Decoherence and Wavefunction Collapse in Quantum Measurements

Examining the notion of wavefunction collapse (WFC) in quantum measurements, which came again to be in question in the recent debate on the quantum Zeno effect, we remark that WFC is realized only through decoherence among branch waves by detection, after a spectral decomposition process from an initial object wavefunction to a superposition of branch waves corresponding to relevant measurement propositions. We improve the definition of the decoherence parameter, so as to be fitted to general cases, by which we can quantitatively estimate the degree of WFC given by detectors. Finally, we briefly discuss whether two special detector models, with very huge and very small degrees of freedom, can provoke WFC.     

Time-Symmetric Quantum Mechanics

A time-symmetric formulation of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics is developed by applying two consecutive boundary conditions onto solutions of a time- symmetrized wave equation. From known probabilities in ordinary quantum mechanics, a time-symmetric parameter P₀ is then derived that properly weights the likelihood of any complete sequence of measurement outcomes on a quantum system. The results appear to match standard quantum mechanics, but do so without requiring a time-asymmetric collapse of the wavefunction upon measurement, thereby realigning quantum mechanics with an important fundamental symmetry.     

Dynamic Entanglement and Separability Criteria for Quantum Computing Bit States

A theoretical framework is demonstrated to evaluate the degree of entanglement of bit states in quantum computing. Separability of general superposition of Hilbert space unit vectors is discussed, and criteria in amplitude as well as in phase are derived. By these criteria the possibility of different quantum gates such as controlled not (CN), controlled controlled not (CCN), controlled rotation (CR), and controlled phase shift (CPS), to create the entanglement is examined. Furthermore, the selection of measurement mode external to the quantum system is incorporated in the formula using Kronecker delta (δ _kx ), introducing the concept of dynamic entanglement. With this the process of wavefunction collapse upon measurement is understood as the result of the activation of the dynamic entanglement. A firefly in a box model is used to show a pure state of ontological uncertainty, which is in a dynamically entangled state in Hilbert space.     

Quantum dynamics, measurement and entropy

The aim of this paper is to present a line of ideas, centred around entropy production andquantum dynamics, emerging from von Neumann's work on foundations of quantum mechanics and leading to current research. The concepts of measurement, dynamical evolution and entropy were central in J. von Neumann's work. Further developments led to the introduction of generalized measurements in terms of positive operator-valued measures, closely connected to the theory of open systems. Fundamental properties of quantum entropy were derived and Kolmogorov and Sinai related the chaotic properties of classical dynamical systems with asymptotic entropy production. Finally, entropy production in quantum dynamical systems was linked with repeated measurement processes and a whole research area on nonequilibrium phenomena in quantum dynamical systems seems to emerge.     

Quantum transmission processes and their entropies

In classical information theory, one of the most important theorems are the coding theorems, which were discussed by calculating the mean entropy and the mean mutual entropy defined by the classical dynamical entropy (Kolmogorov-Sinai). The quantum dynamical entropy was first studied by Emch [13] and Connes-Stormer [11]. After that, several approaches for introducing the quantum dynamical entropy are done [10, 3, 8, 39, 15, 44, 9, 27, 28, 2, 19, 45]. The efficiency of information transmission for the quantum processes is investigated by using the von Neumann entropy [22] and the Ohya mutual entropy [24]. These entropies were extended to S- mixing entropy by Ohya [26, 27] in general quantum systems. The mean entropy and the mean mutual entropy for the quantum dynamical systems were introduced based on the S- mixing entropy. In this paper, we discuss the efficiency of information transmission to calculate the mean mutual entropy with respect to the modulated initial states and the connected channel for the quantum dynamical systems.     

Quantum Chaos and Dynamical Entropy

We review the notion of dynamical entropy by Connes, Narnhofer and Thirring and relate it to Quantum Chaos. A particle in a periodic potential is used as an example. This is worked out in the classical and the quantum mechanical framework, for the single particle as well as for the corresponding gas. The comparison does not only support the general assertion that quantum mechanics is qualitatively less chaotic than classical mechanics. More specifically, the same dynamical mechanism by which a periodic potential leads to a positive dynamical entropy of the classical particle may reduce the dynamical entropy of the quantum gas in comparison to free motion. Received: 26 June 1997 / Accepted: 13 April 1998     

The Measurement Process in the Generalized Contexts Formalism for Quantum Histories

In the interpretations of quantum mechanics involving quantum histories there is no collapse postulate and the measurement is considered as a quantum interaction between the measured system and the measured instrument. For two consecutive non ideal measurements on the same system, we prove that both pointer indications at the end of each measurement are compatible properties in our generalized context formalism for quantum histories. Inmediately after the first measurement an effective state for the measured system is deduced from the formalism, generalizing the state that would be obtained by applying the state collapse postulate.     

量子相干

量子相干不仅是量子力学中的一个基本概念,同时也是重要的量子信息处理的物理资源.随着基于资源理论框架的量子相干度量方案的提出,量子相干度的量化研究成为近年来人们关注的一个热点问题.量子相干作为一种物理资源也十分脆弱,极容易受到环境噪声的影响而产生退相干,因此开放系统中的量子相干演化和保持也是人们广泛关注的课题.另外,量子相干在量子多体系统、量子热动力学、量子生物学等领域也有着潜在的应用价值.本文介绍量子相干度量的资源理论框架和基于该框架定义的相对熵相干性、l1范数相干性、基于量子纠缠的相干性、基于凸顶结构的相干性和相干鲁棒性等量子相干度量函数,概述开放系统中量子相干演化的动力学行为、典型信道的量子相干产生和破坏能力以及量子相干的冻结等现象,同时例举量子相干在Deutsch-Jozsa算法、Grover算法以及量子多体系统相变问题研究等方面的重要应用.量子相干研究仍处于快速发展之中,期望本综述能为该领域的发展带来启示.     

Weyl Geometries, Fisher Information and Quantum Entropy in Quantum Mechanics

It is known that quantum mechanics can be interpreted as a non-Euclidean deformation of the space-time geometries by means Weyl geometries. We propose here a dynamical explanation of such approach by deriving Bohm potential from minimum condition of Fisher information connected to the entropy of a quantum system.     

Information and Entropy in Quantum Measurement Processes

Quantum measurement processes of discrete andcontinuous observables are considered from theinformation-theoretic point of view. The informationextracted from the results of quantum measurementperformed on a physical system and the change of theShannon entropy of the measured physical system areinvestigated in detail. It is shown that the amount ofinformation about the intrinsic observable of themeasured physical system can be expressed by the mutualinformation between the physical system and themeasurement apparatus if the intrinsic observablecommutes with the operational observable defined by thequantum measurement process. Furthermore, the conditioncan be obtained under which the amount of informationextracted from the measurement outcomes becomes equal tothe decrease of the entropy of the measured physical system. In addition, the change of theShannon entropy is compared with that of the von Neumannentropy. The general results do not depend on whetherthe readout of the measurement outcome obeys the projection postulate or not. Severalexamples of quantum measurement processes are consideredto examine the general results.     

First Quantum Corrections to the Classical Partition Function for a Non-Relativistic Electrodynamical System

The classical partition function for a system in thermodynamical equilibrium formed by N identical non-relativistic particles interacting through Coulomb potentials and with the dynamical electromagnetic field is studied. It is proved that the dynamical or transverse EM degrees of freedom decouple from the particle ones. It is also shown that this decoupling does to take place in the quantum mechanical partition function. The leading quantum corrections to the classical partition function are explicitly given. Such corrections are shown to be determined by instantaneous dipole-dipole coulombic interactions and by self-energy effects, and to receive no contribution from the interaction among different particles mediated by the dynamical EM field.     

Quantum dynamical entropies for classical stochastic systems

We compare two proposals for the dynamical entropy of quantum deterministic systems (CNT and AFL) by studying their extensions to classical stochastic systems. We show that the natural measurement procedure leads to a simple explicit expression for the stochastic dynamical entropy with a clear information-theoretical interpretation. Finally, we compare our construction with other recent proposals.     

Dynamical Entropy of Generalized Quantum Markov Chains on Gauge-invariant C *-algebras

We prove that the mean entropy and the dynamical entropy are equal for generalized quantum Markov chains on gauge-invariant C ^*-algebras.     

量子点接触对单电子量子态的量子测量

研究了用介观量子点接触(QPC)对单电子两态和多态系统的量子测量问题.发现,在任意测量电压下,该测量问题不能用标准的Lindblad量子主方程描述.考虑了测量仪器和被测系统之间的能量交换对细致平衡关系的影响,对该问题提供了一个恰当的理论描述,并对未来的固态量子测量和量子反馈控制可能产生一定影响. 关键词： 量子测量 量子比特 细致平衡 退局域化     

Physics versus Semantics: A Puzzling Case of the Missing Quantum Theory

A case for the project of excising of confusion and obfuscation in the contemporary quantum theory initiated and promoted by David Deutsch has been made. It has been argued that at least some theoretical entities which are conventionally labelled as “interpretations” of quantum mechanics are in fact full-blooded physical theories in their own right, and as such are falsifiable, at least in principle. The most pertinent case is the one of the so-called “Many-Worlds Interpretation” (MWI) of Everett and others. This set of idea differs from other “interpretations” since it does not accept reality of the collapse of Schrödinger’s wavefunction. A survey of several important proposals for discrimination between quantum theories with and without wavefunction collapse appearing from time to time in the literature has been made, and the possibilities discussed in the framework of a wider taxonomy.     

Quantum theory of irreversibility

A generalization of the Gibbs–von Neumann entropy is proposed based on the quantum BBGKY (Bogolyubov–Born–Green–Kirkwood–Yvon) hierarchy as the non-equilibrium entropy for an N$N$-body system. By using a generalization of the Liouville–von Neumann equation describing the evolution of a density superoperator, the entropy production for an isolated system is calculated, being non-zero in general. The existence of a non-zero entropy production allows us, following the procedure of non-equilibrium thermodynamics to introduce a master matrix for which a microscopic expression is obtained. After this, as a test of our theory the quantum Boltzmann equation is derived in terms of a transition superoperator related to this master matrix.     

Quantum mechanics needs no consciousness

It has been suggested that consciousness plays an important role in quantum mechanics as it is necessary for the collapse of wave function during the measurement. Here we formulated several predictions that follow from this hypothetical relationship and that can be empirically tested. Experimental results that are already available suggest falsification of these predictions. Thus, the suggested link between human consciousness and collapse of wave function does not seem viable. We discuss the implications of these conclusions on the role of the human observer for quantum mechanics and on the role of quantum mechanics for the observer's consciousness.     

Wavefunction Collapse and Conservation Laws

It is emphasized that the collapse postulate of standard quantum theory can violate conservation of energy-momentum and there is no indication from where the energy-momentum comes or to where it goes. Likewise, in the Continuous Spontaneous Localization (CSL) dynamical collapse model, particles gain energy on average. In CSL, the usual Schrödinger dynamics is altered so that a randomly fluctuating classical field interacts with quantized particles to cause wavefunction collapse. In this paper it is shown how to define energy for the classical field so that the average value of the energy of the field plus the quantum system is conserved for the ensemble of collapsing wavefunctions. While conservation of just the first moment of energy is, of course, much less than complete conservation of energy, this does support the idea that the field could provide the conservation law balance when events occur.