Irreversible decay of nonlocal entanglement via a reservoir of a single degree of freedom

Recently, it has been realized that nonlocal disentanglement may take a finite time as opposite to the asymptotic decay of local coherences. We find in this paper that a sudden irreversible death of entanglement takes place in a two atom optical Stern-Gerlach model. In particular, the one degree non dissipative environment here considered suddenly destroys the initial entanglement of any Bell's states $\ket{\phi^{\pm}}$ superposition.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, improved presentation, v2: title changed, references added, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. A (Fundamental concepts

Dynamical Reduction Models with General Gaussian Noises

We consider the effect of replacing in stochastic differential equations leading to the dynamical collapse of the statevector, white noise stochastic processes with non white ones. We prove that such a modification can be consistently performed without altering the most interesting features of the previous models. One of the reasons to discuss this matter derives from the desire of being allowed to deal with physical stochastic fields, such as the gravitational one, which cannot give rise to white noises. From our point of view the most relevant motivation for the approach we propose here derives from the fact that in relativistic models the occurrence of white noises is the main responsible for the appearance of untractable divergences. Therefore, one can hope that resorting to non white noises one can overcome such a difficulty. We investigate stochastic equations with non white noises, we discuss their reduction properties and their physical implications. Our analysis has a precise interest not only for the above mentioned subject but also for the general study of dissipative systems and decoherence.Comment: 22 pages, Late

Classical-Quantum Coexistence: a `Free Will' Test

Von Neumann's statistical theory of quantum measurement interprets the instantaneous quantum state and derives instantaneous classical variables. In realty, quantum states and classical variables coexist and can influence each other in a time-continuous way. This has been motivating investigations since longtime in quite different fields from quantum cosmology to optics as well as in foundations. Different theories (mean-field, Bohm, decoherence, dynamical collapse, continuous measurement, hybrid dynamics, e.t.c.) emerged for what I call `coexistence of classical continuum with quantum'. I apply to these theories a sort of `free will' test to distinguish `tangible' classical variables useful for causal control from useless ones.Comment: 7pp, based on talk at Conf. on Emergent Quantum Mechanics, Heinz von Foerster Congress (Vienna University, Nov 11-13, 2011

Notes on Certain Newton Gravity Mechanisms of Wave Function Localisation and Decoherence

Both the additional non-linear term in the Schr\"odinger equation and the additional non-Hamiltonian term in the von Neumann equation, proposed to ensure localisation and decoherence of macro-objects, resp., contain the same Newtonian interaction potential formally. We discuss certain aspects that are common for both equations. In particular, we calculate the enhancement of the proposed localisation and/or decoherence effects, which would take place if one could lower the conventional length-cutoff and resolve the mass density on the interatomic scale.Comment: 8pp LaTex, Submitted to J. Phys. A: Math-Gen, for the special issue ``The Quantum Universe'' in honor of G. C. Ghirard

On Conserved Current in Markovian Open Quantum Systems

We reexamine the markovian approximation of local current in open quantum systems, discussed recently by Gebauer and Car. Our derivation is more transparent, the proof of current conservation becomes explicit and easy.Comment: 3 page

Comments on Proposed Gravitational Modifications of Schrodinger Dynamics and their Experimental Implications

We discuss aspects of gravitational modifications of Schrodinger dynamics proposed by Diosi and Penrose. We consider first the Diosi-Penrose criterion for gravitationally induced state vector reduction, and compute the reduction time expected for a superposition of a uniform density cubical solid in two positions displaced by a small fraction of the cube side. We show that the predicted effect is much smaller than would be observable in the proposed Marshall et al. mirror experiment. We then consider the ``Schrodinger -Newton'' equation for an N-particle system. We show that in the independent particle approximation, it differs from the usual Hartree approximation applied to the Newtonian potential by self-interaction terms, which do not have a consistent Born rule interpretation. This raises doubts about the use of the Schrodinger-Newton equation to calculate gravitational effects on molecular interference experiments. When the effects of Newtonian gravitation on molecular diffraction are calculated using the standard many-body Schrodinger equation, no washing out of the interference pattern is predicted.Comment: Tex, 17

The Status of the Wave Function in Dynamical Collapse Models

The idea that in dynamical wave function collapse models the wave function is superfluous is investigated. Evidence is presented for the conjecture that, in a model of a field theory on a 1+1 lightcone lattice, knowing the field configuration on the lattice back to some time in the past, allows the wave function or quantum state at the present moment to be calculated, to arbitrary accuracy so long as enough of the past field configuration is known.Comment: 35 pages, 11 figures, LaTex, corrected typos, some modifications made. to appear in Found. of Phys. Lett. Vol. 18, Nbr 6, Nov 2005, 499-51

Robustness of Entanglement as a Resource

The robustness of multipartite entanglement of systems undergoing decoherence is of central importance to the area of quantum information. Its characterization depends however on the measure used to quantify entanglement and on how one partitions the system. Here we show that the unambiguous assessment of the robustness of multipartite entanglement is obtained by considering the loss of functionality in terms of two communication tasks, namely the splitting of information between many parties and the teleportation of states.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

Stochastic Schroedinger Equations with General Complex Gaussian Noises

Within the framework of stochastic Schroedinger equations, we show that the correspondence between statevector equations and ensemble equations is infinitely many to one, and we discuss the consequences. We also generalize the results of [Phys. Lett. A 224, p. 25 (1996)] to the case of more general complex Gaussian noises and analyze the two important cases of purely real and purely imaginary stochastic processes.Comment: 5 pages, LaTeX. To appear on Phys. Rev.

A Monte Carlo Method for Modeling Thermal Damping: Beyond the Brownian-Motion Master Equation

The "standard" Brownian motion master equation, used to describe thermal damping, is not completely positive, and does not admit a Monte Carlo method, important in numerical simulations. To eliminate both these problems one must add a term that generates additional position diffusion. He we show that one can obtain a completely positive simple quantum Brownian motion, efficiently solvable, without any extra diffusion. This is achieved by using a stochastic Schroedinger equation (SSE), closely analogous to Langevin's equation, that has no equivalent Markovian master equation. Considering a specific example, we show that this SSE is sensitive to nonlinearities in situations in which the master equation is not, and may therefore be a better model of damping for nonlinear systems.Comment: 6 pages, revtex4. v2: numerical results for a nonlinear syste