Quantum Optical Fredkin Gate

A simple optical model to realize a reversible, potentially error-free logic gate a Fredkin gate is discussed. The device dissipates no energy and makes use of the Kerr nonlinearity to produce intensity-dependent phase shifts. The analysis shows that quantum mechanics permits the operation of error-free logic gates which dissipate no energy. However, even though the device is nondissipative, error-free performance only occurs under particular operating conditions

Optimal Quantum Measurements for Phase Estimation

Quantum information theory is applied to practical interferometer-based phase measurements to deduce the optimal phase measurement scheme with two optical modes. Optimal phase measurements, given ideal input states, reveal an asymptotic 1/n decrease in phase uncertainty Delta theta for n the mean photon number of the input state. In contradistinction to previous schemes for realizing the number-phase uncertainty limit, the 1/n limit achieved here is independent of the interferometer phase shift; prior information about the expected phase shift is not necessary to attain this limit. These results apply more generally to su(2) and so(3) phase parameter estimation

Quantum-Theory of Optical Feedback Via Homodyne Detection

We present a quantum theory of feedback in which the homodyne photocurrent alters the dynamics of the source cavity. To the nonlinear stochastic (Ito) evolution of the conditioned system state we add a feedback term linear in the instantaneous stochastic (Stratonovich) photocurrent. Averaging over the photocurrent gives a feedback master equation which has the desired driftlike term, plus a diffusionlike term. We apply the model to phase locking a regularly pumped laser, and show that under ideal conditions the noise spectra of the output light exhibit perfect squeezing on resonance

Interference in hyperbolic space

The interference in a phase space algorithm of Schleich and Wheeler [Nature 326, 574 (1987)] is extended to the hyperbolic space underlying the group SU(1,1). The extension involves introducing the notion of weighted areas. Analytic expressions for the asymptotic forms for overlaps between the eigenstates of the generators of su(1,1) thus obtained are found to be in excellent agreement with the numerical results.[S1050-2947(98)08602-8]

Realization of a single Josephson junction for Bose-Einstein condensates

We report on the realization of a double-well potential for Rubidium-87 Bose-Einstein condensates. The experimental setup allows the investigation of two different dynamical phenomena known for this system - Josephson oscillations and self-trapping. We give a detailed discussion of the experimental setup and the methods used for calibrating the relevant parameters. We compare our experimental findings with the predictions of an extended two-mode model and find quantitative agreement

Quantum Interference of Photon Pairs from Two Trapped Atomic Ions

We collect the fluorescence from two trapped atomic ions, and measure quantum interference between photons emitted from the ions. The interference of two photons is a crucial component of schemes to entangle atomic qubits based on a photonic coupling. The ability to preserve the generated entanglement and to repeat the experiment with the same ions is necessary to implement entangling quantum gates between atomic qubits, and allows the implementation of protocols to efficiently scale to larger numbers of atomic qubits.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Quantum Gates and Memory using Microwave Dressed States

Trapped atomic ions have been successfully used for demonstrating basic elements of universal quantum information processing (QIP). Nevertheless, scaling up of these methods and techniques to achieve large scale universal QIP, or more specialized quantum simulations remains challenging. The use of easily controllable and stable microwave sources instead of complex laser systems on the other hand promises to remove obstacles to scalability. Important remaining drawbacks in this approach are the use of magnetic field sensitive states, which shorten coherence times considerably, and the requirement to create large stable magnetic field gradients. Here, we present theoretically a novel approach based on dressing magnetic field sensitive states with microwave fields which addresses both issues and permits fast quantum logic. We experimentally demonstrate basic building blocks of this scheme to show that these dressed states are long-lived and coherence times are increased by more than two orders of magnitude compared to bare magnetic field sensitive states. This changes decisively the prospect of microwave-driven ion trap QIP and offers a new route to extend coherence times for all systems that suffer from magnetic noise such as neutral atoms, NV-centres, quantum dots, or circuit-QED systems.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure

Quantum anti-Zeno effect without wave function reduction

We study the measurement-induced enhancement of the spontaneous decay (called quantum anti-Zeno effect) for a two-level subsystem, where measurements are treated as couplings between the excited state and an auxiliary state rather than the von Neumann's wave function reduction. The photon radiated in a fast decay of the atom, from the auxiliary state to the excited state, triggers a quasi-measurement, as opposed to a projection measurement. Our use of the term "quasi-measurement" refers to a "coupling-based measurement". Such frequent quasi-measurements result in an exponential decay of the survival probability of atomic initial state with a photon emission following each quasi-measurement. Our calculations show that the effective decay rate is of the same form as the one based on projection measurements. What is more important, the survival probability of the atomic initial state which is obtained by tracing over all the photon states is equivalent to the survival probability of the atomic initial state with a photon emission following each quasi-measurement to the order under consideration. That is because the contributions from those states with photon number less than the number of quasi-measurements originate from higher-order processes.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure

Modern space-time and undecidability

The picture of space-time that Minkowski created in 1907 has been followed by two important developments in physics not contained in the original picture: general relativity and quantum mechanics. We will argue that the use of concepts of those theories to construct space-time implies conceptual modifications in quantum mechanics. In particular one can construct a viable picture of quantum mechanics without a reduction process that has outcomes equivalent to a picture with a reduction process. One therefore has two theories that are entirely equivalent experimentally but profoundly different in the description of reality they give. This introduces a fundamental level of undecidability in physics of a kind that has not been present before. We discuss some of the implications.Comment: 8 pages, no figures, Revtex, contribution to the volume "Minkowski spacetime: a hundred years later", edited by Vesselin Petko