7,846 research outputs found
Information geometry of density matrices and state estimation
Given a pure state vector |x> and a density matrix rho, the function
p(x|rho)= defines a probability density on the space of pure states
parameterised by density matrices. The associated Fisher-Rao information
measure is used to define a unitary invariant Riemannian metric on the space of
density matrices. An alternative derivation of the metric, based on square-root
density matrices and trace norms, is provided. This is applied to the problem
of quantum-state estimation. In the simplest case of unitary parameter
estimation, new higher-order corrections to the uncertainty relations,
applicable to general mixed states, are derived.Comment: published versio
Statistical Geometry in Quantum Mechanics
A statistical model M is a family of probability distributions, characterised
by a set of continuous parameters known as the parameter space. This possesses
natural geometrical properties induced by the embedding of the family of
probability distributions into the Hilbert space H. By consideration of the
square-root density function we can regard M as a submanifold of the unit
sphere in H. Therefore, H embodies the `state space' of the probability
distributions, and the geometry of M can be described in terms of the embedding
of in H. The geometry in question is characterised by a natural Riemannian
metric (the Fisher-Rao metric), thus allowing us to formulate the principles of
classical statistical inference in a natural geometric setting. In particular,
we focus attention on the variance lower bounds for statistical estimation, and
establish generalisations of the classical Cramer-Rao and Bhattacharyya
inequalities. The statistical model M is then specialised to the case of a
submanifold of the state space of a quantum mechanical system. This is pursued
by introducing a compatible complex structure on the underlying real Hilbert
space, which allows the operations of ordinary quantum mechanics to be
reinterpreted in the language of real Hilbert space geometry. The application
of generalised variance bounds in the case of quantum statistical estimation
leads to a set of higher order corrections to the Heisenberg uncertainty
relations for canonically conjugate observables.Comment: 32 pages, LaTex file, Extended version to include quantum measurement
theor
Two-body scattering in a trap and a special periodic phenomenon sensitive to the interaction
Two-body scattering of neutral particles in a trap is studied theoretically.
The control of the initial state is realized by using optical traps. The
collisions inside the trap occur repeatedly; thereby the effect of interaction
can be accumulated. Two periodic phenomena with a shorter and a much longer
period, respectively, are found. The latter is sensitive to the interaction.
Instead of measuring the differential cross section as usually does, the
measurement of the longer period and the details of the periodic behavior might
be a valid source of information on weak interactions among neutral particles.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
Metric approach to quantum constraints
A new framework for deriving equations of motion for constrained quantum
systems is introduced, and a procedure for its implementation is outlined. In
special cases the framework reduces to a quantum analogue of the Dirac theory
of constrains in classical mechanics. Explicit examples involving spin-1/2
particles are worked out in detail: in one example our approach coincides with
a quantum version of the Dirac formalism, while the other example illustrates
how a situation that cannot be treated by Dirac's approach can nevertheless be
dealt with in the present scheme.Comment: 13 pages, 1 figur
Self-Reported Chemicals Exposure, Beliefs About Disease Causation, and Risk of Breast Cancer in the Cape Cod Breast Cancer and Environment Study: A Case-Control Study
BACKGROUND: Household cleaning and pesticide products may contribute to breast cancer because many contain endocrine disrupting chemicals or mammary gland carcinogens. This population-based case-control study investigated whether use of household cleaners and pesticides increases breast cancer risk. METHODS: Participants were 787 Cape Cod, Massachusetts, women diagnosed with breast cancer between 1988 and 1995 and 721 controls. Telephone interviews asked about product use, beliefs about breast cancer etiology, and established and suspected breast cancer risk factors. To evaluate potential recall bias, we stratified product-use odds ratios by beliefs about whether chemicals and pollutants contribute to breast cancer; we compared these results with odds ratios for family history (which are less subject to recall bias) stratified by beliefs about heredity. RESULTS: Breast cancer risk increased two-fold in the highest compared with lowest quartile of self-reported combined cleaning product use (Adjusted OR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.4, 3.3) and combined air freshener use (Adjusted OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.2, 3.0). Little association was observed with pesticide use. In stratified analyses, cleaning products odds ratios were more elevated among participants who believed pollutants contribute "a lot" to breast cancer and moved towards the null among the other participants. In comparison, the odds ratio for breast cancer and family history was markedly higher among women who believed that heredity contributes "a lot" (OR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.9, 3.6) and not elevated among others (OR = 0.7, 95% CI: 0.5, 1.1). CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study suggest that cleaning product use contributes to increased breast cancer risk. However, results also highlight the difficulty of distinguishing in retrospective self-report studies between valid associations and the influence of recall bias. Recall bias may influence higher odds ratios for product use among participants who believed that chemicals and pollutants contribute to breast cancer. Alternatively, the influence of experience on beliefs is another explanation, illustrated by the protective odds ratio for family history among women who do not believe heredity contributes "a lot." Because exposure to chemicals from household cleaning products is a biologically plausible cause of breast cancer and avoidable, associations reported here should be further examined prospectively.Massachusetts Legislature; Massachusetts Department of Public Health; Susan S. Bailis Breast Cancer Research Fund at Silent Spring Institute; United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (R01 DP000218-01, 1H75EH000377-01
Geometric derivation of quantum uncertainty
Quantum observables can be identified with vector fields on the sphere of
normalized states. Consequently, the uncertainty relations for quantum
observables become geometric statements. In the Letter the familiar uncertainty
relation follows from the following stronger statement: Of all parallelograms
with given sides the rectangle has the largest area.Comment: see http://depts.uwc.edu/math/faculty/kryukov/ for related paper
Berry phase for oscillating neutrinos
We show the presence of a topological (Berry) phase in the time evolution of
a mixed state. For the case of mixed neutrinos, the Berry phase is a function
of the mixing angle only.Comment: 7 pages, Revte
Nuclear Structure Calculations with Low-Momentum Potentials in a Model Space Truncation Approach
We have calculated the ground-state energy of the doubly magic nuclei 4He,
16O and 40Ca within the framework of the Goldstone expansion starting from
various modern nucleon-nucleon potentials. The short-range repulsion of these
potentials has been renormalized by constructing a low-momentum potential
V-low-k. We have studied the connection between the cutoff momemtum Lambda and
the size of the harmonic oscillator space employed in the calculations. We have
found a fast convergence of the results with a limited number of oscillator
quanta.Comment: 6 pages, 8 figures, to be published on Physical Review
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