then, we simulate the accounting principles on quantum computers. We show that, all accounting actions are exhousted by the described basic actions. The main problems of accounting are reduced to some system of linear equations in the economic model of Leontief. In this simulation, we use our constructed Quantum Gauss-Jordan Elimination to solve the problems and the complexity of quantum computing is a square root order faster than the complexity in classical computing.

Conservative Diffusions: a Constructive Approach to Nelson's Stochastic Mechanics.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlen, Eric Anders

In Nelson's stochastic mechanics, quantum phenomena are described in terms of diffusions instead of wave functions; this thesis is a study of that description. We emphasize that we are concerned here with the possibility of describing, as opposed to explaining, quantum phenomena in terms of diffusions. In this direction, the following questions arise: "Do the diffusions of stochastic mechanics--which are formally given by stochastic differential equations with extremely singular coefficients--really exist?" Given that they exist, one can ask, "Do these diffusions have physically reasonable sample path behavior, and can we use information about sample paths to study the behavior of physical systems?" These are the questions we treat in this thesis. In Chapter I we review stochastic mechanics and diffusion theory, using the Guerra-Morato variational principle to establish the connection with the Schroedinger equation. This chapter is largely expository; however, there are some novel features and proofs. In Chapter II we settle the first of the questions raised above. Using PDE methods, we construct the diffusions of stochastic mechanics. Our result is sufficiently general to be of independent mathematical interest. In Chapter III we treat potential scattering in stochastic mechanics and discuss direct probabilistic methods of studying quantum scattering problems. Our results provide a solid "Yes" in answer to the second question raised above.

An uncertainty principle for unimodular quantum groups

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crann, Jason; Université Lille 1 - Sciences et Technologies, UFR de Mathématiques, Laboratoire de Mathématiques Paul Painlevé - UMR CNRS 8524, 59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq Cédex; Kalantar, Mehrdad, E-mail: jason-crann@carleton.ca, E-mail: mkalanta@math.carleton.ca

2014-08-15

We present a generalization of Hirschman's entropic uncertainty principle for locally compact Abelian groups to unimodular locally compact quantum groups. As a corollary, we strengthen a well-known uncertainty principle for compact groups, and generalize the relation to compact quantum groups of Kac type. We also establish the complementarity of finite-dimensional quantum group algebras. In the non-unimodular setting, we obtain an uncertainty relation for arbitrary locally compact groups using the relative entropy with respect to the Haar weight as the measure of uncertainty. We also show that when restricted to q-traces of discrete quantum groups, the relative entropy with respect tomore » the Haar weight reduces to the canonical entropy of the random walk generated by the state.« less

Quantum Theory of Jaynes' Principle, Bayes' Theorem, and Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haken, Hermann

2014-12-01

After a reminder of Jaynes' maximum entropy principle and of my quantum theoretical extension, I consider two coupled quantum systems A,B and formulate a quantum version of Bayes' theorem. The application of Feynman's disentangling theorem allows me to calculate the conditional density matrix ρ (A|B) , if system A is an oscillator (or a set of them), linearly coupled to an arbitrary quantum system B. Expectation values can simply be calculated by means of the normalization factor of ρ (A|B) that is derived.

Coupled Structural, Thermal, Phase-change and Electromagnetic Analysis for Superconductors, Volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Felippa, C. A.; Farhat, C.; Park, K. C.; Militello, C.; Schuler, J. J.

1996-01-01

Described are the theoretical development and computer implementation of reliable and efficient methods for the analysis of coupled mechanical problems that involve the interaction of mechanical, thermal, phase-change and electromag subproblems. The focus application has been the modeling of superconductivity and associated quantum-state phase change phenomena. In support of this objective the work has addressed the following issues: (1) development of variational principles for finite elements, (2) finite element modeling of the electromagnetic problem, (3) coupling of thermel and mechanical effects, and (4) computer implementation and solution of the superconductivity transition problem. The main accomplishments have been: (1) the development of the theory of parametrized and gauged variational principles, (2) the application of those principled to the construction of electromagnetic, thermal and mechanical finite elements, and (3) the coupling of electromagnetic finite elements with thermal and superconducting effects, and (4) the first detailed finite element simulations of bulk superconductors, in particular the Meissner effect and the nature of the normal conducting boundary layer. The theoretical development is described in two volumes. Volume 1 describes mostly formulation specific problems. Volume 2 describes generalization of those formulations.

Quantum theory and Aquinas's doctrine on matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grove, Stanley F.

The Aristotelian conception of the material principle, deepened by Aquinas, is today widely misunderstood and largely alien to modern mathematical physics, despite the latter's preoccupation with matter and the spatiotemporal. The present dissertation seeks to develop a coherent understanding of matter in the Aristotelian-Thomistic sense, and to apply it to some key interpretive issues in quantum physics. I begin with a brief historical analysis of the Aristotelian, Newtonian ("classical"), and modern (quantum) approaches to physics, in order to highlight their commonality as well as their differences. Next, matter---especially prime matter---is investigated, in an Aristotelian-Thomistic perspective, under several rationes: as principle of individuation, as principle of extension or spatiality, as principle of corruptibility, as related to essence and existence, and as ground of intelligibility. An attempt is made to order these different rationes according to primordiality. A number of topics concerning the formal structure of hylomorphic being are then addressed: elementarity, virtual presence, the "dispositions of matter," entia vialia, natural minima, atomism, the nature of local motion, the plenum and instantaneous action at a distance---all with a view to their incorporation in a unified account of formed matter at or near the elementary level. Finally I take up several interpretive problems in quantum physics which were introduced early in the dissertation, and show how the material and formal principles expounded in the central chapters can render these problems intelligible. Thus I propose that wave and particle aspects in the quantum realm are related substantially rather than accidentally, and that characteristics of substantial (prime) matter and substantial form are therefore being evidenced directly at this level---in the reversibility of the wave-particle transition, in the spatial and temporal instantaneity of quantum events, and in the probabilism encountered in such phenomena. I offer related hypotheses for Heisenberg uncertainty and for quantum nonlocality. In closing, I address some strengths and weaknesses in others' work on quantum interpretation in the light of Aristotelian principles. Three Appendices explore further aspects of matter as a cosmic principle.

How to (properly) strengthen Bell's theorem using counterfactuals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bigaj, Tomasz

Bell's theorem in its standard version demonstrates that the joint assumptions of the hidden-variable hypothesis and the principle of local causation lead to a conflict with quantum-mechanical predictions. In his latest counterfactual strengthening of Bell's theorem, Stapp attempts to prove that the locality assumption itself contradicts the quantum-mechanical predictions in the Hardy case. His method relies on constructing a complex, non-truth functional formula which consists of statements about measurements and outcomes in some region R, and whose truth value depends on the selection of a measurement setting in a space-like separated location L. Stapp argues that this fact shows that the information about the measurement selection made in L has to be present in R. I give detailed reasons why this conclusion can and should be resisted. Next I correct and formalize an informal argument by Shimony and Stein showing that the locality condition coupled with Einstein's criterion of reality is inconsistent with quantum-mechanical predictions. I discuss the possibility of avoiding the inconsistency by rejecting Einstein's criterion rather than the locality assumption.

On the quantum mechanics of consciousness, with application to anomalous phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jahn, Robert G.; Dunne, Brenda J.

1986-08-01

Theoretical explication of a growing body of empirical data on consciousness-related anomalous phenomena is unlikely to be achieved in terms of known physical processes. Rather, it will first be necessary to formulate the basic role of consciousness in the definition of reality before such anomalous experience can adequately be represented. This paper takes the position that reality is constituted only in the interaction of consciousness with its environment, and therefore that any scheme of conceptual organization developed to represent that reality must reflect the processes of consciousness as well as those of its environment. In this spirit, the concepts and formalisms of elementary quantum mechanics, as originally proposed to explain anomalous atomic-scale physical phenomena, are appropriated via metaphor to represent the general characteristics of consciousness interacting with any environment. More specifically, if consciousness is represented by a quantum mechanical wave function, and its environment by an appropriate potential profile, Schrödinger wave mechanics defines eigenfunctions and eigenvalues that can be associated with the cognitive and emotional experiences of that consciousness in that environment. To articulate this metaphor it is necessary to associate certain aspects of the formalism, such as the coordinate system, the quantum numbers, and even the metric itself, with various impressionistic descriptors of consciousness, such as its intensity, perspective, approach/avoidance attitude, balance between cognitive and emotional activity, and receptive/assertive disposition. With these established, a number of the generic features of quantum mechanics, such as the wave/particle duality, and the uncertainty, indistinguishability, and exclusion principles, display metaphoric relevance to familiar individual and collective experiences. Similarly, such traditional quantum theoretic exercises as the central force field and atomic structure, covalent molecular bonds, barrier penetration, and quantum statistical collective behavior become useful analogies for representation of a variety of consciousness experiences, both normal and anomalous, and for the design of experiments to study these systematically.

High-capacity quantum secure direct communication using hyper-entanglement of photonic qubits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Jiarui; Pan, Ziwen; Wang, Tie-Jun; Wang, Sihai; Wang, Chuan

2016-11-01

Hyper-entanglement is a system constituted by photons entangled in multiple degrees of freedom (DOF), being considered as a promising way of increasing channel capacity and guaranteeing powerful eavesdropping safeguard. In this work, we propose a coding scheme based on a 3-particle hyper-entanglement of polarization and orbital angular momentum (OAM) system and its application as a quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) protocol. The OAM values are specially encoded by Fibonacci sequence and the polarization carries information by defined unitary operations. The internal relations of the secret message enhances security due to principle of quantum mechanics and Fibonacci sequence. We also discuss the coding capacity and security property along with some simulation results to show its superiority and extensibility.

The Principle of the Fermionic Projector: An Approach for Quantum Gravity?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finster, Felix

In this short article we introduce the mathematical framework of the principle of the fermionic projector and set up a variational principle in discrete space-time. The underlying physical principles are discussed. We outline the connection to the continuum theory and state recent results. In the last two sections, we speculate on how it might be possible to describe quantum gravity within this framework.

EDITORIAL: Focus on Mechanical Systems at the Quantum Limit FOCUS ON MECHANICAL SYSTEMS AT THE QUANTUM LIMIT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aspelmeyer, Markus; Schwab, Keith

2008-09-01

The last five years have witnessed an amazing development in the field of nano- and micromechanics. What was widely considered fantasy ten years ago is about to become an experimental reality: the quantum regime of mechanical systems is within reach of current experiments. Two factors (among many) have contributed significantly to this situation. As part of the widespread effort into nanoscience and nanofabrication, it is now possible to produce high-quality nanomechanical and micromechanical resonators, spanning length scales of millimetres to nanometres, and frequencies from kilohertz to gigahertz. Researchers coupled these mechanical elements to high-sensitivity actuation and readout systems such as single-electron transistors, quantum dots, atomic point contacts, SQUID loops, high-finesse optical or microwave-cavities etc. Some of these ultra-sensitive readout schemes are in principle capable of detection at the quantum limit and a large part of the experimental effort is at present devoted to achieving this. On the other hand, the fact that the groups working in the field come from various different physics backgrounds—the authors of this editorial are a representative sample—has been a constant source of inspiration for helpful theoretical and experimental tools that have been adapted from other fields to the mechanical realm. To name just one example: ideas from quantum optics have led to the recent demonstration (both in theory and experiment) that coupling a mechanical resonator to a high-finesse optical cavity can be fully analogous to the well-known sideband-resolved laser cooling of ions and hence is capable in principle of cooling a mechanical mode into its quantum ground state. There is no doubt that such interdisciplinarity has been a crucial element for the development of the field. It is interesting to note that a very similar sociological phenomenon occurred earlier in the quantum information community, an area which is deeply enriched by the diverse backgrounds and approaches of the researchers. As diverse as the approaches are the manifold of goals and perspectives for operating mechanical systems close to or within the quantum regime. Already now, nanomechanical sensors achieve single-molecule mass detection and magnetic resonance force detection from single-electron spins although they are operated far from quantum. Quantum-limited mechanical devices promise a new technology with hitherto unachieved performance for high-resolution sensing. This is also of high relevance for macroscopic mechanical resonators used in gravitational wave detectors. Furthermore, the increasing capability to couple mechanical modes to individual quantum systems raises the interesting question of whether mechanics can serve as a quantum bus in hybrid implementations of quantum information processing. Finally, the possibility of generating quantum superposition states that involve displacements of a massive macroscopic object (such as the center of mass of a mechanical beam) provides a completely new parameter regime for testing quantum theory over the amazing range from nanomechanical objects of several picograms up to gram-scale mirrors used in gravitational wave interferometers. We are looking forward to these fascinating developments! This Focus Issue is intended to highlight the present status of the field and to provide both introduction and motivation for students and researchers who want to get familiar with this exciting area or even want to join it. It also complements the conference activities of our community during the last year, where a series of dedicated invited sessions at several international conferences (APS March Meeting 2008, CLEO/QELS 2008, OSA Frontiers in Optics 2008, PQE 2008/2009 etc) culminated in the first Gordon Conference on 'Mechanical Systems at the Quantum Limit'. Given the fast development of the field it was not surprising to see that during the collection of the following contributions new progress was reported almost on a monthly basis and new groups entered the field. We intend to keep submission to this Focus Issue open for some time and invite everyone to share their latest results with us. And finally, a note to our fellow colleagues: keep up the good work! We would like to call the next Focus Issue 'Mechanical Systems IN the Quantum Regime'. Focus on Mechanical Systems at the Quantum Limit Contents Parametric coupling between macroscopic quantum resonators L Tian, M S Allman and R W Simmonds Quantum noise in a nanomechanical Duffing resonator E Babourina-Brooks, A Doherty and G J Milburn Creating and verifying a quantum superposition in a micro-optomechanical system Dustin Kleckner, Igor Pikovski, Evan Jeffrey, Luuk Ament, Eric Eliel, Jeroen van den Brink and Dirk Bouwmeester Ground-state cooling of a nanomechanical resonator via a Cooper-pair box qubit Konstanze Jaehne, Klemens Hammerer and Margareta Wallquist Dissipation in circuit quantum electrodynamics: lasing and cooling of a low-frequency oscillator Julian Hauss, Arkady Fedorov, Stephan André, Valentina Brosco, Carsten Hutter, Robin Kothari, Sunil Yeshwanth, Alexander Shnirman and Gerd Schön Route to ponderomotive entanglement of light via optically trapped mirrors Christopher Wipf, Thomas Corbitt, Yanbei Chen and Nergis Mavalvala Nanomechanical-resonator-assisted induced transparency in a Cooper-pair box system Xiao-Zhong Yuan, Hsi-Sheng Goan, Chien-Hung Lin, Ka-Di Zhu and Yi-Wen Jiang High-sensitivity monitoring of micromechanical vibration using optical whispering gallery mode resonators A Schliesser, G Anetsberger, R Rivière, O Arcizet and T J Kippenberg Optomechanical to mechanical entanglement transformation Giovanni Vacanti, Mauro Paternostro, G Massimo Palma and Vlatko Vedral The optomechanical instability in the quantum regime Max Ludwig, Björn Kubala and Florian Marquardt Quantum limits of photothermal and radiation pressure cooling of a movable mirror M Pinard and A Dantan Mechanical feedback in the high-frequency limit R El Boubsi, O Usmani and Ya M Blanter Back-action evasion and squeezing of a mechanical resonator using a cavity detector A A Clerk, F Marquardt and K Jacobs Simultaneous cooling and entanglement of mechanical modes of a micromirror in an optical cavity Claudiu Genes, David Vitali and Paolo Tombesi Dispersive optomechanics: a membrane inside a cavity A M Jayich, J C Sankey, B M Zwickl, C Yang, J D Thompson, S M Girvin, A A Clerk, F Marquardt and J G E Harris Cavity-assisted backaction cooling of mechanical resonators I Wilson-Rae, N Nooshi, J Dobrindt, T J Kippenberg and W Zwerger Cavity cooling of a nanomechanical resonator by light scattering I Favero and K Karrai Probing the quantum coherence of a nanomechanical resonator using a superconducting qubit: II. Implementation M P Blencowe and A D Armour Probing the quantum coherence of a nanomechanical resonator using a superconducting qubit: I. Echo scheme A D Armour and M P Blencowe Nanoelectromechanics of suspended carbon nanotubes A K Hüttel, M Poot, B Witkamp and H S J van der Zant Prospects for cooling nanomechanical motion by coupling to a superconducting microwave resonator J D Teufel, C A Regal and K W Lehnert

Playing with Light: Adventures in Optics and Spectroscopy for Honors and Majors General Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Staveren, Marie N.; Edwards, Kimberly D.; Apkarian, V. A.

2012-01-01

A lab was developed for use in an undergraduate honors and majors general chemistry laboratory to introduce students to optics, spectroscopy, and the underlying principles of quantum mechanics. This lab includes four mini-experiments exploring total internal reflection, the tunneling of light, spectra of sparklers and colored candles, and emission…

Atomic resolution elemental mapping using energy-filtered imaging scanning transmission electron microscopy with chromatic aberration correction.

PubMed

Krause, F F; Rosenauer, A; Barthel, J; Mayer, J; Urban, K; Dunin-Borkowski, R E; Brown, H G; Forbes, B D; Allen, L J

2017-10-01

This paper addresses a novel approach to atomic resolution elemental mapping, demonstrating a method that produces elemental maps with a similar resolution to the established method of electron energy-loss spectroscopy in scanning transmission electron microscopy. Dubbed energy-filtered imaging scanning transmission electron microscopy (EFISTEM) this mode of imaging is, by the quantum mechanical principle of reciprocity, equivalent to tilting the probe in energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM) through a cone and incoherently averaging the results. In this paper we present a proof-of-principle EFISTEM experimental study on strontium titanate. The present approach, made possible by chromatic aberration correction, has the advantage that it provides elemental maps which are immune to spatial incoherence in the electron source, coherent aberrations in the probe-forming lens and probe jitter. The veracity of the experiment is supported by quantum mechanical image simulations, which provide an insight into the image-forming process. Elemental maps obtained in EFTEM suffer from the effect known as preservation of elastic contrast, which, for example, can lead to a given atomic species appearing to be in atomic columns where it is not to be found. EFISTEM very substantially reduces the preservation of elastic contrast and yields images which show stability of contrast with changing thickness. The experimental application is demonstrated in a proof-of-principle study on strontium titanate. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High-level theoretical study of the reaction between hydroxyl and ammonia: Accurate rate constants from 200 to 2500 K

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Thanh Lam; Stanton, John F.

2017-10-01

Hydrogen abstraction from NH3 by OH to produce H2O and NH2—an important reaction in combustion of NH3 fuel—was studied with a theoretical approach that combines high level quantum chemistry and advanced chemical kinetics methods. Thermal rate constants calculated from first principles agree well (within 5%-20%) with available experimental data over a temperature range that extends from 200 to 2500 K. Quantum mechanical tunneling effects were found to be important; they lead to a decided curvature and non-Arrhenius behavior for the rate constant.

High-level theoretical study of the reaction between hydroxyl and ammonia: Accurate rate constants from 200 to 2500 K.

PubMed

Nguyen, Thanh Lam; Stanton, John F

2017-10-21

Hydrogen abstraction from NH 3 by OH to produce H 2 O and NH 2 -an important reaction in combustion of NH 3 fuel-was studied with a theoretical approach that combines high level quantum chemistry and advanced chemical kinetics methods. Thermal rate constants calculated from first principles agree well (within 5%-20%) with available experimental data over a temperature range that extends from 200 to 2500 K. Quantum mechanical tunneling effects were found to be important; they lead to a decided curvature and non-Arrhenius behavior for the rate constant.

Quantum design of photosynthesis for bio-inspired solar-energy conversion.

PubMed

Romero, Elisabet; Novoderezhkin, Vladimir I; van Grondelle, Rienk

2017-03-15

Photosynthesis is the natural process that converts solar photons into energy-rich products that are needed to drive the biochemistry of life. Two ultrafast processes form the basis of photosynthesis: excitation energy transfer and charge separation. Under optimal conditions, every photon that is absorbed is used by the photosynthetic organism. Fundamental quantum mechanics phenomena, including delocalization, underlie the speed, efficiency and directionality of the charge-separation process. At least four design principles are active in natural photosynthesis, and these can be applied practically to stimulate the development of bio-inspired, human-made energy conversion systems.

Observation of entanglement between a quantum dot spin and a single photon.

PubMed

Gao, W B; Fallahi, P; Togan, E; Miguel-Sanchez, J; Imamoglu, A

2012-11-15

Entanglement has a central role in fundamental tests of quantum mechanics as well as in the burgeoning field of quantum information processing. Particularly in the context of quantum networks and communication, a main challenge is the efficient generation of entanglement between stationary (spin) and propagating (photon) quantum bits. Here we report the observation of quantum entanglement between a semiconductor quantum dot spin and the colour of a propagating optical photon. The demonstration of entanglement relies on the use of fast, single-photon detection, which allows us to project the photon into a superposition of red and blue frequency components. Our results extend the previous demonstrations of single-spin/single-photon entanglement in trapped ions, neutral atoms and nitrogen-vacancy centres to the domain of artificial atoms in semiconductor nanostructures that allow for on-chip integration of electronic and photonic elements. As a result of its fast optical transitions and favourable selection rules, the scheme we implement could in principle generate nearly deterministic entangled spin-photon pairs at a rate determined ultimately by the high spontaneous emission rate. Our observation constitutes a first step towards implementation of a quantum network with nodes consisting of semiconductor spin quantum bits.

First-principles quantum-mechanical investigations of biomass conversion at the liquid-solid interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dang, Hongli; Xue, Wenhua; Liu, Yingdi; Jentoft, Friederike; Resasco, Daniel; Wang, Sanwu

2014-03-01

We report first-principles density-functional calculations and ab initio molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for the reactions involving furfural, which is an important intermediate in biomass conversion, at the catalytic liquid-solid interfaces. The different dynamic processes of furfural at the water-Cu(111) and water-Pd(111) interfaces suggest different catalytic reaction mechanisms for the conversion of furfural. Simulations for the dynamic processes with and without hydrogen demonstrate the importance of the liquid-solid interface as well as the presence of hydrogen in possible catalytic reactions including hydrogenation and decarbonylation of furfural. Supported by DOE (DE-SC0004600). This research used the supercomputer resources of the XSEDE, the NERSC Center, and the Tandy Supercomputing Center.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pan, Yu, E-mail: yu.pan@anu.edu.au, E-mail: zibo.miao@anu.edu.au; Miao, Zibo, E-mail: yu.pan@anu.edu.au, E-mail: zibo.miao@anu.edu.au; Amini, Hadis, E-mail: nhamini@stanford.edu

Quantum Markovian systems, modeled as unitary dilations in the quantum stochastic calculus of Hudson and Parthasarathy, have become standard in current quantum technological applications. This paper investigates the stability theory of such systems. Lyapunov-type conditions in the Heisenberg picture are derived in order to stabilize the evolution of system operators as well as the underlying dynamics of the quantum states. In particular, using the quantum Markov semigroup associated with this quantum stochastic differential equation, we derive sufficient conditions for the existence and stability of a unique and faithful invariant quantum state. Furthermore, this paper proves the quantum invariance principle, whichmore » extends the LaSalle invariance principle to quantum systems in the Heisenberg picture. These results are formulated in terms of algebraic constraints suitable for engineering quantum systems that are used in coherent feedback networks.« less

Inertial rotation measurement with atomic spins: From angular momentum conservation to quantum phase theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, C.; Yuan, H.; Tang, Z.; Quan, W.; Fang, J. C.

2016-12-01

Rotation measurement in an inertial frame is an important technology for modern advanced navigation systems and fundamental physics research. Inertial rotation measurement with atomic spin has demonstrated potential in both high-precision applications and small-volume low-cost devices. After rapid development in the last few decades, atomic spin gyroscopes are considered a promising competitor to current conventional gyroscopes—from rate-grade to strategic-grade applications. Although it has been more than a century since the discovery of the relationship between atomic spin and mechanical rotation by Einstein [Naturwissenschaften, 3(19) (1915)], research on the coupling between spin and rotation is still a focus point. The semi-classical Larmor precession model is usually adopted to describe atomic spin gyroscope measurement principles. More recently, the geometric phase theory has provided a different view of the rotation measurement mechanism via atomic spin. The theory has been used to describe a gyroscope based on the nuclear spin ensembles in diamond. A comprehensive understanding of inertial rotation measurement principles based on atomic spin would be helpful for future applications. This work reviews different atomic spin gyroscopes and their rotation measurement principles with a historical overlook. In addition, the spin-rotation coupling mechanism in the context of the quantum phase theory is presented. The geometric phase is assumed to be the origin of the measurable rotation signal from atomic spins. In conclusion, with a complete understanding of inertial rotation measurements using atomic spin and advances in techniques, wide application of high-performance atomic spin gyroscopes is expected in the near future.

Multiscale Modeling of Plasmon-Enhanced Power Conversion Efficiency in Nanostructured Solar Cells.

PubMed

Meng, Lingyi; Yam, ChiYung; Zhang, Yu; Wang, Rulin; Chen, GuanHua

2015-11-05

The unique optical properties of nanometallic structures can be exploited to confine light at subwavelength scales. This excellent light trapping is critical to improve light absorption efficiency in nanoscale photovoltaic devices. Here, we apply a multiscale quantum mechanics/electromagnetics (QM/EM) method to model the current-voltage characteristics and optical properties of plasmonic nanowire-based solar cells. The QM/EM method features a combination of first-principles quantum mechanical treatment of the photoactive component and classical description of electromagnetic environment. The coupled optical-electrical QM/EM simulations demonstrate a dramatic enhancement for power conversion efficiency of nanowire solar cells due to the surface plasmon effect of nanometallic structures. The improvement is attributed to the enhanced scattering of light into the photoactive layer. We further investigate the optimal configuration of the nanostructured solar cell. Our QM/EM simulation result demonstrates that a further increase of internal quantum efficiency can be achieved by scattering light into the n-doped region of the device.

Measures of Quantum Synchronization in Continuous Variable Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mari, A.; Farace, A.; Didier, N.; Giovannetti, V.; Fazio, R.

2013-09-01

We introduce and characterize two different measures which quantify the level of synchronization of coupled continuous variable quantum systems. The two measures allow us to extend to the quantum domain the notions of complete and phase synchronization. The Heisenberg principle sets a universal bound to complete synchronization. The measure of phase synchronization is, in principle, unbounded; however, in the absence of quantum resources (e.g., squeezing) the synchronization level is bounded below a certain threshold. We elucidate some interesting connections between entanglement and synchronization and, finally, discuss an application based on quantum optomechanical systems.

Measures of quantum synchronization in continuous variable systems.

PubMed

Mari, A; Farace, A; Didier, N; Giovannetti, V; Fazio, R

2013-09-06

We introduce and characterize two different measures which quantify the level of synchronization of coupled continuous variable quantum systems. The two measures allow us to extend to the quantum domain the notions of complete and phase synchronization. The Heisenberg principle sets a universal bound to complete synchronization. The measure of phase synchronization is, in principle, unbounded; however, in the absence of quantum resources (e.g., squeezing) the synchronization level is bounded below a certain threshold. We elucidate some interesting connections between entanglement and synchronization and, finally, discuss an application based on quantum optomechanical systems.

Quantum mechanical which-way experiment with an internal degree of freedom

PubMed Central

Banaszek, Konrad; Horodecki, Paweł; Karpiński, Michał; Radzewicz, Czesław

2013-01-01

For a particle travelling through an interferometer, the trade-off between the available which-way information and the interference visibility provides a lucid manifestation of the quantum mechanical wave–particle duality. Here we analyse this relation for a particle possessing an internal degree of freedom such as spin. We quantify the trade-off with a general inequality that paints an unexpectedly intricate picture of wave–particle duality when internal states are involved. Strikingly, in some instances which-way information becomes erased by introducing classical uncertainty in the internal degree of freedom. Furthermore, even imperfect interference visibility measured for a suitable set of spin preparations can be sufficient to infer absence of which-way information. General results are illustrated with a proof-of-principle single-photon experiment. PMID:24161992

Fundamental Structure of Loop Quantum Gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Muxin; Ma, Yongge; Huang, Weiming

In the recent twenty years, loop quantum gravity, a background independent approach to unify general relativity and quantum mechanics, has been widely investigated. The aim of loop quantum gravity is to construct a mathematically rigorous, background independent, non-perturbative quantum theory for a Lorentzian gravitational field on a four-dimensional manifold. In the approach, the principles of quantum mechanics are combined with those of general relativity naturally. Such a combination provides us a picture of, so-called, quantum Riemannian geometry, which is discrete on the fundamental scale. Imposing the quantum constraints in analogy from the classical ones, the quantum dynamics of gravity is being studied as one of the most important issues in loop quantum gravity. On the other hand, the semi-classical analysis is being carried out to test the classical limit of the quantum theory. In this review, the fundamental structure of loop quantum gravity is presented pedagogically. Our main aim is to help non-experts to understand the motivations, basic structures, as well as general results. It may also be beneficial to practitioners to gain insights from different perspectives on the theory. We will focus on the theoretical framework itself, rather than its applications, and do our best to write it in modern and precise langauge while keeping the presentation accessible for beginners. After reviewing the classical connection dynamical formalism of general relativity, as a foundation, the construction of the kinematical Ashtekar-Isham-Lewandowski representation is introduced in the content of quantum kinematics. The algebraic structure of quantum kinematics is also discussed. In the content of quantum dynamics, we mainly introduce the construction of a Hamiltonian constraint operator and the master constraint project. At last, some applications and recent advances are outlined. It should be noted that this strategy of quantizing gravity can also be extended to obtain other background-independent quantum gauge theories. There is no divergence within this background-independent and diffeomorphism-invariant quantization program of matter coupled to gravity.

Ensembles and Experiments in Classical and Quantum Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neumaier, Arnold

A philosophically consistent axiomatic approach to classical and quantum mechanics is given. The approach realizes a strong formal implementation of Bohr's correspondence principle. In all instances, classical and quantum concepts are fully parallel: the same general theory has a classical realization and a quantum realization. Extending the ''probability via expectation'' approach of Whittle to noncommuting quantities, this paper defines quantities, ensembles, and experiments as mathematical concepts and shows how to model complementarity, uncertainty, probability, nonlocality and dynamics in these terms. The approach carries no connotation of unlimited repeatability; hence it can be applied to unique systems such as the universe. Consistent experiments provide an elegant solution to the reality problem, confirming the insistence of the orthodox Copenhagen interpretation on that there is nothing but ensembles, while avoiding its elusive reality picture. The weak law of large numbers explains the emergence of classical properties for macroscopic systems.

Role of chiral quantum Hall edge states in nuclear spin polarization.

PubMed

Yang, Kaifeng; Nagase, Katsumi; Hirayama, Yoshiro; Mishima, Tetsuya D; Santos, Michael B; Liu, Hongwu

2017-04-20

Resistively detected NMR (RDNMR) based on dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) in a quantum Hall ferromagnet (QHF) is a highly sensitive method for the discovery of fascinating quantum Hall phases; however, the mechanism of this DNP and, in particular, the role of quantum Hall edge states in it are unclear. Here we demonstrate the important but previously unrecognized effect of chiral edge modes on the nuclear spin polarization. A side-by-side comparison of the RDNMR signals from Hall bar and Corbino disk configurations allows us to distinguish the contributions of bulk and edge states to DNP in QHF. The unidirectional current flow along chiral edge states makes the polarization robust to thermal fluctuations at high temperatures and makes it possible to observe a reciprocity principle of the RDNMR response. These findings help us better understand complex NMR responses in QHF, which has important implications for the development of RDNMR techniques.

Theories of Matter, Space and Time; Classical theories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, N.; King, S. F.

2017-12-01

This book and its sequel ('Theories of Matter Space and Time: Quantum Theories') are taken from third and fourth year undergraduate Physics courses at Southampton University, UK. The aim of both books is to move beyond the initial courses in classical mechanics, special relativity, electromagnetism, and quantum theory to more sophisticated views of these subjects and their interdependence. The goal is to guide undergraduates through some of the trickier areas of theoretical physics with concise analysis while revealing the key elegance of each subject. The first chapter introduces the key areas of the principle of least action, an alternative treatment of Newtownian dynamics, that provides new understanding of conservation laws. In particular, it shows how the formalism evolved from Fermat's principle of least time in optics. The second introduces special relativity leading quickly to the need and form of four-vectors. It develops four-vectors for all kinematic variables and generalize Newton's second law to the relativistic environment; then returns to the principle of least action for a free relativistic particle. The third chapter presents a review of the integral and differential forms of Maxwell's equations before massaging them to four-vector form so that the Lorentz boost properties of electric and magnetic fields are transparent. Again, it then returns to the action principle to formulate minimal substitution for an electrically charged particle.

Can quantum coherent solar cells break detailed balance?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirk, Alexander P.

2015-07-01

Carefully engineered coherent quantum states have been proposed as a design attribute that is hypothesized to enable solar photovoltaic cells to break the detailed balance (or radiative) limit of power conversion efficiency by possibly causing radiative recombination to be suppressed. However, in full compliance with the principles of statistical mechanics and the laws of thermodynamics, specially prepared coherent quantum states do not allow a solar photovoltaic cell—a quantum threshold energy conversion device—to exceed the detailed balance limit of power conversion efficiency. At the condition given by steady-state open circuit operation with zero nonradiative recombination, the photon absorption rate (or carrier photogeneration rate) must balance the photon emission rate (or carrier radiative recombination rate) thus ensuring that detailed balance prevails. Quantum state transitions, entropy-generating hot carrier relaxation, and photon absorption and emission rate balancing are employed holistically and self-consistently along with calculations of current density, voltage, and power conversion efficiency to explain why detailed balance may not be violated in solar photovoltaic cells.

Temperature equilibration rate with Fermi-Dirac statistics.

PubMed

Brown, Lowell S; Singleton, Robert L

2007-12-01

We calculate analytically the electron-ion temperature equilibration rate in a fully ionized, weakly to moderately coupled plasma, using an exact treatment of the Fermi-Dirac electrons. The temperature is sufficiently high so that the quantum-mechanical Born approximation to the scattering is valid. It should be emphasized that we do not build a model of the energy exchange mechanism, but rather, we perform a systematic first principles calculation of the energy exchange. At the heart of this calculation lies the method of dimensional continuation, a technique that we borrow from quantum field theory and use in a different fashion to regulate the kinetic equations in a consistent manner. We can then perform a systematic perturbation expansion and thereby obtain a finite first-principles result to leading and next-to-leading order. Unlike model building, this systematic calculation yields an estimate of its own error and thus prescribes its domain of applicability. The calculational error is small for a weakly to moderately coupled plasma, for which our result is nearly exact. It should also be emphasized that our calculation becomes unreliable for a strongly coupled plasma, where the perturbative expansion that we employ breaks down, and one must then utilize model building and computer simulations. Besides providing different and potentially useful results, we use this calculation as an opportunity to explain the method of dimensional continuation in a pedagogical fashion. Interestingly, in the regime of relevance for many inertial confinement fusion experiments, the degeneracy corrections are comparable in size to the subleading quantum correction below the Born approximation. For consistency, we therefore present this subleading quantum-to-classical transition correction in addition to the degeneracy correction.

Optimal quantum cloning based on the maximin principle by using a priori information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Peng; Dai, Hong-Yi; Wei, Jia-Hua; Zhang, Ming

2016-10-01

We propose an optimal 1 →2 quantum cloning method based on the maximin principle by making full use of a priori information of amplitude and phase about the general cloned qubit input set, which is a simply connected region enclosed by a "longitude-latitude grid" on the Bloch sphere. Theoretically, the fidelity of the optimal quantum cloning machine derived from this method is the largest in terms of the maximin principle compared with that of any other machine. The problem solving is an optimization process that involves six unknown complex variables, six vectors in an uncertain-dimensional complex vector space, and four equality constraints. Moreover, by restricting the structure of the quantum cloning machine, the optimization problem is simplified as a three-real-parameter suboptimization problem with only one equality constraint. We obtain the explicit formula for a suboptimal quantum cloning machine. Additionally, the fidelity of our suboptimal quantum cloning machine is higher than or at least equal to that of universal quantum cloning machines and phase-covariant quantum cloning machines. It is also underlined that the suboptimal cloning machine outperforms the "belt quantum cloning machine" for some cases.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Flego, S.P.; Plastino, A.; Universitat de les Illes Balears and IFISC-CSIC, 07122 Palma de Mallorca

We explore intriguing links connecting Hellmann-Feynman's theorem to a thermodynamics information-optimizing principle based on Fisher's information measure. - Highlights: > We link a purely quantum mechanical result, the Hellmann-Feynman theorem, with Jaynes' information theoretical reciprocity relations. > These relations involve the coefficients of a series expansion of the potential function. > We suggest the existence of a Legendre transform structure behind Schroedinger's equation, akin to the one characterizing thermodynamics.

Uncertainty relations with the generalized Wigner-Yanase-Dyson skew information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Yajing; Cao, Huaixin; Wang, Wenhua; Meng, Huixian; Chen, Liang

2018-07-01

The uncertainty principle in quantum mechanics is a fundamental relation with different forms, including Heisenberg's uncertainty relation and Schrödinger's uncertainty relation. We introduce the generalized Wigner-Yanase-Dyson correlation and the related quantities. Various properties of them are discussed. Finally, we establish several generalizations of uncertainty relation expressed in terms of the generalized Wigner-Yanase-Dyson skew information.

Quantum Physics Principles and Communication in the Acute Healthcare Setting: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Helgeson, Heidi L; Peyerl, Colleen Kraft; Solheim-Witt, Marit

This pilot study explores whether clinician awareness of quantum physics principles could facilitate open communication between patients and providers. In the spirit of action research, this study was conceptualized with a holistic view of human health, using a mixed method design of grounded theory as an emergent method. Instrumentation includes surveys and a focus group discussion with twelve registered nurses working in an acute care hospital setting. Findings document that the preliminary core phenomenon, energy as information, influences communication in the healthcare environment. Key emergent themes include awareness, language, validation, open communication, strategies, coherence, incoherence and power. Research participants indicate that quantum physics principles provide a language and conceptual framework for improving their awareness of communication and interactions in the healthcare environment. Implications of this pilot study support the feasibility of future research and education on awareness of quantum physics principles in other clinical settings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Origin of microbial life: Nano- and molecular events, thermodynamics/entropy, quantum mechanisms and genetic instructions.

PubMed

Trevors, J T

2011-03-01

Currently, there are no agreed upon mechanisms and supporting evidence for the origin of the first microbial cells on the Earth. However, some hypotheses have been proposed with minimal supporting evidence and experimentation/observations. The approach taken in this article is that life originated at the nano- and molecular levels of biological organization, using quantum mechanic principles that became manifested as classical microbial cell(s), allowing the origin of microbial life on the Earth with a core or minimal, organic, genetic code containing the correct instructions for cell(s) for growth and division, in a micron dimension environment, with a local entropy range conducive to life (present about 4 billion years ago), and obeying the laws of thermodynamics. An integrated approach that explores all encompassing factors necessary for the origin of life, may bring forth plausible hypotheses (and mechanisms) with much needed supporting experimentation and observations for an origin of life theory. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ab initio joint density-functional theory of solvated electrodes, with model and explicit solvation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arias, Tomas

2015-03-01

First-principles guided design of improved electrochemical systems has the potential for great societal impact by making non-fossil-fuel systems economically viable. Potential applications include improvements in fuel-cells, solar-fuel systems (``artificial photosynthesis''), supercapacitors and batteries. Economical fuel-cell systems would enable zero-carbon footprint transportation, solar-fuel systems would directly convert sunlight and water into hydrogen fuel for such fuel-cell vehicles, supercapacitors would enable nearly full recovery of energy lost during vehicle braking thus extending electric vehicle range and acceptance, and economical high-capacity batteries would be central to mitigating the indeterminacy of renewable resources such as wind and solar. Central to the operation of all of the above electrochemical systems is the electrode-electrolyte interface, whose underlying physics is quite rich, yet remains remarkably poorly understood. The essential underlying technical challenge to the first principles studies which could explore this physics is the need to properly represent simultaneously both the interaction between electron-transfer events at the electrode, which demand a quantum mechanical description, and multiscale phenomena in the liquid environment such as the electrochemical double layer (ECDL) and its associated shielding, which demand a statistical description. A direct ab initio approach to this challenge would, in principle, require statistical sampling and thousands of repetitions of already computationally demanding quantum mechanical calculations. This talk will begin with a brief review of a recent advance, joint density-functional theory (JDFT), which allows for a fully rigorous and, in principle, exact representation of the thermodynamic equilibrium between a system described at the quantum-mechanical level and a liquid environment, but without the need for costly sampling. We then shall demonstrate how this approach applies in the electrochemical context and how it is needed for realistic description of solvated electrode systems [], and how simple ``implicit'' polarized continuum methods fail radically in this context. Finally, we shall present a series of results relevant to battery, supercapacitor, and solar-fuel systems, one of which has led to a recent invention disclosure for improving battery cycle lifetimes. Supported as a part of the Energy Materials Center at Cornell, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by DOE/BES (award de-sc0001086) and by the New York State Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR, award 60923).

Communication: Methane dissociation on Ni(111) surface: Importance of azimuth and surface impact site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shen, Xiangjian; State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics and Center for Theoretical Computational Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023; Zhang, Zhaojun, E-mail: zhangzhj@dicp.ac.cn, E-mail: zhangdh@dicp.ac.cn

2016-03-14

Understanding the role of reactant ro-vibrational degrees of freedom (DOFs) in reaction dynamics of polyatomic molecular dissociation on metal surfaces is of great importance to explore the complex chemical reaction mechanism. Here, we present an expensive quantum dynamics study of the dissociative chemisorption of CH{sub 4} on a rigid Ni(111) surface by developing an accurate nine-dimensional quantum dynamical model including the DOF of azimuth. Based on a highly accurate fifteen-dimensional potential energy surface built from first principles, our simulations elucidate that the dissociation probability of CH{sub 4} has the strong dependence on azimuth and surface impact site. Some improvements aremore » suggested to obtain the accurate dissociation probability from quantum dynamics simulations.« less

The uncertainty principle and quantum chaos

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chirikov, Boris V.

1993-01-01

The conception of quantum chaos is described in some detail. The most striking feature of this novel phenomenon is that all the properties of classical dynamical chaos persist here but, typically, on the finite and different time scales only. The ultimate origin of such a universal quantum stability is in the fundamental uncertainty principle which makes discrete the phase space and, hence, the spectrum of bounded quantum motion. Reformulation of the ergodic theory, as a part of the general theory of dynamical systems, is briefly discussed.

Gravity and decoherence: the double slit experiment revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samuel, Joseph

2018-02-01

The double slit experiment is iconic and widely used in classrooms to demonstrate the fundamental mystery of quantum physics. The puzzling feature is that the probability of an electron arriving at the detector when both slits are open is not the sum of the probabilities when the slits are open separately. The superposition principle of quantum mechanics tells us to add amplitudes rather than probabilities and this results in interference. This experiment defies our classical intuition that the probabilities of exclusive events add. In understanding the emergence of the classical world from the quantum one, there have been suggestions by Feynman, Diosi and Penrose that gravity is responsible for suppressing interference. This idea has been pursued in many different forms ever since, predominantly within Newtonian approaches to gravity. In this paper, we propose and theoretically analyse two ‘gedanken’ or thought experiments which lend strong support to the idea that gravity is responsible for decoherence. The first makes the point that thermal radiation can suppress interference. The second shows that in an accelerating frame, Unruh radiation does the same. Invoking the Einstein equivalence principle to relate acceleration to gravity, we support the view that gravity is responsible for decoherence.

Foundations of quantum gravity: The role of principles grounded in empirical reality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holman, Marc

2014-05-01

When attempting to assess the strengths and weaknesses of various principles in their potential role of guiding the formulation of a theory of quantum gravity, it is crucial to distinguish between principles which are strongly supported by empirical data - either directly or indirectly - and principles which instead (merely) rely heavily on theoretical arguments for their justification. Principles in the latter category are not necessarily invalid, but their a priori foundational significance should be regarded with due caution. These remarks are illustrated in terms of the current standard models of cosmology and particle physics, as well as their respective underlying theories, i.e., essentially general relativity and quantum (field) theory. For instance, it is clear that both standard models are severely constrained by symmetry principles: an effective homogeneity and isotropy of the known universe on the largest scales in the case of cosmology and an underlying exact gauge symmetry of nuclear and electromagnetic interactions in the case of particle physics. However, in sharp contrast to the cosmological situation, where the relevant symmetry structure is more or less established directly on observational grounds, all known, nontrivial arguments for the "gauge principle" are purely theoretical (and far less conclusive than usually advocated). Similar remarks apply to the larger theoretical structures represented by general relativity and quantum (field) theory, where - actual or potential - empirical principles, such as the (Einstein) equivalence principle or EPR-type nonlocality, should be clearly differentiated from theoretical ones, such as general covariance or renormalizability. It is argued that if history is to be of any guidance, the best chance to obtain the key structural features of a putative quantum gravity theory is by deducing them, in some form, from the appropriate empirical principles (analogous to the manner in which, say, the idea that gravitation is a curved spacetime phenomenon is arguably implied by the equivalence principle). Theoretical principles may still be useful however in formulating a concrete theory (analogous to the manner in which, say, a suitable form of general covariance can still act as a sieve for separating theories of gravity from one another). It is subsequently argued that the appropriate empirical principles for deducing the key structural features of quantum gravity should at least include (i) quantum nonlocality, (ii) irreducible indeterminacy (or, essentially equivalently, given (i), relativistic causality), (iii) the thermodynamic arrow of time, (iv) homogeneity and isotropy of the observable universe on the largest scales. In each case, it is explained - when appropriate - how the principle in question could be implemented mathematically in a theory of quantum gravity, why it is considered to be of fundamental significance and also why contemporary accounts of it are insufficient. For instance, the high degree of uniformity observed in the Cosmic Microwave Background is usually regarded as theoretically problematic because of the existence of particle horizons, whereas the currently popular attempts to resolve this situation in terms of inflationary models are, for a number of reasons, less than satisfactory. However, rather than trying to account for the required empirical features dynamically, an arguably much more fruitful approach consists in attempting to account for these features directly, in the form of a lawlike initial condition within a theory of quantum gravity.

An Improved Filtering Method for Quantum Color Image in Frequency Domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Panchi; Xiao, Hong

2018-01-01

In this paper we investigate the use of quantum Fourier transform (QFT) in the field of image processing. We consider QFT-based color image filtering operations and their applications in image smoothing, sharpening, and selective filtering using quantum frequency domain filters. The underlying principle used for constructing the proposed quantum filters is to use the principle of the quantum Oracle to implement the filter function. Compared with the existing methods, our method is not only suitable for color images, but also can flexibly design the notch filters. We provide the quantum circuit that implements the filtering task and present the results of several simulation experiments on color images. The major advantages of the quantum frequency filtering lies in the exploitation of the efficient implementation of the quantum Fourier transform.

Statistical Thermodynamics and Microscale Thermophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carey, Van P.

1999-08-01

Many exciting new developments in microscale engineering are based on the application of traditional principles of statistical thermodynamics. In this text Van Carey offers a modern view of thermodynamics, interweaving classical and statistical thermodynamic principles and applying them to current engineering systems. He begins with coverage of microscale energy storage mechanisms from a quantum mechanics perspective and then develops the fundamental elements of classical and statistical thermodynamics. Subsequent chapters discuss applications of equilibrium statistical thermodynamics to solid, liquid, and gas phase systems. The remainder of the book is devoted to nonequilibrium thermodynamics of transport phenomena and to nonequilibrium effects and noncontinuum behavior at the microscale. Although the text emphasizes mathematical development, Carey includes many examples and exercises to illustrate how the theoretical concepts are applied to systems of scientific and engineering interest. In the process he offers a fresh view of statistical thermodynamics for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, as well as practitioners, in mechanical, chemical, and materials engineering.

Locality and nonlocality of classical restrictions of quantum spin systems with applications to quantum large deviations and entanglement

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

De Roeck, W., E-mail: wojciech.deroeck@fys.kuleuven.be, E-mail: christian.maes@fys.kuleuven.be, E-mail: netocny@fzu.cz, E-mail: marius.schutz@fys.kuleuven.be; Maes, C., E-mail: wojciech.deroeck@fys.kuleuven.be, E-mail: christian.maes@fys.kuleuven.be, E-mail: netocny@fzu.cz, E-mail: marius.schutz@fys.kuleuven.be; Schütz, M., E-mail: wojciech.deroeck@fys.kuleuven.be, E-mail: christian.maes@fys.kuleuven.be, E-mail: netocny@fzu.cz, E-mail: marius.schutz@fys.kuleuven.be

2015-02-15

We study the projection on classical spins starting from quantum equilibria. We show Gibbsianness or quasi-locality of the resulting classical spin system for a class of gapped quantum systems at low temperatures including quantum ground states. A consequence of Gibbsianness is the validity of a large deviation principle in the quantum system which is known and here recovered in regimes of high temperature or for thermal states in one dimension. On the other hand, we give an example of a quantum ground state with strong nonlocality in the classical restriction, giving rise to what we call measurement induced entanglement andmore » still satisfying a large deviation principle.« less

Pauli Exclusion Principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murdin, P.

2000-11-01

A principle of quantum theory, devised in 1925 by Wolfgang Pauli (1900-58), which states that no two fermions may exist in the same quantum state. The quantum state of a particle is defined by a set of numbers that describe quantities such as energy, angular momentum and spin. Fermions are particles such as quarks, protons, neutrons and electrons, that have spin = ½ (in units of h/2π, where h is ...

Locality, reflection, and wave-particle duality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mugur-Schächter, Mioara

1987-08-01

Bell's theorem is believed to establish that the quantum mechanical predictions do not generally admit a causal representation compatible with Einsten's principle of separability, thereby proving incompatibility between quantum mechanics and relativity. This interpretation is contested via two convergent approaches which lead to a sharp distinction between quantum nonseparability and violation of Einstein's theory of relativity. In a first approach we explicate from the quantum mechanical formalism a concept of “reflected dependence.” Founded on this concept, we produce a causal representation of the quantum mechanical probability measure involved in Bell's proof, which is clearly separable in Einstein's sense, i.e., it does not involve supraluminal velocities, and nevertheless is “nonlocal” in Bell's sense. So Bell locality and Einstein separability are distinct qualifications, and Bell nonlocality (or Bell nonseparability) and Einstein separability are not incompatible. It is then proved explicitly that with respect to the mentioned representation Bell's derivation does not hold. So Bell's derivation does not establish that any Einstein-separable representation is incompatible with quantum mechanics. This first—negative—conclusion is a syntactic fact. The characteristics of the representation and of the reasoning involved in the mentioned counterexample to the usual interpretation of Bell's theorem suggest that the representation used—notwithstanding its ability to bring forth the specified syntactic fact—is not factually true. Factual truth and syntactic properties also have to be radically distinguished in their turn. So, in a second approach, starting from de Broglie's initial relativistic model of a microsystem, a deeper, factually acceptable representation is constructed. The analyses leading to this second representation show that quantum mechanics does indeed involve basically a certain sort of nonseparability, called here de Broglie-Bohr quantum nonseparability. But the de Broglie-Bohr quantum nonseparability is shown to stem directly from the relativistic character of the considerations which led Louis de Broglie to the fundamental relation p = h/λ, thereby being essentially consistent with relativity. As to Einstein separability, it appears to be a still insufficiently specified concept of which a future, improved specification, will probably be explicitly harmonizable with the de Broglie-Bohr quantum nonseparability. The ensemble of the conclusions obtained here brings forth a new concept of causality, a concept of folded, zigzag, reflexive causality, with respect to which the type of causality conceived of up to now appears as a particular case of outstretched, one-way causality. The reflexive causality is found compatible with the results of Aspect's experiment, and it suggests new experiments. Considered globally, the conclusions obtained in the present work might convert the conceptual situation created by Bell's proof into a process of unification of quantum mechanics and relativity.

Designing quantum information processing via structural physical approximation.

PubMed

Bae, Joonwoo

2017-10-01

In quantum information processing it may be possible to have efficient computation and secure communication beyond the limitations of classical systems. In a fundamental point of view, however, evolution of quantum systems by the laws of quantum mechanics is more restrictive than classical systems, identified to a specific form of dynamics, that is, unitary transformations and, consequently, positive and completely positive maps to subsystems. This also characterizes classes of disallowed transformations on quantum systems, among which positive but not completely maps are of particular interest as they characterize entangled states, a general resource in quantum information processing. Structural physical approximation offers a systematic way of approximating those non-physical maps, positive but not completely positive maps, with quantum channels. Since it has been proposed as a method of detecting entangled states, it has stimulated fundamental problems on classifications of positive maps and the structure of Hermitian operators and quantum states, as well as on quantum measurement such as quantum design in quantum information theory. It has developed efficient and feasible methods of directly detecting entangled states in practice, for which proof-of-principle experimental demonstrations have also been performed with photonic qubit states. Here, we present a comprehensive review on quantum information processing with structural physical approximations and the related progress. The review mainly focuses on properties of structural physical approximations and their applications toward practical information applications.

Designing quantum information processing via structural physical approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bae, Joonwoo

2017-10-01

In quantum information processing it may be possible to have efficient computation and secure communication beyond the limitations of classical systems. In a fundamental point of view, however, evolution of quantum systems by the laws of quantum mechanics is more restrictive than classical systems, identified to a specific form of dynamics, that is, unitary transformations and, consequently, positive and completely positive maps to subsystems. This also characterizes classes of disallowed transformations on quantum systems, among which positive but not completely maps are of particular interest as they characterize entangled states, a general resource in quantum information processing. Structural physical approximation offers a systematic way of approximating those non-physical maps, positive but not completely positive maps, with quantum channels. Since it has been proposed as a method of detecting entangled states, it has stimulated fundamental problems on classifications of positive maps and the structure of Hermitian operators and quantum states, as well as on quantum measurement such as quantum design in quantum information theory. It has developed efficient and feasible methods of directly detecting entangled states in practice, for which proof-of-principle experimental demonstrations have also been performed with photonic qubit states. Here, we present a comprehensive review on quantum information processing with structural physical approximations and the related progress. The review mainly focuses on properties of structural physical approximations and their applications toward practical information applications.

Understanding quantum work in a quantum many-body system.

PubMed

Wang, Qian; Quan, H T

2017-03-01

Based on previous studies in a single-particle system in both the integrable [Jarzynski, Quan, and Rahav, Phys. Rev. X 5, 031038 (2015)2160-330810.1103/PhysRevX.5.031038] and the chaotic systems [Zhu, Gong, Wu, and Quan, Phys. Rev. E 93, 062108 (2016)1539-375510.1103/PhysRevE.93.062108], we study the the correspondence principle between quantum and classical work distributions in a quantum many-body system. Even though the interaction and the indistinguishability of identical particles increase the complexity of the system, we find that for a quantum many-body system the quantum work distribution still converges to its classical counterpart in the semiclassical limit. Our results imply that there exists a correspondence principle between quantum and classical work distributions in an interacting quantum many-body system, especially in the large particle number limit, and further justify the definition of quantum work via two-point energy measurements in quantum many-body systems.

Coupled Structural, Thermal, Phase-Change and Electromagnetic Analysis for Superconductors. Volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Felippa, C. A.; Farhat, C.; Park, K. C.; Militello, C.; Schuler, J. J.

1996-01-01

Described are the theoretical development and computer implementation of reliable and efficient methods for the analysis of coupled mechanical problems that involve the interaction of mechanical, thermal, phase-change and electromagnetic subproblems. The focus application has been the modeling of superconductivity and associated quantum-state phase-change phenomena. In support of this objective the work has addressed the following issues: (1) development of variational principles for finite elements, (2) finite element modeling of the electromagnetic problem, (3) coupling of thermal and mechanical effects, and (4) computer implementation and solution of the superconductivity transition problem. The main accomplishments have been: (1) the development of the theory of parametrized and gauged variational principles, (2) the application of those principled to the construction of electromagnetic, thermal and mechanical finite elements, and (3) the coupling of electromagnetic finite elements with thermal and superconducting effects, and (4) the first detailed finite element simulations of bulk superconductors, in particular the Meissner effect and the nature of the normal conducting boundary layer. The theoretical development is described in two volumes. This volume, Volume 1, describes mostly formulations for specific problems. Volume 2 describes generalization of those formulations.

High-level theoretical study of the reaction between hydroxyl and ammonia: Accurate rate constants from 200 to 2500 K

DOE PAGES

Nguyen, Thanh Lam; Stanton, John F.

2017-06-02

Hydrogen abstraction from NH 3 by OH to produce H 2O and NH 2 — an important reaction in combustion of NH 3 fuel — was studied with a theoretical approach that combines high level quantum chemistry and advanced chemical kinetics methods. Thermal rate constants calculated from first principles agree well (within 5 to 20%) with available experimental data over a temperature range that extends from 200 to 2500 K. Here, quantum mechanical tunneling effects were found to be important; they lead to a decided curvature and non-Arrhenius behavior for the rate constant.

The action uncertainty principle and quantum gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mensky, Michael B.

1992-02-01

Results of the path-integral approach to the quantum theory of continuous measurements have been formulated in a preceding paper in the form of an inequality of the type of the uncertainty principle. The new inequality was called the action uncertainty principle, AUP. It was shown that the AUP allows one to find in a simple what outputs of the continuous measurements will occur with high probability. Here a more simple form of the AUP will be formulated, δ S≳ħ. When applied to quantum gravity, it leads in a very simple way to the Rosenfeld inequality for measurability of the average curvature.

Renormalization of myoglobin–ligand binding energetics by quantum many-body effects

PubMed Central

Weber, Cédric; Cole, Daniel J.; O’Regan, David D.; Payne, Mike C.

2014-01-01

We carry out a first-principles atomistic study of the electronic mechanisms of ligand binding and discrimination in the myoglobin protein. Electronic correlation effects are taken into account using one of the most advanced methods currently available, namely a linear-scaling density functional theory (DFT) approach wherein the treatment of localized iron 3d electrons is further refined using dynamical mean-field theory. This combination of methods explicitly accounts for dynamical and multireference quantum physics, such as valence and spin fluctuations, of the 3d electrons, while treating a significant proportion of the protein (more than 1,000 atoms) with DFT. The computed electronic structure of the myoglobin complexes and the nature of the Fe–O2 bonding are validated against experimental spectroscopic observables. We elucidate and solve a long-standing problem related to the quantum-mechanical description of the respiration process, namely that DFT calculations predict a strong imbalance between O2 and CO binding, favoring the latter to an unphysically large extent. We show that the explicit inclusion of the many-body effects induced by the Hund’s coupling mechanism results in the correct prediction of similar binding energies for oxy- and carbonmonoxymyoglobin. PMID:24717844

Study of Atomic Quasi-Stable States, Decoherence And Cooling of Mesoscale Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Changchun

Quantum mechanics, since its very beginning, has totally changed the way we understand nature. The past hundred years have seen great successes in the application of quantum physics, including atomic spectra, laser technology, condensed matter physics and the remarkable possibility for quantum computing, etc. This thesis is dedicated to a small regime of quantum physics. In the first part of the thesis, I present the studies of atomic quasi-stable states, which refer to those Rydberg states of an atom that are relatively stable in the presence of strong fields. Through spectrally probing the quasi-stable states, series of survival peaks are found. If the quasi-stable electrons were created by ultraviolet (UV) lasers with two different frequencies, the survival peaks could be modulated by continuously changing the phase difference between the UV and the IR laser. The quantum simulation, through directly solving the Schrodinger equation, matches the experimental results performed with microwave fields, and our studies should provide a guidance for future experiments. Despite the huge achievements in the application of quantum theory, there are still some fundamental problems that remain unresolved. One of them is the so-called quantum-to-classical transition, which refers to the expectation that the system behaves in a more classical manner when the system size increases. This basic question was not well answered until decoherence theory was proposed, which states that the coherence of a quantum system tends to be destroyed by environmental interruptions. Thus, if a system is well isolated from its environment, it is in principle possible to observe macroscopic quantum coherence. Quite recently, testing quantum principles in the macroscale has become a hot topic due to rapic technological developments. A very promising platform for testing macroscale quantum physics is a laser levitated nanoparticle, and cooling its mechanical motion to the ground state is the first step. In the second part of this thesis, we develop the theory of decoherence for a mesoscopic system's rotational degrees of freedom. Combining decoherence in the translational degrees of freedom, the system's shot noise heating is discussed. We then focus on cooling the nanoparticle in the laser-shot-noise-dominant regime using two different feedback cooling schemes: the force feedback cooling and the parametric feedback cooling. Both quantum and classical calculations are performed, and an exact match is observed. We also explore the parameters that could possibly affect the cooling trend, where we find that the cooling limit for both cooling schemes strongly depends on the position measurement efficiency, and it poses good questions for researchers interested in achieving ground state cooling: what is the best measurement efficiency for a given measurement setup and what can be done to get a better measurement efficiency?

Quantum reinforcement learning.

PubMed

Dong, Daoyi; Chen, Chunlin; Li, Hanxiong; Tarn, Tzyh-Jong

2008-10-01

The key approaches for machine learning, particularly learning in unknown probabilistic environments, are new representations and computation mechanisms. In this paper, a novel quantum reinforcement learning (QRL) method is proposed by combining quantum theory and reinforcement learning (RL). Inspired by the state superposition principle and quantum parallelism, a framework of a value-updating algorithm is introduced. The state (action) in traditional RL is identified as the eigen state (eigen action) in QRL. The state (action) set can be represented with a quantum superposition state, and the eigen state (eigen action) can be obtained by randomly observing the simulated quantum state according to the collapse postulate of quantum measurement. The probability of the eigen action is determined by the probability amplitude, which is updated in parallel according to rewards. Some related characteristics of QRL such as convergence, optimality, and balancing between exploration and exploitation are also analyzed, which shows that this approach makes a good tradeoff between exploration and exploitation using the probability amplitude and can speedup learning through the quantum parallelism. To evaluate the performance and practicability of QRL, several simulated experiments are given, and the results demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the QRL algorithm for some complex problems. This paper is also an effective exploration on the application of quantum computation to artificial intelligence.

Electronic field emission models beyond the Fowler-Nordheim one

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lepetit, Bruno

2017-12-01

We propose several quantum mechanical models to describe electronic field emission from first principles. These models allow us to correlate quantitatively the electronic emission current with the electrode surface details at the atomic scale. They all rely on electronic potential energy surfaces obtained from three dimensional density functional theory calculations. They differ by the various quantum mechanical methods (exact or perturbative, time dependent or time independent), which are used to describe tunneling through the electronic potential energy barrier. Comparison of these models between them and with the standard Fowler-Nordheim one in the context of one dimensional tunneling allows us to assess the impact on the accuracy of the computed current of the approximations made in each model. Among these methods, the time dependent perturbative one provides a well-balanced trade-off between accuracy and computational cost.

Localized basis functions and other computational improvements in variational nonorthogonal basis function methods for quantum mechanical scattering problems involving chemical reactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwenke, David W.; Truhlar, Donald G.

1990-01-01

The Generalized Newton Variational Principle for 3D quantum mechanical reactive scattering is briefly reviewed. Then three techniques are described which improve the efficiency of the computations. First, the fact that the Hamiltonian is Hermitian is used to reduce the number of integrals computed, and then the properties of localized basis functions are exploited in order to eliminate redundant work in the integral evaluation. A new type of localized basis function with desirable properties is suggested. It is shown how partitioned matrices can be used with localized basis functions to reduce the amount of work required to handle the complex boundary conditions. The new techniques do not introduce any approximations into the calculations, so they may be used to obtain converged solutions of the Schroedinger equation.

Epoxide reduction with hydrazine on graphene: a first principles study.

PubMed

Kim, Min Chan; Hwang, Gyeong S; Ruoff, Rodney S

2009-08-14

Mechanisms for epoxide reduction with hydrazine on a single-layer graphene sheet are examined using quantum mechanical calculations within the framework of gradient-corrected spin-polarized density-functional theory. We find that the reduction reaction is mainly governed by epoxide ring opening which is initiated by H transfer from hydrazine or its derivatives. In addition, our calculations suggest that the epoxide reduction by hydrazine may predominantly follow a direct Eley-Rideal mechanism rather than a Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism. We also discuss the generation of various hydrazine derivatives during the reduction of graphene oxide with hydrazine and their potential contribution to lowering the barrier height of epoxide ring opening.

Compression selective solid-state chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Anguang

Compression selective solid-state chemistry refers to mechanically induced selective reactions of solids under thermomechanical extreme conditions. Advanced quantum solid-state chemistry simulations, based on density functional theory with localized basis functions, were performed to provide a remarkable insight into bonding pathways of high-pressure chemical reactions in all agreement with experiments. These pathways clearly demonstrate reaction mechanisms in unprecedented structural details, showing not only the chemical identity of reactive intermediates but also how atoms move along the reaction coordinate associated with a specific vibrational mode, directed by induced chemical stress occurred during bond breaking and forming. It indicates that chemical bonds in solids can break and form precisely under compression as we wish. This can be realized through strongly coupling of mechanical work to an initiation vibrational mode when all other modes can be suppressed under compression, resulting in ultrafast reactions to take place isothermally in a few femtoseconds. Thermodynamically, such reactions correspond to an entropy minimum process on an isotherm where the compression can force thermal expansion coefficient equal to zero. Combining a significantly brief reaction process with specific mode selectivity, both statistical laws and quantum uncertainty principle can be bypassed to precisely break chemical bonds, establishing fundamental principles of compression selective solid-state chemistry. Naturally this leads to understand the ''alchemy'' to purify, grow, and perfect certain materials such as emerging novel disruptive energetics.

Spiers Memorial Lecture. Quantum chemistry: the first seventy years.

PubMed

McWeeny, Roy

2007-01-01

Present-day theoretical chemistry is rooted in Quantum Mechanics. The aim of the opening lecture is to trace the evolution of Quantum Chemistry from the Heitler-London paper of 1927 up to the end of the last century, emphasizing concepts rather than calculations. The importance of symmetry concepts became evident in the early years: one thinks of the necessary anti-symmetry of the wave function under electron permutations, the Pauli principle, the aufbau scheme, and the classification of spectroscopic states. But for chemists perhaps the key concept is embodied in the Hellmann-Feynman theorem, which provides a pictorial interpretation of chemical bonding in terms of classical electrostatic forces exerted on the nuclei by the electron distribution. Much of the lecture is concerned with various electron distribution functions--the electron density, the current density, the spin density, and other 'property densities'--and with their use in interpreting both molecular structure and molecular properties. Other topics touched upon include Response theory and propagators; Chemical groups in molecules and the group function approach; Atoms in molecules and Bader's theory; Electron correlation and the 'pair function'. Finally, some long-standing controversies, in particular the EPR paradox, are re-examined in the context of molecular dissociation. By admitting the concept of symmetry breaking, along with the use of the von Neumann-Dirac statistical ensemble, orthodox quantum mechanics can lead to a convincing picture of the dissociation mechanism.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Donangelo, R.J.

An integral representation for the classical limit of the quantum mechanical S-matrix is developed and applied to heavy-ion Coulomb excitation and Coulomb-nuclear interference. The method combines the quantum principle of superposition with exact classical dynamics to describe the projectile-target system. A detailed consideration of the classical trajectories and of the dimensionless parameters that characterize the system is carried out. The results are compared, where possible, to exact quantum mechanical calculations and to conventional semiclassical calculations. It is found that in the case of backscattering the classical limit S-matrix method is able to almost exactly reproduce the quantum-mechanical S-matrix elements, andmore » therefore the transition probabilities, even for projectiles as light as protons. The results also suggest that this approach should be a better approximation for heavy-ion multiple Coulomb excitation than earlier semiclassical methods, due to a more accurate description of the classical orbits in the electromagnetic field of the target nucleus. Calculations using this method indicate that the rotational excitation probabilities in the Coulomb-nuclear interference region should be very sensitive to the details of the potential at the surface of the nucleus, suggesting that heavy-ion rotational excitation could constitute a sensitive probe of the nuclear potential in this region. The application to other problems as well as the present limits of applicability of the formalism are also discussed.« less

Hidden Statistics Approach to Quantum Simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zak, Michail

2010-01-01

Recent advances in quantum information theory have inspired an explosion of interest in new quantum algorithms for solving hard computational (quantum and non-quantum) problems. The basic principle of quantum computation is that the quantum properties can be used to represent structure data, and that quantum mechanisms can be devised and built to perform operations with this data. Three basic non-classical properties of quantum mechanics superposition, entanglement, and direct-product decomposability were main reasons for optimism about capabilities of quantum computers that promised simultaneous processing of large massifs of highly correlated data. Unfortunately, these advantages of quantum mechanics came with a high price. One major problem is keeping the components of the computer in a coherent state, as the slightest interaction with the external world would cause the system to decohere. That is why the hardware implementation of a quantum computer is still unsolved. The basic idea of this work is to create a new kind of dynamical system that would preserve the main three properties of quantum physics superposition, entanglement, and direct-product decomposability while allowing one to measure its state variables using classical methods. In other words, such a system would reinforce the advantages and minimize limitations of both quantum and classical aspects. Based upon a concept of hidden statistics, a new kind of dynamical system for simulation of Schroedinger equation is proposed. The system represents a modified Madelung version of Schroedinger equation. It preserves superposition, entanglement, and direct-product decomposability while allowing one to measure its state variables using classical methods. Such an optimal combination of characteristics is a perfect match for simulating quantum systems. The model includes a transitional component of quantum potential (that has been overlooked in previous treatment of the Madelung equation). The role of the transitional potential is to provide a jump from a deterministic state to a random state with prescribed probability density. This jump is triggered by blowup instability due to violation of Lipschitz condition generated by the quantum potential. As a result, the dynamics attains quantum properties on a classical scale. The model can be implemented physically as an analog VLSI-based (very-large-scale integration-based) computer, or numerically on a digital computer. This work opens a way of developing fundamentally new algorithms for quantum simulations of exponentially complex problems that expand NASA capabilities in conducting space activities. It has been illustrated that the complexity of simulations of particle interaction can be reduced from an exponential one to a polynomial one.

Quantum cryptography using coherent states: Randomized encryption and key generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corndorf, Eric

With the advent of the global optical-telecommunications infrastructure, an increasing number of individuals, companies, and agencies communicate information with one another over public networks or physically-insecure private networks. While the majority of the traffic flowing through these networks requires little or no assurance of secrecy, the same cannot be said for certain communications between banks, between government agencies, within the military, and between corporations. In these arenas, the need to specify some level of secrecy in communications is a high priority. While the current approaches to securing sensitive information (namely the public-key-cryptography infrastructure and deterministic private-key ciphers like AES and 3DES) seem to be cryptographically strong based on empirical evidence, there exist no mathematical proofs of secrecy for any widely deployed cryptosystem. As an example, the ubiquitous public-key cryptosystems infer all of their secrecy from the assumption that factoring of the product of two large primes is necessarily time consuming---something which has not, and perhaps cannot, be proven. Since the 1980s, the possibility of using quantum-mechanical features of light as a physical mechanism for satisfying particular cryptographic objectives has been explored. This research has been fueled by the hopes that cryptosystems based on quantum systems may provide provable levels of secrecy which are at least as valid as quantum mechanics itself. Unfortunately, the most widely considered quantum-cryptographic protocols (BB84 and the Ekert protocol) have serious implementation problems. Specifically, they require quantum-mechanical states which are not readily available, and they rely on unproven relations between intrusion-level detection and the information available to an attacker. As a result, the secrecy level provided by these experimental implementations is entirely unspecified. In an effort to provably satisfy the cryptographic objectives of key generation and direct data-encryption, a new quantum cryptographic principle is demonstrated wherein keyed coherent-state signal sets are employed. Taking advantage of the fundamental and irreducible quantum-measurement noise of coherent states, these schemes do not require the users to measure the influence of an attacker. Experimental key-generation and data encryption schemes based on these techniques, which are compatible with today's WDM fiber-optic telecommunications infrastructure, are implemented and analyzed.

Entropy bound of local quantum field theory with generalized uncertainty principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Yong-Wan; Lee, Hyung Won; Myung, Yun Soo

2009-03-01

We study the entropy bound for local quantum field theory (LQFT) with generalized uncertainty principle. The generalized uncertainty principle provides naturally a UV cutoff to the LQFT as gravity effects. Imposing the non-gravitational collapse condition as the UV-IR relation, we find that the maximal entropy of a bosonic field is limited by the entropy bound A 3 / 4 rather than A with A the boundary area.

Simulations of defect spin qubits in piezoelectric semiconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seo, Hosung

In recent years, remarkable advances have been reported in the development of defect spin qubits in semiconductors for solid-state quantum information science and quantum metrology. Promising spin qubits include the nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond, dopants in silicon, and the silicon vacancy and divacancy spins in silicon carbide. In this talk, I will highlight some of our recent efforts devoted to defect spin qubits in piezoelectric wide-gap semiconductors for potential applications in mechanical hybrid quantum systems. In particular, I will describe our recent combined theoretical and experimental study on remarkably robust quantum coherence found in the divancancy qubits in silicon carbide. We used a quantum bath model combined with a cluster expansion method to identify the microscopic mechanisms behind the unusually long coherence times of the divacancy spins in SiC. Our study indicates that developing spin qubits in complex crystals with multiple types of atom is a promising route to realize strongly coherent hybrid quantum systems. I will also discuss progress and challenges in computational design of new spin defects for use as qubits in piezoelectric crystals such as AlN and SiC, including a new defect design concept using large metal ion - vacancy complexes. Our first principles calculations include DFT computations using recently developed self-consistent hybrid density functional theory and large-scale many-body GW theory. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through the University of Chicago MRSEC under Award Number DMR-1420709.

The evolution of consciousness

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stapp, H.P.

1996-08-16

It is argued that the principles of classical physics are inimical to the development of an adequate science of consciousness. The problem is that insofar as the classical principles are valid consciousness can have no effect on the behavior, and hence on the survival prospects, of the organisms in which it inheres. Thus within the classical framework it is not possible to explain in natural terms the development of consciousness to the high-level form found in human beings. In quantum theory, on the other hand, consciousness can be dynamically efficacious: quantum theory does allow consciousness to influence behavior, and thencemore » to evolve in accordance with the principles of natural selection. However, this evolutionary requirement places important constraints upon the details of the formulation of the quantum dynamical principles.« less

Hilbert space structure in quantum gravity: an algebraic perspective

DOE PAGES

Giddings, Steven B.

2015-12-16

If quantum gravity respects the principles of quantum mechanics, suitably generalized, it may be that a more viable approach to the theory is through identifying the relevant quantum structures rather than by quantizing classical spacetime. Here, this viewpoint is supported by difficulties of such quantization, and by the apparent lack of a fundamental role for locality. In finite or discrete quantum systems, important structure is provided by tensor factorizations of the Hilbert space. However, even in local quantum field theory properties of the generic type III von Neumann algebras and of long range gauge fields indicate that factorization of themore » Hilbert space is problematic. Instead it is better to focus on the structure of the algebra of observables, and in particular on its subalgebras corresponding to regions. This paper suggests that study of analogous algebraic structure in gravity gives an important perspective on the nature of the quantum theory. Significant departures from the subalgebra structure of local quantum field theory are found, working in the correspondence limit of long-distances/low-energies. Particularly, there are obstacles to identifying commuting algebras of localized operators. In addition to suggesting important properties of the algebraic structure, this and related observations pose challenges to proposals of a fundamental role for entanglement.« less

Hilbert space structure in quantum gravity: an algebraic perspective

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Giddings, Steven B.

If quantum gravity respects the principles of quantum mechanics, suitably generalized, it may be that a more viable approach to the theory is through identifying the relevant quantum structures rather than by quantizing classical spacetime. Here, this viewpoint is supported by difficulties of such quantization, and by the apparent lack of a fundamental role for locality. In finite or discrete quantum systems, important structure is provided by tensor factorizations of the Hilbert space. However, even in local quantum field theory properties of the generic type III von Neumann algebras and of long range gauge fields indicate that factorization of themore » Hilbert space is problematic. Instead it is better to focus on the structure of the algebra of observables, and in particular on its subalgebras corresponding to regions. This paper suggests that study of analogous algebraic structure in gravity gives an important perspective on the nature of the quantum theory. Significant departures from the subalgebra structure of local quantum field theory are found, working in the correspondence limit of long-distances/low-energies. Particularly, there are obstacles to identifying commuting algebras of localized operators. In addition to suggesting important properties of the algebraic structure, this and related observations pose challenges to proposals of a fundamental role for entanglement.« less

What is Life?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schrodinger, Erwin; Penrose, Foreword by Roger

2012-03-01

Preface; 1. The classical physicist's approach to the subject; 2. The hereditary mechanism; 3. Mutations; 4. The quantum-mechanical evidence; 5. Delbruck's model discussed and tested; 6. Order, disorder and entropy; 7. Is life based on the laws of physics?; Epilogue: on determinism and free will; Mind and Matter: 1. The physical basis of consciousness; 2. The future of understanding; 3. The principle of objectivation; 4. The arithmetical paradox: the oneness of mind; 5. Science and religion; 6. The mystery of the sensual qualities; Autobiographical sketches (translated from the German by Schrödinger's granddaughter Verena).

Maxima of |Ψ|2: a connection between quantum mechanics and Lewis structures.

PubMed

Lüchow, Arne

2014-04-30

The maxima of squared electronic wave functions |Ψ|2 are analyzed for a number of small molecules. They are in principle observables and show considerable chemical insight from first principles. The maxima contain substantial information about the relative electron positions in a molecule, such as the pairing of opposite spin electrons and the Pauli repulsion which are lost in the electron density. Single bond and double bond as well as polar bond pairs and lone pairs are obtained from the maximum analysis. In many cases, we find a correspondence to the electron arrangements in molecules as assumed by Lewis in 1916. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

``From Fundamental Motives to Rational Expectation Equilibrium[REE, henceworth] of Indeterminacy''

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maksoed, Ssi, Wh-

For ``Principle of Indeterminacy''from Heisenberg states: ``one of the fundamental cornerstone of quantum mechanics is the Heisenberg uncertainty principle''.whereas canonically conjugate quantities can be determined simultaneously only with a characteristic indeterminacy[M. Arevalo Aguilar, et.al]. Accompanying Alfred North Whitehead conclusion in ``The Aims of Education''that mathematical symbols are artificial before new meanings given, two kinds of fundamental motives: (i) expectation-expectation, (ii) expectation-certainty inherently occurs with determinacy properties of rational expectation equilibrium(REE, henceworth)- Guido Ascari & Tizano Ropele:''Trend inflation, Taylor principle & Indeterminacy'', Kiel Institute, June 2007. Furthers, relative price expression can be compare of their α and (1 - α) configurations in the expression of possible activity. Acknowledgment to Prof[asc]. Dr. Bobby Eka Gunara for ``made a rank through physics'' denotes...

Tightening the entropic uncertainty bound in the presence of quantum memory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adabi, F.; Salimi, S.; Haseli, S.

2016-06-01

The uncertainty principle is a fundamental principle in quantum physics. It implies that the measurement outcomes of two incompatible observables cannot be predicted simultaneously. In quantum information theory, this principle can be expressed in terms of entropic measures. M. Berta et al. [Nat. Phys. 6, 659 (2010), 10.1038/nphys1734] have indicated that uncertainty bound can be altered by considering a particle as a quantum memory correlating with the primary particle. In this article, we obtain a lower bound for entropic uncertainty in the presence of a quantum memory by adding an additional term depending on the Holevo quantity and mutual information. We conclude that our lower bound will be tightened with respect to that of Berta et al. when the accessible information about measurements outcomes is less than the mutual information about the joint state. Some examples have been investigated for which our lower bound is tighter than Berta et al.'s lower bound. Using our lower bound, a lower bound for the entanglement of formation of bipartite quantum states has been obtained, as well as an upper bound for the regularized distillable common randomness.

Quantum Information Biology: From Theory of Open Quantum Systems to Adaptive Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asano, Masanari; Basieva, Irina; Khrennikov, Andrei; Ohya, Masanori; Tanaka, Yoshiharu; Yamato, Ichiro

This chapter reviews quantum(-like) information biology (QIB). Here biology is treated widely as even covering cognition and its derivatives: psychology and decision making, sociology, and behavioral economics and finances. QIB provides an integrative description of information processing by bio-systems at all scales of life: from proteins and cells to cognition, ecological and social systems. Mathematically QIB is based on the theory of adaptive quantum systems (which covers also open quantum systems). Ideologically QIB is based on the quantum-like (QL) paradigm: complex bio-systems process information in accordance with the laws of quantum information and probability. This paradigm is supported by plenty of statistical bio-data collected at all bio-scales. QIB re ects the two fundamental principles: a) adaptivity; and, b) openness (bio-systems are fundamentally open). In addition, quantum adaptive dynamics provides the most generally possible mathematical representation of these principles.

Practical quantum key distribution protocol without monitoring signal disturbance.

PubMed

Sasaki, Toshihiko; Yamamoto, Yoshihisa; Koashi, Masato

2014-05-22

Quantum cryptography exploits the fundamental laws of quantum mechanics to provide a secure way to exchange private information. Such an exchange requires a common random bit sequence, called a key, to be shared secretly between the sender and the receiver. The basic idea behind quantum key distribution (QKD) has widely been understood as the property that any attempt to distinguish encoded quantum states causes a disturbance in the signal. As a result, implementation of a QKD protocol involves an estimation of the experimental parameters influenced by the eavesdropper's intervention, which is achieved by randomly sampling the signal. If the estimation of many parameters with high precision is required, the portion of the signal that is sacrificed increases, thus decreasing the efficiency of the protocol. Here we propose a QKD protocol based on an entirely different principle. The sender encodes a bit sequence onto non-orthogonal quantum states and the receiver randomly dictates how a single bit should be calculated from the sequence. The eavesdropper, who is unable to learn the whole of the sequence, cannot guess the bit value correctly. An achievable rate of secure key distribution is calculated by considering complementary choices between quantum measurements of two conjugate observables. We found that a practical implementation using a laser pulse train achieves a key rate comparable to a decoy-state QKD protocol, an often-used technique for lasers. It also has a better tolerance of bit errors and of finite-sized-key effects. We anticipate that this finding will give new insight into how the probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics can be related to secure communication, and will facilitate the simple and efficient use of conventional lasers for QKD.

Parallel Quantum Circuit in a Tunnel Junction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faizy Namarvar, Omid; Dridi, Ghassen; Joachim, Christian; GNS theory Group Team

In between 2 metallic nanopads, adding identical and independent electron transfer paths in parallel increases the electronic effective coupling between the 2 nanopads through the quantum circuit defined by those paths. Measuring this increase of effective coupling using the tunnelling current intensity can lead for example for 2 paths in parallel to the now standard G =G1 +G2 + 2√{G1 .G2 } conductance superposition law (1). This is only valid for the tunnelling regime (2). For large electronic coupling to the nanopads (or at resonance), G can saturate and even decay as a function of the number of parallel paths added in the quantum circuit (3). We provide here the explanation of this phenomenon: the measurement of the effective Rabi oscillation frequency using the current intensity is constrained by the normalization principle of quantum mechanics. This limits the quantum conductance G for example to go when there is only one channel per metallic nanopads. This ef fect has important consequences for the design of Boolean logic gates at the atomic scale using atomic scale or intramolecular circuits. References: This has the financial support by European PAMS project.

Quantum dynamical simulation of the scattering of Ar from a frozen LiF(100) surface based on a first principles interaction potential

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Azuri, Asaf; Pollak, Eli, E-mail: eli.pollak@weizmann.ac.il

2015-07-07

In-plane two and three dimensional diffraction patterns are computed for the vertical scattering of an Ar atom from a frozen LiF(100) surface. Suitable collimation of the incoming wavepacket serves to reveal the quantum mechanical diffraction. The interaction potential is based on a fit to an ab initio potential calculated using density functional theory with dispersion corrections. Due to the potential coupling found between the two horizontal surface directions, there are noticeable differences between the quantum angular distributions computed for two and three dimensional scattering. The quantum results are compared to analogous classical Wigner computations on the same surface and withmore » the same conditions. The classical dynamics largely provides the envelope for the quantum diffractive scattering. The classical results also show that the corrugation along the [110] direction of the surface is smaller than along the [100] direction, in qualitative agreement with experimental observations of unimodal and bimodal scattering for the [110] and [100] directions, respectively.« less

Theories of Matter, Space and Time, Volume 2; Quantum theories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, N.; King, S. F.

2018-06-01

This book and its prequel Theories of Matter Space and Time: Classical Theories grew out of courses that we have both taught as part of the undergraduate degree program in Physics at Southampton University, UK. Our goal was to guide the full MPhys undergraduate cohort through some of the trickier areas of theoretical physics that we expect our undergraduates to master. Here we teach the student to understand first quantized relativistic quantum theories. We first quickly review the basics of quantum mechanics which should be familiar to the reader from a prior course. Then we will link the Schrödinger equation to the principle of least action introducing Feynman's path integral methods. Next, we present the relativistic wave equations of Klein, Gordon and Dirac. Finally, we convert Maxwell's equations of electromagnetism to a wave equation for photons and make contact with quantum electrodynamics (QED) at a first quantized level. Between the two volumes we hope to move a student's understanding from their prior courses to a place where they are ready, beyond, to embark on graduate level courses on quantum field theory.

Quantum formulation for nanoscale optical and material chirality: symmetry issues, space and time parity, and observables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrews, D. L.

2018-03-01

To properly represent the interplay and coupling of optical and material chirality at the photon-molecule or photon-nanoparticle level invites a recognition of quantum facets in the fundamental aspects and mechanisms of light-matter interaction. It is therefore appropriate to cast theory in a general quantum form, one that is applicable to both linear and nonlinear optics as well as various forms of chiroptical interaction including chiral optomechanics. Such a framework, fully accounting for both radiation and matter in quantum terms, facilitates the scrutiny and identification of key issues concerning spatial and temporal parity, scale, dissipation and measurement. Furthermore it fully provides for describing the interactions of structured or twisted light beams with a vortex character, and it leads to the complete identification of symmetry conditions for materials to provide for chiral discrimination. Quantum considerations also lend a distinctive perspective to the very different senses in which other aspects of chirality are recognized in metamaterials. Duly attending to the symmetry principles governing allowed or disallowed forms of chiral discrimination supports an objective appraisal of the experimental possibilities and developing applications.

Black holes, quantum theory and cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penrose, Roger

2009-06-01

Some reasons are given for believing that the rules of quantum (field) theory must be changed when general relativity becomes seriously involved. If full quantum mechanical respect is paid to the principle of equivalence, we find that a superposition of gravitational fields leads to an illegal superposition of different vacua, giving support to a proposal for spontaneous quantum state reduction made earlier by Diósi, and then independently by the author. A different line of attack involves the over-riding role of black holes in the total entropy content of the universe, and in the operation of the 2nd Law of thermodynamics. The author's proposal of conformal cyclic cosmology is reviewed in order to highlight a seeming paradox, according to which the entropy of the universe of the remote future seems to return to the small kind of value that it had at the big bang. The paradox is resolved when we take into account the information loss that, from this perspective, necessarily occurs in Hawking's black-hole evaporation, with the accompanying loss of unitarity.

Direct and full-scale experimental verifications towards ground-satellite quantum key distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jian-Yu; Yang, Bin; Liao, Sheng-Kai; Zhang, Liang; Shen, Qi; Hu, Xiao-Fang; Wu, Jin-Cai; Yang, Shi-Ji; Jiang, Hao; Tang, Yan-Lin; Zhong, Bo; Liang, Hao; Liu, Wei-Yue; Hu, Yi-Hua; Huang, Yong-Mei; Qi, Bo; Ren, Ji-Gang; Pan, Ge-Sheng; Yin, Juan; Jia, Jian-Jun; Chen, Yu-Ao; Chen, Kai; Peng, Cheng-Zhi; Pan, Jian-Wei

2013-05-01

Quantum key distribution (QKD) provides the only intrinsically unconditional secure method for communication based on the principle of quantum mechanics. Compared with fibre-based demonstrations, free-space links could provide the most appealing solution for communication over much larger distances. Despite significant efforts, all realizations to date rely on stationary sites. Experimental verifications are therefore extremely crucial for applications to a typical low Earth orbit satellite. To achieve direct and full-scale verifications of our set-up, we have carried out three independent experiments with a decoy-state QKD system, and overcome all conditions. The system is operated on a moving platform (using a turntable), on a floating platform (using a hot-air balloon), and with a high-loss channel to demonstrate performances under conditions of rapid motion, attitude change, vibration, random movement of satellites, and a high-loss regime. The experiments address wide ranges of all leading parameters relevant to low Earth orbit satellites. Our results pave the way towards ground-satellite QKD and a global quantum communication network.

Forecast on Water Locking Damage of Low Permeable Reservoir with Quantum Neural Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Jingyuan; Sun, Yuxue; Feng, Fuping; Zhao, Fulei; Sui, Dianjie; Xu, Jianjun

2018-01-01

It is of great importance in oil-gas reservoir protection to timely and correctly forecast the water locking damage, the greatest damage for low permeable reservoir. An analysis is conducted on the production mechanism and various influence factors of water locking damage, based on which a quantum neuron is constructed based on the information processing manner of a biological neuron and the principle of quantum neural algorithm, besides, the quantum neural network model forecasting the water locking of the reservoir is established and related software is also made to forecast the water locking damage of the gas reservoir. This method has overcome the defects of grey correlation analysis that requires evaluation matrix analysis and complicated operation. According to the practice in Longxi Area of Daqing Oilfield, this method is characterized by fast operation, few system parameters and high accuracy rate (the general incidence rate may reach 90%), which can provide reliable support for the protection technique of low permeable reservoir.

The (in)adequacy of applicative use of quantum cryptography in wireless sensor networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turkanović, Muhamed; Hölbl, Marko

2014-10-01

Recently quantum computation and cryptography principles are exploited in the design of security systems for wireless sensor networks (WSNs), which are consequently named as quantum WSN. Quantum cryptography is presumably secure against any eavesdropper and thus labeled as providing unconditional security. This paper tries to analyze the aspect of the applicative use of quantum principles in WSN. The outcome of the analysis elaborates a summary about the inadequacy of applicative use of quantum cryptography in WSN and presents an overview of all possible applicative challenges and problems while designing quantum-based security systems for WSN. Since WSNs are highly complex frameworks, with many restrictions and constraints, every security system has to be fully compatible and worthwhile. The aim of the paper was to contribute a verdict about this topic, backed up by equitable facts.

The Evolution of Universe as Splitting of the ``Non Existing'' and Space-Time Expansion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nassikas, A. A.

2010-09-01

The purpose of this paper is to show that the creation of Universe can be regarded as a splitting process of the ``non existing'', ``where'' there is no space-time and that the expansion of Universe is due to the compatibility between the stochastic-quantum space-time created and the surrounding ``non existing''. In this way it is not required that space time should pre-exist in contrast, as it can be shown, to the Universe creation from vacuum theory. The present point of view can be derived on the basis of a Minimum Contradictions Physics according to which stochastic-quantum space-time is matter itself; there are (g)-mass and (em)-charge space-time which interact-communicate through photons [(g) or (em) particles with zero rest mass]. This point of view is compatible to the present knowledge of CERN and Fermi Lab experiments as well as to the neutron synthesis according to Rutherford, experimentally verified and theoretically explained through Hadronic Mechanics by R. M. Santilli. On the basis of the Minimum Contradictions Physics a quantum gravity formula is derived which implies either positive or negative gravitational acceleration; thus, bodies can be attracted while Universe can be expanded. Minimum Contradictions Physics, under certain simplifications, is compatible to Newton Mechanics, Relativity Theory and QM. This physics is compatible to language through which it is stated. On this basis the physical laws are the principles of language i.e.: the Classical Logic, the Sufficient Reason Principle the Communication Anterior-Posterior Axiom and the Claim for Minimum Contradictions; according to a theorem contradictions cannot be vanished.

Holography as a principle in quantum gravity?-Some historical and systematic observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sieroka, Norman; Mielke, Eckehard W.

2014-05-01

Holography is a fruitful concept in modern physics. However, there is no generally accepted definition of the term, and its significance, especially as a guiding principle in quantum gravity, is rather uncertain. The present paper critically evaluates variants of the holographic principle from two perspectives: (i) their relevance in contemporary approaches to quantum gravity and in closely related areas; (ii) their historical forerunners in the early twentieth century and the role played by past and present concepts of holography in attempts to unify physics. By combining these two perspectives a certain depth of focus is gained which allows us to draw some tentative conclusions about what might be reasonable aspirations and prospects for holography in quantum gravity. By the same token, we will have a brief and critical look at wider philosophical interpretations of the term.

Computing the Entropy of Kerr-Newman Black Hole Without Brick Walls Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Li-Chun; Wu, Yue-Qin; Li, Huai-Fan; Ren, Zhao

By using the entanglement entropy method, the statistical entropy of the Bose and Fermi fields in a thin film is calculated and the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of Kerr-Newman black hole is obtained. Here, the Bose and Fermi fields are entangled with the quantum states in Kerr-Newman black hole and are outside of the horizon. The divergence of brick-wall model is avoided without any cutoff by the new equation of state density obtained with the generalized uncertainty principle. The calculation implies that the high density quantum states near the event horizon are strongly correlated with the quantum states in black hole. The black hole entropy is a quantum effect. It is an intrinsic characteristic of space-time. The ultraviolet cutoff in the brick-wall model is unreasonable. The generalized uncertainty principle should be considered in the high energy quantum field near the event horizon. From the calculation, the constant λ introduced in the generalized uncertainty principle is related to polar angle θ in an axisymmetric space-time.

Implications of quantum metabolism and natural selection for the origin of cancer cells and tumor progression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, Paul; Demetrius, Lloyd A.; Tuszynski, Jack A.

2012-03-01

Empirical studies give increased support for the hypothesis that the sporadic form of cancer is an age-related metabolic disease characterized by: (a) metabolic dysregulation with random abnormalities in mitochondrial DNA, and (b) metabolic alteration - the compensatory upregulation of glycolysis to offset mitochondrial impairments. This paper appeals to the theory of Quantum Metabolism and the principles of natural selection to formulate a conceptual framework for a quantitative analysis of the origin and proliferation of the disease. Quantum Metabolism, an analytical theory of energy transduction in cells inspired by the methodology of the quantum theory of solids, elucidates the molecular basis for differences in metabolic rate between normal cells, utilizing predominantly oxidative phosphorylation, and cancer cells utilizing predominantly glycolysis. The principles of natural selection account for the outcome of competition between the two classes of cells. Quantum Metabolism and the principles of natural selection give an ontogenic and evolutionary rationale for cancer proliferation and furnish a framework for effective therapeutic strategies to impede the spread of the disease.

Dislocation-driven growth of two-dimensional lateral quantum-well superlattices

PubMed Central

Chen, Jianyi; Li, Dongdong

2018-01-01

The advent of two-dimensional (2D) materials has led to extensive studies of heterostructures for novel applications. 2D lateral multiheterojunctions and superlattices have been recently demonstrated, but the available growth methods can only produce features with widths in the micrometer or, at best, 100-nm scale and usually result in rough and defective interfaces with extensive chemical intermixing. Widths smaller than 5 nm, which are needed for quantum confinement effects and quantum-well applications, have not been achieved. We demonstrate the growth of sub–2-nm quantum-well arrays in semiconductor monolayers, driven by the climb of misfit dislocations in a lattice-mismatched sulfide/selenide heterointerface. Density functional theory calculations provide an atom-by-atom description of the growth mechanism. The calculated energy bands reveal type II alignment suitable for quantum wells, suggesting that the structure could, in principle, be turned into a “conduit” of conductive nanoribbons for interconnects in future 2D integrated circuits via n-type modulation doping. This misfit dislocation–driven growth can be applied to different combinations of 2D monolayers with lattice mismatch, paving the way to a wide range of 2D quantum-well superlattices with controllable band alignment and nanoscale width. PMID:29740600

Max Born and Molecular Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rechenberg, H.

While the 20th century is approaching its conclusion, the historian may look back and assemble the essential scientific fruits of the this period. Nearly fifty years ago, Werner Heisenberg stated in a lecture that in quantum or wave mechanics ``a new, unified science of matter has arisen, where the separation between chemistry and physics essentially lost any meaning", because (Heisenberg 1953)``The chemical properties of atoms have at least in principle become accessible to calculation, and already in the first years after the rise of quantum mechanics the simplest chemical binding, namely that of the two hydrogen atoms in the hydrogen molecule was calculated with the help of the new methods and was found in closest agreement with chemical experience. Thus the chemical valency-forces were explained on a physical basis, and the application of the new knowledge in industrial practices became only a matter of time."

Superconformal Algebraic Approach to Hadron Structure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

de Teramond, Guy F.; Brodsky, Stanley J.; Deur, Alexandre

2017-03-01

Fundamental aspects of nonperturbative QCD dynamics which are not obvious from its classical Lagrangian, such as the emergence of a mass scale and confinement, the existence of a zero mass bound state, the appearance of universal Regge trajectories and the breaking of chiral symmetry are incorporated from the onset in an effective theory based on superconformal quantum mechanics and its embedding in a higher dimensional gravitational theory. In addition, superconformal quantum mechanics gives remarkable connections between the light meson and nucleon spectra. This new approach to hadron physics is also suitable to describe nonperturbative QCD observables based on structure functions,more » such as GPDs, which are not amenable to a first-principle computation. The formalism is also successful in the description of form factors, the nonperturbative behavior of the strong coupling and diffractive processes. We also discuss in this article how the framework can be extended rather successfully to the heavy-light hadron sector.« less

Analysis of surface sputtering on a quantum statistical basis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilhelm, H. E.

1975-01-01

Surface sputtering is explained theoretically by means of a 3-body sputtering mechanism involving the ion and two surface atoms of the solid. By means of quantum-statistical mechanics, a formula for the sputtering ratio S(E) is derived from first principles. The theoretical sputtering rate S(E) was found experimentally to be proportional to the square of the difference between incident ion energy and the threshold energy for sputtering of surface atoms at low ion energies. Extrapolation of the theoretical sputtering formula to larger ion energies indicates that S(E) reaches a saturation value and finally decreases at high ion energies. The theoretical sputtering ratios S(E) for wolfram, tantalum, and molybdenum are compared with the corresponding experimental sputtering curves in the low energy region from threshold sputtering energy to 120 eV above the respective threshold energy. Theory and experiment are shown to be in good agreement.

Systematic and Automated Development of Quantum Mechanically Derived Force Fields: The Challenging Case of Halogenated Hydrocarbons.

PubMed

Prampolini, Giacomo; Campetella, Marco; De Mitri, Nicola; Livotto, Paolo Roberto; Cacelli, Ivo

2016-11-08

A robust and automated protocol for the derivation of sound force field parameters, suitable for condensed-phase classical simulations, is here tested and validated on several halogenated hydrocarbons, a class of compounds for which standard force fields have often been reported to deliver rather inaccurate performances. The major strength of the proposed protocol is that all of the parameters are derived only from first principles because all of the information required is retrieved from quantum mechanical data, purposely computed for the investigated molecule. This a priori parametrization is carried out separately for the intra- and intermolecular contributions to the force fields, respectively exploiting the Joyce and Picky programs, previously developed in our group. To avoid high computational costs, all quantum mechanical calculations were performed exploiting the density functional theory. Because the choice of the functional is known to be crucial for the description of the intermolecular interactions, a specific procedure is proposed, which allows for a reliable benchmark of different functionals against higher-level data. The intramolecular and intermolecular contribution are eventually joined together, and the resulting quantum mechanically derived force field is thereafter employed in lengthy molecular dynamics simulations to compute several thermodynamic properties that characterize the resulting bulk phase. The accuracy of the proposed parametrization protocol is finally validated by comparing the computed macroscopic observables with the available experimental counterparts. It is found that, on average, the proposed approach is capable of yielding a consistent description of the investigated set, often outperforming the literature standard force fields, or at least delivering results of similar accuracy.

The Path Ahead

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuszynski, Jack A.; Woolf, Nancy

This chapter provides an introduction to the rest of the book, which has a multidisciplinary approach to the physics of consciousness. We summarize the various contributions and present our own point of view, which is that there are some deficiencies in defining higher-order consciousness in strict terms of classic physics. We favor a proposal that considers some aspects of quantum-mechanical operations among molecules involved with neurotransmission and mechanical transport of synaptic proteins. In our view, the wiring of the brain is not as complex, and certainly not as integrated, as commonly assumed. Instead, the wiring pattern redundantly obeys a few general principles focused on high resolution rather than crossmodal integration. Basing cognitive functions, such as higher-order consciousness, solely on electrophysiological responses in neural networks thus wired may not suffice. On the other hand, coherent quantum computing, executed by tubulins, the protein subunits of microtubules, may exert en masse influences over the transport of many receptor and scaffolding proteins to various activated synapses, thereby accounting for the unity of conscious experience. We discuss the potential problems of quantum computing, such as decoherence, and also present counterarguments, as well as recent empirical results consistent with the notion that quantum computing in the interiors of neurons, in particular, within the interiors of dendrites may indeed be possible.

Digitized adiabatic quantum computing with a superconducting circuit.

PubMed

Barends, R; Shabani, A; Lamata, L; Kelly, J; Mezzacapo, A; Las Heras, U; Babbush, R; Fowler, A G; Campbell, B; Chen, Yu; Chen, Z; Chiaro, B; Dunsworth, A; Jeffrey, E; Lucero, E; Megrant, A; Mutus, J Y; Neeley, M; Neill, C; O'Malley, P J J; Quintana, C; Roushan, P; Sank, D; Vainsencher, A; Wenner, J; White, T C; Solano, E; Neven, H; Martinis, John M

2016-06-09

Quantum mechanics can help to solve complex problems in physics and chemistry, provided they can be programmed in a physical device. In adiabatic quantum computing, a system is slowly evolved from the ground state of a simple initial Hamiltonian to a final Hamiltonian that encodes a computational problem. The appeal of this approach lies in the combination of simplicity and generality; in principle, any problem can be encoded. In practice, applications are restricted by limited connectivity, available interactions and noise. A complementary approach is digital quantum computing, which enables the construction of arbitrary interactions and is compatible with error correction, but uses quantum circuit algorithms that are problem-specific. Here we combine the advantages of both approaches by implementing digitized adiabatic quantum computing in a superconducting system. We tomographically probe the system during the digitized evolution and explore the scaling of errors with system size. We then let the full system find the solution to random instances of the one-dimensional Ising problem as well as problem Hamiltonians that involve more complex interactions. This digital quantum simulation of the adiabatic algorithm consists of up to nine qubits and up to 1,000 quantum logic gates. The demonstration of digitized adiabatic quantum computing in the solid state opens a path to synthesizing long-range correlations and solving complex computational problems. When combined with fault-tolerance, our approach becomes a general-purpose algorithm that is scalable.

Scheme for Quantum Computing Immune to Decoherence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Colin; Vatan, Farrokh

2008-01-01

A constructive scheme has been devised to enable mapping of any quantum computation into a spintronic circuit in which the computation is encoded in a basis that is, in principle, immune to quantum decoherence. The scheme is implemented by an algorithm that utilizes multiple physical spins to encode each logical bit in such a way that collective errors affecting all the physical spins do not disturb the logical bit. The scheme is expected to be of use to experimenters working on spintronic implementations of quantum logic. Spintronic computing devices use quantum-mechanical spins (typically, electron spins) to encode logical bits. Bits thus encoded (denoted qubits) are potentially susceptible to errors caused by noise and decoherence. The traditional model of quantum computation is based partly on the assumption that each qubit is implemented by use of a single two-state quantum system, such as an electron or other spin-1.2 particle. It can be surprisingly difficult to achieve certain gate operations . most notably, those of arbitrary 1-qubit gates . in spintronic hardware according to this model. However, ironically, certain 2-qubit interactions (in particular, spin-spin exchange interactions) can be achieved relatively easily in spintronic hardware. Therefore, it would be fortunate if it were possible to implement any 1-qubit gate by use of a spin-spin exchange interaction. While such a direct representation is not possible, it is possible to achieve an arbitrary 1-qubit gate indirectly by means of a sequence of four spin-spin exchange interactions, which could be implemented by use of four exchange gates. Accordingly, the present scheme provides for mapping any 1-qubit gate in the logical basis into an equivalent sequence of at most four spin-spin exchange interactions in the physical (encoded) basis. The complexity of the mathematical derivation of the scheme from basic quantum principles precludes a description within this article; it must suffice to report that the derivation provides explicit constructions for finding the exchange couplings in the physical basis needed to implement any arbitrary 1-qubit gate. These constructions lead to spintronic encodings of quantum logic that are more efficient than those of a previously published scheme that utilizes a universal but fixed set of gates.

State transfer in highly connected networks and a quantum Babinet principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsomokos, D. I.; Plenio, M. B.; de Vega, I.; Huelga, S. F.

2008-12-01

The transfer of a quantum state between distant nodes in two-dimensional networks is considered. The fidelity of state transfer is calculated as a function of the number of interactions in networks that are described by regular graphs. It is shown that perfect state transfer is achieved in a network of size N , whose structure is that of an (N/2) -cross polytope graph, if N is a multiple of 4 . The result is reminiscent of the Babinet principle of classical optics. A quantum Babinet principle is derived, which allows for the identification of complementary graphs leading to the same fidelity of state transfer, in analogy with complementary screens providing identical diffraction patterns.

On the 'principle of the quantumness', the quantumness of Relativity, and the computational grand-unification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

D'Ariano, Giacomo Mauro

2010-05-04

I will argue that the proposal of establishing operational foundations of Quantum Theory should have top-priority, and that the Lucien Hardy's program on Quantum Gravity should be paralleled by an analogous program on Quantum Field Theory (QFT), which needs to be reformulated, notwithstanding its experimental success. In this paper, after reviewing recently suggested operational 'principles of the quantumness', I address the problem on whether Quantum Theory and Special Relativity are unrelated theories, or instead, if the one implies the other. I show how Special Relativity can be indeed derived from causality of Quantum Theory, within the computational paradigm 'the universemore » is a huge quantum computer', reformulating QFT as a Quantum-Computational Field Theory (QCFT). In QCFT Special Relativity emerges from the fabric of the computational network, which also naturally embeds gauge invariance. In this scheme even the quantization rule and the Planck constant can in principle be derived as emergent from the underlying causal tapestry of space-time. In this way Quantum Theory remains the only theory operating the huge computer of the universe.Is the computational paradigm only a speculative tautology (theory as simulation of reality), or does it have a scientific value? The answer will come from Occam's razor, depending on the mathematical simplicity of QCFT. Here I will just start scratching the surface of QCFT, analyzing simple field theories, including Dirac's. The number of problems and unmotivated recipes that plague QFT strongly motivates us to undertake the QCFT project, since QCFT makes all such problems manifest, and forces a re-foundation of QFT.« less

Quantum corrections to newtonian potential and generalized uncertainty principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scardigli, Fabio; Lambiase, Gaetano; Vagenas, Elias

2017-08-01

We use the leading quantum corrections to the newtonian potential to compute the deformation parameter of the generalized uncertainty principle. By assuming just only General Relativity as theory of Gravitation, and the thermal nature of the GUP corrections to the Hawking spectrum, our calculation gives, to first order, a specific numerical result. We briefly discuss the physical meaning of this value, and compare it with the previously obtained bounds on the generalized uncertainty principle deformation parameter.

Density functional theory and an experimentally-designed energy functional of electron density.

PubMed

Miranda, David A; Bueno, Paulo R

2016-09-21

We herein demonstrate that capacitance spectroscopy (CS) experimentally allows access to the energy associated with the quantum mechanical ground state of many-electron systems. Priorly, electrochemical capacitance, C [small mu, Greek, macron] [ρ], was previously understood from conceptual and computational density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Thus, we herein propose a quantum mechanical experiment-based variational method for electron charging processes based on an experimentally-designed functional of the ground state electron density. In this methodology, the electron state density, ρ, and an energy functional of the electron density, E [small mu, Greek, macron] [ρ], can be obtained from CS data. CS allows the derivative of the electrochemical potential with respect to the electron density, (δ[small mu, Greek, macron][ρ]/δρ), to be obtained as a unique functional of the energetically minimised system, i.e., β/C [small mu, Greek, macron] [ρ], where β is a constant (associated with the size of the system) and C [small mu, Greek, macron] [ρ] is an experimentally observable quantity. Thus the ground state energy (at a given fixed external potential) can be obtained simply as E [small mu, Greek, macron] [ρ], from the experimental measurement of C [small mu, Greek, macron] [ρ]. An experimental data-set was interpreted to demonstrate the potential of this quantum mechanical experiment-based variational principle.

Quantum mechanical light harvesting mechanisms in photosynthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scholes, Gregory

2012-02-01

More than 10 million billion photons of light strike a leaf each second. Incredibly, almost every red-coloured photon is captured by chlorophyll pigments and initiates steps to plant growth. Last year we reported that marine algae use quantum mechanics in order to optimize photosynthesis [1], a process essential to its survival. These and other insights from the natural world promise to revolutionize our ability to harness the power of the sun. In a recent review [2] we described the principles learned from studies of various natural antenna complexes and suggested how to utilize that knowledge to shape future technologies. We forecast the need to develop ways to direct and regulate excitation energy flow using molecular organizations that facilitate feedback and control--not easy given that the energy is only stored for a billionth of a second. In this presentation I will describe new results that explain the observation and meaning of quantum-coherent energy transfer. [4pt] [1] Elisabetta Collini, Cathy Y. Wong, Krystyna E. Wilk, Paul M. G. Curmi, Paul Brumer, and Gregory D. Scholes, ``Coherently wired light-harvesting in photosynthetic marine algae at ambient temperature'' Nature 463, 644-648 (2010).[0pt] [2] Gregory D. Scholes, Graham R. Fleming, Alexandra Olaya-Castro and Rienk van Grondelle, ``Lessons from nature about solar light harvesting'' Nature Chem. 3, 763-774 (2011).

Path integral molecular dynamics for exact quantum statistics of multi-electronic-state systems.

PubMed

Liu, Xinzijian; Liu, Jian

2018-03-14

An exact approach to compute physical properties for general multi-electronic-state (MES) systems in thermal equilibrium is presented. The approach is extended from our recent progress on path integral molecular dynamics (PIMD), Liu et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 145, 024103 (2016)] and Zhang et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 147, 034109 (2017)], for quantum statistical mechanics when a single potential energy surface is involved. We first define an effective potential function that is numerically favorable for MES-PIMD and then derive corresponding estimators in MES-PIMD for evaluating various physical properties. Its application to several representative one-dimensional and multi-dimensional models demonstrates that MES-PIMD in principle offers a practical tool in either of the diabatic and adiabatic representations for studying exact quantum statistics of complex/large MES systems when the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, Condon approximation, and harmonic bath approximation are broken.

Path integral molecular dynamics for exact quantum statistics of multi-electronic-state systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xinzijian; Liu, Jian

2018-03-01

An exact approach to compute physical properties for general multi-electronic-state (MES) systems in thermal equilibrium is presented. The approach is extended from our recent progress on path integral molecular dynamics (PIMD), Liu et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 145, 024103 (2016)] and Zhang et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 147, 034109 (2017)], for quantum statistical mechanics when a single potential energy surface is involved. We first define an effective potential function that is numerically favorable for MES-PIMD and then derive corresponding estimators in MES-PIMD for evaluating various physical properties. Its application to several representative one-dimensional and multi-dimensional models demonstrates that MES-PIMD in principle offers a practical tool in either of the diabatic and adiabatic representations for studying exact quantum statistics of complex/large MES systems when the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, Condon approximation, and harmonic bath approximation are broken.

Comment on 'Nonlocality, Counterfactuals and Quantum Mechanics'

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stapp, H.P.

A recent proof [H. P. Stapp, Am. J. Phys. 65, 300 (1997)], formulated in the symbolic language of modal logic, claims to show that contemporary quantum theory, viewed as a set of rules that allow us to calculate statistical predictions among certain kinds of observations, cannot be imbedded in any rational framework that conforms to the principles that (1) the experimenters' choices of which experiments they will perform can be considered to be free choices, (2) outcomes of measurements are unique, and (3) the free choices just mentioned have no backward-in-time effects of any kind. This claim is similar tomore » Bell's theorem, but much stronger, because no reality assumption alien to quantum philosophy is used. The paper being commented on [W. Unruh, Phys. Rev. A 59, 126 (1999)] argues that some such reality assumption has been ''smuggled'' in. That argument is examined here and shown, I believe, to be defective.« less

Augmenting Phase Space Quantization to Introduce Additional Physical Effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robbins, Matthew P. G.

Quantum mechanics can be done using classical phase space functions and a star product. The state of the system is described by a quasi-probability distribution. A classical system can be quantized in phase space in different ways with different quasi-probability distributions and star products. A transition differential operator relates different phase space quantizations. The objective of this thesis is to introduce additional physical effects into the process of quantization by using the transition operator. As prototypical examples, we first look at the coarse-graining of the Wigner function and the damped simple harmonic oscillator. By generalizing the transition operator and star product to also be functions of the position and momentum, we show that additional physical features beyond damping and coarse-graining can be introduced into a quantum system, including the generalized uncertainty principle of quantum gravity phenomenology, driving forces, and decoherence.

Controllable vacuum-induced diffraction of matter-wave superradiance using an all-optical dispersive cavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Shih-Wei; Lu, Zhen-Kai; Gou, Shih-Chuan; Liao, Wen-Te

2016-10-01

Cavity quantum electrodynamics (CQED) has played a central role in demonstrating the fundamental principles of the quantum world, and in particular those of atom-light interactions. Developing fast, dynamical and non-mechanical control over a CQED system is particularly desirable for controlling atomic dynamics and building future quantum networks at high speed. However conventional mirrors do not allow for such flexible and fast controls over their coupling to intracavity atoms mediated by photons. Here we theoretically investigate a novel all-optical CQED system composed of a binary Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) sandwiched by two atomic ensembles. The highly tunable atomic dispersion of the CQED system enables the medium to act as a versatile, all-optically controlled atomic mirror that can be employed to manipulate the vacuum-induced diffraction of matter-wave superradiance. Our study illustrates a innovative all-optical element of atomtroics and sheds new light on controlling light-matter interactions.

Mixed quantum-classical simulations of the vibrational relaxation of photolyzed carbon monoxide in a hemoprotein

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schubert, Alexander; Falvo, Cyril; Meier, Christoph

2016-08-01

We present mixed quantum-classical simulations on relaxation and dephasing of vibrationally excited carbon monoxide within a protein environment. The methodology is based on a vibrational surface hopping approach treating the vibrational states of CO quantum mechanically, while all remaining degrees of freedom are described by means of classical molecular dynamics. The CO vibrational states form the "surfaces" for the classical trajectories of protein and solvent atoms. In return, environmentally induced non-adiabatic couplings between these states cause transitions describing the vibrational relaxation from first principles. The molecular dynamics simulation yields a detailed atomistic picture of the energy relaxation pathways, taking the molecular structure and dynamics of the protein and its solvent fully into account. Using the ultrafast photolysis of CO in the hemoprotein FixL as an example, we study the relaxation of vibrationally excited CO and evaluate the role of each of the FixL residues forming the heme pocket.

The Experimental Demonstration of High Efficiency Interaction-free Measurement for Quantum Counterfactual-like Communication.

PubMed

Liu, Chao; Liu, Jinhong; Zhang, Junxiang; Zhu, Shiyao

2017-09-07

We present an interaction-free measurement with quantum Zeno effect and a high efficiency η = 74.6% ± 0.15%. As a proof-of-principle demonstration, this measurement can be used to implement a quantum counterfactual-like communication protocol. Instead of a single photon state, we use a coherent light as the input source and show that the output agrees with the proposed quantum counterfactual communication protocol according to Salih et al. Although the counterfactuality is not achieved due to the presence of a few photons in the public channel, we show that the signal light is nearly absent in the public channel, which exhibits a proof-of-principle quantum counterfactual-like property of communication.

Dynamical quantum phase transitions: a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heyl, Markus

2018-05-01

Quantum theory provides an extensive framework for the description of the equilibrium properties of quantum matter. Yet experiments in quantum simulators have now opened up a route towards the generation of quantum states beyond this equilibrium paradigm. While these states promise to show properties not constrained by equilibrium principles, such as the equal a priori probability of the microcanonical ensemble, identifying the general properties of nonequilibrium quantum dynamics remains a major challenge, especially in view of the lack of conventional concepts such as free energies. The theory of dynamical quantum phase transitions attempts to identify such general principles by lifting the concept of phase transitions to coherent quantum real-time evolution. This review provides a pedagogical introduction to this field. Starting from the general setting of nonequilibrium dynamics in closed quantum many-body systems, we give the definition of dynamical quantum phase transitions as phase transitions in time with physical quantities becoming nonanalytic at critical times. We summarize the achieved theoretical advances as well as the first experimental observations, and furthermore provide an outlook to major open questions as well as future directions of research.

Dynamical quantum phase transitions: a review.

PubMed

Heyl, Markus

2018-05-01

Quantum theory provides an extensive framework for the description of the equilibrium properties of quantum matter. Yet experiments in quantum simulators have now opened up a route towards the generation of quantum states beyond this equilibrium paradigm. While these states promise to show properties not constrained by equilibrium principles, such as the equal a priori probability of the microcanonical ensemble, identifying the general properties of nonequilibrium quantum dynamics remains a major challenge, especially in view of the lack of conventional concepts such as free energies. The theory of dynamical quantum phase transitions attempts to identify such general principles by lifting the concept of phase transitions to coherent quantum real-time evolution. This review provides a pedagogical introduction to this field. Starting from the general setting of nonequilibrium dynamics in closed quantum many-body systems, we give the definition of dynamical quantum phase transitions as phase transitions in time with physical quantities becoming nonanalytic at critical times. We summarize the achieved theoretical advances as well as the first experimental observations, and furthermore provide an outlook to major open questions as well as future directions of research.

A gist of comprehensive review of hadronic chemistry and its applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tangde, Vijay M.

20{sup th} century theories of Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Chemistry are exactly valid only when considered to represent the atomic structures. While considering the more general aspects of atomic combinations these theories fail to explain all the related experimental data from first unadulterated axiomatic principles. According to Quantum Chemistry two valence electrons should repel each other and as such there is no mathematical representation of a strong attractive forces between such valence electrons. In view of these and other insufficiencies of Quantum Chemistry, an Italian-American Scientist Professor Ruggero Maria Santilli during his more than five decades of dedicated and sustainedmore » research has denounced the fact that quantum chemistry is mostly based on mere nomenclatures. Professor R M Santilli first formulated the iso-, geno- and hyper- mathematics [1, 2, 3, 4] that helped in understanding numerous diversified problems and removing inadequacies in most of the established and celebrated theories of 20th century physics and chemistry. This involves the isotopic, genotopic, etc. lifting of Lie algebra that generated Lie admissible mathematics to properly describe irreversible processes. The studies on Hadronic Mechanics in general and chemistry in particular based on Santilli’s mathematics[3, 4, 5] for the first time has removed the very fundamental limitations of quantum chemistry [2, 6, 7, 8]. In the present discussion, a comprehensive review of Hadronic Chemistry is presented that imparts the completeness to the Quantum Chemistry via an addition of effects at distances of the order of 1 fm (only) which are assumed to be Non-linear, Non-local, Non-potential, Non-hamiltonian and thus Non-unitary, stepwise successes of Hadronic Chemistry and its application in development of a new chemical species called Magnecules.« less

Finite element analysis of time-independent superconductivity. Ph.D. Thesis Final Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schuler, James J.

1993-01-01

The development of electromagnetic (EM) finite elements based upon a generalized four-potential variational principle is presented. The use of the four-potential variational principle allows for downstream coupling of EM fields with the thermal, mechanical, and quantum effects exhibited by superconducting materials. The use of variational methods to model an EM system allows for a greater range of applications than just the superconducting problem. The four-potential variational principle can be used to solve a broader range of EM problems than any of the currently available formulations. It also reduces the number of independent variables from six to four while easily dealing with conductor/insulator interfaces. This methodology was applied to a range of EM field problems. Results from all these problems predict EM quantities exceptionally well and are consistent with the expected physical behavior.

Conformational structures of a decapeptide validated by first principles calculations and cold ion spectroscopy.

PubMed

Roy, Tapta Kanchan; Kopysov, Vladimir; Nagornova, Natalia S; Rizzo, Thomas R; Boyarkin, Oleg V; Gerber, R Benny

2015-05-18

Calculated structures of the two most stable conformers of a protonated decapeptide gramicidin S in the gas phase have been validated by comparing the vibrational spectra, calculated from first- principles and measured in a wide spectral range using infrared (IR)-UV double resonance cold ion spectroscopy. All the 522 vibrational modes of each conformer were calculated quantum mechanically and compared with the experiment without any recourse to an empirical scaling. The study demonstrates that first-principles calculations, when accounting for vibrational anharmonicity, can reproduce high-resolution experimental spectra well enough for validating structures of molecules as large as of 200 atoms. The validated accurate structures of the peptide may serve as templates for in silico drug design and absolute calibration of ion mobility measurements. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Communication: Charge-transfer rate constants in zinc-porphyrin-porphyrin-derived dyads: A Fermi golden rule first-principles-based study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manna, Arun K.; Dunietz, Barry D.

2014-09-01

We investigate photoinduced charge transfer (CT) processes within dyads consisting of porphyrin derivatives in which one ring ligates a Zn metal center and where the rings vary by their degree of conjugation. Using a first-principles approach, we show that molecular-scale means can tune CT rates through stabilization affected by the polar environment. Such means of CT tuning are important for achieving high efficiency optoelectronic applications using organic semiconducting materials. Our fully quantum mechanical scheme is necessary for reliably modeling the CT process across different regimes, in contrast to the pervading semi-classical Marcus picture that grossly underestimates transfer in the far-inverted regime.

Improved techniques for outgoing wave variational principle calculations of converged state-to-state transition probabilities for chemical reactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mielke, Steven L.; Truhlar, Donald G.; Schwenke, David W.

1991-01-01

Improved techniques and well-optimized basis sets are presented for application of the outgoing wave variational principle to calculate converged quantum mechanical reaction probabilities. They are illustrated with calculations for the reactions D + H2 yields HD + H with total angular momentum J = 3 and F + H2 yields HF + H with J = 0 and 3. The optimization involves the choice of distortion potential, the grid for calculating half-integrated Green's functions, the placement, width, and number of primitive distributed Gaussians, and the computationally most efficient partition between dynamically adapted and primitive basis functions. Benchmark calculations with 224-1064 channels are presented.

The Kantian element in the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cale, David Lee

In Quantum Physics and the Philosophical Tradition, Aage Petersen makes the troubling claim that the entirety of the tradition of Western philosophy is "deconstructed" by quantum mechanics. This viewpoint applies, especially, to the relationship between Kantian philosophy and quantum theory. It is generally accepted that quantum mechanics, in its Copenhagen interpretation, has destroyed all validity for the classical belief in a deterministic underlying reality, a belief sustained throughout the nineteenth century through a philosophical ground in Kant's critical philosophy. This dissertation takes on the daunting task of determining what, if any, relationship can be had between contemporary physics and Kantian philosophy. It begins with a historical review of the challenges posed for Kant's arguments and proposed solutions, especially those offered by Cassirer. It then turns to the task of providing the Western philosophical tradition with an interpretation apart from Petersen's, which sees it as concerned only with the problem of being. The offered solution is the suggestion that Western philosophy be understood as a struggle, between epistemological and ontological perspectives, to provide a context for the various descriptions of nature provided by human scientific progress. Kant's philosophy is then interpreted as an effort to provide Newtonian physics with a valid context in the face of Hume's skepticism. The finding is that Kant was the first to suggest that an object does not acquire the spatio-temporal properties used in its physical description until introduced to an observer. The dissertation concludes that the authors of the Copenhagen interpretation were essentially engaged in Kant's enterprise through their attempt to provide an observer based context for the spatio-temporal descriptive principles used in the physics of their time.

Small Molecules-Big Data.

PubMed

Császár, Attila G; Furtenbacher, Tibor; Árendás, Péter

2016-11-17

Quantum mechanics builds large-scale graphs (networks): the vertices are the discrete energy levels the quantum system possesses, and the edges are the (quantum-mechanically allowed) transitions. Parts of the complete quantum mechanical networks can be probed experimentally via high-resolution, energy-resolved spectroscopic techniques. The complete rovibronic line list information for a given molecule can only be obtained through sophisticated quantum-chemical computations. Experiments as well as computations yield what we call spectroscopic networks (SN). First-principles SNs of even small, three to five atomic molecules can be huge, qualifying for the big data description. Besides helping to interpret high-resolution spectra, the network-theoretical view offers several ideas for improving the accuracy and robustness of the increasingly important information systems containing line-by-line spectroscopic data. For example, the smallest number of measurements necessary to perform to obtain the complete list of energy levels is given by the minimum-weight spanning tree of the SN and network clustering studies may call attention to "weakest links" of a spectroscopic database. A present-day application of spectroscopic networks is within the MARVEL (Measured Active Rotational-Vibrational Energy Levels) approach, whereby the transitions information on a measured SN is turned into experimental energy levels via a weighted linear least-squares refinement. MARVEL has been used successfully for 15 molecules and allowed to validate most of the transitions measured and come up with energy levels with well-defined and realistic uncertainties. Accurate knowledge of the energy levels with computed transition intensities allows the realistic prediction of spectra under many different circumstances, e.g., for widely different temperatures. Detailed knowledge of the energy level structure of a molecule coming from a MARVEL analysis is important for a considerable number of modeling efforts in chemistry, physics, and engineering.

Proof of the Spin Statistics Connection 2: Relativistic Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santamato, Enrico; De Martini, Francesco

2017-12-01

The traditional standard theory of quantum mechanics is unable to solve the spin-statistics problem, i.e. to justify the utterly important "Pauli Exclusion Principle" but by the adoption of the complex standard relativistic quantum field theory. In a recent paper (Santamato and De Martini in Found Phys 45(7):858-873, 2015) we presented a proof of the spin-statistics problem in the nonrelativistic approximation on the basis of the "Conformal Quantum Geometrodynamics". In the present paper, by the same theory the proof of the spin-statistics theorem is extended to the relativistic domain in the general scenario of curved spacetime. The relativistic approach allows to formulate a manifestly step-by-step Weyl gauge invariant theory and to emphasize some fundamental aspects of group theory in the demonstration. No relativistic quantum field operators are used and the particle exchange properties are drawn from the conservation of the intrinsic helicity of elementary particles. It is therefore this property, not considered in the standard quantum mechanics, which determines the correct spin-statistics connection observed in Nature (Santamato and De Martini in Found Phys 45(7):858-873, 2015). The present proof of the spin-statistics theorem is simpler than the one presented in Santamato and De Martini (Found Phys 45(7):858-873, 2015), because it is based on symmetry group considerations only, without having recourse to frames attached to the particles. Second quantization and anticommuting operators are not necessary.

A second order thermodynamic perturbation theory for hydrogen bond cooperativity in water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, Bennett D.

2017-05-01

It has been extensively demonstrated through first principles quantum mechanics calculations that water exhibits strong hydrogen bond cooperativity. Equations of state developed from statistical mechanics typically assume pairwise additivity, meaning they cannot account for these 3-body and higher cooperative effects. In this paper, we extend a second order thermodynamic perturbation theory to correct for hydrogen bond cooperativity in 4 site water. We demonstrate that the theory predicts hydrogen bonding structure consistent spectroscopy, neutron diffraction, and molecular simulation data. Finally, we implement the approach into a general equation of state for water.

Computational Design of Flat-Band Material.

PubMed

Hase, I; Yanagisawa, T; Kawashima, K

2018-02-26

Quantum mechanics states that hopping integral between local orbitals makes the energy band dispersive. However, in some special cases, there are bands with no dispersion due to quantum interference. These bands are called as flat band. Many models having flat band have been proposed, and many interesting physical properties are predicted. However, no real compound having flat band has been found yet despite the 25 years of vigorous researches. We have found that some pyrochlore oxides have quasi-flat band just below the Fermi level by first principles calculation. Moreover, their valence bands are well described by a tight-binding model of pyrochlore lattice with isotropic nearest neighbor hopping integral. This model belongs to a class of Mielke model, whose ground state is known to be ferromagnetic with appropriate carrier doping and on-site repulsive Coulomb interaction. We have also performed a spin-polarized band calculation for the hole-doped system from first principles and found that the ground state is ferromagnetic for some doping region. Interestingly, these compounds do not include magnetic element, such as transition metal and rare-earth elements.

Computational Design of Flat-Band Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hase, I.; Yanagisawa, T.; Kawashima, K.

2018-02-01

Quantum mechanics states that hopping integral between local orbitals makes the energy band dispersive. However, in some special cases, there are bands with no dispersion due to quantum interference. These bands are called as flat band. Many models having flat band have been proposed, and many interesting physical properties are predicted. However, no real compound having flat band has been found yet despite the 25 years of vigorous researches. We have found that some pyrochlore oxides have quasi-flat band just below the Fermi level by first principles calculation. Moreover, their valence bands are well described by a tight-binding model of pyrochlore lattice with isotropic nearest neighbor hopping integral. This model belongs to a class of Mielke model, whose ground state is known to be ferromagnetic with appropriate carrier doping and on-site repulsive Coulomb interaction. We have also performed a spin-polarized band calculation for the hole-doped system from first principles and found that the ground state is ferromagnetic for some doping region. Interestingly, these compounds do not include magnetic element, such as transition metal and rare-earth elements.

Security analysis on some experimental quantum key distribution systems with imperfect optical and electrical devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Lin-Mei; Sun, Shi-Hai; Jiang, Mu-Sheng; Li, Chun-Yan

2014-10-01

In general, quantum key distribution (QKD) has been proved unconditionally secure for perfect devices due to quantum uncertainty principle, quantum noncloning theorem and quantum nondividing principle which means that a quantum cannot be divided further. However, the practical optical and electrical devices used in the system are imperfect, which can be exploited by the eavesdropper to partially or totally spy the secret key between the legitimate parties. In this article, we first briefly review the recent work on quantum hacking on some experimental QKD systems with respect to imperfect devices carried out internationally, then we will present our recent hacking works in details, including passive faraday mirror attack, partially random phase attack, wavelength-selected photon-number-splitting attack, frequency shift attack, and single-photon-detector attack. Those quantum attack reminds people to improve the security existed in practical QKD systems due to imperfect devices by simply adding countermeasure or adopting a totally different protocol such as measurement-device independent protocol to avoid quantum hacking on the imperfection of measurement devices [Lo, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 2012, 108: 130503].

High-Level, First-Principles, Full-Dimensional Quantum Calculation of the Ro-vibrational Spectrum of the Simplest Criegee Intermediate (CH2OO).

PubMed

Li, Jun; Carter, Stuart; Bowman, Joel M; Dawes, Richard; Xie, Daiqian; Guo, Hua

2014-07-03

The ro-vibrational spectrum of the simplest Criegee intermediate (CH2OO) has been determined quantum mechanically based on nine-dimensional potential energy and dipole surfaces for its ground electronic state. The potential energy surface is fitted to more than 50 000 high-level ab initio points with a root-mean-square error of 25 cm(-1), using a recently proposed permutation invariant polynomial neural network method. The calculated rotational constants, vibrational frequencies, and spectral intensities of CH2OO are in excellent agreement with experiment. The potential energy surface provides a valuable platform for studying highly excited vibrational and unimolecular reaction dynamics of this important molecule.

Information Conservation is Fundamental: Recovering the Lost Information in Hawking Radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Baocheng; Cai, Qing-Yu; Zhan, Ming-Sheng; You, Li

2013-06-01

In both classical and quantum world, information cannot appear or disappear. This fundamental principle, however, is questioned for a black hole, by the acclaimed "information loss paradox." Based on the conservation laws of energy, charge, and angular momentum, we recently show the total information encoded in the correlations among Hawking radiations equals exactly to the same amount previously considered lost, assuming the nonthermal spectrum of Parikh and Wilczek. Thus the information loss paradox can be falsified through experiments by detecting correlations, for instance, through measuring the covariances of Hawking radiations from black holes, such as the manmade ones speculated to appear in LHC experiments. The affirmation of information conservation in Hawking radiation will shine new light on the unification of gravity with quantum mechanics.

Fundamental Quantum 1/F Noise in Ultrasmall Semi Conductor Devices and Their Optimal Design Principles.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-05-01

1 . quantum 1 / f noise t - 12 . In that case the Hooge parameter0(H may be written H...Eqs. (4.2)-(4.5). The Hooge formula 2 0 is thus derived from first =.% principles as a quantum 1 / f result withOH given by Eq. (4.12). All i/ f noise ...between coherent state I/ f noise and the Umklapp I/ f noise . 1 / f noise in n+-p Hgl-xCdxTe occurs in many forms and each form should be tested. If a Hooge

Complexity Reduction in Large Quantum Systems: Fragment Identification and Population Analysis via a Local Optimized Minimal Basis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mohr, Stephan; Masella, Michel; Ratcliff, Laura E.

We present, within Kohn-Sham Density Functional Theory calculations, a quantitative method to identify and assess the partitioning of a large quantum mechanical system into fragments. We then introduce a simple and efficient formalism (which can be written as generalization of other well-known population analyses) to extract, from first principles, electrostatic multipoles for these fragments. The corresponding fragment multipoles can in this way be seen as reliable (pseudo-) observables. By applying our formalism within the code BigDFT, we show that the usage of a minimal set of in-situ optimized basis functions is of utmost importance for having at the same timemore » a proper fragment definition and an accurate description of the electronic structure. With this approach it becomes possible to simplify the modeling of environmental fragments by a set of multipoles, without notable loss of precision in the description of the active quantum mechanical region. Furthermore, this leads to a considerable reduction of the degrees of freedom by an effective coarsegraining approach, eventually also paving the way towards efficient QM/QM and QM/MM methods coupling together different levels of accuracy.« less

Complexity Reduction in Large Quantum Systems: Fragment Identification and Population Analysis via a Local Optimized Minimal Basis

DOE PAGES

Mohr, Stephan; Masella, Michel; Ratcliff, Laura E.; ...

2017-07-21

We present, within Kohn-Sham Density Functional Theory calculations, a quantitative method to identify and assess the partitioning of a large quantum mechanical system into fragments. We then introduce a simple and efficient formalism (which can be written as generalization of other well-known population analyses) to extract, from first principles, electrostatic multipoles for these fragments. The corresponding fragment multipoles can in this way be seen as reliable (pseudo-) observables. By applying our formalism within the code BigDFT, we show that the usage of a minimal set of in-situ optimized basis functions is of utmost importance for having at the same timemore » a proper fragment definition and an accurate description of the electronic structure. With this approach it becomes possible to simplify the modeling of environmental fragments by a set of multipoles, without notable loss of precision in the description of the active quantum mechanical region. Furthermore, this leads to a considerable reduction of the degrees of freedom by an effective coarsegraining approach, eventually also paving the way towards efficient QM/QM and QM/MM methods coupling together different levels of accuracy.« less

Optical quantum memory based on electromagnetically induced transparency

PubMed Central

Ma, Lijun; Slattery, Oliver

2017-01-01

Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is a promising approach to implement quantum memory in quantum communication and quantum computing applications. In this paper, following a brief overview of the main approaches to quantum memory, we provide details of the physical principle and theory of quantum memory based specifically on EIT. We discuss the key technologies for implementing quantum memory based on EIT and review important milestones, from the first experimental demonstration to current applications in quantum information systems. PMID:28828172

Optical quantum memory based on electromagnetically induced transparency.

PubMed

Ma, Lijun; Slattery, Oliver; Tang, Xiao

2017-04-01

Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is a promising approach to implement quantum memory in quantum communication and quantum computing applications. In this paper, following a brief overview of the main approaches to quantum memory, we provide details of the physical principle and theory of quantum memory based specifically on EIT. We discuss the key technologies for implementing quantum memory based on EIT and review important milestones, from the first experimental demonstration to current applications in quantum information systems.

A quantum probability explanation for violations of ‘rational’ decision theory

PubMed Central

Pothos, Emmanuel M.; Busemeyer, Jerome R.

2009-01-01

Two experimental tasks in psychology, the two-stage gambling game and the Prisoner's Dilemma game, show that people violate the sure thing principle of decision theory. These paradoxical findings have resisted explanation by classical decision theory for over a decade. A quantum probability model, based on a Hilbert space representation and Schrödinger's equation, provides a simple and elegant explanation for this behaviour. The quantum model is compared with an equivalent Markov model and it is shown that the latter is unable to account for violations of the sure thing principle. Accordingly, it is argued that quantum probability provides a better framework for modelling human decision-making. PMID:19324743

Entanglement, space-time and the Mayer-Vietoris theorem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patrascu, Andrei T.

2017-06-01

Entanglement appears to be a fundamental building block of quantum gravity leading to new principles underlying the nature of quantum space-time. One such principle is the ER-EPR duality. While supported by our present intuition, a proof is far from obvious. In this article I present a first step towards such a proof, originating in what is known to algebraic topologists as the Mayer-Vietoris theorem. The main result of this work is the re-interpretation of the various morphisms arising when the Mayer-Vietoris theorem is used to assemble a torus-like topology from more basic subspaces on the torus in terms of quantum information theory resulting in a quantum entangler gate (Hadamard and c-NOT).

Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Theory and Mesoscopic Anthropic Principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamenshchik, A. Yu.; Teryaev, O. V.

2008-10-01

We suggest to combine the Anthropic Principle with Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Theory. Realizing the multiplicity of worlds it provides an opportunity of explanation of some important events which are assumed to be extremely improbable. The Mesoscopic Anthropic Principle suggested here is aimed to explain appearance of such events which are necessary for emergence of Life and Mind. It is complementary to Cosmological Anthropic Principle explaining the fine tuning of fundamental constants. We briefly discuss various possible applications of Mesoscopic Anthropic Principle including the Solar Eclipses and assembling of complex molecules. Besides, we address the problem of Time's Arrow in the framework of Many-World Interpretation. We suggest the recipe for disentangling of quantities defined by fundamental physical laws and by an anthropic selection.

Dislocation-driven growth of two-dimensional lateral quantum-well superlattices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhou, Wu; Zhang, Yu -Yang; Chen, Jianyi

Here, the advent of two-dimensional (2D) materials has led to extensive studies of heterostructures for novel applications. 2D lateral multiheterojunctions and superlattices have been recently demonstrated, but the available growth methods can only produce features with widths in the micrometer or, at best, 100-nm scale and usually result in rough and defective interfaces with extensive chemical intermixing. Widths smaller than 5 nm, which are needed for quantum confinement effects and quantum-well applications, have not been achieved. We demonstrate the growth of sub–2-nm quantum-well arrays in semiconductor monolayers, driven by the climb of misfit dislocations in a lattice-mismatched sulfide/selenide heterointerface. Densitymore » functional theory calculations provide an atom-by-atom description of the growth mechanism. The calculated energy bands reveal type II alignment suitable for quantum wells, suggesting that the structure could, in principle, be turned into a “conduit” of conductive nanoribbons for interconnects in future 2D integrated circuits via n-type modulation doping. This misfit dislocation–driven growth can be applied to different combinations of 2D monolayers with lattice mismatch, paving the way to a wide range of 2D quantum-well superlattices with controllable band alignment and nanoscale width.« less

Dislocation-driven growth of two-dimensional lateral quantum-well superlattices

DOE PAGES

Zhou, Wu; Zhang, Yu -Yang; Chen, Jianyi; ...

2018-03-23

Here, the advent of two-dimensional (2D) materials has led to extensive studies of heterostructures for novel applications. 2D lateral multiheterojunctions and superlattices have been recently demonstrated, but the available growth methods can only produce features with widths in the micrometer or, at best, 100-nm scale and usually result in rough and defective interfaces with extensive chemical intermixing. Widths smaller than 5 nm, which are needed for quantum confinement effects and quantum-well applications, have not been achieved. We demonstrate the growth of sub–2-nm quantum-well arrays in semiconductor monolayers, driven by the climb of misfit dislocations in a lattice-mismatched sulfide/selenide heterointerface. Densitymore » functional theory calculations provide an atom-by-atom description of the growth mechanism. The calculated energy bands reveal type II alignment suitable for quantum wells, suggesting that the structure could, in principle, be turned into a “conduit” of conductive nanoribbons for interconnects in future 2D integrated circuits via n-type modulation doping. This misfit dislocation–driven growth can be applied to different combinations of 2D monolayers with lattice mismatch, paving the way to a wide range of 2D quantum-well superlattices with controllable band alignment and nanoscale width.« less

Physics of Non-Inertial Reference Frames

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kamalov, Timur F.

2010-12-22

Physics of non-inertial reference frames is a generalizing of Newton's laws to any reference frames. It is the system of general axioms for classical and quantum mechanics. The first, Kinematics Principle reads: the kinematic state of a body free of forces conserves and equal in absolute value to an invariant of the observer's reference frame. The second, Dynamics Principle extended Newton's second law to non-inertial reference frames and also contains additional variables there are higher derivatives of coordinates. Dynamics Principle reads: a force induces a change in the kinematic state of the body and is proportional to the rate ofmore » its change. It is mean that if the kinematic invariant of the reference frame is n-th derivative with respect the time, then the dynamics of a body being affected by the force F is described by the 2n-th differential equation. The third, Statics Principle reads: the sum of all forces acting a body at rest is equal to zero.« less

Zel'dovich Λ and Weinberg's relation: an explanation for the cosmological coincidences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alfonso-Faus, Antonio

2008-11-01

In 1937 Dirac proposed the large number hypothesis (LNH). The idea was to explain that these numbers were large because the Universe is old. A time variation of certain “constants” was assumed. So far, no experimental evidence has significantly supported this time variation. Here we present a simplified cosmological model. We propose a new cosmological system of units, including a cosmological Planck’s constant that “absorbs” the well known large number 10120. With this new Planck’s constant no large numbers appear at the cosmological level. They appear at lower levels, e.g. at the quantum world. We note here that Zel’dovich formula, for the cosmological constant Λ, is equivalent to the Weinberg’s relation. The immediate conclusion is that the speed of light c must be proportional to the Hubble parameter H, and therefore decrease with time. We find that the gravitational radius of the Universe and its size are one and the same constant (Mach’s principle). The usual cosmological Ω’s parameters for mass, lambda and curvature turn out to be all constants of order one. The anthropic principle is not necessary in this theory. It is shown that a factor of 1061 converts in this theory a Planck fluctuation (a quantum black hole) into a cosmological quantum black hole: the Universe today. General relativity and quantum mechanics give the same local solution of an expanding Universe with the law a( t)≈constṡ t. This constant is just the speed of light today. Then the Hubble parameter is exactly H= a( t)'/ a( t)=1/ t.

No Quantum Realization of Extremal No-Signaling Boxes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramanathan, Ravishankar; Tuziemski, Jan; Horodecki, Michał; Horodecki, Paweł

2016-07-01

The study of quantum correlations is important for fundamental reasons as well as for quantum communication and information processing tasks. On the one hand, it is of tremendous interest to derive the correlations produced by measurements on separated composite quantum systems from within the set of all correlations obeying the no-signaling principle of relativity, by means of information-theoretic principles. On the other hand, an important ongoing research program concerns the formulation of device-independent cryptographic protocols based on quantum nonlocal correlations for the generation of secure keys, and the amplification and expansion of random bits against general no-signaling adversaries. In both these research programs, a fundamental question arises: Can any measurements on quantum states realize the correlations present in pure extremal no-signaling boxes? Here, we answer this question in full generality showing that no nontrivial (not local realistic) extremal boxes of general no-signaling theories can be realized in quantum theory. We then explore some important consequences of this fact.

Black holes, information, and the universal coefficient theorem

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Patrascu, Andrei T.

2016-07-15

General relativity is based on the diffeomorphism covariant formulation of the laws of physics while quantum mechanics is based on the principle of unitary evolution. In this article, I provide a possible answer to the black hole information paradox by means of homological algebra and pairings generated by the universal coefficient theorem. The unitarity of processes involving black holes is restored by the demanding invariance of the laws of physics to the change of coefficient structures in cohomology.

Development of Methods for Diagnostics of Discharges in Supersonic Flows

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-03-01

signal to digital sequence, temporal storing data in the ADSP memory and the transmission of data to the main computer. An analytical model for...molecular bands of CN (0,0) и (1,1) with quantum wavelengths λ=388,3 и 387,2 nm. Mechanism of transversal electric discharge sustention in...principle of conversion of the measured analog signal into a digital form, its temporal storing in the ADSP memory , and its sequent transfer to the main

Towards A Predictive First Principles Understanding Of Molecular Adsorption On Graphene

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-05

used and developed state-of-the-art quantum mechanical methods to make accurate predictions about the interaction strength and adsorption structure...density functional theory, ab initio methods 16.  SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17.  LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT SAR 18.  NUMBER OF PAGES   11   19a.  NAME OF...important physical properties for a whole class of systems with weak non-covalent interactions, for example those involving the binding between water

Exact microstate counting for dyonic black holes in AdS4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benini, Francesco; Hristov, Kiril; Zaffaroni, Alberto

2017-08-01

We present a counting of microstates of a class of dyonic BPS black holes in AdS4 which precisely reproduces their Bekenstein-Hawking entropy. The counting is performed in the dual boundary description, that provides a non-perturbative definition of quantum gravity, in terms of a twisted and mass-deformed ABJM theory. We evaluate its twisted index and propose an extremization principle to extract the entropy, which reproduces the attractor mechanism in gauged supergravity.

Quasi-four-body treatment of charge transfer in the collision of protons with atomic helium: I. Thomas related mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safarzade, Zohre; Fathi, Reza; Shojaei Akbarabadi, Farideh; Bolorizadeh, Mohammad A.

2018-04-01

The scattering of a completely bare ion by atoms larger than hydrogen is at least a four-body interaction, and the charge transfer channel involves a two-step process. Amongst the two-step interactions of the high-velocity single charge transfer in an anion-atom collision, there is one whose amplitude demonstrates a peak in the angular distribution of the cross sections. This peak, the so-called Thomas peak, was predicted by Thomas in a two-step interaction, classically, which could also be described through three-body quantum mechanical models. This work discusses a four-body quantum treatment of the charge transfer in ion-atom collisions, where two-step interactions illustrating a Thomas peak are emphasized. In addition, the Pauli exclusion principle is taken into account for the initial and final states as well as the operators. It will be demonstrated that there is a momentum condition for each two-step interaction to occur in a single charge transfer channel, where new classical interactions lead to the Thomas mechanism.

Rutherford-Bohr atom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heilbron, J. L.

1981-03-01

Bohr used to introduce his attempts to explain clearly the principles of the quantum theory of the atom with an historical sketch, beginning invariably with the nuclear model proposed by Rutherford. That was sound pedagogy but bad history. The Rutherford-Bohr atom stands in the middle of a line of work initiated by J.J. Thomson and concluded by the invention of quantum mechanics. Thompson's program derived its inspiration from the peculiar emphasis on models characteristic of British physics of the 19th century. Rutherford's atom was a late product of the goals and conceptions of Victorian science. Bohr's modifications, although ultimately fatal to Thomson's program, initially gave further impetus to it. In the early 1920s the most promising approach to an adequate theory of the atom appeared to be the literal and detailed elaboration of the classical mechanics of multiply periodic orbits. The approach succeeded, demonstrating in an unexpected way the force of an argument often advanced by Thomson: because a mechanical model is richer in implications than the considerations for which it was advanced, it can suggest new directions of research that may lead to important discoveries.

Highly Efficient Quantum Sieving in Porous Graphene-like Carbon Nitride for Light Isotopes Separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qu, Yuanyuan; Li, Feng; Zhou, Hongcai; Zhao, Mingwen

2016-01-01

Light isotopes separation, such as 3He/4He, H2/D2, H2/T2, etc., is crucial for various advanced technologies including isotope labeling, nuclear weapons, cryogenics and power generation. However, their nearly identical chemical properties made the separation challenging. The low productivity of the present isotopes separation approaches hinders the relevant applications. An efficient membrane with high performance for isotopes separation is quite appealing. Based on first-principles calculations, we theoretically demonstrated that highly efficient light isotopes separation, such as 3He/4He, can be reached in a porous graphene-like carbon nitride material via quantum sieving effect. Under moderate tensile strain, the quantum sieving of the carbon nitride membrane can be effectively tuned in a continuous way, leading to a temperature window with high 3He/4He selectivity and permeance acceptable for efficient isotopes harvest in industrial application. This mechanism also holds for separation of other light isotopes, such as H2/D2, H2/T2. Such tunable quantum sieving opens a promising avenue for light isotopes separation for industrial application.

Robust general N user authentication scheme in a centralized quantum communication network via generalized GHZ states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farouk, Ahmed; Batle, J.; Elhoseny, M.; Naseri, Mosayeb; Lone, Muzaffar; Fedorov, Alex; Alkhambashi, Majid; Ahmed, Syed Hassan; Abdel-Aty, M.

2018-04-01

Quantum communication provides an enormous advantage over its classical counterpart: security of communications based on the very principles of quantum mechanics. Researchers have proposed several approaches for user identity authentication via entanglement. Unfortunately, these protocols fail because an attacker can capture some of the particles in a transmitted sequence and send what is left to the receiver through a quantum channel. Subsequently, the attacker can restore some of the confidential messages, giving rise to the possibility of information leakage. Here we present a new robust General N user authentication protocol based on N-particle Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) states, which makes eavesdropping detection more effective and secure, as compared to some current authentication protocols. The security analysis of our protocol for various kinds of attacks verifies that it is unconditionally secure, and that an attacker will not obtain any information about the transmitted key. Moreover, as the number of transferred key bits N becomes larger, while the number of users for transmitting the information is increased, the probability of effectively obtaining the transmitted authentication keys is reduced to zero.

Approach for describing spatial dynamics of quantum light-matter interaction in dispersive dissipative media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zyablovsky, A. A.; Andrianov, E. S.; Nechepurenko, I. A.; Dorofeenko, A. V.; Pukhov, A. A.; Vinogradov, A. P.

2017-05-01

Solving the challenging problem of the amplification and generation of an electromagnetic field in nanostructures enables us to implement many properties of the electromagnetic field at the nanoscale in practical applications. A first-principles quantum-mechanical consideration of such a problem is sufficiently restricted by the exponentially large number of degrees of freedom and does not allow the electromagnetic-field dynamics to be described if it involves a high number of interacting atoms and modes of the electromagnetic field. Conversely, the classical description of electromagnetic fields is incorrect at the nanoscale due to the high level of quantum fluctuations connected to high dissipation and noise levels. In this paper, we develop a framework with a significantly reduced number of degrees of freedom, which describes the quantum spatial dynamics of electromagnetic fields interacting with atoms. As an example, we consider the interaction between atoms placed in a metallic subwavelength groove and demonstrate that a spontaneously excited electromagnetic pulse propagates with the group velocity. The developed approach may be exploited to describe nonuniform amplification and propagation of electromagnetic fields in arbitrary dispersive dissipative systems.

Semiclassical Monte Carlo: A first principles approach to non-adiabatic molecular dynamics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

White, Alexander J.; Center for Nonlinear Studies; Gorshkov, Vyacheslav N.

2014-11-14

Modeling the dynamics of photophysical and (photo)chemical reactions in extended molecular systems is a new frontier for quantum chemistry. Many dynamical phenomena, such as intersystem crossing, non-radiative relaxation, and charge and energy transfer, require a non-adiabatic description which incorporate transitions between electronic states. Additionally, these dynamics are often highly sensitive to quantum coherences and interference effects. Several methods exist to simulate non-adiabatic dynamics; however, they are typically either too expensive to be applied to large molecular systems (10's-100's of atoms), or they are based on ad hoc schemes which may include severe approximations due to inconsistencies in classical and quantummore » mechanics. We present, in detail, an algorithm based on Monte Carlo sampling of the semiclassical time-dependent wavefunction that involves running simple surface hopping dynamics, followed by a post-processing step which adds little cost. The method requires only a few quantities from quantum chemistry calculations, can systematically be improved, and provides excellent agreement with exact quantum mechanical results. Here we show excellent agreement with exact solutions for scattering results of standard test problems. Additionally, we find that convergence of the wavefunction is controlled by complex valued phase factors, the size of the non-adiabatic coupling region, and the choice of sampling function. These results help in determining the range of applicability of the method, and provide a starting point for further improvement.« less

The Physics of Vibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pippard, A. B.

1989-11-01

The study of vibration in physical systems is an important part of almost all fields in physics and engineering. This work, originally published in two volumes, examines the classical aspects in Part I and the quantum oscillator in Part II. The classical linear vibrator is treated first and the underlying unity of all linear oscillations in electrical, mechanical and acoustic systems is emphasized. Following this the book turns to the treatment of nonlinear vibrations, a field with which engineers and physicists are generally less familiar. In Part II the emphasis turns to quantum systems, that is those systems which can only be adequately described by quantum mechanics. The treatment concentrates on vibrations in atoms and molecules and their interaction with electromagnetic radiation. The similarities of classical and quantum methods are stressed and the limits of the classical treatment are examined. Throughout the book, each phenomenon discussed is illustrated with many examples and theory and experiment are compared. Although the reader may find that the physics discussed is demanding and the concepts are subtle in places, all mathematics used is familiar to both engineers and experimental scientists. Although not a textbook this is a useful introduction to the more advanced mathematical treatment of vibrations as it bridges the gap between the basic principles and more specialized concepts. It will be of great interest to advanced undergraduates and postgraduates as well as applied mathematicians, physicists and engineers in university and industry.

Novel Principles and the Charge-Symmetric Design of Dirac's Quantum Mechanics: I. Enhanced Eriksen's Theorem and the Universal Charge-Index Formalism for Dirac's Equation in (Strong) External Static Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kononets, Yu. V.

2016-12-01

The presented enhanced version of Eriksen's theorem defines an universal transform of the Foldy-Wouthuysen type and in any external static electromagnetic field (ESEMF) reveals a discrete symmetry of Dirac's equation (DE), responsible for existence of a highly influential conserved quantum number—the charge index distinguishing two branches of DE spectrum. It launches the charge-index formalism (CIF) obeying the charge-index conservation law (CICL). Via its unique ability to manipulate each spectrum branch independently, the CIF creates a perfect charge-symmetric architecture of Dirac's quantum mechanics (DQM), which resolves all the riddles of the standard DE theory (SDET). Besides the abstract CIF algebra, the paper discusses: (1) the novel accurate charge-symmetric definition of the electric-current density; (2) DE in the true-particle representation, where electrons and positrons coexist on equal footing; (3) flawless "natural" scheme of second quantization; and (4) new physical grounds for the Fermi-Dirac statistics. As a fundamental quantum law, the CICL originates from the kinetic-energy sign conservation and leads to a novel single-particle physics in strong-field situations. Prohibiting Klein's tunneling (KT) in Klein's zone via the CICL, the precise CIF algebra defines a new class of weakly singular DE solutions, strictly confined in the coordinate space and experiencing the total reflection from the potential barrier.

The Measurement Process in Local Quantum Physics and the EPR Paradox

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doplicher, Sergio

2018-01-01

We describe in a qualitative way a possible picture of the Measurement Process in Quantum Mechanics, which takes into account the finite and non zero time duration T of the interaction between the observed system and the microscopic part of the measurement apparatus; the finite space size R of that apparatus; and the fact that the macroscopic part of the measurement apparatus, having the role of amplifying the effect of that interaction to a macroscopic scale, is composed by a very large but finite number N of particles. The Schrödinger evolution of the composed system can be expected to deform into the conventional picture of the measurement, as an instantaneous action turning a pure state into a mixture, only in the limit {N → ∞, T → 0, R → ∞}. Our main point is to discuss this picture for the measurement of local observables in Quantum Field Theory, where the dynamics of the theory and the measurement itself are described by the same time evolution complying with the Principle of Locality. We comment on the Einstein Podolski Rosen thought experiment, reformulated here only in terms of local observables (rather than global ones, as one particle or polarization observables).The local picture of the measurement process helps to make it clear that there is no conflict with the Principle of Locality.

Aligning the Quantum Perspective of Learning to Instructional Design: Exploring the Seven Definitive Questions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janzen, Katherine J.; Perry, Beth; Edwards, Margaret

2011-01-01

This paper builds upon a foundational paper (under review) which explores the rudiments of the quantum perspective of learning. The quantum perspective of learning uses the principles of exchange theory or borrowed theory from the field of quantum holism pioneered by quantum physicist David Bohm (1971, 1973) to understand learning in a new way.…

Noncommutative Common Cause Principles in algebraic quantum field theory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hofer-Szabo, Gabor; Vecsernyes, Peter

2013-04-15

States in algebraic quantum field theory 'typically' establish correlation between spacelike separated events. Reichenbach's Common Cause Principle, generalized to the quantum field theoretical setting, offers an apt tool to causally account for these superluminal correlations. In the paper we motivate first why commutativity between the common cause and the correlating events should be abandoned in the definition of the common cause. Then we show that the Noncommutative Weak Common Cause Principle holds in algebraic quantum field theory with locally finite degrees of freedom. Namely, for any pair of projections A, B supported in spacelike separated regions V{sub A} and V{submore » B}, respectively, there is a local projection C not necessarily commuting with A and B such that C is supported within the union of the backward light cones of V{sub A} and V{sub B} and the set {l_brace}C, C{sup Up-Tack }{r_brace} screens off the correlation between A and B.« less

The Arnol'd cat: Failure of the correspondence principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, Joseph; Mantica, Giorgio; Ristow, Gerald H.

1991-07-01

The classical Hamiltonian H = p2/2 m + ɛ( q2/2) Σδ[ s-( t/ T)] has an integrable mapping of the plane, [ qn+1 , pn+1 ]= [ qn+1 + pn, qn+2 pn], as its equations of motion. But then by introducing periodic boundary conditions via (mod 1) applied to both q and p variables, the equations of motion become the Arnol'd cat map, [ qn+1 , pn+1 ] = [ qn + pn, qn + 2 pn], (mod 1), revealing it to be one of the simplest fully chaotic systems which can be derived from a Hamiltonian and analyzed. Consequently, we here quantize the Arnol'd cat and examine its quantum motion for signs of chaos using algorithmic complexity as the litmus. Our analysis reveals that the quantum cat is not chaotic in the deep quantum domain nor does it become chaotic in the classical limit as required by the correspondence principle. We therefore conclude that the correspondence principle, as defined herein, fails for the quantum Arnol'd cat.

Fundamental Reaction Pathway for Peptide Metabolism by Proteasome: Insights from First-principles Quantum Mechanical/Molecular Mechanical Free Energy Calculations

PubMed Central

Wei, Donghui; Fang, Lei; Tang, Mingsheng; Zhan, Chang-Guo

2013-01-01

Proteasome is the major component of the crucial nonlysosomal protein degradation pathway in the cells, but the detailed reaction pathway is unclear. In this study, first-principles quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical free energy calculations have been performed to explore, for the first time, possible reaction pathways for proteasomal proteolysis/hydrolysis of a representative peptide, succinyl-leucyl-leucyl-valyl-tyrosyl-7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (Suc-LLVY-AMC). The computational results reveal that the most favorable reaction pathway consists of six steps. The first is a water-assisted proton transfer within proteasome, activating Thr1-Oγ. The second is a nucleophilic attack on the carbonyl carbon of a Tyr residue of substrate by the negatively charged Thr1-Oγ, followed by the dissociation of the amine AMC (third step). The fourth step is a nucleophilic attack on the carbonyl carbon of the Tyr residue of substrate by a water molecule, accompanied by a proton transfer from the water molecule to Thr1-Nz. Then, Suc-LLVY is dissociated (fifth step), and Thr1 is regenerated via a direct proton transfer from Thr1-Nz to Thr1-Oγ. According to the calculated energetic results, the overall reaction energy barrier of the proteasomal hydrolysis is associated with the transition state (TS3b) for the third step involving a water-assisted proton transfer. The determined most favorable reaction pathway and the rate-determining step have provided a reasonable interpretation of the reported experimental observations concerning the substituent and isotopic effects on the kinetics. The calculated overall free energy barrier of 18.2 kcal/mol is close to the experimentally-derived activation free energy of ~18.3–19.4 kcal/mol, suggesting that the computational results are reasonable. PMID:24111489

A general derivation and quantification of the third law of thermodynamics.

PubMed

Masanes, Lluís; Oppenheim, Jonathan

2017-03-14

The most accepted version of the third law of thermodynamics, the unattainability principle, states that any process cannot reach absolute zero temperature in a finite number of steps and within a finite time. Here, we provide a derivation of the principle that applies to arbitrary cooling processes, even those exploiting the laws of quantum mechanics or involving an infinite-dimensional reservoir. We quantify the resources needed to cool a system to any temperature, and translate these resources into the minimal time or number of steps, by considering the notion of a thermal machine that obeys similar restrictions to universal computers. We generally find that the obtainable temperature can scale as an inverse power of the cooling time. Our results also clarify the connection between two versions of the third law (the unattainability principle and the heat theorem), and place ultimate bounds on the speed at which information can be erased.

A general derivation and quantification of the third law of thermodynamics

PubMed Central

Masanes, Lluís; Oppenheim, Jonathan

2017-01-01

The most accepted version of the third law of thermodynamics, the unattainability principle, states that any process cannot reach absolute zero temperature in a finite number of steps and within a finite time. Here, we provide a derivation of the principle that applies to arbitrary cooling processes, even those exploiting the laws of quantum mechanics or involving an infinite-dimensional reservoir. We quantify the resources needed to cool a system to any temperature, and translate these resources into the minimal time or number of steps, by considering the notion of a thermal machine that obeys similar restrictions to universal computers. We generally find that the obtainable temperature can scale as an inverse power of the cooling time. Our results also clarify the connection between two versions of the third law (the unattainability principle and the heat theorem), and place ultimate bounds on the speed at which information can be erased. PMID:28290452

Large-Scale First-Principles Molecular Dynamics Simulations with Electrostatic Embedding: Application to Acetylcholinesterase Catalysis

DOE PAGES

Fattebert, Jean-Luc; Lau, Edmond Y.; Bennion, Brian J.; ...

2015-10-22

Enzymes are complicated solvated systems that typically require many atoms to simulate their function with any degree of accuracy. We have recently developed numerical techniques for large scale First-Principles molecular dynamics simulations and applied them to study the enzymatic reaction catalyzed by acetylcholinesterase. We carried out Density functional theory calculations for a quantum mechanical (QM) sub- system consisting of 612 atoms with an O(N) complexity finite-difference approach. The QM sub-system is embedded inside an external potential field representing the electrostatic effect due to the environment. We obtained finite temperature sampling by First-Principles molecular dynamics for the acylation reaction of acetylcholinemore » catalyzed by acetylcholinesterase. Our calculations shows two energies barriers along the reaction coordinate for the enzyme catalyzed acylation of acetylcholine. In conclusion, the second barrier (8.5 kcal/mole) is rate-limiting for the acylation reaction and in good agreement with experiment.« less

Charge optimized many-body potential for aluminum.

PubMed

Choudhary, Kamal; Liang, Tao; Chernatynskiy, Aleksandr; Lu, Zizhe; Goyal, Anuj; Phillpot, Simon R; Sinnott, Susan B

2015-01-14

An interatomic potential for Al is developed within the third generation of the charge optimized many-body (COMB3) formalism. The database used for the parameterization of the potential consists of experimental data and the results of first-principles and quantum chemical calculations. The potential exhibits reasonable agreement with cohesive energy, lattice parameters, elastic constants, bulk and shear modulus, surface energies, stacking fault energies, point defect formation energies, and the phase order of metallic Al from experiments and density functional theory. In addition, the predicted phonon dispersion is in good agreement with the experimental data and first-principles calculations. Importantly for the prediction of the mechanical behavior, the unstable stacking fault energetics along the [Formula: see text] direction on the (1 1 1) plane are similar to those obtained from first-principles calculations. The polycrsytal when strained shows responses that are physical and the overall behavior is consistent with experimental observations.

Open-Shell-Character-Based Molecular Design Principles: Applications to Nonlinear Optics and Singlet Fission.

PubMed

Nakano, Masayoshi

2017-01-01

Open-shell character, e. g., diradical character, is a quantum chemically well-defined quantity in ground-state molecular systems, which is not an observable but can quantify the degree of effective bond weakness in the chemical sense or electron correlation strength in the physical sense. Because this quantity also correlates to specific excited states, physicochemical properties concerned with those states are expected to strongly correlate to the open-shell character. This feature enables us to open a new path to revealing the mechanism of these properties as well as to realizing new design principles for efficient functional molecular systems. This account explains the open-shell-character-based molecular design principles and introduces their applications to the rational design of highly efficient nonlinear optical and singlet fission molecular systems. © 2017 The Chemical Society of Japan & Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Demonstrating the Principle of an rf Paul Ion Trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Andrew; Rabchuk, James

2008-03-01

An rf ion trap uses a time-varying electric field to trap charged ions. This is useful in applications related to quantum computing and mass spectroscopy. There are several mechanical devices described in the literature which have attempted to provide illustrative demonstrations of the principle of rf ion traps, including a mechanically-rotating ``saddle trap'' and the vertically-driven, inverted pendulum^1,2. Neither demonstration, however, successfully demonstrates BOTH the sinusoidal variation in the electric potential of the rf trap AND the parametric stability of the ions in the trap described by Mathieu's equation. We have modified a design of a one-dimensional ponderomotive trap^3 so that it satisfies both criteria for demonstrating the principle of an rf Paul trap. Our studies indicate that trapping stability is highly sensitive to fluxuations in the driving frequency. Results from the demonstration apparatus constructed by the authors will be presented. ^1 Rueckner, W., et al., ``Rotating saddle Paul trap,'' Am. J. Phys., 63 (2), February 1995. ^2 Friedman, M.H., et al., ``The inverted pendulum: A mechanical analogue of a quadrupole mass filter,'' Am. J. Phys., 50 (10), October 1982. ^3 Johnson, A.K. and Rabchuk, J.A., ``A One-Dimensional Ponderomotive Trap,'' ISAAPT 2007 spring meeting, WIU, March 30, 2007.

Nonlocal quantum macroscopic superposition in a high-thermal low-purity state

PubMed Central

Brezinski, Mark E.; Liu, Bin

2013-01-01

Quantum state exchange between light and matter is an important ingredient for future quantum information networks as well as other applications. Photons are the fastest and simplest carriers of information for transmission but in general, it is difficult to localize and store photons, so usually one prefers choosing matter as quantum memory elements. Macroscopic superposition and nonlocal quantum interactions have received considerable interest for this purpose over recent years in fields ranging from quantum computers to cryptography, in addition to providing major insights into physical laws. However, these experiments are generally performed either with equipment or under conditions that are unrealistic for practical applications. Ideally, the two can be combined using conventional equipment and conditions to generate a “quantum teleportation”-like state, particularly with a very small amount of purity existing in an overall highly mixed thermal state (relatively low decoherence at high temperatures). In this study we used an experimental design to demonstrate these principles. We performed optical coherence tomography (OCT) using a thermal source at room temperatures of a specifically designed target in the sample arm. Here, position uncertainty (i.e., dispersion) was induced in the reference arm. In the sample arm (target) we placed two glass plates separated by a different medium while altering position uncertainty in the reference arm. This resulted in a chirped signal between the glass plate reflective surfaces in the combined interferogram. The chirping frequency, as measured by the fast Fourier transform (FFT), varies with the medium between the plates, which is a nonclassical phenomenon. These results are statistically significant and occur from a superposition between the glass surface and the medium with increasing position uncertainty, a true quantum-mechanical phenomenon produced by photon pressure from two-photon interference. The differences in chirping frequency with medium disappears when second-order correlations are removed by dual balanced detection, confirming the proposed mechanism. We demonstrated that increasing position uncertainty at one site leads to position uncertainty (quantum position probability amplitude) nonlocally via second-order correlations (two-photon probability amplitude) from a low coherence thermal source (low purity, high local entropy). The implications, first, are that the phenomenon cannot be explained through classical mechanisms but can be explained within the context of quantum mechanics, particularly relevant to the second-order correlations where controversy exists. More specifically, we provide the theoretical framework that these results indicate a nonlocal macroscopic superposition is occurring through a two-photon probability amplitude-induced increase in the target position probability amplitude uncertainty. In addition, as the experiments were performed with a classical source at room temperature, it supports both the quantum-mechanical properties of second-order correlations and that macroscopic superposition is obtainable in a target not in a single coherent state (mixed state). Future work will focus on generalizing the observations outside the current experimental design and creating embodiments that allow practical application of the phenomenon. PMID:24204102

Nonlocal quantum macroscopic superposition in a high-thermal low-purity state.

PubMed

Brezinski, Mark E; Liu, Bin

2008-12-16

Quantum state exchange between light and matter is an important ingredient for future quantum information networks as well as other applications. Photons are the fastest and simplest carriers of information for transmission but in general, it is difficult to localize and store photons, so usually one prefers choosing matter as quantum memory elements. Macroscopic superposition and nonlocal quantum interactions have received considerable interest for this purpose over recent years in fields ranging from quantum computers to cryptography, in addition to providing major insights into physical laws. However, these experiments are generally performed either with equipment or under conditions that are unrealistic for practical applications. Ideally, the two can be combined using conventional equipment and conditions to generate a "quantum teleportation"-like state, particularly with a very small amount of purity existing in an overall highly mixed thermal state (relatively low decoherence at high temperatures). In this study we used an experimental design to demonstrate these principles. We performed optical coherence tomography (OCT) using a thermal source at room temperatures of a specifically designed target in the sample arm. Here, position uncertainty (i.e., dispersion) was induced in the reference arm. In the sample arm (target) we placed two glass plates separated by a different medium while altering position uncertainty in the reference arm. This resulted in a chirped signal between the glass plate reflective surfaces in the combined interferogram. The chirping frequency, as measured by the fast Fourier transform (FFT), varies with the medium between the plates, which is a nonclassical phenomenon. These results are statistically significant and occur from a superposition between the glass surface and the medium with increasing position uncertainty, a true quantum-mechanical phenomenon produced by photon pressure from two-photon interference. The differences in chirping frequency with medium disappears when second-order correlations are removed by dual balanced detection, confirming the proposed mechanism. We demonstrated that increasing position uncertainty at one site leads to position uncertainty (quantum position probability amplitude) nonlocally via second-order correlations (two-photon probability amplitude) from a low coherence thermal source (low purity, high local entropy). The implications, first, are that the phenomenon cannot be explained through classical mechanisms but can be explained within the context of quantum mechanics, particularly relevant to the second-order correlations where controversy exists. More specifically, we provide the theoretical framework that these results indicate a nonlocal macroscopic superposition is occurring through a two-photon probability amplitude-induced increase in the target position probability amplitude uncertainty. In addition, as the experiments were performed with a classical source at room temperature, it supports both the quantum-mechanical properties of second-order correlations and that macroscopic superposition is obtainable in a target not in a single coherent state (mixed state). Future work will focus on generalizing the observations outside the current experimental design and creating embodiments that allow practical application of the phenomenon.

Quantum test of the equivalence principle for atoms in coherent superposition of internal energy states

PubMed Central

Rosi, G.; D'Amico, G.; Cacciapuoti, L.; Sorrentino, F.; Prevedelli, M.; Zych, M.; Brukner, Č.; Tino, G. M.

2017-01-01

The Einstein equivalence principle (EEP) has a central role in the understanding of gravity and space–time. In its weak form, or weak equivalence principle (WEP), it directly implies equivalence between inertial and gravitational mass. Verifying this principle in a regime where the relevant properties of the test body must be described by quantum theory has profound implications. Here we report on a novel WEP test for atoms: a Bragg atom interferometer in a gravity gradiometer configuration compares the free fall of rubidium atoms prepared in two hyperfine states and in their coherent superposition. The use of the superposition state allows testing genuine quantum aspects of EEP with no classical analogue, which have remained completely unexplored so far. In addition, we measure the Eötvös ratio of atoms in two hyperfine levels with relative uncertainty in the low 10−9, improving previous results by almost two orders of magnitude. PMID:28569742

Optically nonlinear energy transfer in light-harvesting dendrimers.

PubMed

Andrews, David L; Bradshaw, David S

2004-08-01

Dendrimeric polymers are the subject of intense research activity geared towards their implementation in nanodevice applications such as energy harvesting systems, organic light-emitting diodes, photosensitizers, low-threshold lasers, and quantum logic elements, etc. A recent development in this area has been the construction of dendrimers specifically designed to exhibit novel forms of optical nonlinearity, exploiting the unique properties of these materials at high levels of photon flux. Starting from a thorough treatment of the underlying theory based on the principles of molecular quantum electrodynamics, it is possible to identify and characterize several optically nonlinear mechanisms for directed energy transfer and energy pooling in multichromophore dendrimers. Such mechanisms fall into two classes: first, those where two-photon absorption by individual donors is followed by transfer of the net energy to an acceptor; second, those where the excitation of two electronically distinct but neighboring donor groups is followed by a collective migration of their energy to a suitable acceptor. Each transfer process is subject to minor dissipative losses. In this paper we describe in detail the balance of factors and the constraints that determines the favored mechanism, which include the excitation statistics, structure of the energy levels, laser coherence factors, chromophore selection rules and architecture, possibilities for the formation of delocalized excitons, spectral overlap, and the overall distribution of donors and acceptors. Furthermore, it transpires that quantum interference between different mechanisms can play an important role. Thus, as the relative importance of each mechanism determines the relevant nanophotonic characteristics, the results reported here afford the means for optimizing highly efficient light-harvesting dendrimer devices. (c) 2004 American Institute of Physics.

Optically nonlinear energy transfer in light-harvesting dendrimers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrews, David L.; Bradshaw, David S.

2004-08-01

Dendrimeric polymers are the subject of intense research activity geared towards their implementation in nanodevice applications such as energy harvesting systems, organic light-emitting diodes, photosensitizers, low-threshold lasers, and quantum logic elements, etc. A recent development in this area has been the construction of dendrimers specifically designed to exhibit novel forms of optical nonlinearity, exploiting the unique properties of these materials at high levels of photon flux. Starting from a thorough treatment of the underlying theory based on the principles of molecular quantum electrodynamics, it is possible to identify and characterize several optically nonlinear mechanisms for directed energy transfer and energy pooling in multichromophore dendrimers. Such mechanisms fall into two classes: first, those where two-photon absorption by individual donors is followed by transfer of the net energy to an acceptor; second, those where the excitation of two electronically distinct but neighboring donor groups is followed by a collective migration of their energy to a suitable acceptor. Each transfer process is subject to minor dissipative losses. In this paper we describe in detail the balance of factors and the constraints that determines the favored mechanism, which include the excitation statistics, structure of the energy levels, laser coherence factors, chromophore selection rules and architecture, possibilities for the formation of delocalized excitons, spectral overlap, and the overall distribution of donors and acceptors. Furthermore, it transpires that quantum interference between different mechanisms can play an important role. Thus, as the relative importance of each mechanism determines the relevant nanophotonic characteristics, the results reported here afford the means for optimizing highly efficient light-harvesting dendrimer devices.

EDITORIAL: Squeezed states and uncertainty relations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jauregue-Renaud, Rocio; Kim, Young S.; Man'ko, Margarita A.; Moya-Cessa, Hector

2004-06-01

This special issue of Journal of Optics B: Quantum and Semiclassical Optics is composed mainly of extended versions of talks and papers presented at the Eighth International Conference on Squeezed States and Uncertainty Relations held in Puebla, Mexico on 9-13 June 2003. The Conference was hosted by Instituto de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica, and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. This series of meetings began at the University of Maryland, College Park, USA, in March 1991. The second and third workshops were organized by the Lebedev Physical Institute in Moscow, Russia, in 1992 and by the University of Maryland Baltimore County, USA, in 1993, respectively. Afterwards, it was decided that the workshop series should be held every two years. Thus the fourth meeting took place at the University of Shanxi in China and was supported by the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP). The next three meetings in 1997, 1999 and 2001 were held in Lake Balatonfüred, Hungary, in Naples, Italy, and in Boston, USA, respectively. All of them were sponsored by IUPAP. The ninth workshop will take place in Besançon, France, in 2005. The conference has now become one of the major international meetings on quantum optics and the foundations of quantum mechanics, where most of the active research groups throughout the world present their new results. Accordingly this conference has been able to align itself to the current trend in quantum optics and quantum mechanics. The Puebla meeting covered most extensively the following areas: quantum measurements, quantum computing and information theory, trapped atoms and degenerate gases, and the generation and characterization of quantum states of light. The meeting also covered squeeze-like transformations in areas other than quantum optics, such as atomic physics, nuclear physics, statistical physics and relativity, as well as optical devices. There were many new participants at this meeting, particularly from Latin American countries including, of course, Mexico. There were many talks on the subjects traditionally covered in this conference series, including quantum fluctuations, different forms of squeezing, unlike kinds of nonclassical states of light, and distinct representations of the quantum superposition principle, such as even and odd coherent states. The entanglement phenomenon, frequently in the form of the EPR paradox, is responsible for the main advantages of quantum engineering compared with classical methods. Even though entanglement has been known since the early days of quantum mechanics, its properties, such as the most appropriate entanglement measures, are still under current investigation. The phenomena of dissipations and decoherence of the initial pure states are very important because the fast decoherence can destroy all the advantages of quantum processes in teleportation, quantum computing and image processing. Due to this, methods of controlling the decoherence, such as by the use of different kinds of nonlinearities and deformations, are also under study. From the very beginning of quantum mechanics, the uncertainty relations were basic inequalities distinguishing the classical and quantum worlds. Among the theoretical methods for quantum optics and quantum mechanics, this conference covered phase space and group representations, such as the Wigner and probability distribution functions, which provide an alternative approach to the Schr\\"odinger or Heisenberg picture. Different forms of probability representations of quantum states are important tools to be applied in studying various quantum phenomena, such as quantum interference, decoherence and quantum tomography. They have been established also as a very useful tool in all branches of classical optics. From the mathematical point of view, it is well known that the coherent and squeezed states are representations of the Lorentz group. It was noted throughout the conference that another form of the Lorentz group, namely, the 2 x 2 representation of the SL(2,c) group, is becoming more prominent while providing the mathematical basis for the Poincaré sphere, entanglement, qubits and decoherence, as well as classical ray optics traditionally based on 2 x 2 `ABCD' matrices. The contributions of this special issue cover the most recent trends in all areas of quantum optics and the foundations of quantum mechanics.

Experimental demonstration of information to energy conversion in a quantum system at the Landauer limit.

PubMed

Peterson, J P S; Sarthour, R S; Souza, A M; Oliveira, I S; Goold, J; Modi, K; Soares-Pinto, D O; Céleri, L C

2016-04-01

Landauer's principle sets fundamental thermodynamical constraints for classical and quantum information processing, thus affecting not only various branches of physics, but also of computer science and engineering. Despite its importance, this principle was only recently experimentally considered for classical systems. Here we employ a nuclear magnetic resonance set-up to experimentally address the information to energy conversion in a quantum system. Specifically, we consider a three nuclear spins [Formula: see text] (qubits) molecule-the system, the reservoir and the ancilla-to measure the heat dissipated during the implementation of a global system-reservoir unitary interaction that changes the information content of the system. By employing an interferometric technique, we were able to reconstruct the heat distribution associated with the unitary interaction. Then, through quantum state tomography, we measured the relative change in the entropy of the system. In this way, we were able to verify that an operation that changes the information content of the system must necessarily generate heat in the reservoir, exactly as predicted by Landauer's principle. The scheme presented here allows for the detailed study of irreversible entropy production in quantum information processors.

A NEW QUANTUM MECHANICAL THEORY OF EVOLUTION OF UNIVERSE AND LIFE

PubMed Central

Nigam, M C

1990-01-01

Based upon the principles of ancient science of Life, which admits both consciousness and matter, a new Quantum Mechanical theory of evolution of universe and life is propounded. The theory advocates: Right from the time, the evolution of universe takes place, life also starts evolving energies and ethereal – consciousness (subtler and real) in anti-electrons, as the complimentary partners. The material body acquires electrons for cordoning of atomic nuclei and displaying its manifestation, in the three spatial dimensions in scale of time. The ethereal consciousness acquires anti electrons for gaining necessary energy for superimposing itself over any of the manifested bodies of equivalent electronic energy and deriving the bliss of materialization. The theory is based upon the solid foundation of the ancient science (ethereal consciousness) laid down by the ancient seekers of knowledge like Kapila and Caraka who interpret many of the riddles of modern science on the frontiers of various disciplines of knowledge. PMID:22556513

The memory loophole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shanahan, Daniel

2008-05-01

The memory loophole supposes that the measurement of an entangled pair is influenced by the measurements of earlier pairs in the same run of measurements. To assert the memory loophole is thus to deny that measurement is intrinsically random. It is argued that measurement might instead involve a process of recovery and equilibrium in the measuring apparatus akin to that described in thermodynamics by Le Chatelier's principle. The predictions of quantum mechanics would then arise from conservation of the measured property in the combined system of apparatus and measured ensemble. Measurement would be consistent with classical laws of conservation, not simply in the classical limit of large numbers, but whatever the size of the ensemble. However variances from quantum mechanical predictions would be self-correcting and centripetal, rather than Markovian and increasing as under the standard theory. Entanglement correlations would persist, not because the entangled particles act in concert (which would entail nonlocality), but because the measurements of the particles were influenced by the one fluctuating state of imbalance in the process of measurement.

Linking Quantum Mechanics to Freshman Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vandegrift, Guy

1998-10-01

First-year quantum mechanics can be linked to introductory physics. One example is the Mossbauer effect, which is explained using a simple solution to Schrodinger's equation involving the Dirac delta function. Generalization to N coupled harmonic oscillators shows that the equality of the forces exerted by winner and loser in the game of "tug-of-war" is only an approximation because Newton's third law of motion is not valid (unless phonon momentum is considered). Another example is a treatment of the Gaussian wavepacket which involves less algebra than found in standard textbooks, yet shows that the peak moves according to the familiar equation of motion x = vt + (1/2)at^2 when the applied force is uniform. Finally, a rendition of "Turkey in the Straw" on the viola illustrates Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, which can be written in the less mysterious form, f=(N+-.1)/T , where N cycles are counted in T seconds. Students experience this uncertainty as they try to measure the frequency of a stretched slinky.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pramanik, Souvik, E-mail: souvick.in@gmail.com; Moussa, Mohamed, E-mail: mohamed.ibrahim@fsc.bu.edu.eg; Faizal, Mir, E-mail: f2mir@uwaterloo.ca

In this paper, the deformation of the Heisenberg algebra, consistent with both the generalized uncertainty principle and doubly special relativity, has been analyzed. It has been observed that, though this algebra can give rise to fractional derivative terms in the corresponding quantum mechanical Hamiltonian, a formal meaning can be given to them by using the theory of harmonic extensions of function. Depending on this argument, the expression of the propagator of the path integral corresponding to the deformed Heisenberg algebra, has been obtained. In particular, the consistent expression of the one dimensional free particle propagator has been evaluated explicitly. Withmore » this propagator in hand, it has been shown that, even in free particle case, normal generalized uncertainty principle and doubly special relativity show very much different result.« less

Conformer-specific hydrogen atom tunnelling in trifluoromethylhydroxycarbene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mardyukov, Artur; Quanz, Henrik; Schreiner, Peter R.

2017-01-01

Conformational control of organic reactions is at the heart of the biomolecular sciences. To achieve a particular reactivity, one of many conformers may be selected, for instance, by a (bio)catalyst, as the geometrically most suited and appropriately reactive species. The equilibration of energetically close-lying conformers is typically assumed to be facile and less energetically taxing than the reaction under consideration itself: this is termed the 'Curtin-Hammett principle'. Here, we show that the trans conformer of trifluoromethylhydroxycarbene preferentially rearranges through a facile quantum-mechanical hydrogen tunnelling pathway, while its cis conformer is entirely unreactive. Hence, this presents the first example of a conformer-specific hydrogen tunnelling reaction. The Curtin-Hammett principle is not applicable, due to the high barrier between the two conformers.

Universal Topological Quantum Computation from a Superconductor-Abelian Quantum Hall Heterostructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mong, Roger S. K.; Clarke, David J.; Alicea, Jason; Lindner, Netanel H.; Fendley, Paul; Nayak, Chetan; Oreg, Yuval; Stern, Ady; Berg, Erez; Shtengel, Kirill; Fisher, Matthew P. A.

2014-01-01

Non-Abelian anyons promise to reveal spectacular features of quantum mechanics that could ultimately provide the foundation for a decoherence-free quantum computer. A key breakthrough in the pursuit of these exotic particles originated from Read and Green's observation that the Moore-Read quantum Hall state and a (relatively simple) two-dimensional p+ip superconductor both support so-called Ising non-Abelian anyons. Here, we establish a similar correspondence between the Z3 Read-Rezayi quantum Hall state and a novel two-dimensional superconductor in which charge-2e Cooper pairs are built from fractionalized quasiparticles. In particular, both phases harbor Fibonacci anyons that—unlike Ising anyons—allow for universal topological quantum computation solely through braiding. Using a variant of Teo and Kane's construction of non-Abelian phases from weakly coupled chains, we provide a blueprint for such a superconductor using Abelian quantum Hall states interlaced with an array of superconducting islands. Fibonacci anyons appear as neutral deconfined particles that lead to a twofold ground-state degeneracy on a torus. In contrast to a p+ip superconductor, vortices do not yield additional particle types, yet depending on nonuniversal energetics can serve as a trap for Fibonacci anyons. These results imply that one can, in principle, combine well-understood and widely available phases of matter to realize non-Abelian anyons with universal braid statistics. Numerous future directions are discussed, including speculations on alternative realizations with fewer experimental requirements.

No-Hypersignaling Principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dall'Arno, Michele; Brandsen, Sarah; Tosini, Alessandro; Buscemi, Francesco; Vedral, Vlatko

2017-07-01

A paramount topic in quantum foundations, rooted in the study of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) paradox and Bell inequalities, is that of characterizing quantum theory in terms of the spacelike correlations it allows. Here, we show that to focus only on spacelike correlations is not enough: we explicitly construct a toy model theory that, while not contradicting classical and quantum theories at the level of spacelike correlations, still displays an anomalous behavior in its timelike correlations. We call this anomaly, quantified in terms of a specific communication game, the "hypersignaling" phenomena. We hence conclude that the "principle of quantumness," if it exists, cannot be found in spacelike correlations alone: nontrivial constraints need to be imposed also on timelike correlations, in order to exclude hypersignaling theories.

No-Hypersignaling Principle.

PubMed

Dall'Arno, Michele; Brandsen, Sarah; Tosini, Alessandro; Buscemi, Francesco; Vedral, Vlatko

2017-07-14

A paramount topic in quantum foundations, rooted in the study of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) paradox and Bell inequalities, is that of characterizing quantum theory in terms of the spacelike correlations it allows. Here, we show that to focus only on spacelike correlations is not enough: we explicitly construct a toy model theory that, while not contradicting classical and quantum theories at the level of spacelike correlations, still displays an anomalous behavior in its timelike correlations. We call this anomaly, quantified in terms of a specific communication game, the "hypersignaling" phenomena. We hence conclude that the "principle of quantumness," if it exists, cannot be found in spacelike correlations alone: nontrivial constraints need to be imposed also on timelike correlations, in order to exclude hypersignaling theories.

Nuclear magnetic resonance studies of quadrupolar nuclei and dipolar field effects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Urban, Jeffry Todd

Experimental and theoretical research conducted in two areas in the field of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is presented: (1) studies of the coherent quantum-mechanical control of the angular momentum dynamics of quadrupolar (spin I > 1/2) nuclei and its application to the determination of molecular structure; and (2) applications of the long-range nuclear dipolar field to novel NMR detection methodologies.The dissertation is organized into six chapters. The first two chapters and associated appendices are intended to be pedagogical and include an introduction to the quantum mechanical theory of pulsed NMR spectroscopy and the time dependent theory of quantum mechanics.more » The third chapter describes investigations of the solid-state multiple-quantum magic angle spinning (MQMAS) NMR experiment applied to I = 5/2 quadrupolar nuclei. This work reports the use of rotary resonance-matched radiofrequency irradiation for sensitivity enhancement of the I = 5/2 MQMAS experiment. These experiments exhibited certain selective line narrowing effects which were investigated theoretically.The fourth chapter extends the discussion of multiple quantum spectroscopy of quadrupolar nuclei to a mostly theoretical study of the feasibility of enhancing the resolution of nitrogen-14 NMR of large biomolecules in solution via double-quantum spectroscopy. The fifth chapter continues to extend the principles of multiple quantum NMR spectroscopy of quadrupolar nuclei to make analogies between experiments in NMR/nuclear quadrupolar resonance (NQR) and experiments in atomic/molecular optics (AMO). These analogies are made through the Hamiltonian and density operator formalism of angular momentum dynamics in the presence of electric and magnetic fields.The sixth chapter investigates the use of the macroscopic nuclear dipolar field to encode the NMR spectrum of an analyte nucleus indirectly in the magnetization of a sensor nucleus. This technique could potentially serve as an encoding module for the recently developed NMR remote detection experiment. The feasibility of using hyperpolarized xenon-129 gas as a sensor is discussed. This work also reports the use of an optical atomic magnetometer to detect the nuclear magnetization of Xe-129 gas, which has potential applicability as a detection module for NMR remote detection experiments.« less

Quantum Experimental Data in Psychology and Economics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aerts, Diederik; D'Hooghe, Bart; Haven, Emmanuel

2010-12-01

We prove a theorem which shows that a collection of experimental data of probabilistic weights related to decisions with respect to situations and their disjunction cannot be modeled within a classical probabilistic weight structure in case the experimental data contain the effect referred to as the ‘disjunction effect’ in psychology. We identify different experimental situations in psychology, more specifically in concept theory and in decision theory, and in economics (namely situations where Savage’s Sure-Thing Principle is violated) where the disjunction effect appears and we point out the common nature of the effect. We analyze how our theorem constitutes a no-go theorem for classical probabilistic weight structures for common experimental data when the disjunction effect is affecting the values of these data. We put forward a simple geometric criterion that reveals the non classicality of the considered probabilistic weights and we illustrate our geometrical criterion by means of experimentally measured membership weights of items with respect to pairs of concepts and their disjunctions. The violation of the classical probabilistic weight structure is very analogous to the violation of the well-known Bell inequalities studied in quantum mechanics. The no-go theorem we prove in the present article with respect to the collection of experimental data we consider has a status analogous to the well known no-go theorems for hidden variable theories in quantum mechanics with respect to experimental data obtained in quantum laboratories. Our analysis puts forward a strong argument in favor of the validity of using the quantum formalism for modeling the considered psychological experimental data as considered in this paper.

Bridging Quantum, Classical and Stochastic Shortcuts to Adiabaticity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patra, Ayoti

Adiabatic invariants - quantities that are preserved under the slow driving of a system's external parameters - are important in classical mechanics, quantum mechanics and thermodynamics. Adiabatic processes allow a system to be guided to evolve to a desired final state. However, the slow driving of a quantum system makes it vulnerable to environmental decoherence, and for both quantum and classical systems, it is often desirable and time-efficient to speed up a process. Shortcuts to adiabaticity are strategies for preserving adiabatic invariants under rapid driving, typically by means of an auxiliary field that suppresses excitations, otherwise generated during rapid driving. Several theoretical approaches have been developed to construct such shortcuts. In this dissertation we focus on two different approaches, namely counterdiabatic driving and fast-forward driving, which were originally developed for quantum systems. The counterdiabatic approach introduced independently by Dermirplak and Rice [J. Phys. Chem. A, 107:9937, 2003], and Berry [J. Phys. A: Math. Theor., 42:365303, 2009] formally provides an exact expression for the auxiliary Hamiltonian, which however is abstract and difficult to translate into an experimentally implementable form. By contrast, the fast-forward approach developed by Masuda and Nakamura [Proc. R. Soc. A, 466(2116):1135, 2010] provides an auxiliary potential that may be experimentally implementable but generally applies only to ground states. The central theme of this dissertation is that classical shortcuts to adiabaticity can provide useful physical insights and lead to experimentally implementable shortcuts for analogous quantum systems. We start by studying a model system of a tilted piston to provide a proof of principle that quantum shortcuts can successfully be constructed from their classical counterparts. In the remainder of the dissertation, we develop a general approach based on flow-fields which produces simple expressions for auxiliary terms required for both counterdiabatic and fast-forward driving. We demonstrate the applicability of this approach for classical, quantum as well as stochastic systems. We establish strong connections between counterdiabatic and fast-forward approaches, and also between shortcut protocols required for classical, quantum and stochastic systems. In particular, we show how the fast-forward approach can be extended to highly excited states of quantum systems.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Verma, U. P.; Nayak, V.

Quantum mechanical first principle calculations have been performed to study the electronic and structural properties of TiN and TiAs in zinc blende (ZB) and rock salt (RS) structures. The full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method has been used within the framework of density functional theory (DFT). The exchange correlation functional has been solved employing generalized gradient approximation (GGA). Our predicted results for lattice constants are in good agreement with the earlier findings. The electronic band structures of TiX are metallic in both the phases.

Quantum epistemology from subquantum ontology: Quantum mechanics from theory of classical random fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khrennikov, Andrei

2017-02-01

The scientific methodology based on two descriptive levels, ontic (reality as it is) and epistemic (observational), is briefly presented. Following Schrödinger, we point to the possible gap between these two descriptions. Our main aim is to show that, although ontic entities may be unaccessible for observations, they can be useful for clarification of the physical nature of operational epistemic entities. We illustrate this thesis by the concrete example: starting with the concrete ontic model preceding quantum mechanics (the latter is treated as an epistemic model), namely, prequantum classical statistical field theory (PCSFT), we propose the natural physical interpretation for the basic quantum mechanical entity-the quantum state ("wave function"). The correspondence PCSFT ↦ QM is not straightforward, it couples the covariance operators of classical (prequantum) random fields with the quantum density operators. We use this correspondence to clarify the physical meaning of the pure quantum state and the superposition principle-by using the formalism of classical field correlations. In classical mechanics the phase space description can be considered as the ontic description, here states are given by points λ =(x , p) of phase space. The dynamics of the ontic state is given by the system of Hamiltonian equations.We can also consider probability distributions on the phase space (or equivalently random variables valued in it). We call them probabilistic ontic states. Dynamics of probabilistic ontic states is given by the Liouville equation.In classical physics we can (at least in principle) measure both the coordinate and momentum and hence ontic states can be treated as epistemic states as well (or it is better to say that here epistemic states can be treated as ontic states). Probabilistic ontic states represent probabilities for outcomes of joint measurement of position and momentum.However, this was a very special, although very important, example of description of physical phenomena. In general there are no reasons to expect that properties of ontic states are approachable through our measurements. There is a gap between ontic and epistemic descriptions, cf. also with 't Hooft [49,50] and G G. Groessing et al. [51]. In general the presence of such a gap also implies unapproachability of the probabilistic ontic states, i.e., probability distributions on the space of ontic states. De Broglie [28] called such probability distributions hidden probabilities and distinguished them sharply from probability distributions of measurements outcomes, see also Lochak [29]. (The latter distributions are described by the quantum formalism.)This ontic-epistemic approach based on the combination of two descriptive levels for natural phenomena is closely related to the old Bild conception which was originated in the works of Hertz. Later it was heavily explored by Schrödinger in the quantum domain, see, e.g., [8,11] for detailed analysis. According to Hertz one cannot expect to construct a complete theoretical model based explicitly on observable quantities. The complete theoretical model can contain quantities which are unapproachable for external measurement inspection. For example, Hertz by trying to create a mechanical model for Maxwell's electromagnetism invented hidden masses. The main distinguishing property of a theoretical model (in contrast to an observational model) is the continuity of description, i.e., the absence of gaps in description. From this viewpoint, the quantum mechanical description is not continuous: there is a gap between premeasurement dynamics and the measurement outcome. QM cannot say anything what happens in the process of measurement, this is the well known measurement problem of QM [32], cf. [52,53]. Continuity of description is closely related to causality. However, here we cannot go in more detail, see [8,11].The important question is about interrelation between two levels of description, ontic-epistemic (or theoretical-observational). In the introduction we have already cited Schrödinger who emphasized the possible complexity of this interrelation. In particular, in general there is no reason to expect a straightforward coupling of the form, cf. [9,10]:

Equivalence principle for quantum systems: dephasing and phase shift of free-falling particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anastopoulos, C.; Hu, B. L.

2018-02-01

We ask the question of how the (weak) equivalence principle established in classical gravitational physics should be reformulated and interpreted for massive quantum objects that may also have internal degrees of freedom (dof). This inquiry is necessary because even elementary concepts like a classical trajectory are not well defined in quantum physics—trajectories originating from quantum histories become viable entities only under stringent decoherence conditions. From this investigation we posit two logically and operationally distinct statements of the equivalence principle for quantum systems. Version A: the probability distribution of position for a free-falling particle is the same as the probability distribution of a free particle, modulo a mass-independent shift of its mean. Version B: any two particles with the same velocity wave-function behave identically in free fall, irrespective of their masses. Both statements apply to all quantum states, including those without a classical correspondence, and also for composite particles with quantum internal dof. We also investigate the consequences of the interaction between internal and external dof induced by free fall. For a class of initial states, we find dephasing occurs for the translational dof, namely, the suppression of the off-diagonal terms of the density matrix, in the position basis. We also find a gravitational phase shift in the reduced density matrix of the internal dof that does not depend on the particle’s mass. For classical states, the phase shift has a natural classical interpretation in terms of gravitational red-shift and special relativistic time-dilation.

The Colloquium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amoroso, Richard L.

HÉCTOR A.A brief introductory survey of Unified Field Mechanics (UFM) is given from the perspective of a Holographic Anthropic Multiverse cosmology in 12 `continuous-state' dimensions. The paradigm with many new parameters is cast in a scale-invariant conformal covariant Dirac polarized vacuum utilizing extended HD forms of the de Broglie-Bohm and Cramer interpretations of quantum theory. The model utilizes a unique form of M-Theory based in part on the original hadronic form of string theory that had a variable string tension, TS and included a tachyon. The model is experimentally testable, thus putatively able to demonstrate the existence of large-scale additional dimensionality (LSXD), test for QED violating tight-bound state spectral lines in hydrogen `below' the lowest Bohr orbit, and surmount the quantum uncertainty principle utilizing a hyperincursive Sagnac Effect resonance hierarchy.

Hexagonal boron nitride and water interaction parameters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, Yanbin; Aluru, Narayana R., E-mail: aluru@illinois.edu; Wagner, Lucas K.

2016-04-28

The study of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) in microfluidic and nanofluidic applications at the atomic level requires accurate force field parameters to describe the water-hBN interaction. In this work, we begin with benchmark quality first principles quantum Monte Carlo calculations on the interaction energy between water and hBN, which are used to validate random phase approximation (RPA) calculations. We then proceed with RPA to derive force field parameters, which are used to simulate water contact angle on bulk hBN, attaining a value within the experimental uncertainties. This paper demonstrates that end-to-end multiscale modeling, starting at detailed many-body quantum mechanics andmore » ending with macroscopic properties, with the approximations controlled along the way, is feasible for these systems.« less

Superposition Quantification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Li-Na; Luo, Shun-Long; Sun, Yuan

2017-11-01

The principle of superposition is universal and lies at the heart of quantum theory. Although ever since the inception of quantum mechanics a century ago, superposition has occupied a central and pivotal place, rigorous and systematic studies of the quantification issue have attracted significant interests only in recent years, and many related problems remain to be investigated. In this work we introduce a figure of merit which quantifies superposition from an intuitive and direct perspective, investigate its fundamental properties, connect it to some coherence measures, illustrate it through several examples, and apply it to analyze wave-particle duality. Supported by Science Challenge Project under Grant No. TZ2016002, Laboratory of Computational Physics, Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, Beijing, Key Laboratory of Random Complex Structures and Data Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Grant under No. 2008DP173182

Engineering coherence among excited states in synthetic heterodimer systems.

PubMed

Hayes, Dugan; Griffin, Graham B; Engel, Gregory S

2013-06-21

The design principles that support persistent electronic coherence in biological light-harvesting systems are obscured by the complexity of such systems. Some electronic coherences in these systems survive for hundreds of femtoseconds at physiological temperatures, suggesting that coherent dynamics may play a role in photosynthetic energy transfer. Coherent effects may increase energy transfer efficiency relative to strictly incoherent transfer mechanisms. Simple, tractable, manipulable model systems are required in order to probe the fundamental physics underlying these persistent electronic coherences, but to date, these quantum effects have not been observed in small molecules. We have engineered a series of rigid synthetic heterodimers that can serve as such a model system and observed quantum beating signals in their two-dimensional electronic spectra consistent with the presence of persistent electronic coherences.

Preparation of carbon quantum dots from cigarette filters and its application for fluorescence detection of Sudan I.

PubMed

Anmei, Su; Qingmei, Zhong; Yuye, Chen; Yilin, Wang

2018-09-06

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) with quantum yield of 14% were successfully synthesized via a simple, low-cost, and green hydrothermal treatment using cigarette filters as carbon source for the first time. The obtained CQDs showed a strong emission at the wavelength of 465 nm, with an optimum excitation of 365 nm.Sudan I with maximum absorption wavelength at 477 nm could selectively quench the fluorescence of CQDs. Based on this principle, a fluorescence probe was developed for Sudan I determination. Furthermore, the quenching mechanism of the CQDs was elucidated. A linear relationship was found in the range of 2.40-104.0 μmol/L Sudan I with the detection limit (3σ/k) of 0.95 μmol/L. Satisfactory results were achieved when the method was submitted to the determination of Sudan I in food samples. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Deleuzian Concept of Structure and Quantum Mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christiaens, Wim A.

2014-03-01

Gilles Deleuze wanted a philosophy of nature in a pre-kantian almost archaic sense. A central concept in his philosophy is `multiplicity'. Although the concept is philosophical through and through, it has roots in the mathematical notion of manifold, specifically the state spaces for dynamical systems exhibiting non-linear behaviour. Deleuze was attracted to such mathematical structures because he believed they indicated a break with the dogmatic image of thought (the kind of thought that constrains itself into producing representations of reality conceived as particular things with strict borders, behaving and interacting according to invariant covering laws within space). However, even though it is true that a phase space representation of a physical entity is not a typical materialist picture of reality, it derives from a normal Euclidean representation, and can in principle be reduced to it. We want to argue that the real break happens with the quantum state space, and that Deleuze's typical description of a multiplicity fits even better with the quantum state space.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nikitin, N. V., E-mail: nnikit@mail.cern.ch; Sotnikov, V.P., E-mail: sotnikov@physics.msu.ru; Toms, K. S., E-mail: ktoms@mail.cern.ch

A radically new class of Bell inequalities in Wigner’s form was obtained on the basis of Kolmorov’s axiomatization of probability theory and the hypothesis of locality. These inequalities take explicitly into account the dependence on time (time-dependent Bell inequalities in Wigner’s form). By using these inequalities, one can propose a means for experimentally testing Bohr’ complementarity principle in the relativistic region. The inequalities in question open broad possibilities for studying correlations of nonrelativistic and relativistic quantum systems in external fields. The violation of the time-dependent inequalities in quantum mechanics was studied by considering the behavior of a pair of anticorrelatedmore » spins in a constant external magnetic field and oscillations of neutral pseudoscalar mesons. The decay of a pseudoscalar particle to a fermion–antifermion pair is considered within quantum field theory. In order to test experimentally the inequalities proposed in the present study, it is not necessary to perform dedicated noninvasive measurements required in the Leggett–Garg approach, for example.« less

Mixed quantum-classical simulations of the vibrational relaxation of photolyzed carbon monoxide in a hemoprotein

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schubert, Alexander, E-mail: schubert@irsamc.ups-tlse.fr; Meier, Christoph; Falvo, Cyril

2016-08-07

We present mixed quantum-classical simulations on relaxation and dephasing of vibrationally excited carbon monoxide within a protein environment. The methodology is based on a vibrational surface hopping approach treating the vibrational states of CO quantum mechanically, while all remaining degrees of freedom are described by means of classical molecular dynamics. The CO vibrational states form the “surfaces” for the classical trajectories of protein and solvent atoms. In return, environmentally induced non-adiabatic couplings between these states cause transitions describing the vibrational relaxation from first principles. The molecular dynamics simulation yields a detailed atomistic picture of the energy relaxation pathways, taking themore » molecular structure and dynamics of the protein and its solvent fully into account. Using the ultrafast photolysis of CO in the hemoprotein FixL as an example, we study the relaxation of vibrationally excited CO and evaluate the role of each of the FixL residues forming the heme pocket.« less

Quantum rotation and translation of hydrogen molecules encapsulated inside C₆₀: temperature dependence of inelastic neutron scattering spectra.

PubMed

Horsewill, A J; Goh, K; Rols, S; Ollivier, J; Johnson, M R; Levitt, M H; Carravetta, M; Mamone, S; Murata, Y; Chen, J Y-C; Johnson, J A; Lei, X; Turro, N J

2013-09-13

The quantum dynamics of a hydrogen molecule encapsulated inside the cage of a C60 fullerene molecule is investigated using inelastic neutron scattering (INS). The emphasis is on the temperature dependence of the INS spectra which were recorded using time-of-flight spectrometers. The hydrogen endofullerene system is highly quantum mechanical, exhibiting both translational and rotational quantization. The profound influence of the Pauli exclusion principle is revealed through nuclear spin isomerism. INS is shown to be exceptionally able to drive transitions between ortho-hydrogen and para-hydrogen which are spin-forbidden to photon spectroscopies. Spectra in the temperature range 1.6≤T≤280 K are presented, and examples are given which demonstrate how the temperature dependence of the INS peak amplitudes can provide an effective tool for assigning the transitions. It is also shown in a preliminary investigation how the temperature dependence may conceivably be used to probe crystal field effects and inter-fullerene interactions.

Quantum and Ecosystem Entropies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirwan, A. D.

2008-06-01

Ecosystems and quantum gases share a number of superficial similarities including enormous numbers of interacting elements and the fundamental role of energy in such interactions. A theory for the synthesis of data and prediction of new phenomena is well established in quantum statistical mechanics. The premise of this paper is that the reason a comparable unifying theory has not emerged in ecology is that a proper role for entropy has yet to be assigned. To this end, a phase space entropy model of ecosystems is developed. Specification of an ecosystem phase space cell size based on microbial mass, length, and time scales gives an ecosystem uncertainty parameter only about three orders of magnitude larger than Planck’s constant. Ecosystem equilibria is specified by conservation of biomass and total metabolic energy, along with the principle of maximum entropy at equilibria. Both Bose - Einstein and Fermi - Dirac equilibrium conditions arise in ecosystems applications. The paper concludes with a discussion of some broader aspects of an ecosystem phase space.

Atomic "bomb testing": the Elitzur-Vaidman experiment violates the Leggett-Garg inequality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robens, Carsten; Alt, Wolfgang; Emary, Clive; Meschede, Dieter; Alberti, Andrea

2017-01-01

Elitzur and Vaidman have proposed a measurement scheme that, based on the quantum superposition principle, allows one to detect the presence of an object—in a dramatic scenario, a bomb—without interacting with it. It was pointed out by Ghirardi that this interaction-free measurement scheme can be put in direct relation with falsification tests of the macro-realistic worldview. Here we have implemented the "bomb test" with a single atom trapped in a spin-dependent optical lattice to show explicitly a violation of the Leggett-Garg inequality—a quantitative criterion fulfilled by macro-realistic physical theories. To perform interaction-free measurements, we have implemented a novel measurement method that correlates spin and position of the atom. This method, which quantum mechanically entangles spin and position, finds general application for spin measurements, thereby avoiding the shortcomings inherent in the widely used push-out technique. Allowing decoherence to dominate the evolution of our system causes a transition from quantum to classical behavior in fulfillment of the Leggett-Garg inequality.

Electron Transfer Mechanism in Gold Surface Modified with Self-Assembly Monolayers from First Principles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lima, Filipe C. D. A.; Iost, Rodrigo M.; Crespilho, Frank N.; Caldas, Marília J.; Calzolari, Arrigo; Petrilli, Helena M.

2013-03-01

We report the investigation of electron tunneling mechanism of peptide ferrocenyl-glycylcystamine self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) onto Au (111) electrode surfaces. Recent experimental investigations showed that electron transfer in peptides can occur across long distances by separating the donor from the acceptor. This mechanism can be further fostered by the presence of electron donor terminations of Fc terminal units on SAMs but the charge transfer mechanism is still not clear. We study the interaction of the peptide ferrocenyl-glycylcystamine on the Au (111) from first principles calculations to evaluate the electron transfer mechanism. For this purpose, we used the Kohn Sham (KS) scheme for the Density Functional Theory (DFT) as implemented in the Quantum-ESPRESSO suit of codes, using Vandebilt ultrasoft pseudopotentials and GGA-PBE exchange correlation functional to evaluate the ground-state atomic and electronic structure of the system. The analysis of KS orbital at the Fermi Energy showed high electronic density localized in Fc molecules and the observation of a minor contribution from the solvent and counter ion. Based on the results, we infer evidences of electron tunneling mechanism from the molecule to the Au(111). We acknowledge FAPESP for grant support. Also, LCCA/USP, RICE and CENAPAD for computational resources.

Conductivity of an atomically defined metallic interface

PubMed Central

Oliver, David J.; Maassen, Jesse; El Ouali, Mehdi; Paul, William; Hagedorn, Till; Miyahara, Yoichi; Qi, Yue; Guo, Hong; Grütter, Peter

2012-01-01

A mechanically formed electrical nanocontact between gold and tungsten is a prototypical junction between metals with dissimilar electronic structure. Through atomically characterized nanoindentation experiments and first-principles quantum transport calculations, we find that the ballistic conduction across this intermetallic interface is drastically reduced because of the fundamental mismatch between s wave-like modes of electron conduction in the gold and d wave-like modes in the tungsten. The mechanical formation of the junction introduces defects and disorder, which act as an additional source of conduction losses and increase junction resistance by up to an order of magnitude. These findings apply to nanoelectronics and semiconductor device design. The technique that we use is very broadly applicable to molecular electronics, nanoscale contact mechanics, and scanning tunneling microscopy. PMID:23129661

Quantum theory of the generalised uncertainty principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruneton, Jean-Philippe; Larena, Julien

2017-04-01

We extend significantly previous works on the Hilbert space representations of the generalized uncertainty principle (GUP) in 3 + 1 dimensions of the form [X_i,P_j] = i F_{ij} where F_{ij} = f({{P}}^2) δ _{ij} + g({{P}}^2) P_i P_j for any functions f. However, we restrict our study to the case of commuting X's. We focus in particular on the symmetries of the theory, and the minimal length that emerge in some cases. We first show that, at the algebraic level, there exists an unambiguous mapping between the GUP with a deformed quantum algebra and a quadratic Hamiltonian into a standard, Heisenberg algebra of operators and an aquadratic Hamiltonian, provided the boost sector of the symmetries is modified accordingly. The theory can also be mapped to a completely standard Quantum Mechanics with standard symmetries, but with momentum dependent position operators. Next, we investigate the Hilbert space representations of these algebraically equivalent models, and focus specifically on whether they exhibit a minimal length. We carry the functional analysis of the various operators involved, and show that the appearance of a minimal length critically depends on the relationship between the generators of translations and the physical momenta. In particular, because this relationship is preserved by the algebraic mapping presented in this paper, when a minimal length is present in the standard GUP, it is also present in the corresponding Aquadratic Hamiltonian formulation, despite the perfectly standard algebra of this model. In general, a minimal length requires bounded generators of translations, i.e. a specific kind of quantization of space, and this depends on the precise shape of the function f defined previously. This result provides an elegant and unambiguous classification of which universal quantum gravity corrections lead to the emergence of a minimal length.

Gaussian-based techniques for quantum propagation from the time-dependent variational principle: Formulation in terms of trajectories of coupled classical and quantum variables

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shalashilin, Dmitrii V.; Burghardt, Irene

2008-08-28

In this article, two coherent-state based methods of quantum propagation, namely, coupled coherent states (CCS) and Gaussian-based multiconfiguration time-dependent Hartree (G-MCTDH), are put on the same formal footing, using a derivation from a variational principle in Lagrangian form. By this approach, oscillations of the classical-like Gaussian parameters and oscillations of the quantum amplitudes are formally treated in an identical fashion. We also suggest a new approach denoted here as coupled coherent states trajectories (CCST), which completes the family of Gaussian-based methods. Using the same formalism for all related techniques allows their systematization and a straightforward comparison of their mathematical structuremore » and cost.« less

A theory of quantum dynamics of a nanomagnet under excitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sham, L. J.

2013-09-01

A quantum treatment of magnetization dynamics of a nanomagnet between a thousand and a million spins may be needed as the magnet interacts with quantum control. The advantage of the all-quantum approach over the classical treatment of magnetization is the accounting for the correlation between the magnet and the control agent and the first-principles source of noise. This supplement to the conference talk will concentrate on an overview of the theory with a presentation of the basic ideas which could have wide applications and illustrations with some results. Details of applications to specific models are or will be published elsewhere. A clear concept of the structure of the ground and excited macrospin states as magnetization rotation states and magnons in the Bloch/Dyson sense gives rise to a consistent theory of the magnetization dynamics of a ferromagnet modeled by the Heisenberg Hamiltonian. An example of quantum control is the spin torque transfer, treated here as a sequence of scatterings of each current electron with the localized electrons of the ferromagnet, yields in each encounter a probability distribution of the magnetization recoil state correlated with each outgoing state of the electron. This picture provides a natural Monte Carlo process for simulation of the dynamics in which the probability is determined by quantum mechanics. The computed results of mean motion, noise and damping of the magnetization will be discussed.

Gravitational wave detection using laser interferometry beyond the standard quantum limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heurs, M.

2018-05-01

Interferometric gravitational wave detectors (such as advanced LIGO) employ high-power solid-state lasers to maximize their detection sensitivity and hence their reach into the universe. These sophisticated light sources are ultra-stabilized with regard to output power, emission frequency and beam geometry; this is crucial to obtain low detector noise. However, even when all laser noise is reduced as far as technically possible, unavoidable quantum noise of the laser still remains. This is a consequence of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, the basis of quantum mechanics: in this case, it is fundamentally impossible to simultaneously reduce both the phase noise and the amplitude noise of a laser to arbitrarily low levels. This fact manifests in the detector noise budget as two distinct noise sources-photon shot noise and quantum radiation pressure noise-which together form a lower boundary for current-day gravitational wave detector sensitivities, the standard quantum limit of interferometry. To overcome this limit, various techniques are being proposed, among them different uses of non-classical light and alternative interferometer topologies. This article explains how quantum noise enters and manifests in an interferometric gravitational wave detector, and gives an overview of some of the schemes proposed to overcome this seemingly fundamental limitation, all aimed at the goal of higher gravitational wave event detection rates. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue `The promises of gravitational-wave astronomy'.