15 research outputs found
Quantum Superposition State Production by Continuous Observations and Feedback
We present a protocol for generation of superpositions of states with
distinguishable field amplitudes in an optical cavity by quantum nondemolition
photon number measurements and coherent feeding of the cavity.Comment: RevTex4, 4 pages, 2 figures. Published in Phys. Rev. Lett. with
higher quality figures. The first part of the manuscript, regarding the Fock
state generator, has been remove
Correlations in local measurements on a quantum state, and complementarity as an explanation of nonclassicality
We consider the classical correlations that two observers can extract by
measurements on a bipartite quantum state, and we discuss how they are related
to the quantum mutual information of the state. We show with several examples
how complementarity gives rise to a gap between the quantum and the classical
correlations, and we relate our quantitative finding to the so-called classical
correlation locked in a quantum state. We derive upper bounds for the sum of
classical correlation obtained by measurements in different mutually unbiased
bases and we show that the complementarity gap is also present in the
deterministic quantum computation with one quantum bit.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, references adde
Atomic quantum superposition state generation via optical probing
We analyze the performance of a protocol to prepare an atomic ensemble in a
superposition of two macroscopically distinguishable states. The protocol
relies on conditional measurements performed on a light field, which interacts
with the atoms inside an optical cavity prior to detection, and we investigate
cavity enhanced probing with continuous beams of both coherent and squeezed
light. The stochastic master equations used in the analysis are expressed in
terms of the Hamiltonian of the probed system and the interaction between the
probed system and the probe field and are thus quite generally applicable.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figure
Positive P simulations of spin squeezing in a two-component Bose condensate
The collisional interaction in a Bose condensate represents a non-linearity
which in analogy with non-linear optics gives rise to unique quantum features.
In this paper we apply a Monte Carlo method based on the positive P
pseudo-probability distribution from quantum optics to analyze the efficiency
of spin squeezing by collisions in a two-component condensate. The squeezing
can be controlled by choosing appropiate collision parameters or by
manipulating the motional states of the two components.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev.
A quantum beam splitter for atoms
An interferometric method is proposed to controllably split an atomic
condensate in two spatial components with strongly reduced population
fluctuations. All steps in our proposal are in current use in cold atom
laboratories, and we show with a theoretical calculation that our proposal is
very robust against imperfections of the interferometer.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, revtex
Squeezed light from spin squeezed atoms
We propose to produce pulses of strongly squeezed light by Raman scattering
of a strong laser pulse on a spin squeezed atomic sample. We prove that the
emission is restricted to a single field mode which perfectly inherits the
quantum correlations of the atomic system.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, revtex4 beta
Unitarity as preservation of entropy and entanglement in quantum systems
The logical structure of Quantum Mechanics (QM) and its relation to other
fundamental principles of Nature has been for decades a subject of intensive
research. In particular, the question whether the dynamical axiom of QM can be
derived from other principles has been often considered. In this contribution,
we show that unitary evolutions arise as a consequences of demanding
preservation of entropy in the evolution of a single pure quantum system, and
preservation of entanglement in the evolution of composite quantum systems.Comment: To be submitted to the special issue of Foundations of Physics on the
occassion of the seventieth birthday of Emilio Santos. v2: 10 pages, no
figures, RevTeX4; Corrected and extended version, containing new results on
consequences of entanglement preservatio
Evolution of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Its Close Commensal Relatives
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a member of the Mitis group of streptococci which, according to 16S rRNA-sequence based phylogenetic reconstruction, includes 12 species. While other species of this group are considered prototypes of commensal bacteria, S. pneumoniae is among the most frequent microbial killers worldwide. Population genetic analysis of 118 strains, supported by demonstration of a distinct cell wall carbohydrate structure and competence pheromone sequence signature, shows that S. pneumoniae is one of several hundred evolutionary lineages forming a cluster separate from Streptococcus oralis and Streptococcus infantis. The remaining lineages of this distinct cluster are commensals previously collectively referred to as Streptococcus mitis and each represent separate species by traditional taxonomic standard. Virulence genes including the operon for capsule polysaccharide synthesis and genes encoding IgA1 protease, pneumolysin, and autolysin were randomly distributed among S. mitis lineages. Estimates of the evolutionary age of the lineages, the identical location of remnants of virulence genes in the genomes of commensal strains, the pattern of genome reductions, and the proportion of unique genes and their origin support the model that the entire cluster of S. pneumoniae, S. pseudopneumoniae, and S. mitis lineages evolved from pneumococcus-like bacteria presumably pathogenic to the common immediate ancestor of hominoids. During their adaptation to a commensal life style, most of the lineages gradually lost the majority of genes determining virulence and became genetically distinct due to sexual isolation in their respective hosts