Integrable Hierarchies and Information Measures

In this paper we investigate integrable models from the perspective of information theory, exhibiting various connections. We begin by showing that compressible hydrodynamics for a one-dimesional isentropic fluid, with an appropriately motivated information theoretic extension, is described by a general nonlinear Schrodinger (NLS) equation. Depending on the choice of the enthalpy function, one obtains the cubic NLS or other modified NLS equations that have applications in various fields. Next, by considering the integrable hierarchy associated with the NLS model, we propose higher order information measures which include the Fisher measure as their first member. The lowest members of the hiearchy are shown to be included in the expansion of a regularized Kullback-Leibler measure while, on the other hand, a suitable combination of the NLS hierarchy leads to a Wootters type measure related to a NLS equation with a relativistic dispersion relation. Finally, through our approach, we are led to construct an integrable semi-relativistic NLS equation.Comment: 11 page

Collapse Models

This is a review of formalisms and models (nonrelativistic and relativistic) which modify Schrodinger's equation so that it describes wavefunction collapse as a dynamical physical process.Comment: 40 pages, to be published in "Open Systems and Measurement in Relativistic Quantum Theory," F. Petruccione and H. P. Breuer eds. (Springer Verlag, 1999

Physics with Coherent Matter Waves

This review discusses progress in the new field of coherent matter waves, in particular with respect to Bose-Einstein condensates. We give a short introduction to Bose-Einstein condensation and the theoretical description of the condensate wavefunction. We concentrate on the coherence properties of this new type of matter wave as a basis for fundamental physics and applications. The main part of this review treats various measurements and concepts in the physics with coherent matter waves. In particular we present phase manipulation methods, atom lasers, nonlinear atom optics, optical elements, interferometry and physics in optical lattices. We give an overview of the state of the art in the respective fields and discuss achievements and challenges for the future