A proof of the Kramers degeneracy of transmission eigenvalues from antisymmetry of the scattering matrix

In time reversal symmetric systems with half integral spins (or more concretely, systems with an antiunitary symmetry that squares to -1 and commutes with the Hamiltonian) the transmission eigenvalues of the scattering matrix come in pairs. We present a proof of this fact that is valid both for even and odd number of modes and relies solely on the antisymmetry of the scattering matrix imposed by time reversal symmetry.Comment: 2 page

Critique of proposed limit to space--time measurement, based on Wigner's clocks and mirrors

Based on a relation between inertial time intervals and the Riemannian curvature, we show that space--time uncertainty derived by Ng and van Dam implies absurd uncertainties of the Riemannian curvature.Comment: 5 pages, LaTex, field "Author:" correcte

Excitations and Quantum Fluctuations in Site Diluted Two-Dimensional Antiferromagnets

We study the effect of site dilution and quantum fluctuations in an antiferromagnetic spin system on a square lattice within the linear spin-wave approximation. By performing numerical diagonalization in real space and finite-size scaling, we characterize the nature of the low-energy spin excitations for different dilution fractions up to the classical percolation threshold. We find nontrivial signatures of fractonlike excitations at high frequencies. Our simulations also confirm the existence of an upper bound for the amount of quantum fluctuations in the ground state of the system, leading to the persistence of long-range order up to the percolation threshold. This result is in agreement with recent neutron-scattering experimental data and quantum Monte Carlo numerical calculations. We also show that the absence of a quantum critical point below the classical percolation threshold holds for a large class of systems whose Hamiltonians can be mapped onto a system of coupled noninteracting massless bosons.Comment: RevTex 4, 16 pages, 8 EPS figures, typos corrected, data from Ref. 9 added, few minor changes in the text, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Quantum reference frames and deformed symmetries

In the context of constrained quantum mechanics, reference systems are used to construct relational observables that are invariant under the action of the symmetry group. Upon measurement of a relational observable, the reference system undergoes an unavoidable measurement "back-action" that modifies its properties. In a quantum-gravitational setting, it has been argued that such a back-action may produce effects that are described at an effective level as a form of deformed (or doubly) special relativity. We examine this possibility using a simple constrained system that has been extensively studied in the context of quantum information. While our conclusions support the idea of a symmetry deformation, they also reveal a host of other effects that may be relevant to the context of quantum gravity, and could potentially conceal the symmetry deformation.Comment: 11 pages, revtex. Comments are welcom

An exactly solvable self-convolutive recurrence

We consider a self-convolutive recurrence whose solution is the sequence of coefficients in the asymptotic expansion of the logarithmic derivative of the confluent hypergeometic function $U(a,b,z)$. By application of the Hilbert transform we convert this expression into an explicit, non-recursive solution in which the $n$th coefficient is expressed as the $(n-1)$th moment of a measure, and also as the trace of the $(n-1)$th iterate of a linear operator. Applications of these sequences, and hence of the explicit solution provided, are found in quantum field theory as the number of Feynman diagrams of a certain type and order, in Brownian motion theory, and in combinatorics

Quantum chaos: an introduction via chains of interacting spins-1/2

We introduce aspects of quantum chaos by analyzing the eigenvalues and the eigenstates of quantum many-body systems. The properties of quantum systems whose classical counterparts are chaotic differ from those whose classical counterparts are not chaotic. The spectrum of the first exhibits repulsion of the energy levels. This is one of the main signatures of quantum chaos. We show how level repulsion develops in one-dimensional systems of interacting spins 1/2 which are devoid of random elements and involve only two-body interactions. In addition to the statistics of the eigenvalues, we analyze how the structure of the eigenstates may indicate chaos. The programs used to obtain the data are available online.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure

Quantum coherence in the presence of unobservable quantities

State representations summarize our knowledge about a system. When unobservable quantities are introduced the state representation is typically no longer unique. However, this non-uniqueness does not affect subsequent inferences based on any observable data. We demonstrate that the inference-free subspace may be extracted whenever the quantity's unobservability is guaranteed by a global conservation law. This result can generalize even without such a guarantee. In particular, we examine the coherent-state representation of a laser where the absolute phase of the electromagnetic field is believed to be unobservable. We show that experimental coherent states may be separated from the inference-free subspaces induced by this unobservable phase. These physical states may then be approximated by coherent states in a relative-phase Hilbert space