Quasiclassicality and Quantum Measurement

We address two problems arising in the quantum measurement process: A rigorous definition of quasiclassical systems and its implications for the observed collapse of the wave function. For a mathematical definition of quasiclassical systems, we recall the structure of models for the classical world. They describe the dynamics of some simultaneously measurable quantities, thereby ignoring many properties of the modeled real world phenomena, especially all quantum mechanical ones. In this article, we define a quasiclassical system as a quantum system which allows such a simplified modelling. By classifying such quasiclassical systems, it is shown that they naturally correspond to classical systems in the usual sense. By describing quantum measurements with the aid of quasiclassical systems, we then observe an effect that is similar to decoherence: While the latter implies that off-diagonal entries of the density matrix vanish, in the former they correspond to the parts of the system that are not modeled and thus can be ignored. Especially, they do not influence any measurements of the properties contained in the classical model. Mathematically, this allows to treat the output of a quantum measurement as a classical probability distribution. Finally, we discuss some implications of this definition of quasiclassicality on the interpretation of quantum mechanics.     

Quantum Transport through a Rigidly Connected Double Quantum-Dot Shuttle

We design a double quantum-dot （QD） shuttle （DQDS） model including two rigidly connected QDs that are softly linked to two leads via deformable organic materiaJs. Based on the full quantum mechanical approaches we explore the influences on the electron transport induced by the electrical and mechanical degrees of freedom. First of a/l the modified rate equations of the DQDS are derived theoretically and then a numerical investigation on the quantum transport through the DQDS is performed. For the classical DQDS, the time-dependent evolutions of the electron- occupation probabilities and the currents flowing through the DQDS show the periodic oscillations with their periods determined by the oscillation period of the DQDS. Both the mechanical oscillation amplitude and the interdot coupling can play crucial roles in adjusting the peak shapes of the currents and the probabilities. For the quantum DQDS, the current and electron-occupation probabilities of the DQDS evolve into a stationary state as time goes on, with no periodical oscillations observed. As a consequence, the sharp differences of the time-dependent properties between the c/assica/ and quantum DQDS systems are clearly demonstrated, which should be greatly helpful in designing new nanoelectromechanical devices. Also, this work is of great significance to understanding the kind of rigidly connected QD shuttle systems that have more than two QDs.     

Probabilistic analysis of three-player symmetric quantum games played using the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen-Bohm setting

This Letter extends our probabilistic framework for two-player quantum games to the multiplayer case, while giving a unified perspective for both classical and quantum games. Considering joint probabilities in the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen-Bohm (EPR-Bohm) setting for three observers, we use this setting in order to play general three-player noncooperative symmetric games. We analyze how the peculiar non-factorizable joint probabilities provided by the EPR-Bohm setting can change the outcome of a game, while requiring that the quantum game attains a classical interpretation for factorizable joint probabilities. In this framework, our analysis of the three-player generalized Prisoner's Dilemma (PD) shows that the players can indeed escape from the classical outcome of the game, because of non-factorizable joint probabilities that the EPR setting can provide. This surprising result for three-player PD contrasts strikingly with our earlier result for two-player PD, played in the same framework, in which even non-factorizable joint probabilities do not result in escaping from the classical consequence of the game.     

The interaction of a quantum mechanical oscillator with gravitational radiation

Within the framework of the linearized field equations of gravitation, the interaction operators between a quantum mechanical system and an external gravitational field are derived from the general-covariant Klein-Gordon and Dirac equation. In the case of linearly polarized plane gravitational waves the transition probabilities for absorption and induced and spontaneous emission of gravitational radiation by a quantum mechanical harmonic oscillator are calculated with the help of the time-dependent perturbation method. The results coincide with the classical ones according to the correspondence principle.     

A Purely Probabilistic Representation for the Dynamics of a Gas of Particles

The aim of the present paper is to give a purely probabilistic account for the approach to equilibrium of classical and quantum gas. The probability function used is classical. The probabilistic dynamics describes the evolution of the state of the gas due to unary and binary collisions. A state change amounts to a destruction in a state and the creation in another state. Transitions probabilities are splittled into destructions terms, denoting the random choice of the colliding particle(s), and creation terms, describing the allocation of the same particle(s) on the final state(s). While the destruction term is the same for all types of particles, the creation one depends upon a parameter bound to the interpraticle correlation. The transition probabilities give rise to a homogeneous Markov chain. The equilibrium distributions satisfy the principle of detailed balance. Relaxation times depend upon the interparticle correlation. Relationships with the Ehrenfest urn model, Brillouin unified method, ensemble interpretation, and quantum H-theorem are considered too.     

Quantum Probability’s Algebraic Origin

Max Born’s statistical interpretation made probabilities play a major role in quantum theory. Here we show that these quantum probabilities and the classical probabilities have very different origins. Although the latter always result from an assumed probability measure, the first include transition probabilities with a purely algebraic origin. Moreover, the general definition of transition probability introduced here comprises not only the well-known quantum mechanical transition probabilities between pure states or wave functions, but further physically meaningful and experimentally verifiable novel cases. A transition probability that differs from 0 and 1 manifests the typical quantum indeterminacy in a similar way as Heisenberg’s and others’ uncertainty relations and, furthermore, rules out deterministic states in the same way as the Bell-Kochen-Specker theorem. However, the transition probability defined here achieves a lot more beyond that: it demonstrates that the algebraic structure of the Hilbert space quantum logic dictates the precise values of certain probabilities and it provides an unexpected access to these quantum probabilities that does not rely on states or wave functions.     

Pairwise correlations in a three-partite quantum system from a prequantum random field

Prequantum classical statistical field theory (PCSFT) is a model that provides the possibility to represent the averages of quantum observables (including correlations of observables on subsystems of a composite system) as averages with respect to fluctuations of classical random fields. In view of the PCSFT terminology, quantum states are classical random fields. The aim of our approach is to represent all quantum probabilistic quantities by means of classical random fields. We obtain the classical-random-field representation for pairwise correlations in three-partite quantum systems. The three-partite case (surprisingly) differs substantially from the bipartite case. As an important first step, we generalized the theory developed for pure quantum states of bipartite systems to the states given by density operators.     

Discord and nonclassicality in probabilistic theories

Quantum discord quantifies nonclassical correlations in quantum states. We introduce discord for states in causal probabilistic theories, inspired by the original definition proposed by H. Ollivier and W.?H. Zurek [Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 017901 (2001)]. We show that the only probabilistic theory in which all states have null discord is classical probability theory. Non-null discord is then not just a quantum feature, but a generic signature of nonclassicality.     

Three Slit Experiments and the Structure of Quantum Theory

In spite of the interference manifested in the double-slit experiment, quantum theory predicts that a measure of interference defined by Sorkin and involving various outcome probabilities from an experiment with three slits, is identically zero. We adapt Sorkin’s measure into a general operational probabilistic framework for physical theories, and then study its relationship to the structure of quantum theory. In particular, we characterize the class of probabilistic theories for which the interference measure is zero as ones in which it is possible to fully determine the state of a system via specific sets of ‘two-slit’ experiments.     

Joint remote state preparation of a W-type state via W-type states

An all W-type state task is put forward: joint remote state preparation of a W-type state via W-type states. We propose two probabilistic yet faithful schemes for the task. The first scheme uses two arbitrary W-type states as the shared quantum resource and the second scheme exploits three such states. We show that, while the first scheme requires some additional quantum resource and technical operations from the receiver, the second scheme allows any completely unequipped party to play the role of receiver. In both schemes the classical communication cost is one bit per preparer.     

Quantum Versus Stochastic Processes and the Role of Complex Numbers

We argue that the complex numbers are an irreducible object of quantum probability: this can be seen in the measurements of geometric phases that have no classical probabilistic analogue. Having the complex phases as primitive ingredient implies that we need to accept nonadditive probabilities. This has the desirable consequence of removing constraints of standard theorems about the possibility of describing quantum theory with commutative variables. Motivated by the formalism of consistent histories and keeping an analogy with the theory of stochastic processes, we develop a (statistical) theory of quantum processes: they are characterized by the introduction of a density matrix on phase space paths (it thus includes phase information) and fully reproduces quantum mechanical predictions. We can write quantum differential equations (in analogy to Langevin equation) that could be interpreted as referring to individual quantum systems. We describe the reconstruction theorem by which a quantum process can yield the standard Hilbert space structure if the Markov property is imposed. We discuss the relevance of our results for the interpretation of quantum theory (a sample space is possible if probabilities are nonadditive) and quantum gravity (the Hilbert space arises here after the consideration of a background causal structure).     

Femtosecond pump-probe fluorescence signals from classical trajectories: comparison with wave-packet calculations

A classical approach to simulate femtosecond pump-probe experiments is presented and compared to the quantum mechanical treatment. We restrict the study to gas-phase systems using the I₂ molecule as a numerical example. Thus, no relaxation processes are included. This allows for a direct comparison between purely quantum mechanical results and those obtained from classical trajectory calculations. The classical theory is derived from the phase-space representation of quantum mechanics. Various approximate quantum mechanical treatments are compared to their classical counterparts. Thereby it is demonstrated that the representation of the radial density as prepared in the pump-process is most crucial to obtain reliable signals within the classical approach. Received 28 March 2001     

Quantum state nonclassicality in weak measurements in view of Bochner's criteria

We introduce a new formulation of nonclassicality in weak measurements based on probabilistic behavior of “quasi-moments” of a weakly measured observable. New definition determines existence of classical probabilistic interpretation and can be applied equally to quantum systems without classical counterpart in the usual sense. We show that the only consistent approach to define classicality in weak measurements should be based on the proper behavior of “quasi-moments” according to Bochner's theorem.     

Upper Quantum Lyapunov Exponent and Anosov Relations for Quantum Systems Driven by a Classical Flow

We generalize the definition of quantum Anosov properties and the related Lyapunov exponents to the case of quantum systems driven by a classical flow, i.e. skew-product systems. We show that the skew Anosov properties can be interpreted as regular Anosov properties in an enlarged Hilbert space, in the framework of a generalized Floquet theory. This extension allows us to describe the hyperbolicity properties of almost-periodic quantum parametric oscillators and we show that their upper Lyapunov exponents are positive and equal to the Lyapunov exponent of the corresponding classical parametric oscillators. As second example, we show that the configurational quantum cat system satisfies quantum Anosov properties.     

Quantum integrability is not a trivial consequence of classical integrability

We discuss the construction of quantum mechanical commuting quantities when the classical ones are known. It is shown that the simple correspondence rules proposed so far do not always work. A candidate for a classically integrable quantum mechanically nonintegrable two-dimensional system is given.