257 research outputs found
Generalized Limits for Single-Parameter Quantum Estimation
We develop generalized bounds for quantum single-parameter estimation
problems for which the coupling to the parameter is described by intrinsic
multi-system interactions. For a Hamiltonian with -system
parameter-sensitive terms, the quantum limit scales as where is the
number of systems. These quantum limits remain valid when the Hamiltonian is
augmented by any parameter independent interaction among the systems and when
adaptive measurements via parameter-independent coupling to ancillas are
allowed.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure. v2 typos correcte
Bayesian Conditioning, the Reflection Principle, and Quantum Decoherence
The probabilities a Bayesian agent assigns to a set of events typically
change with time, for instance when the agent updates them in the light of new
data. In this paper we address the question of how an agent's probabilities at
different times are constrained by Dutch-book coherence. We review and attempt
to clarify the argument that, although an agent is not forced by coherence to
use the usual Bayesian conditioning rule to update his probabilities, coherence
does require the agent's probabilities to satisfy van Fraassen's [1984]
reflection principle (which entails a related constraint pointed out by
Goldstein [1983]). We then exhibit the specialized assumption needed to recover
Bayesian conditioning from an analogous reflection-style consideration.
Bringing the argument to the context of quantum measurement theory, we show
that "quantum decoherence" can be understood in purely personalist
terms---quantum decoherence (as supposed in a von Neumann chain) is not a
physical process at all, but an application of the reflection principle. From
this point of view, the decoherence theory of Zeh, Zurek, and others as a story
of quantum measurement has the plot turned exactly backward.Comment: 14 pages, written in memory of Itamar Pitowsk
Optimal control models of the goal-oriented human locomotion
In recent papers it has been suggested that human locomotion may be modeled
as an inverse optimal control problem. In this paradigm, the trajectories are
assumed to be solutions of an optimal control problem that has to be
determined. We discuss the modeling of both the dynamical system and the cost
to be minimized, and we analyze the corresponding optimal synthesis. The main
results describe the asymptotic behavior of the optimal trajectories as the
target point goes to infinity
Resolving photon number states in a superconducting circuit
Electromagnetic signals are always composed of photons, though in the circuit
domain those signals are carried as voltages and currents on wires, and the
discreteness of the photon's energy is usually not evident. However, by
coupling a superconducting qubit to signals on a microwave transmission line,
it is possible to construct an integrated circuit where the presence or absence
of even a single photon can have a dramatic effect. This system is called
circuit quantum electrodynamics (QED) because it is the circuit equivalent of
the atom-photon interaction in cavity QED. Previously, circuit QED devices were
shown to reach the resonant strong coupling regime, where a single qubit can
absorb and re-emit a single photon many times. Here, we report a circuit QED
experiment which achieves the strong dispersive limit, a new regime of cavity
QED in which a single photon has a large effect on the qubit or atom without
ever being absorbed. The hallmark of this strong dispersive regime is that the
qubit transition can be resolved into a separate spectral line for each photon
number state of the microwave field. The strength of each line is a measure of
the probability to find the corresponding photon number in the cavity. This
effect has been used to distinguish between coherent and thermal fields and
could be used to create a photon statistics analyzer. Since no photons are
absorbed by this process, one should be able to generate non-classical states
of light by measurement and perform qubit-photon conditional logic, the basis
of a logic bus for a quantum computer.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, hi-res version at
http://www.eng.yale.edu/rslab/papers/numbersplitting_hires.pd
Symmetric informationally complete positive operator valued measure and probability representation of quantum mechanics
Symmetric informationally complete positive operator valued measures
(SIC-POVMs) are studied within the framework of the probability representation
of quantum mechanics. A SIC-POVM is shown to be a special case of the
probability representation. The problem of SIC-POVM existence is formulated in
terms of symbols of operators associated with a star-product quantization
scheme. We show that SIC-POVMs (if they do exist) must obey general rules of
the star product, and, starting from this fact, we derive new relations on
SIC-projectors. The case of qubits is considered in detail, in particular, the
relation between the SIC probability representation and other probability
representations is established, the connection with mutually unbiased bases is
discussed, and comments to the Lie algebraic structure of SIC-POVMs are
presented.Comment: 22 pages, 1 figure, LaTeX, partially presented at the Workshop
"Nonlinearity and Coherence in Classical and Quantum Systems" held at the
University "Federico II" in Naples, Italy on December 4, 2009 in honor of
Prof. Margarita A. Man'ko in connection with her 70th birthday, minor
misprints are corrected in the second versio
Modeling the pharmacodynamics of passive membrane permeability
Small molecule permeability through cellular membranes is critical to a better understanding of pharmacodynamics and the drug discovery endeavor. Such permeability may be estimated as a function of the free energy change of barrier crossing by invoking the barrier domain model, which posits that permeation is limited by passage through a single “barrier domain” and assumes diffusivity differences among compounds of similar structure are negligible. Inspired by the work of Rezai and co-workers (JACS 128:14073–14080, 2006), we estimate this free energy change as the difference in implicit solvation free energies in chloroform and water, but extend their model to include solute conformational affects. Using a set of eleven structurally diverse FDA approved compounds and a set of thirteen congeneric molecules, we show that the solvation free energies are dominated by the global minima, which allows solute conformational distributions to be effectively neglected. For the set of tested compounds, the best correlation with experiment is obtained when the implicit chloroform global minimum is used to evaluate the solvation free energy difference
Unitary and Non-Unitary Matrices as a Source of Different Bases of Operators Acting on Hilbert Spaces
Columns of d^2 x N matrices are shown to create different sets of N operators
acting on -dimensional Hilbert space. This construction corresponds to a
formalism of the star-product of operator symbols. The known bases are shown to
be partial cases of generic formulas derived by using d^2 x N matrices as a
source for constructing arbitrary bases. The known examples of the SIC-POVM,
MUBs, and the phase-space description of qubit states are considered from the
viewpoint of the developed unified approach. Star-product schemes are
classified with respect to associated d^2 x N matrices. In particular, unitary
matrices correspond to self-dual schemes. Such self-dual star-product schemes
are shown to be determined by dequantizers which do not form POVM.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figure, 1 table, to appear in Journal of Russian Laser
Researc
Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology with Gravitational Waves
Gravitational wave detectors are already operating at interesting sensitivity
levels, and they have an upgrade path that should result in secure detections
by 2014. We review the physics of gravitational waves, how they interact with
detectors (bars and interferometers), and how these detectors operate. We study
the most likely sources of gravitational waves and review the data analysis
methods that are used to extract their signals from detector noise. Then we
consider the consequences of gravitational wave detections and observations for
physics, astrophysics, and cosmology.Comment: 137 pages, 16 figures, Published version
<http://www.livingreviews.org/lrr-2009-2
Construction, Concentration, and (Dis)Continuities in Social Valuations
I review and integrate recent sociological research that makes progress on three interrelated questions pertaining to social valuation: (a) the degree of social construction relative to objective constraints; (b) the degree of concentration in social valuations at a single point in time; and (c) the conditions that govern two broad forms of temporal discontinuity—(i) fashion cycles, especially in cultural expression and in managerial practices, and (ii) bubble/crash dynamics, as witnessed in such domains as authoritarian regimes and financial markets. In the course of the review, I argue for the importance of identifying how objective conditions constrain social construction and suggest two contrarian mechanisms by which this is accomplished—valuation opportunism and valuation entrepreneurship—and the conditions under which they are more or less effective
High-growth firms and productivity:evidence from the United Kingdom
Abstract There is considerable evidence that high-growth firms (HGFs) contribute significantly to employment and economic growth. However, the literature so far does not adequately explore the link between HGFs and productivity. This paper investigates the empirical link between total factor productivity (TFP) growth and HGFs, defined in terms of sales growth, in the United Kingdom over the period 2001-2010, by examining two related research questions. Firstly, does higher TFP growth lead to HGF status and secondly, does HGF experience help firms achieve faster TFP growth? Our findings reveal that firms in both the manufacturing and services sectors are more likely to become HGFs when they exhibit higher TFP growth. In addition, firms that have had HGF experience tend to enjoy faster TFP growth following the high-growth episodes. Policy implications are drawn based on the self-reinforcing process of the high-growth phenomenon that is revealed by our results
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