Some Remarks on Quantum Coherence

There are many striking phenomena which are attributed to ``quantum coherence''. It is natural to wonder if there are new quantum coherence effects waiting to be discovered which could lead to interesting results and perhaps even practical applications. A useful starting point for such discussions is a definition of ``quantum coherence''. In this article I give a definition of quantum coherence and use a number of illustrations to explore the implications of this definition. I point to topics of current interest in the fields of cosmology and quantum computation where questions of quantum coherence arise, and I emphasize the impact that interactions with the environment can have on quantum coherence.Comment: 25 pages plain LaTeX, no figures. More references have been added and typos have been corrected. Journal of Modern Optics, in press. Imperial/TP/93-94/1

The variance-covariance method: Microdosimetry in time-varying low dose-rate radiation fields

The variance-covariance method is employed at low doses and in radiation fields of low dose rates from an241Am (4 nGy/s) and a90Sr (300 nGy/s) source. The preliminary applications and results illustrate some of the potential of the method, and show that the dose average of lineal energy or energy imparted can be determined over a wide range of doses and dose rates. The dose averages obtained with the variance-covariance method in time-varying fields, for which the conventional variance method is not suitable, agree well with results obtained under the condition of constant dose rate. The results are compared to data obtained in terms of the conventional single-event measurements. The method has evident advantages, such as facility and speed of measurement

Eigenvalues of even very nice Toeplitz matrices can be unexpectedly erratic

It was shown in a series of recent publications that the eigenvalues of $n\times n$ Toeplitz matrices generated by so-called simple-loop symbols admit certain regular asymptotic expansions into negative powers of $n+1$. On the other hand, recently two of the authors considered the pentadiagonal Toeplitz matrices generated by the symbol $g(x)=(2\sin(x/2))^4$, which does not satisfy the simple-loop conditions, and derived asymptotic expansions of a more complicated form. We here use these results to show that the eigenvalues of the pentadiagonal Toeplitz matrices do not admit the expected regular asymptotic expansion. This also delivers a counter-example to a conjecture by Ekstr\"{o}m, Garoni, and Serra-Capizzano and reveals that the simple-loop condition is essential for the existence of the regular asymptotic expansion.Comment: 28 pages, 7 figure

Are the reactions γγ→VV′\gamma\gamma\to VV' a challenge for the factorized Pomeron at high energies?

We would like to point to the strong violation of the putative factorized Pomeron exchange model in the reactions $\gamma\gamma\to VV'$ in the high-energy region where this model works fairly well in all other cases.Comment: 4 pages, LaTex, 1 fig. in postscript, minor typos corrected, to be published in Phys. Rev. D 60, 117503 (1999

Vector field mediated models of dynamical light velocity

A vector-tensor theory of gravity that was introduced in an earlier publication is analyzed in detail and its consequences for early universe cosmology are examined. The multiple light cone structure of the theory generates different speeds of gravitational and matter wave fronts, and the contraction of these light cones produces acausal, superluminary inflation that can resolve the initial value problems of cosmology.Comment: 16 pages, uses amsar

On Quantum Mechanical Aspects of Microtubules

We discuss possible quantum mechanical aspects of MicroTubules (MT), based on recent developments in quantum physics.We focus on potential mechanisms for `energy-loss-free' transport along the microtubules, which could be considered as realizations of Fr\"ohlich's ideas on the r\^ole of solitons for superconductivity and/or biological matter. By representing the MT arrangements as cavities,we present a novel scenario on the formation of macroscopic (or mesoscopic) quantum-coherent states, as a result of the (quantum-electromagnetic) interactions of the MT dimers with the surrounding molecules of the ordered water in the interior of the MT cylinders. We suggest specific experiments to test the above-conjectured quantum nature of the microtubular arrangements inside the cell. These experiments are similar in nature to those in atomic physics, used in the detection of the Rabi-Vacuum coupling between coherent cavity modes and atoms. Our conjecture is that a similar Rabi-Vacuum-splitting phenomenon occurs in the MT case.Comment: 26 pages LATEX (minor typos corrected no effect on conclusions

Towards realistic implementations of a Majorana surface code

Surface codes have emerged as promising candidates for quantum information processing. Building on the previous idea to realize the physical qubits of such systems in terms of Majorana bound states supported by topological semiconductor nanowires, we show that the basic code operations, namely projective stabilizer measurements and qubit manipulations, can be implemented by conventional tunnel conductance probes and charge pumping via single-electron transistors, respectively. The simplicity of the access scheme suggests that a functional code might be in close experimental reach.Comment: 5 pages, 1 p. suppl.mat, PRL in pres