3 research outputs found

    Interpreting quantum nonlocality as platonic information

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    The "hidden variables" or "guiding equation" explanation for the measurement of quantum nonlocality (entanglement) effects can be interpreted as instantiation of Platonic information. Because these Bohm-deBroglie principles are already external to the material objects that they theoretically affect, interpreting them as Platonic is feasible. Taking an approach partially suggested by Quantum Information Theory which views quantum phenomena as sometimes observable-measurable information, this thesis defines hidden variables/guiding equation as information. This approach enables us to bridge the divide between the abstract Platonic realm and the physical world. The unobservable quantum wavefunction collapse is interpreted as Platonic instantiation. At each interaction, the wave function for a quantum system collapses. Instantly, Platonic information is instantiated in the system

    Entanglement and quantum information theory in the context of higher dimensional spin systems.

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    Quantum information theory is an exciting, inter-disciplinary field, combining elements of condensed matter theory, quantum mechanics and information theory. In this thesis, I shall make a modest contribution to this field by examining entanglement in many-body systems with more than two levels. In the first section, I consider the dynamics of a system of qutrits three-level quantum systems which are coupled through an SU(3)-invariant permutation Hamiltonian. Each term in this Hamil- tonian is a nearest-neighbour permutation operator, and thus this Hamiltonian may be considered a generalisation of the standard SU (2)-invariant Heisenberg Hamiltonian, in which every term (up to the addition of the identity operator) is a nearest-neighbour permutation operator for two-level system. The system considered has the topology of a cross, and thus may be considered (to a limited extent) analogous to a beam-splitter. The aim of the study is to establish a Bell singlet state between two distant parties. Building on this work, I shall go on to consider the ground state of a system made up of many-level systems coupled by the same Hamiltonian I shall show that this state is a generalisation of the two-level singlet to many levels and many systems. It thus has a high degree of symmetry. I will consider its application in entanglement distribution through measurements (localisable entanglement), and discuss how it may be physically implemented in systems of ultracold atoms, through the Hubbard model. I shall also show that in the famous valence bond solid (the ground state of the Affleck-Kennedy- Lieb-Tasaki spin chain), all the entanglement present in the state may be extracted from a single copy of the chain this is in contrast to gapless, critical chains, in which only half the total entanglement is extractable from a single copy

    Optical quantum random number generation: applications of single-photon event timing

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    This dissertation is the result of research which, although electrical and computer engineering in nature, also aims to improve the performance of many systems in the field of quantum information. For example, random number generators are used in almost all areas of science, and the initial portion of this work details the theory, design, and characterization of two photon-arrival-time quantum random number generators (QRNGs). After the QRNGs were completed, it was realized that their performance was severely limited both by the maximum detection rate of the single-photon detectors used, and the precision at which the arrival times could be resolved. The single-photon detectors used for both QRNGs are single-photon avalanche photodiodes (SPADs), devices which when operated below their breakdown voltage can create a macroscopic amount of current (an avalanche) in response to a single incident photon. Some of this charge can become trapped in defects or impurities; if this trapped charge is released when the SPAD is active, a secondary ‘false’ detection event, or ‘afterpulse’ can occur. To lower the afterpulse probability to reasonable levels (< 1%), we attempted to reduce the amount of avalanche charge by halting its growth promptly with high-speed electronics, so that defects have a lower probability of becoming populated in the first place. Initial results show reductions in afterpulse probability by up to a factor of 12, corresponding to a ~20% decrease in dead time, a value that could be improved further. We developed an FPGA-based time-to-digital converter system for use specifically with SPADs, achieving a time-bin resolution of 100 ps, with lower dead time and higher maximum detection rate than all currently available detection systems. This further allowed for the creation of a new higher-order SPAD characterization technique, which was identified previously unknown subtleties to SPAD operation. Finally, we developed an ultra-low-latency QRNG, which was used in one of the recent loophole-free demonstrations of quantum nonlocality. The final latency was below 2.5 ns, to our knowledge the lowest latency QRNG to date. Of special interest, however, is our subsequent exploration into the characterization of its bit-probability drift using atomic clock stability techniques. By employing the Allan deviation and implementing precision feedback, the additional frequency drift caused by environmental fluctuations is reduced such that the resulting bit stream can pass cryptographic random number tests for sample sizes up to 5 Gb. This system is currently intended for the NIST random-number beacon, a world-wide trusted source of random bits
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