Die verband tussen die blootstelling aan en gebruik van elektroniese media en akademiese taalvaardigheid

The focus of this article is the possible contribution of exposure to and use of modern electronic media to the problem of students’ perceived weak command of formal academic language. Concepts such as academic literacy, the relationship between language and thought, and the effect of modern media on thought patterns will be discussed. The frequent exposure to images on the one hand and the absence of formal reading material on the other, are seen as important factors contributing to language problems experienced by university students. A questionnaire was used to examine the frequency at which grade 8 learners in four Bloemfontein schools, as well as a group of second year students at the University of the Free State, use computers and cell phones, watch television and films, etc. User patterns were established. The results of this research are discussed here.Keywords: Academic language proficiency, literacy, Web generation, social context, technology and media, interactive learning environment, language and thought, patterns of thought, image thinkingSleutelwoorde: akademiese taalvaardigheid, geletterdheid, Net-generasie, sosiale konteks, tegnologie en media, interaktiewe leeromgewing, taal en denke, denkpatrone, beelddenke.The article is in Afrikaans

Unitarily localizable entanglement of Gaussian states

We consider generic $m\times n$-mode bipartitions of continuous variable systems, and study the associated bisymmetric multimode Gaussian states. They are defined as $(m+n)$-mode Gaussian states invariant under local mode permutations on the $m$-mode and $n$-mode subsystems. We prove that such states are equivalent, under local unitary transformations, to the tensor product of a two-mode state and of $m+n-2$ uncorrelated single-mode states. The entanglement between the $m$-mode and the $n$-mode blocks can then be completely concentrated on a single pair of modes by means of local unitary operations alone. This result allows to prove that the PPT (positivity of the partial transpose) condition is necessary and sufficient for the separability of $(m + n)$-mode bisymmetric Gaussian states. We determine exactly their negativity and identify a subset of bisymmetric states whose multimode entanglement of formation can be computed analytically. We consider explicit examples of pure and mixed bisymmetric states and study their entanglement scaling with the number of modes.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure

Experiment towards continuous-variable entanglement swapping: Highly correlated four-partite quantum state

We present a protocol for performing entanglement swapping with intense pulsed beams. In a first step, the generation of amplitude correlations between two systems that have never interacted directly is demonstrated. This is verified in direct detection with electronic modulation of the detected photocurrents. The measured correlations are better than expected from a classical reconstruction scheme. In the entanglement swapping process, a four--partite entangled state is generated. We prove experimentally that the amplitudes of the four optical modes are quantum correlated 3 dB below shot noise, which is due to the potential four--party entanglement.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figures, update of references 9 and 10; minor inconsistency in notation removed; format for units in the figures change

De toepassing van het klassieke verbintenissenrecht op de meerpartijenovereenkomst vanuit Belgisch perspectief

status: publishe

Quantum repeaters and quantum key distribution: analysis of secret key rates

We analyze various prominent quantum repeater protocols in the context of long-distance quantum key distribution. These protocols are the original quantum repeater proposal by Briegel, D\"ur, Cirac and Zoller, the so-called hybrid quantum repeater using optical coherent states dispersively interacting with atomic spin qubits, and the Duan-Lukin-Cirac-Zoller-type repeater using atomic ensembles together with linear optics and, in its most recent extension, heralded qubit amplifiers. For our analysis, we investigate the most important experimental parameters of every repeater component and find their minimally required values for obtaining a nonzero secret key. Additionally, we examine in detail the impact of device imperfections on the final secret key rate and on the optimal number of rounds of distillation when the entangled states are purified right after their initial distribution.Comment: Published versio

Multipartite entanglement in three-mode Gaussian states of continuous variable systems: Quantification, sharing structure and decoherence

We present a complete analysis of multipartite entanglement of three-mode Gaussian states of continuous variable systems. We derive standard forms which characterize the covariance matrix of pure and mixed three-mode Gaussian states up to local unitary operations, showing that the local entropies of pure Gaussian states are bound to fulfill a relationship which is stricter than the general Araki-Lieb inequality. Quantum correlations will be quantified by a proper convex roof extension of the squared logarithmic negativity (the contangle), satisfying a monogamy relation for multimode Gaussian states, whose proof will be reviewed and elucidated. The residual contangle, emerging from the monogamy inequality, is an entanglement monotone under Gaussian local operations and classical communication and defines a measure of genuine tripartite entanglement. We analytically determine the residual contangle for arbitrary pure three-mode Gaussian states and study the distribution of quantum correlations for such states. This will lead us to show that pure, symmetric states allow for a promiscuous entanglement sharing, having both maximum tripartite residual entanglement and maximum couplewise entanglement between any pair of modes. We thus name these states GHZ/$W$ states of continuous variable systems because they are simultaneous continuous-variable counterparts of both the GHZ and the $W$ states of three qubits. We finally consider the action of decoherence on tripartite entangled Gaussian states, studying the decay of the residual contangle. The GHZ/$W$ states are shown to be maximally robust under both losses and thermal noise.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures. (v2) References updated, published versio

Separability Criterion for all bipartite Gaussian States

We provide a necessary and sufficient condition for separability of Gaussian states of bipartite systems of arbitrarily many modes. The condition provides an operational criterion since it can be checked by simple computation. Moreover, it allows us to find a pure product-state decomposition of any given separable Gaussian state. Our criterion is independent of the one based on partial transposition, and is strictly stronger.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure (.eps

Continuous variable tangle, monogamy inequality, and entanglement sharing in Gaussian states of continuous variable systems

For continuous-variable systems, we introduce a measure of entanglement, the continuous variable tangle ({\em contangle}), with the purpose of quantifying the distributed (shared) entanglement in multimode, multipartite Gaussian states. This is achieved by a proper convex roof extension of the squared logarithmic negativity. We prove that the contangle satisfies the Coffman-Kundu-Wootters monogamy inequality in all three--mode Gaussian states, and in all fully symmetric $N$--mode Gaussian states, for arbitrary $N$. For three--mode pure states we prove that the residual entanglement is a genuine tripartite entanglement monotone under Gaussian local operations and classical communication. We show that pure, symmetric three--mode Gaussian states allow a promiscuous entanglement sharing, having both maximum tripartite residual entanglement and maximum couplewise entanglement between any pair of modes. These states are thus simultaneous continuous-variable analogs of both the GHZ and the $W$ states of three qubits: in continuous-variable systems monogamy does not prevent promiscuity, and the inequivalence between different classes of maximally entangled states, holding for systems of three or more qubits, is removed.Comment: 13 pages, 1 figure. Replaced with published versio

Bipartite Entanglement in Continuous-Variable Cluster States

We present a study of the entanglement properties of Gaussian cluster states, proposed as a universal resource for continuous-variable quantum computing. A central aim is to compare mathematically-idealized cluster states defined using quadrature eigenstates, which have infinite squeezing and cannot exist in nature, with Gaussian approximations which are experimentally accessible. Adopting widely-used definitions, we first review the key concepts, by analysing a process of teleportation along a continuous-variable quantum wire in the language of matrix product states. Next we consider the bipartite entanglement properties of the wire, providing analytic results. We proceed to grid cluster states, which are universal for the qubit case. To extend our analysis of the bipartite entanglement, we adopt the entropic-entanglement width, a specialized entanglement measure introduced recently by Van den Nest M et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 97 150504 (2006), adapting their definition to the continuous-variable context. Finally we add the effects of photonic loss, extending our arguments to mixed states. Cumulatively our results point to key differences in the properties of idealized and Gaussian cluster states. Even modest loss rates are found to strongly limit the amount of entanglement. We discuss the implications for the potential of continuous-variable analogues of measurement-based quantum computation.Comment: 22 page