3,690 research outputs found
Optimal distinction between non-orthogonal quantum states
Given a finite set of linearly independent quantum states, an observer who
examines a single quantum system may sometimes identify its state with
certainty. However, unless these quantum states are orthogonal, there is a
finite probability of failure. A complete solution is given to the problem of
optimal distinction of three states, having arbitrary prior probabilities and
arbitrary detection values. A generalization to more than three states is
outlined.Comment: 9 pages LaTeX, one PostScript figure on separate pag
Extendable self-avoiding walks
The connective constant mu of a graph is the exponential growth rate of the
number of n-step self-avoiding walks starting at a given vertex. A
self-avoiding walk is said to be forward (respectively, backward) extendable if
it may be extended forwards (respectively, backwards) to a singly infinite
self-avoiding walk. It is called doubly extendable if it may be extended in
both directions simultaneously to a doubly infinite self-avoiding walk. We
prove that the connective constants for forward, backward, and doubly
extendable self-avoiding walks, denoted respectively by mu^F, mu^B, mu^FB,
exist and satisfy mu = mu^F = mu^B = mu^FB for every infinite, locally finite,
strongly connected, quasi-transitive directed graph. The proofs rely on a 1967
result of Furstenberg on dimension, and involve two different arguments
depending on whether or not the graph is unimodular.Comment: Accepted versio
Convex probability domain of generalized quantum measurements
Generalized quantum measurements with N distinct outcomes are used for
determining the density matrix, of order d, of an ensemble of quantum systems.
The resulting probabilities are represented by a point in an N-dimensional
space. It is shown that this point lies in a convex domain having at most d^2-1
dimensions.Comment: 7 pages LaTeX, one PostScript figure on separate pag
Wigner's little group and Berry's phase for massless particles
The ``little group'' for massless particles (namely, the Lorentz
transformations that leave a null vector invariant) is isomorphic to
the Euclidean group E2: translations and rotations in a plane. We show how to
obtain explicitly the rotation angle of E2 as a function of and we
relate that angle to Berry's topological phase. Some particles admit both signs
of helicity, and it is then possible to define a reduced density matrix for
their polarization. However, that density matrix is physically meaningless,
because it has no transformation law under the Lorentz group, even under
ordinary rotations.Comment: 4 pages revte
Communication of Spin Directions with Product States and Finite Measurements
Total spin eigenstates can be used to intrinsically encode a direction, which
can later be decoded by means of a quantum measurement. We study the optimal
strategy that can be adopted if, as is likely in practical applications, only
product states of -spins are available. We obtain the asymptotic behaviour
of the average fidelity which provides a proof that the optimal states must be
entangled. We also give a prescription for constructing finite measurements for
general encoding eigenstates.Comment: 4 pages, minor changes, version to appear in PR
Relativistic Doppler effect in quantum communication
When an electromagnetic signal propagates in vacuo, a polarization detector
cannot be rigorously perpendicular to the wave vector because of diffraction
effects. The vacuum behaves as a noisy channel, even if the detectors are
perfect. The ``noise'' can however be reduced and nearly cancelled by a
relative motion of the observer toward the source. The standard definition of a
reduced density matrix fails for photon polarization, because the
transversality condition behaves like a superselection rule. We can however
define an effective reduced density matrix which corresponds to a restricted
class of positive operator-valued measures. There are no pure photon qubits,
and no exactly orthogonal qubit states.Comment: 10 pages LaTe
Two roles of relativistic spin operators
Operators that are associated with several important quantities, like angular
momentum, play a double role: they are both generators of the symmetry group
and ``observables.'' The analysis of different splittings of angular momentum
into "spin" and "orbital" parts reveals the difference between these two roles.
We also discuss a relation of different choices of spin observables to the
violation of Bell inequalities.Comment: RevTeX 4, 4 pages A discussion on relation of different choices of
spin observables to the observed violation of Bell inequalities is added,
some misprints corrected and the presentation is clarifie
Negativity as a distance from a separable state
The computable measure of the mixed-state entanglement, the negativity, is
shown to admit a clear geometrical interpretation, when applied to
Schmidt-correlated (SC) states: the negativity of a SC state equals a distance
of the state from a pertinent separable state. As a consequence, a SC state is
separable if and only if its negativity vanishes. Another remarkable
consequence is that the negativity of a SC can be estimated "at a glance" on
the density matrix. These results are generalized to mixtures of SC states,
which emerge in certain quantum-dynamical settings.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figur
Evolution of Liouville density of a chaotic system
An area-preserving map of the unit sphere, consisting of alternating twists
and turns, is mostly chaotic. A Liouville density on that sphere is specified
by means of its expansion into spherical harmonics. That expansion initially
necessitates only a finite number of basis functions. As the dynamical mapping
proceeds, it is found that the number of non-negligible coefficients increases
exponentially with the number of steps. This is to be contrasted with the
behavior of a Schr\"odinger wave function which requires, for the analogous
quantum system, a basis of fixed size.Comment: LaTeX 4 pages (27 kB) followed by four short PostScript files (2 kB +
2 kB + 1 kB + 4 kB
Influence of detector motion in entanglement measurements with photons
We investigate how the polarization correlations of entangled photons
described by wave packets are modified when measured by moving detectors. For
this purpose, we analyze the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt Bell inequality as a
function of the apparatus velocity. Our analysis is motivated by future
experiments with entangled photons designed to use satellites. This is a first
step towards the implementation of quantum information protocols in a global
scale
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