Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Physics Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 26 of 26

Full-Text Articles in Physics

Probing Quantumness With Joint Continuous Measurements Of Non-Commuting Observables, Luis Pedro García-Pintos, Justin Dressel Dec 2016

Probing Quantumness With Joint Continuous Measurements Of Non-Commuting Observables, Luis Pedro García-Pintos, Justin Dressel

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We analyze the continuous measurement of two noncommuting observables for a qubit, and investigate whether the simultaneously observed noisy signals are consistent with the evolution of an equivalent classical system. Following the approach outlined by Leggett and Garg, we show that the readouts violate macrorealistic inequalities for arbitrarily short temporal correlations. Moreover, the derived inequalities are manifestly violated even in the absence of Hamiltonian evolution, unlike for Leggett-Garg inequalities that use a single continuous measurement. Such a violation should indicate the failure of at least one postulate of macrorealism: either physical quantities do not have well-defined values at all times …


Linear Feedback Stabilization For A Continuously Monitored Qubit, Taylor Lee Patti, A. Chantasri, Justin Dressel, A. N. Jordan Dec 2016

Linear Feedback Stabilization For A Continuously Monitored Qubit, Taylor Lee Patti, A. Chantasri, Justin Dressel, A. N. Jordan

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

In quantum mechanics, standard or strong measurement approaches generally result in the collapse of an ensemble of wavefunctions into a stochastic mixture of eigenstates. On the other hand, continuous or weak measurements have the propensity to dynamically control the evolution of quantum states over time, guiding the trajectory of the state into non-trivial superpositions and maintaining state purity. This kind of measurement-induced state steering is of great theoretical and experimental interest for the harnessing of quantum bits or "qubits", which are the fundamental unit of the emerging quantum computer. We explore continuous measurement-based quantum state stabilization through linear feedback control …


Complementary Weak-Value Amplification With Concatenated Postselections, Gerardo I. Viza, Julián Martínez-Rincón, Wei-Tao Liu, John C. Howell Oct 2016

Complementary Weak-Value Amplification With Concatenated Postselections, Gerardo I. Viza, Julián Martínez-Rincón, Wei-Tao Liu, John C. Howell

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We measure a transverse momentum kick in a Sagnac interferometer using weak-value amplification with two postselections. The first postselection is controlled by a polarization-dependent phase mismatch between both paths of the interferometer, and the second postselection is controlled by a polarizer at the exit port. By monitoring the dark port of the interferometer, we study the complementary amplification of the concatenated postselections, where the polarization extinction ratio is greater than the contrast of the spatial interference. In this case, we find an improvement in the amplification of the signal of interest by introducing a second postselection to the system.


Realisation Of Qudits In Coupled Potential Wells, Ariel Landau, Yakir Aharonov, Eliahu Cohen Aug 2016

Realisation Of Qudits In Coupled Potential Wells, Ariel Landau, Yakir Aharonov, Eliahu Cohen

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Quantum computation strongly relies on the realisation, manipulation and control of qubits. A central method for realizing qubits is by creating a double-well potential system with a significant gap between the first two eigenvalues and the rest. In this work we first revisit the theoretical grounds underlying the double-well qubit dynamics, then proceed to suggest novel extensions of these principles to a triple-well qutrit with periodic boundary conditions, followed by a general d-well analysis of qudits. These analyses are based on representations of the special unitary groups SU(d) which expose the systems' symmetry and employ them for performing computations. We …


The Quantum Universe: Philosophical Foundations And Oriental Medicine, Menas Kafatos, Keun-Hang Susan Yang Aug 2016

The Quantum Universe: Philosophical Foundations And Oriental Medicine, Menas Kafatos, Keun-Hang Susan Yang

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

The existence of universal principles in both science and medicine implies that one canexplore their common applicability. Here we explore what we have learned from quantummechanics, phenomena such as entanglement and nonlocality, the role of participationof the observer, and how these may apply to oriental medicine. The universal principles ofintegrated polarity, recursion, and creative interactivity apply to all levels of existence and allhuman activities, including healing and medicine. This review examines the possibility thatwhat we have learned from quantum mechanics may provide clues to better understandthe operational principles of oriental medicine in an integrated way. Common to both isthe assertion …


Quantum Enigma Machine: Experimentally Demonstrating Quantum Data Locking, Daniel J. Lum, John C. Howell, M. S. Allman, Thomas Gerrits, Varun B. Verma, Sae Woo Nam, Cosmo Lupo, Seth Lloyd Aug 2016

Quantum Enigma Machine: Experimentally Demonstrating Quantum Data Locking, Daniel J. Lum, John C. Howell, M. S. Allman, Thomas Gerrits, Varun B. Verma, Sae Woo Nam, Cosmo Lupo, Seth Lloyd

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Shannon proved in 1949 that information-theoretic-secure encryption is possible if the encryption key is used only once, is random, and is at least as long as the message itself. Notwithstanding, when information is encoded in a quantum system, the phenomenon of quantum data locking allows one to encrypt a message with a shorter key and still provide information-theoretic security. We present one of the first feasible experimental demonstrations of quantum data locking for direct communication and propose a scheme for a quantum enigma machine that encrypts 6 bits per photon (containing messages, new encryption keys, and forward error correction bits) …


Measuring A Transmon Qubit In Circuit Qed: Dressed Squeezed States, Mostafa Khezri, Eric Mlinar, Justin Dressel, A. N. Korotkov Jul 2016

Measuring A Transmon Qubit In Circuit Qed: Dressed Squeezed States, Mostafa Khezri, Eric Mlinar, Justin Dressel, A. N. Korotkov

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Using circuit QED, we consider the measurement of a superconducting transmon qubit via a coupled microwave resonator. For ideally dispersive coupling, ringing up the resonator produces coherent states with frequencies matched to transmon energy states. Realistic coupling is not ideally dispersive, however, so transmon-resonator energy levels hybridize into joint eigenstate ladders of the Jaynes–Cummings type. Previous work has shown that ringing up the resonator approximately respects this ladder structure to produce a coherent state in the eigenbasis (a dressed coherent state). We numerically investigate the validity of this coherent-state approximation to find two primary deviations. First, resonator ring-up leaks small …


Quantum Paradox Of Choice: More Freedom Makes Summoning A Quantum State Harder, Emily Adlam, Adrian Kent Jun 2016

Quantum Paradox Of Choice: More Freedom Makes Summoning A Quantum State Harder, Emily Adlam, Adrian Kent

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

The properties of quantum information in space-time can be investigated by studying operational tasks, such as “summoning,” in which an unknown quantum state is supplied at one point and a call is made at another for it to be returned at a third. Hayden and May [arXiv:1210.0913] recently proved necessary and sufficient conditions for guaranteeing successful return of a summoned state for finite sets of call and return points when there is a guarantee of at most one summons. We prove necessary and sufficient conditions when there may be several possible summonses and complying with any one constitutes success, and …


Weak-Value Amplification Of The Fast-Light Effect In Rubidium Vapor, Mohammad Mirhosseini, Gerardo I. Viza, Omar S. Magaña-Loaiza, Mehul Malik, John C. Howell, Robert W. Boyd May 2016

Weak-Value Amplification Of The Fast-Light Effect In Rubidium Vapor, Mohammad Mirhosseini, Gerardo I. Viza, Omar S. Magaña-Loaiza, Mehul Malik, John C. Howell, Robert W. Boyd

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We use weak-value amplification to enhance the polarization-sensitive fast-light effect from induced Raman absorption in hot rubidium vapor. We experimentally demonstrate that projecting the output signal into an appropriate polarization state enables a pulse advancement of 4.2μs, which is more than 15 times larger than that naturally caused by dispersion. More significantly, we show that combining weak-value amplification with the dispersive response of an atomic system provides a clear advantage in terms of the maximum pulse advance achievable for a given value of loss. This technique has potential applications for designing novel quantum-information-processing gates and optical buffers for telecommunication systems.


Cross-Phase Modulation Enhancement Via A Resonating Cavity: Semiclassical Description, Julián Martínez-Rincón, John C. Howell May 2016

Cross-Phase Modulation Enhancement Via A Resonating Cavity: Semiclassical Description, Julián Martínez-Rincón, John C. Howell

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We evaluate the advantages of performing cross-phase modulation (XPM) on a very-far-off-resonance atomic system. We consider a ladder system with a weak (few-photon level) control coherent field imparting a conditional nonlinear phase shift on a probe beam. We find that by coupling to an optical resonator, the optimal XPM is enhanced proportional to the finesse of the resonator by a factor of ��/4��. We present a semiclassical description of the system and show that the phenomenon is optimal in the self-defined condition of off-resonance effective cooperativity equal to one.


Digital Integral Cloaking, Joseph S. Choi, John C. Howell May 2016

Digital Integral Cloaking, Joseph S. Choi, John C. Howell

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Toward the goal of achieving broadband and omnidirectional invisibility, we propose a method for practical invisibility cloaking. We call this “digital cloaking,” where space, angle, spectrum, and phase are discretized. Experimentally, we demonstrate a two-dimensional (2D) planar, ray optics, digital cloak by using lenticular lenses, similar to “integral imaging” for three-dimensional (3D) displays. Theoretically, this can be extended to a good approximation of an “ideal” 3D cloak. With continuing improvements in commercial digital technology, the resolution limitations of a digital cloak can be minimized.


Fundamental Awareness: A Framework For Integrating Science, Philosophy And Metaphysics, Neil D. Theise, Menas Kafatos May 2016

Fundamental Awareness: A Framework For Integrating Science, Philosophy And Metaphysics, Neil D. Theise, Menas Kafatos

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

The ontologic framework of Fundamental Awareness proposed here assumes that non-dual Awareness is foundational to the universe, not arising from the interactions or structures of higher level phenomena. The framework allows comparison and integration of views from the three investigative domains concerned with understanding the nature of consciousness: science, philosophy, and metaphysics. In this framework, Awareness is the underlying reality, not reducible to anything else. Awareness and existence are the same. As such, the universe is non-material, self-organizing throughout, a holarchy of complementary, process driven, recursive interactions. The universe is both its own first observer and subject. Considering the world …


Compressively Characterizing High-Dimensional Entangled States With Complementary, Random Filtering, Gregory A. Howland, Samuel H. Knarr, James Schneeloch, Daniel J. Lum, John C. Howell May 2016

Compressively Characterizing High-Dimensional Entangled States With Complementary, Random Filtering, Gregory A. Howland, Samuel H. Knarr, James Schneeloch, Daniel J. Lum, John C. Howell

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

The resources needed to conventionally characterize a quantum system are overwhelmingly large for high-dimensional systems. This obstacle may be overcome by abandoning traditional cornerstones of quantum measurement, such as general quantum states, strong projective measurement, and assumption-free characterization. Following this reasoning, we demonstrate an efficient technique for characterizing high-dimensional, spatial entanglement with one set of measurements. We recover sharp distributions with local, random filtering of the same ensemble in momentum followed by position—something the uncertainty principle forbids for projective measurements. Exploiting the expectation that entangled signals are highly correlated, we use fewer than 5000 measurements to characterize a 65,536-dimensional state. …


Quantum And Classical Optics–Emerging Links, Joseph H. Eberly, Xiao-Feng Qian, Asma Al Qasimi, Hazrat Ali, M. A. Alonso, R Gutiérrez-Cuevas, Bethany Little, John C. Howell, Tanya Malhotra, A. N. Vamivakas May 2016

Quantum And Classical Optics–Emerging Links, Joseph H. Eberly, Xiao-Feng Qian, Asma Al Qasimi, Hazrat Ali, M. A. Alonso, R Gutiérrez-Cuevas, Bethany Little, John C. Howell, Tanya Malhotra, A. N. Vamivakas

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Quantum optics and classical optics are linked in ways that are becoming apparent as a result of numerous recent detailed examinations of the relationships that elementary notions of optics have with each other. These elementary notions include interference, polarization, coherence, complementarity and entanglement. All of them are present in both quantum and classical optics. They have historic origins, and at least partly for this reason not all of them have quantitative definitions that are universally accepted. This makes further investigation into their engagement in optics very desirable. We pay particular attention to effects that arise from the mere co-existence of …


Introduction To The Transverse Spatial Correlations In Spontaneous Parametric Down-Conversion Through The Biphoton Birth Zone, James Schneeloch, John C. Howell Apr 2016

Introduction To The Transverse Spatial Correlations In Spontaneous Parametric Down-Conversion Through The Biphoton Birth Zone, James Schneeloch, John C. Howell

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

As a tutorial to the spatial aspects of spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC), we present a detailed first-principles derivation of the transverse correlation width of photon pairs in degenerate collinear SPDC. This width defines the size of a biphoton birth zone, the region where the signal and idler photons are likely to be found when conditioning on the position of the destroyed pump photon. Along the way, we discuss the quantum-optical calculation of the amplitude for the SPDC process, as well as its simplified form for nearly collinear degenerate phase matching. Following this, we show how this biphoton amplitude can be …


Nonlocality Of The Aharonov-Bohm Effect, Yakir Aharonov, Eliahu Cohen, Daniel Rohrlich Apr 2016

Nonlocality Of The Aharonov-Bohm Effect, Yakir Aharonov, Eliahu Cohen, Daniel Rohrlich

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Although the Aharonov-Bohm and related effects are familiar in solid-state and high-energy physics, the nonlocality of these effects has been questioned. Here we show that the Aharonov-Bohm effect has two very different aspects. One aspect is instantaneous and nonlocal; the other aspect, which depends on entanglement, unfolds continuously over time. While local, gauge-invariant variables may occasionally suffice for explaining the continuous aspect, we argue that they cannot explain the instantaneous aspect. Thus the Aharonov-Bohm effect is, in general, nonlocal.


Can Anomalous Amplification Be Attained Without Postselection?, Julián Martínez-Rincón, Wei-Tao Liu, Gerardo I. Viza, John C. Howell Mar 2016

Can Anomalous Amplification Be Attained Without Postselection?, Julián Martínez-Rincón, Wei-Tao Liu, Gerardo I. Viza, John C. Howell

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We present a parameter estimation technique based on performing joint measurements of a weak interaction away from the weak-value-amplification approximation. Two detectors are used to collect full statistics of the correlations between two weakly entangled degrees of freedom. Without discarding of data, the protocol resembles the anomalous amplification of an imaginary-weak-value-like response. The amplification is induced in the difference signal of both detectors allowing robustness to different sources of technical noise, and offering in addition the advantages of balanced signals for precision metrology. All of the Fisher information about the parameter of interest is collected. A tunable phase controls the …


Tests For Intrinsicness Tested, Kelvin J. Mcqueen, René Van Woudenberg Feb 2016

Tests For Intrinsicness Tested, Kelvin J. Mcqueen, René Van Woudenberg

Philosophy Faculty Articles and Research

Various tests have been proposed as helps to identify intrinsic properties. This paper compares three prominent tests (we call them Perfect Duplication, Real Change, and Lonely) and shows that they fail to pass adequate verdicts on a set of three properties. The paper examines whether improved versions of the tests can reduce or remove these negative outcomes. We reach the sceptical conclusion that whereas some of the tests must be discarded as inadequate because they don’t yield definite results, the remaining tests depend for their application on the details of fundamental particle physics so much so that they cannot be …


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.


Weak Values Are Quantum: You Can Bet On It, Alessandro Romito, Andrew N. Jordan, Yakir Aharonov, Yuval Gefen Jan 2016

Weak Values Are Quantum: You Can Bet On It, Alessandro Romito, Andrew N. Jordan, Yakir Aharonov, Yuval Gefen

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

The outcome of a weak quantum measurement conditioned to a subsequent post-selection (a weak value protocol) can assume peculiar values. These results cannot be explained in terms of conditional probabilistic outcomes of projective measurements. However, a classical model has been recently put forward that can reproduce peculiar expectation values, reminiscent of weak values. This led the authors of that work to claim that weak values have an entirely classical explanation. Here we discuss what is quantum about weak values with the help of a simple model based on basic quantum mechanics. We first demonstrate how a classical theory can indeed …


Position-Momentum Bell Nonlocality With Entangled Photon Pairs, James Schneeloch, Samuel H. Knarr, Daniel J. Lum, John C. Howell Jan 2016

Position-Momentum Bell Nonlocality With Entangled Photon Pairs, James Schneeloch, Samuel H. Knarr, Daniel J. Lum, John C. Howell

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Witnessing continuous-variable Bell nonlocality is a challenging endeavor, but Bell himself showed how one might demonstrate this nonlocality. Although Bell nearly showed a violation using the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt (CHSH) inequality with sign-binned position-momentum statistics of entangled pairs of particles measured at different times, his demonstration is subject to approximations not realizable in a laboratory setting. Moreover, he does not give a quantitative estimation of the maximum achievable violation for the wave function he considers. In this article, we show how his strategy can be reimagined using the transverse positions and momenta of entangled photon pairs measured at different propagation distances, and …


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 …


No Return To Classical Reality, David Jennings, Matthew S. Leifer Jan 2016

No Return To Classical Reality, David Jennings, Matthew S. Leifer

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

At a fundamental level, the classical picture of the world is dead, and has been dead now for almost a century. Pinning down exactly which quantum phenomena are responsible for this has proved to be a tricky and controversial question, but a lot of progress has been made in the past few decades. We now have a range of precise statements showing that whatever the ultimate laws of Nature are, they cannot be classical. In this article, we review results on the fundamental phenomena of quantum theory that cannot be understood in classical terms. We proceed by rst granting quite …


Interference Energy Spectrum Of The Infinite Square Well, Mordecai Waegell, Yakir Aharonov, Taylor Lee Patti Jan 2016

Interference Energy Spectrum Of The Infinite Square Well, Mordecai Waegell, Yakir Aharonov, Taylor Lee Patti

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Certain superposition states of the 1-D infinite square well have transient zeros at locations other than the nodes of the eigenstates that comprise them. It is shown that if an infinite potential barrier is suddenly raised at some or all of these zeros, the well can be split into multiple adjacent infinite square wells without affecting the wavefunction. This effects a change of the energy eigenbasis of the state to a basis that does not commute with the original, and a subsequent measurement of the energy now reveals a completely different spectrum, which we call the interference energy spectrum of …


Quantum Violation Of The Pigeonhole Principle And The Nature Of Quantum Correlations, Yakir Aharonov, Fabrizio Colombo, S. Popescu, Irene Sabadini, Daniele C. Struppa, Jeff Tollaksen Jan 2016

Quantum Violation Of The Pigeonhole Principle And The Nature Of Quantum Correlations, Yakir Aharonov, Fabrizio Colombo, S. Popescu, Irene Sabadini, Daniele C. Struppa, Jeff Tollaksen

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

The pigeonhole principle: "If you put three pigeons in two pigeonholes at least two of the pigeons end up in the same hole" is an obvious yet fundamental principle of Nature as it captures the very essence of counting. Here however we show that in quantum mechanics this is not true! We find instances when three quantum particles are put in two boxes, yet no two particles are in the same box. Furthermore, we show that the above "quantum pigeonhole principle" is only one of a host of related quantum effects, and points to a very interesting structure of quantum …


Review Of Douglas Stone, Einstein And The Quantum: The Quest Of The Valiant Swabian, Matthew S. Leifer Jan 2016

Review Of Douglas Stone, Einstein And The Quantum: The Quest Of The Valiant Swabian, Matthew S. Leifer

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

A book review of A. Douglas Stone's Einstein and the Quantum: The Quest of the Valiant Swabian.