854 research outputs found
The Generalized Hartle-Hawking Initial State: Quantum Field Theory on Einstein Conifolds
Recent arguments have indicated that the sum over histories formulation of
quantum amplitudes for gravity should include sums over conifolds, a set of
histories with more general topology than that of manifolds. This paper
addresses the consequences of conifold histories in gravitational functional
integrals that also include scalar fields. This study will be carried out
explicitly for the generalized Hartle-Hawking initial state, that is the
Hartle-Hawking initial state generalized to a sum over conifolds. In the
perturbative limit of the semiclassical approximation to the generalized
Hartle-Hawking state, one finds that quantum field theory on Einstein conifolds
is recovered. In particular, the quantum field theory of a scalar field on de
Sitter spacetime with spatial topology is derived from the generalized
Hartle-Hawking initial state in this approximation. This derivation is carried
out for a scalar field of arbitrary mass and scalar curvature coupling.
Additionally, the generalized Hartle-Hawking boundary condition produces a
state that is not identical to but corresponds to the Bunch-Davies vacuum on
de Sitter spacetime. This result cannot be obtained from the original
Hartle-Hawking state formulated as a sum over manifolds as there is no Einstein
manifold with round boundary.Comment: Revtex 3, 31 pages, 4 epsf figure
Stationary quantum Markov process for the Wigner function
As a stochastic model for quantum mechanics we present a stationary quantum
Markov process for the time evolution of the Wigner function on a lattice phase
space Z_N x Z_N with N odd. By introducing a phase factor extension to the
phase space, each particle can be treated independently. This is an improvement
on earlier methods that require the whole distribution function to determine
the evolution of a constituent particle. The process has branching and
vanishing points, though a finite time interval can be maintained between the
branchings. The procedure to perform a simulation using the process is
presented.Comment: 12 pages, no figures; replaced with version accepted for publication
in J. Phys. A, title changed, an example adde
Topological Censorship
All three-manifolds are known to occur as Cauchy surfaces of asymptotically
flat vacuum spacetimes and of spacetimes with positive-energy sources. We prove
here the conjecture that general relativity does not allow an observer to probe
the topology of spacetime: any topological structure collapses too quickly to
allow light to traverse it. More precisely, in a globally hyperbolic,
asymptotically flat spacetime satisfying the null energy condition, every
causal curve from \scri^- to {\scri}^+ is homotopic to a topologically
trivial curve from \scri^- to {\scri}^+. (If the Poincar\'e conjecture is
false, the theorem does not prevent one from probing fake 3-spheres).Comment: 12 pages, REVTEX; 1 postscript figure in a separate uuencoded file.
Our earlier version (PRL 71, 1486 (1993)) contained a secondary result,
mistakenly attributed to Schoen and Yau, regarding ``passive topological
censorship'' of a certain class of topologies. As Gregory Burnett has pointed
out (gr-qc/9504012), this secondary result is false. The main topological
censorship theorem is unaffected by the erro
Phase Space Tomography of Matter-Wave Diffraction in the Talbot Regime
We report on the theoretical investigation of Wigner distribution function
(WDF) reconstruction of the motional quantum state of large molecules in de
Broglie interference. De Broglie interference of fullerenes and as the like
already proves the wavelike behaviour of these heavy particles, while we aim to
extract more quantitative information about the superposition quantum state in
motion. We simulate the reconstruction of the WDF numerically based on an
analytic probability distribution and investigate its properties by variation
of parameters, which are relevant for the experiment. Even though the WDF
described in the near-field experiment cannot be reconstructed completely, we
observe negativity even in the partially reconstructed WDF. We further consider
incoherent factors to simulate the experimental situation such as a finite
number of slits, collimation, and particle-slit van der Waals interaction. From
this we find experimental conditions to reconstruct the WDF from Talbot
interference fringes in molecule Talbot-Lau interferometry.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures, accepted at New Journal of Physic
Gauss sum factorization with cold atoms
We report the first implementation of a Gauss sum factorization algorithm by
an internal state Ramsey interferometer using cold atoms. A sequence of
appropriately designed light pulses interacts with an ensemble of cold rubidium
atoms. The final population in the involved atomic levels determines a Gauss
sum. With this technique we factor the number N=263193.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
A Conceptual Model Combination for the Unification of Design and Tolerancing in Robust Design
In design engineering, the early consideration of tolerance chains contributes to robust design. For this, a link of design and tolerancing domains is essential. This paper presents a combination of the graph-based tolerancing approach and the Contact and Channel approach to link these domains. The combined approach is applied at a coinage machine. Here it provides detailed insights into state-dependent relations of embodiment and functions, which can improve robustness evaluation of the concept. This approach shows a possibility to bridge the gap between design and tolerancing domains
Superconducting Analogues of Quantum Optical Phenomena: Macroscopic Quantum Superpositions and Squeezing in a SQUID Ring
In this paper we explore the quantum behaviour of a SQUID ring which has a
significant Josephson coupling energy. We show that that the eigenfunctions of
the Hamiltonian for the ring can be used to create macroscopic quantum
superposition states of the ring. We also show that the ring potential may be
utilised to squeeze coherent states. With the SQUID ring as a strong contender
as a device for manipulating quantum information, such properties may be of
great utility in the future. However, as with all candidate systems for quantum
technologies, decoherence is a fundamental problem. In this paper we apply an
open systems approach to model the effect of coupling a quantum mechanical
SQUID ring to a thermal bath. We use this model to demonstrate the manner in
which decoherence affects the quantum states of the ring.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figures, To be submitted to Phys. Rev. A. (changes for
referee's and editior's comments - replaced to try to get PDF working
Operator ordering and causality
It is shown that causality violations [M. de Haan, Physica 132A, 375, 397
(1985)], emerging when the conventional definition of the time-normal operator
ordering [P.L.Kelley and W.H.Kleiner, Phys.Rev. 136, A316 (1964)] is taken
outside the rotating wave approximation, disappear when the amended definition
[L.P. and S.S., Annals of Physics, 323, 1989 (2008)] of this ordering is used.Comment: References update
- …