Tomography of Spin States, the Entanglement Criterion, and Bell's Inequalities

We review the method of spin tomography of quantum states in which we use the standard probability distribution functions to describe spin projections on selected directions, which provides the same information about states as is obtained by the density matrix method. In this approach, we show that satisfaction or violation of Bell's inequalities can be understood as properties of tomographic functions for joint probability distributions for two spins. We compare results obtained using the methods of classical probability theory with those obtained in the framework of traditional quantum mechanics. __________ Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Matematicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 146, No. 1, pp. 172–185, January, 2006.     

Using the Evolution Operator Method to Describe a Particle in a Homogeneous Alternating Field

Using the evolution operator method, we construct coherent states of a nonrelativistic free particle with a variable mass M(t) and a nonrelativistic particle with a variable mass M(t) in a homogeneous alternating field. Under certain physical conditions, they can be regarded as semiclassical states of particles. We discuss the properties (in particular, the completeness relation, the minimization of the uncertainty relations, and the time evolution of the corresponding probability density) of the found coherent states in detail. We also construct exact wave functions of the oscillator type and of the plane-wave type for the considered systems and compute the quantum Wigner distribution functions for the wave functions of coherent and oscillator states. We establish the unitary equivalence of the problems of a free particle and a particle in a homogeneous alternating field.     

Integral Kernel Operators on Fock Space – Generalizations and Applications to Quantum Dynamics

A general theory of operators on Boson Fock space is discussed in terms of the white noise distribution theory on Gaussian space (white noise calculus). An integral kernel operator is generalized from two aspects: (i) The use of an operator-valued distribution as an integral kernel leads us to the Fubini type theorem which allows an iterated integration in an integral kernel operator. As an application a white noise approach to quantum stochastic integrals is discussed and a quantum Hitsuda–Skorokhod integral is introduced. (ii) The use of pointwise derivatives of annihilation and creation operators assures the partial integration in an integral kernel operator. In particular, the particle flux density becomes a distribution with values in continuous operators on white noise functions and yields a representation of a Lie algebra of vector fields by means of such operators.     

Generating M-Indeterminate Probability Densities by Way of Quantum Mechanics

Probability densities that are not uniquely determined by their moments are said to be “moment-indeterminate,” or “M-indeterminate.” Determining whether or not a density is M-indeterminate, or how to generate an M-indeterminate density, is a challenging problem with a long history. Quantum mechanics is inherently probabilistic, yet the way in which probability densities are obtained is dramatically different in comparison with standard probability theory, involving complex wave functions and operators, among other aspects. Nevertheless, the end results are standard probabilistic quantities, such as expectation values, moments and probability density functions. We show that the quantum mechanics procedure to obtain densities leads to a simple method to generate an infinite number of M-indeterminate densities. Different self-adjoint operators can lead to new classes of M-indeterminate densities. Depending on the operator, the method can produce densities that are of the Stieltjes class or new formulations that are not of the Stieltjes class. As such, the method complements and extends existing approaches and opens up new avenues for further development. The method applies to continuous and discrete probability densities. A number of examples are given.

     

Using the Renyi entropy to describe quantum dissipative systems in statistical mechanics

We develop a formalism for describing quantum dissipative systems in statistical mechanics based on the quantum Renyi entropy. We derive the quantum Renyi distribution from the principle of maximum quantum Renyi entropy and differentiate this distribution (the temperature density matrix) with respect to the inverse temperature to obtain the Bloch equation. We then use the Feynman path integral with a modified Mensky functional to obtain a Lindblad-type equation. From this equation using projection operators, we derive the integro-differential equation for the reduced temperature statistical operator, an analogue of the Zwanzig equation in statistical mechanics, and find its formal solution in the form of a series in the class of summable functions. __________ Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Matematicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 156, No. 3, pp. 444–453, September, 2008.     

An analogue of Hunt's representation theorem in quantum probability

In quantum mechanics certain operator-valued measures are introduced, called instruments, which are an analogue of the probability measures of classical probability theory. As in the classical case, it is interesting to study convolution semigroups of, instruments on groups and the associated semigroups of probability operators, which now are defined on spaces of functions with values in a von Neumann algebra. We consider a semigroup of probability operators with a continuity property weaker than uniform continuity, and we succeed in characterizing its infinitesimal generator under the additional hypothesis that twice differentiable functions belong to the domain of the generator. Such hypothesis can be proved in some particular cases. In this way a partial quantum analogue of Hunt's representation theorem for the generator of convolution semigroups on Lie groups is obtained. Our result provides also a closed characterization of generators of a new class of not norm continuous quantum dynamical semigroups.     

Applying the Linblad equation to quantum dissipative systems

For quantum systems with linear dissipation, we obtain the representation of the Linblad equation in the canonical form via Hermitian operators. Based on this representation, we derive equations for the entropy density and for the statistical projection operator. We consider the quantum harmonic oscillator with linear dissipation as an example. __________ Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Matematicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 148, No. 2, pp. 288–294, August, 2006. An erratum to this article is available at .     

Repeated Quantum Non-Demolition Measurements: Convergence and Continuous Time Limit

We analyze general enough models of repeated indirect measurements in which a quantum system interacts repeatedly with randomly chosen probes on which von Neumann direct measurements are performed. We prove, under suitable hypotheses, that the system state probability distribution converges after a large number of repeated indirect measurements, in a way compatible with quantum wave function collapse. We extend this result to mixed states and we prove similar results for the system density matrix. We show that the convergence is exponential with a rate given by some relevant mean relative entropies. We also prove that, under appropriate rescaling of the system and probe interactions, the state probability distribution and the system density matrix are solutions of stochastic differential equations modeling continuous-time quantum measurements. We analyze the large time behavior of these continuous time processes and prove convergence.     

Representation and interpretation of quantum mixtures in the ESR model

The interpretation of mixtures is problematic in quantum mechanics (QM) because physical properties are nonobjective in this theory. An extended semantic realism model was recently developed, restoring objectivity by reinterpreting quantum probabilities as conditional on detection and embodying the QM mathematical formalism in a broader noncontextual (hence local) framework. In this model, each generalized observable is represented by a family of positive operator-valued measures parameterized by the pure states of the considered physical system Ω. We here propose a new proof that each proper mixture is represented by a family of density operators parameterized by the macroscopic properties characterizing Ω. We then show that this representation implies some predictions differing from the QM predictions and avoids the problems following from the standard QM representation of proper mixtures. We also recall that the state transformations induced by idealized nondestructive measurements can be obtained using a nontrivial generalization of the Lüders postulate.     

Evolution of probability measures associated with quantum systems

We derive the evolution equation for probability distributions and characteristic functions of the quantum tomograms associated with the linear and nonlinear evolutions of quantum states.Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Matematicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 142, No. 2, pp. 365–370, February, 2005.     

A quantum analogue of Hunt's representation theorem for the generator of convolution semigroups on Lie groups

Summary In quantum mechanics certain operator-valued measures are introduced, called instruments, which are an analogue of the probability measures of classical probability theory. As in the classical case, it is interesting to study convolution semigroups of instruments on groups and the associated semigroups of probability operators. In this paper the case is considered of a finite-dimensional Hilbert space (n-level quantum system) and of instruments defined on a finite-dimensional Lie group. Then, the generator of a continuous semigroup of (quantum) probability operators is characterized. In this way a quantum analogue of Hunt's representation theorem for the generator of convolution semigroups on Lie groups is obtained.     

Fresnel Tomography: A Novel Approach to Wave-Function Reconstruction Based on the Fresnel Representation of Tomograms

We introduce a new type of tomographic probability distribution containing complete information about the density matrix (wave function) related to the Fresnel transform of the complex wave function. We elucidate the relation to the symplectic tomographic probability distribution. We present a multimode generalization of the Fresnel tomography and give examples of applications of the present approach. __________ Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Matematicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 144, No. 2, pp. 384–393, August, 2005.     

A transformational property of the Husimi function and its relation to the wigner function and symplectic tomograms

We consider the Husimi Q-functions, which are quantum quasiprobability distributions in the phase space, and investigate their transformation properties under a scale transformation (q, p) → (λq, λp). We prove a theorem that under this transformation, the Husimi function of a physical state is transformed into a function that is also a Husimi function of some physical state. Therefore, the scale transformation defines a positive map of density operators. We investigate the relation of Husimi functions to Wigner functions and symplectic tomograms and establish how they transform under the scale transformation. As an example, we consider the harmonic oscillator and show how its states transform under the scale transformation.     

The effect of fractional calculus on the formation of quantum-mechanical operators

In this paper, the deformation of the ordinary quantum mechanics is formulated based on the idea of conformable fractional calculus. Some properties of fractional calculus and fractional elementary functions are investigated. The fractional wave equation in 1 + 1 dimension and fractional version of the Lorentz transformation are discussed. Finally, the fractional quantum mechanics is formulated; infinite potential well problem, density of states for the ideal gas, and quantum harmonic oscillator problem are discussed.     

Polarization Tomography of Quantum Radiation: Theoretical Aspects and Operator Approach

We present theoretical foundations for the quantum tomography of polarization states of light fields as a method for measuring their polarization density operator , which characterizes only the polarization degrees of freedom of the radiation. We mainly attend to the method in which the tomographic observables (the “measurement instruments”) are polarizable in nature. We show that the quantum nature of this method can be adequately expressed using the quasispectral tomographic decompositions of in special operator bases, which are finite sums of partially orthogonal projection operators determining the probability distributions of tomographic observables as the decomposition coefficients. We obtain the matrix versions of such “tomographic” representations of , in particular, by projecting them on semiclassical operator bases determining the polarization quasiprobability functions. We briefly discuss the information aspects of the schemes considered in the paper. __________ Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Matematicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 145, No. 3, pp. 344–357, December, 2005.     

Lie algebras and recurrence relations I

We study representations of the Heisenberg-Weyl algebra and a variety of Lie algebras, e.g., su(2), related through various aspects of the spectral theory of self-adjoint operators, the theory of orthogonal polynomials, and basic quantum theory. The approach taken here enables extensions from the one-variable case to be made in a natural manner. Extensions to certain infinite-dimensional Lie algebras (continuous tensor products, q-analogs) can be found as well. Particularly, we discuss the relationship between generating functions and representations of Lie algebras, spectral theory for operators that lead to systems of orthogonal polynomials and, importantly, the precise connection between the representation theory of Lie algebras and classical probability distributions is presented via the notions of quantum probability theory. Coincidentally, our theory is closed connected to the study of exponential families with quadratic variance in statistical theory.     

New inequalities for tomograms in the probability representation of quantum states

We discuss new inequalities for symplectic tomograms of quantum states and their connection with entropic uncertainty relations in the framework of the probability representation of quantum mechanics. Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Matematicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 152, No. 2, pp. 241–247, August, 2007.     

The physical interpretation of partial traces: Two nonstandard views

Mixed states are introduced in physics to express our ignorance about the actual state of a physical system and are represented in standard quantum mechanics by density operators. Such operators also appear if we consider a (pure) entangled state of a compound system Ω and take partial traces on the projection operator representing it. But because the coefficients in the convex sums expressing them never bear the ignorance interpretation in this case, they represent not mixed states (proper mixtures) but improper mixtures of the subsystems. Hence, states cannot be attributed to the subsystems of a compound physical system in an entangled state (the subentity problem). We discuss two alternative proposals that can be developed in the Brussels and the Lecce approaches. We firstly summarize the general framework provided by the Brussels approach, which suggests that improper mixtures can be regarded as new pure states. We then show that improper mixtures can also be regarded as true (but nonpure) states according to the Lecce approach. Despite their different terminologies, the two proposals seem compatible. Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Matematicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 152, No. 2, pp. 248–264, August, 2007.