Filtering equation for a measurement of a coherent channel

A stochastic model for a continuous photon counting and heterodyne measurement of a coherent source is proposed. A nonlinear filtering equation for the posterior state of a single-mode field in a cavity is derived by using the methods of quantum stochastic calculus. The posterior dynamics is found for the observation of a Bose field being initially in a coherent state. The filtering equations for counting and diffusion processes are given.Comment: 14 pages, 1 figure. This paper was published in JOSA B. The final version is available on OSA websit

Quantum stochastic equations for an opto-mechanical oscillator with radiation pressure interaction and non-Markovian effects

The quantum stochastic Schroedinger equation or Hudson-Parthasareathy (HP) equation is a powerful tool to construct unitary dilations of quantum dynamical semigroups and to develop the theory of measurements in continuous time via the construction of output fields. An important feature of such an equation is that it allows to treat not only absorption and emission of quanta, but also scattering processes, which however had very few applications in physical modelling. Moreover, recent developments have shown that also some non-Markovian dynamics can be generated by suitable choices of the state of the quantum noises involved in the HP-equation. This paper is devoted to an application involving these two features, non-Markovianity and scattering process. We consider a micro-mirror mounted on a vibrating structure and reflecting a laser beam, a process giving rise to a radiation-pressure force on the mirror. We show that this process needs the scattering part of the HP-equation to be described. On the other side, non-Markovianity is introduced by the dissipation due to the interaction with some thermal environment which we represent by a phonon field, with a nearly arbitrary excitation spectrum, and by the introduction of phase noise in the laser beam. Finally, we study the full power spectrum of the reflected light and we show how the laser beam can be used as a temperature probe.Comment: 17 page

Entropy and information gain in quantum continual measurements

The theory of measurements continuous in time in quantum mechanics (quantum continual measurements) has been formulated by using the notions of instrument, positive operator valued measure, etc., by using quantum stochastic differential equations and by using classical stochastic differential equations (SDE's) for vectors in Hilbert spaces or for trace-class operators. In the same times Ozawa made developments in the theory of instruments and introduced the related notions of a posteriori states and of information gain [1]. In this paper we introduce a simple class of SDE's relevant to the theory of continual measurements and we recall how they are related to instruments and a posteriori states and, so, to the general formulation of quantum mechanics. Then we introduce and use the notion of information gain and the other results of the paper [1] inside the theory of continual measurements. [1] M. Ozawa, On information gain by quantum measurements of continuous observables, J. Math. Phys. 27 (1986) 759-763.Comment: 8 pages. Submitted to Proceedings of "Quantum Communication, Computing, and Measurements (Capri, Italy, July 2000)

Feedback control of the squeezing of the fluorescence light

Among the formulations of the theory of quantum measurements in continuous time, quantum trajectory theory is very suitable for the introduction of measurement based feedback and closed loop control of quantum systems. In this paper we present such a construction in the concrete case of a two-level atom stimulated by a coherent, monochromatic laser. In particular, we show how fast feedback \`a la Wiseman and Milburn can be introduced in the formulation of the theory. Then, the spectrum of the free fluorescence light is studied and typical quantum phenomena, squeezing and sub-natural line-narrowing, are presented.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures. Submitted to proceedings of PhysCon0

Heavy Quarkonium Potential and inclusive decay widths in terms of Wilson loops

We briefly summarize some results obtained by potential NRQCD in the non perturbative regime: 1) a systematic procedure to obtain the heavy quarkonium potential in the 1/m expansion (with explicit expressions up to O(1/m^2) in terms of Wilson loops), and 2) a description of the heavy quarkonium inclusive decays to light particles, and of the NRQCD matrix elements (also the octet ones), in terms of the wave-function at the origen and some gluonic field-strength correlators.Comment: 4 pages, LaTeX. Talk given at 5th International Conference on Hyperons, Charm and Beauty Hadrons, Vancouver, Canada, 25-29 Jun 200

On a class of stochastic differential equations used in quantum optics

Stochastic differential equations for processes with values in Hilbert spaces are now largely used in the quantum theory of open systems. In this work we present a class of such equations and discuss their main properties; moreover, we explain how they are derived from purely quantum mechanical models, where the dynamics is represented by a unitary evolution in a Hilbert space, and how they are related to the theory of continual measurements. An essential tool is an isomorphism between the bosonic Fock space and the Wiener space, which allow to connect certain quantum objects with probabilistic ones.Comment: 13 pages, LaTeX2

Quantum measurements and entropic bounds on information transmission

While a positive operator valued measure gives the probabilities in a quantum measurement, an instrument gives both the probabilities and the a posteriori states. By interpreting the instrument as a quantum channel and by using the monotonicity theorem for relative entropies many bounds on the classical information extracted in a quantum measurement are obtained in a unified manner. In particular, it is shown that such bounds can all be stated as inequalities between mutual entropies. This approach based on channels gives rise to a unified picture of known and new bounds on the classical information (Holevo's, Shumacher-Westmoreland-Wootters', Hall's, Scutaru's bounds, a new upper bound and a new lower one). Some examples clarify the mutual relationships among the various bounds.Comment: 29 pages, 2 figures, uses qic.st

Quantum Langevin equations for optomechanical systems

We provide a fully quantum description of a mechanical oscillator in the presence of thermal environmental noise by means of a quantum Langevin formulation based on quantum stochastic calculus. The system dynamics is determined by symmetry requirements and equipartition at equilibrium, while the environment is described by quantum Bose fields in a suitable non-Fock representation which allows for the introduction of temperature. A generic spectral density of the environment can be described by introducing its state trough a suitable P-representation. Including interaction of the mechanical oscillator with a cavity mode via radiation pressure we obtain a description of a simple optomechanical system in which, besides the Langevin equations for the system, one has the exact input-output relations for the quantum noises. The whole theory is valid at arbitrarily low temperature. This allows the exact calculation of the stationary value of the mean energy of the mechanical oscillator, as well as both homodyne and heterodyne spectra. The present analysis allows in particular to study possible cooling scenarios and to obtain the exact connection between observed spectra and fluctuation spectra of the position of the mechanical oscillator.Comment: 37 pages, 2 figures. Major revisions; new reference