No Arabic abstract
One interpretation of how the classical world emerges from an underlying quantum reality involves the build-up of certain robust entanglements between particles due to scattering events [Science Vol.301 p.1081]. This is an appealing view because it unifies two apparently disparate theories. It says that the uniquely quantum effect of entanglement is associated with classical behaviour. This is distinct from other interpretations that says classicality arises when quantum correlations are lost or neglected in measurements. To date the weakness of this interpretation has been the lack of a clear experimental signature that allows it to be tested. Here we provide a simple experimentally accessible scheme that enables just that. We also discuss a Bayesian technique that could, in principle, allow experiments to confirm the theory to any desired degree of accuracy and we present precision requirements that are achievable with current experiments. Finally, we extend the scheme from its initial one dimensional proof of principle to the more real world scenario of three dimensional localisation.
Heisenbergs uncertainty principle has recently led to general measurement uncertainty relations for quantum systems: incompatible observables can be measured jointly or in sequence only with some unavoidable approximation, which can be quantified in various ways. The relative entropy is the natural theoretical quantifier of the information loss when a `true probability distribution is replaced by an approximating one. In this paper, we provide a lower bound for the amount of information that is lost by replacing the distributions of the sharp position and momentum observables, as they could be obtained with two separate experiments, by the marginals of any smeared joint measurement. The bound is obtained by introducing an entropic error function, and optimizing it over a suitable class of covariant approximate joint measurements. We fully exploit two cases of target observables: (1) $n$-dimensional position and momentum vectors; (2) two components of position and momentum along different directions. In (1), we connect the quantum bound to the dimension $n$; in (2), going from parallel to orthogonal directions, we show the transition from highly incompatible observables to compatible ones. For simplicity, we develop the theory only for Gaussian states and measurements.
The quantum mechanical treatment of diffraction of particles, based on the standard postulates of quantum mechanics and the postulate of existence of quantum trajectories, leads to the `position measurement-induced collapse (PMIC) states. An experimental set-up to test these PMIC states is proposed. The apparatus consists of a modified Lloyds mirror in optics, with two reflectors instead of one. The diffraction patterns for this case predicted by the PMIC formalism are presented. They exhibit quantum fractal structures in space-time called `quantum carpets, first discovered by Berry (1996). The PMIC formalism in this case closely follows the `boundary bound diffraction analysed in a previous work by Tounli, Alverado and Sanz (2019). In addition to obtaining their results, we have shown that the time evolution of these collapsed states also leads to Fresnel and Fraunhofer diffractions. It is anticipated that the verification of PMIC states by this experiment will help to better understand collapse of the wave function during quantum measurements.
We perform a quantum information analysis for multi-mode Gaussian approximate position measurements, underlying noisy homodyning in quantum optics. The Gaussian maximizer property is established for the entropy reduction of these measurements which provides explicit formulas for computations including their entanglement-assisted capacity. The case of one mode is discussed in detail.
The nanoscale localization of individual paramagnetic defects near an electrical circuit is an important step for realizing hybrid quantum devices with strong spin-microwave photon coupling. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of an array of individual NV centers in diamond near a metallic nanowire deposited on top of the substrate. We determine the relative position of each NV center with $sim$10,nm accuracy, using it as a vector magnetometer to measure the field generated by passing a dc current through the wire.
We present a technique for state-selective position detection of cold Rydberg atoms. Ground state Rb atoms in a magneto-optical trap are excited to a Rydberg state and are subsequently ionized with a tailored electric field pulse. This pulse selectively ionizes only atoms in e.g. the 54d state and not in the 53d state. The released electrons are detected after a slow flight towards a micro channel plate. From the time of flight of the electrons the position of the atoms is deduced. The state selectivity is about 20:1 when comparing 54d with 53d and the one-dimensional position resolution ranges from 6 to 40 $mu$m over a range of 300 $mu$m. This state selectivity and position resolution are sufficient to allow for the observation of coherent quantum excitation transport.