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Full-Text Articles in Physics

Combinatorial Algorithms For Perturbation Theory And Application On Quantum Computing, Yudong Cao Dec 2016

Combinatorial Algorithms For Perturbation Theory And Application On Quantum Computing, Yudong Cao

Open Access Dissertations

Quantum computing is an emerging area between computer science and physics. Numerous problems in quantum computing involve quantum many-body interactions. This dissertation concerns the problem of simulating arbitrary quantum many-body interactions using realistic two-body interactions. To address this issue, a general class of techniques called perturbative reductions (or perturbative gadgets) is adopted from quantum complexity theory and in this dissertation these techniques are improved for experimental considerations. The idea of perturbative reduction is based on the mathematical machinery of perturbation theory in quantum physics. A central theme of this dissertation is then to analyze the combinatorial structure of the perturbation …


Art As A Tool In Quantum Mechanics, Zachary Vealey Oct 2016

Art As A Tool In Quantum Mechanics, Zachary Vealey

Oglethorpe Journal of Undergraduate Research

Revolutions in scientific thought often have substantial societal consequences, however, cultural assimilation of the new idea is contingent on a widespread understanding. Historically recent developments in modern physics, such as quantum mechanics and general relativity, suffer from their notoriously perceived difficulty, thus hindering cultural assimilation. To address this issue, art can serve as a useful complement to a student studying quantum mechanics - especially through its interpretation of delocalized electron density. A cross-disciplinary approach affords a greater diversity in participation and consequently results in a broader scientific outreach.


Quantum Computers Are Coming And Will Be Able To Solve Complex Aviation And Aerospace Problems, Nihad E. Daidzic Jun 2016

Quantum Computers Are Coming And Will Be Able To Solve Complex Aviation And Aerospace Problems, Nihad E. Daidzic

Aviation Department Publications

No abstract provided.


Elements Of The Mathematical Formulation Of Quantum Mechanics, Keunjae Go May 2016

Elements Of The Mathematical Formulation Of Quantum Mechanics, Keunjae Go

Senior Honors Papers / Undergraduate Theses

In this paper, we will explore some of the basic elements of the mathematical formulation of quantum mechanics. In the first section, I will list the motivations for introducing a probability model that is quite different from that of the classical probability theory, but still shares quite a few significant commonalities. Later in the paper, I will discuss the quantum probability theory in detail, while paying a brief attention to some of the axioms (by Birkhoff and von Neumann) that illustrate both the commonalities and differences between classical mechanics and quantum mechanics. This paper will end with a presentation of …


Naïve Physics And Quantum Mechanics: The Cognitive Bias Of Everett’S Many-Worlds Interpretation, Andrew Lang Feb 2016

Naïve Physics And Quantum Mechanics: The Cognitive Bias Of Everett’S Many-Worlds Interpretation, Andrew Lang

College of Science and Engineering Faculty Research and Scholarship

We discuss the role that intuitive theories of physics play in the interpretation of quantum mechanics. We compare and contrast naïve physics with quantum mechanics and argue that quantum mechanics is not just hard to understand but that it is difficult to believe, often appearing magical in nature. Quantum mechanics is often discussed in the context of "quantum weirdness" and quantum entanglement is known as "spooky action at a distance." This spookiness is more than just because quantum mechanics doesn't match everyday experience; it ruffles the feathers of our naïve physics cognitive module. In Everett's many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, …


Preserving Entanglement During Weak Measurement Demonstrated With A Violation Of The Bell–Leggett–Garg Inequality, T. C. White, J. Y. Mutus, Justin Dressel, J. Kelly, R. Barends, E. Jeffrey, D. Sank, A. Megrant, B. Campbell, Yu Chen, Z. Chen, B. Chiaro, A. Dunsworth, I.-C. Hoi, C. Neill, P. J. J. O'Malley, P. Roushan, A. Vainsencher, J. Wenner, A. N. Korotkov, John M. Martinis Feb 2016

Preserving Entanglement During Weak Measurement Demonstrated With A Violation Of The Bell–Leggett–Garg Inequality, T. C. White, J. Y. Mutus, Justin Dressel, J. Kelly, R. Barends, E. Jeffrey, D. Sank, A. Megrant, B. Campbell, Yu Chen, Z. Chen, B. Chiaro, A. Dunsworth, I.-C. Hoi, C. Neill, P. J. J. O'Malley, P. Roushan, A. Vainsencher, J. Wenner, A. N. Korotkov, John M. Martinis

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Weak measurement has provided new insight into the nature of quantum measurement, by demonstrating the ability to extract average state information without fully projecting the system. For single-qubit measurements, this partial projection has been demonstrated with violations of the Leggett–Garg inequality. Here we investigate the effects of weak measurement on a maximally entangled Bell state through application of the Hybrid Bell–Leggett–Garg inequality (BLGI) on a linear chain of four transmon qubits. By correlating the results of weak ancilla measurements with subsequent projective readout, we achieve a violation of the BLGI with 27 s.d.s. of certainty.


Accommodating Retrocausality With Free Will, Yakir Aharonov, Eliahu Cohen, Tomer Shushi Jan 2016

Accommodating Retrocausality With Free Will, Yakir Aharonov, Eliahu Cohen, Tomer Shushi

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Retrocausal models of quantum mechanics add further weight to the conflict between causality and the possible existence of free will. We analyze a simple closed causal loop ensuing from the interaction between two systems with opposing thermodynamic time arrows, such that each system can forecast future events for the other. The loop is avoided by the fact that the choice to abort an event thus forecasted leads to the destruction of the forecaster's past. Physical law therefore enables prophecy of future events only as long as this prophecy is not revealed to a free agent who can otherwise render it …