100 research outputs found
Nonlocal appearance of a macroscopic angular momentum
We discuss a type of measurement in which a macroscopically large angular
momentum (spin) is "created" nonlocally by the measurement of just a few atoms
from a double Fock state. This procedure apparently leads to a blatant
nonconservation of a macroscopic variable - the local angular momentum. We
argue that while this gedankenexperiment provides a striking illustration of
several counter-intuitive features of quantum mechanics, it does not imply a
non-local violation of the conservation of angular momentum.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figur
Amplitude control of quantum interference
Usually, the oscillations of interference effects are controlled by relative
phases. We show that varying the amplitudes of quantum waves, for instance by
changing the reflectivity of beam splitters, can also lead to quantum
oscillations and even to Bell violations of local realism. We first study
theoretically a generalization of the Hong-Ou-Mandel experiment to arbitrary
source numbers and beam splitter transmittivity. We then consider a Bell type
experiment with two independent sources, and find strong violations of local
realism for arbitrarily large source number ; for small , one operator
measures essentially the relative phase of the sources and the other their
intensities. Since, experimentally, one can measure the parity of the number of
atoms in an optical lattice more easily than the number itself, we assume that
the detectors measure parity.Comment: 4 pages; 4 figure
Do we really understand quantum mechanics?
This article presents a general discussion of several aspects of our present
understanding of quantum mechanics. The emphasis is put on the very special
correlations that this theory makes possible: they are forbidden by very
general arguments based on realism and local causality. In fact, these
correlations are completely impossible in any circumstance, except the very
special situations designed by physicists especially to observe these purely
quantum effects. Another general point that is emphasized is the necessity for
the theory to predict the emergence of a single result in a single realization
of an experiment. For this purpose, orthodox quantum mechanics introduces a
special postulate: the reduction of the state vector, which comes in addition
to the Schrodinger evolution postulate. Nevertheless, the presence in parallel
of two evolution processes of the same object (the state vector) maybe a
potential source for conflicts; various attitudes that are possible to avoid
this problem are discussed in this text. After a brief historical introduction,
recalling how the very special status of the state vector has emerged in
quantum mechanics, various conceptual difficulties are introduced and
discussed. The Einstein Podolsky Rosen (EPR) theorem is presented with the help
of a botanical parable, in a way that emphasizes how deeply the EPR reasoning
is rooted into what is often called "scientific method''. In another section
the GHZ argument, the Hardy impossibilities, as well as the BKS theorem are
introduced in simple terms.Comment: texte soumis un an apres sa parution; quelques erreurs de detail
corrigee
Statistical Quasiparticles in Transverse Dynamics of Gases
We analyze the validity of the Fermi-liquid approach to transverse dynamics of spin-polarized gases at arbitrary temperatures. We demonstrate that the diagrammatic kinetic equation for transverse processes can be formulated as a simpler, but completely equivalent equation in terms of āāstatistical quasiparticles.āā The equation includes all coherent and dephasing molecular-field terms as well as the dissipative collision integral up to the second order. Beyond the second order, the results become very complicated, and a quasiparticle approach loses its attraction. We give the expressions for the effective interaction function and collision integral for statistical quasiparticles, applicable at all temperatures, and discuss the implications of this concept at high temperatures. The interaction function contains anomalous pole terms which do not exist in equations for longitudinal dynamics. This provides a somewhat unexpected interpretation for zero-temperature dissipative processes, observed recently in spin dynamics, and for controversial molecular field terms (the so-called I2 terms) as imaginary (pole) and real (principal) parts of the quasiparticle interaction function. These molecular field terms with complicated analytical structure do not vanish completely, as was assumed earlier, in the Boltzmann region, but contribute to higher-order density terms. With an emphasis on quantum gases, we discuss how to reconcile various physical assumptions inherent to different kinetic approaches to dilute gases
EPR argument and Bell inequalities for Bose-Einstein spin condensates
We discuss the properties of two Bose-Einstein condensates in different spin
states, represented quantum mechanically by a double Fock state. Individual
measurements of the spins of the particles are performed in transverse
directions (perpendicular to the spin quantization axis), giving access to the
relative phase of the two macroscopically occupied states. Before the first
spin measurement, the phase is completely undetermined; after a few
measurements, a more and more precise knowledge of its value emerges under the
effect of the quantum measurement process. This naturally leads to the usual
notion of a quasi-classical phase (Anderson phase) and to an interesting
transposition of the EPR (Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen) argument to macroscopic
physical quantities. The purpose of this article is to discuss this
transposition, as well as situations where the notion of a quasi-classical
phase is no longer sufficient to account for the quantum results, and where
significant violations of Bell type inequalities are predicted.Comment: a few misprints corrected, a reference added. This is the published
versio
The origin of phase in the interference of Bose-Einstein condensates
We consider the interference of two overlapping ideal Bose-Einstein
condensates. The usual description of this phenomenon involves the introduction
of a so-called condensate wave functions having a definite phase. We
investigate the origin of this phase and the theoretical basis of treating
interference. It is possible to construct a phase state, for which the particle
number is uncertain, but phase is known. However, how one would prepare such a
state before an experiment is not obvious. We show that a phase can also arise
from experiments using condensates in Fock states, that is, having known
particle numbers. Analysis of measurements in such states also gives us a
prescription for preparing phase states. The connection of this procedure to
questions of ``spontaneously broken gauge symmetry'' and to ``hidden
variables'' is mentioned.Comment: 22 pages 4 figure
Reduction and Emergence in Bose-Einstein Condensates
A closer look at some proposed Gedanken-experiments on BECs promises to shed
light on several aspects of reduction and emergence in physics. These include
the relations between classical descriptions and different quantum treatments
of macroscopic systems, and the emergence of new properties and even new
objects as a result of spontaneous symmetry breaking
Photoassociation of cold atoms with chirped laser pulses: time-dependent calculations and analysis of the adiabatic transfer within a two-state model
This theoretical paper presents numerical calculations for photoassociation
of ultracold cesium atoms with a chirped laser pulse and detailed analysis of
the results. In contrast with earlier work, the initial state is represented by
a stationary continuum wavefunction. In the chosen example, it is shown that an
important population transfer is achieved to vibrational levels in
the vicinity of the v=98 bound level in the external well of the
potential. Such levels lie in the energy range swept by
the instantaneous frequency of the pulse, thus defining a ``photoassociation
window''. Levels outside this window may be significantly excited during the
pulse, but no population remains there after the pulse. Finally, the population
transfer to the last vibrational levels of the ground (6s + 6s)
is significant, making stable molecules. The results are interpreted in the
framework of a two state model as an adiabatic inversion mechanism, efficient
only within the photoassociation window. The large value found for the
photoassociation rate suggests promising applications. The present chirp has
been designed in view of creating a vibrational wavepacket in the excited state
which is focussing at the barrier of the double well potential.Comment: 49 pages, 9 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Localization of the relative phase via measurements
When two independently-prepared Bose-Einstein condensates are released from
their corresponding traps, the absorbtion image of the overlapping clouds
presents an interference pattern. Here we analyze a model introduced by
Javanainen and Yoo (J. Javanainen and S. M. Yoo, Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 161
(1996)), who considered two atomic condensates described by plane waves
propagating in opposite directions. We present an analytical argument for the
measurement-induced breaking of the relative phase symmetry in this system,
demonstrating how the phase gets localized after a large enough number of
detection events.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figur
Realism and the wave-function
Realism -- the idea that the concepts in physical theories refer to 'things'
existing in the real world -- is introduced as a tool to analyze the status of
the wave-function. Although the physical entities are recognized by the
existence of invariant quantities, examples from classical and quantum physics
suggest that not all the theoretical terms refer to the entities: some terms
refer to properties of the entities, and some terms have only an epistemic
function. In particular, it is argued that the wave-function may be written in
terms of classical non-referring and epistemic terms. The implications for
realist interpretations of quantum mechanics and on the teaching of quantum
physics are examined.Comment: No figure
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