Phase transitions for a continuous system of classical particles in a box

A continuous classical system involving an infinite number of distinguishable particles is analyzed along the same lines as its quantum analogue, considered in [1]. A commutativeC*-algebra is set up on the phase space of the system, and a representation-dependent definition of equilibrium involving the static KMS condition is given. For a special class of interactions the set of equilibrium states is realized as a convex Borel set whose extremal states are characterized by solutions to a system of integral equations. By analyzing these integral equations, we prove the absence of phase transitions for high temperature and construct a phase transition for low temperature. The construction also provides an example of a translation-invariant state whose decomposition at infinity yields states that are not translation-invariant. Thus we have an example in the classical situation of continuous symmetry breaking.This article is a part of the author's doctoral thesis, which was submitted to the mathematics department at Duke University     

Statistical mechanics of quantum spin systems. II

In the first part of this paper we continue the general analysis of quantum spin systems. It is demonstrated, for a large class of interactions, that time-translations form a group of automorphisms of theC*-algebra of quasi-local observables and that the thermodynamic equilibrium states are invariant under this group. Further it is shown that the equilibrium states possess the Kubo-Martin-Schwinger analyticity and boundary condition properties. In the second part of the paper we give a general analysis of states which are invariant under space and time translations and also satisfy the KMS boundary condition. A discussion of these latter conditions and their connection with the decomposition of invariant states into ergodic states is given. Various properties pertinent to this discussion are derived.Supported in part by the Office of Naval Research Contract No. Nonr 1866 (5).     

Some Properties of the kth-partial Rényi Entropy

The kth-partial Rényi entropies for both classical and quantum cases are defined and some properties of them are given. Also, we study the stability of kth-partial Rényi entropy for two states which satisfy majorization condition.     

Transition Effect Matrices and Quantum Markov Chains

A transition effect matrix (TEM) is a quantum generalization of a classical stochastic matrix. By employing a TEM we obtain a quantum generalization of a classical Markov chain. We first discuss state and operator dynamics for a quantum Markov chain. We then consider various types of TEMs and vector states. In particular, we study invariant, equilibrium and singular vector states and investigate projective, bistochastic, invertible and unitary TEMs.     

Distinguishability of quantum states and shannon complexity in quantum cryptography

The proof of the security of quantum key distribution is a rather complex problem. Security is defined in terms different from the requirements imposed on keys in classical cryptography. In quantum cryptography, the security of keys is expressed in terms of the closeness of the quantum state of an eavesdropper after key distribution to an ideal quantum state that is uncorrelated to the key of legitimate users. A metric of closeness between two quantum states is given by the trace metric. In classical cryptography, the security of keys is understood in terms of, say, the complexity of key search in the presence of side information. In quantum cryptography, side information for the eavesdropper is given by the whole volume of information on keys obtained from both quantum and classical channels. The fact that the mathematical apparatuses used in the proof of key security in classical and quantum cryptography are essentially different leads to misunderstanding and emotional discussions [1]. Therefore, one should be able to answer the question of how different cryptographic robustness criteria are related to each other. In the present study, it is shown that there is a direct relationship between the security criterion in quantum cryptography, which is based on the trace distance determining the distinguishability of quantum states, and the criterion in classical cryptography, which uses guesswork on the determination of a key in the presence of side information.     

Quantum corrections to the entropy in a driven quantum Brownian motion model

The quantum Brownian motion model is a typical model in the study of nonequilibrium quantum thermodynamics. Entropy is one of the most fundamental physical concepts in thermodynamics.In this work, by solving the quantum Langevin equation, we study the von Neumann entropy of a particle undergoing quantum Brownian motion. We obtain the analytical expression of the time evolution of the Wigner function in terms of the initial Wigner function. The result is applied to the thermodynamic equilibrium initial state, which reproduces its classical counterpart in the high temperature limit. Based on these results, for those initial states having well-defined classical counterparts, we obtain the explicit expression of the quantum corrections to the entropy in the weak coupling limit. Moreover, we find that for the thermodynamic equilibrium initial state, all terms odd in h are exactly zero. Our results bring important insights to the understanding of entropy in open quantum systems.     

Quantum simulation of classical thermal states

We establish a connection between ground states of local quantum Hamiltonians and thermal states of classical spin systems. For any discrete classical statistical mechanical model in any spatial dimension, we find an associated quantum state such that the reduced density operator behaves as the thermal state of the classical system. We show that all these quantum states are unique ground states of a universal 5-body local quantum Hamiltonian acting on a (polynomially enlarged) qubit system on a 2D lattice. The only free parameters of the quantum Hamiltonian are coupling strengths of two-body interactions, which allow one to choose the type and dimension of the classical model as well as the interaction strength and temperature. This opens the possibility to study and simulate classical spin models in arbitrary dimension using a 2D quantum system.     

量子混沌系统中的自旋压缩性质

量子信息是21世纪的一门新兴交叉学科,现已经成为世界关注的热门研究领域.近年来,量子计算机的研究正成为大家十分感兴趣的课题.在寻找量子计算的实现方案过程中,量子混沌引起了研究人员的极大关注,因为在量子计算机执行一些量子运算法则的过程中可能产生量子混沌,并可能破坏量子计算机的运算操作条件.近期有关量子纠缠与量子混沌之间的关系已经有所报道,而自旋压缩作为另外一种典型的纯量子效应,是否也与量子混沌之间存在一定关系呢?讨论了量子混沌研究中一个非常典型的QKT模型,研究了量子混沌系统中自旋压缩的性质.通过数值模拟计算,给出了两种不同定义的自旋压缩系数与混沌系数κ之间的变化关系,结果发现在经典相空间中,如果在规则区域占优势的情况下,当初始自旋相干态波包位于椭圆形中心时,随着时间的演化,系统压缩行为表现得非常强;而对于经典相空间中混沌区域占优势的情况下,初始自旋相干态波包同样位于椭圆形中心,则系统的压缩行为表现得非常弱,说明自旋压缩对相应的经典混沌非常敏感.通过比较还发现,采用Wineland等定义的自旋压缩系数比采用Kitagawa和Ueda等定义的自旋压缩系数对经典混沌更敏感一些,从而得出用自旋压缩可以刻画量子混沌的结论.     

On the inverse problem in statistical mechanics

For quantum spin systems it is known that for a suitable space of potentials the equilibrium states areW*-dense in the set of all translation invariant states. The problem discussed in this paper is how to recognize such equilibrium states and how to find the corresponding potential. A necessary and sufficient condition for a state to be an equilibrium state for some potential is given in Sect. 3.     

Quantenfeldtheorie wechselwirkender Vielteilchensysteme zur semiklassischen Beschreibung von kollektiver Bewegung mit großen Amplituden

By using path integral methods a collective quantum field theory of interacting many-body systems is developed, the classical limit of which is given by the time-dependent mean-field approximation. In this way the mean-field approximation is embedded into the full quantum mechanics and the quantum corrections to the “classical” mean-field approximation can be systematically evaluated. By including the dominant quantum corrections to the mean-field approximation a semiclassical theory of large amplitude collective motions in many-body-systems, which show a highly nonlinear dynamic and are not accessible to perturbation theoretical methods, is derived. The semiclassical theory is developed explicitly for bound states and decay processes like nuclear fission. In the case of bound states this leads to the quantization of the time-dependent Hartree-Fock-Theory, which is demonstrated for a uniform nuclear rotation.     

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.     

The cluster expansion for classical and quantum lattice systems

We develop a high-temperature expansion for general lattice systems which can be applied to classical as well as quantum systems. Applying the expansion we prove analyticity of correlation functions, uniqueness of equilibrium states, and cluster properties for classical and quantum lattice systems in the high-temperature region.     

A family of equilibrium states relevant to low temperature behavior of spin 1/2 classical ferromagnets. Breaking of translation symmetry

An analysis of a family of equilibrium states is performed which, combined with our previous work, allows to describe all translation invariant equilibrium states of spin 1/2 classical ferromagnetic systems with finite range interactions at low temperatures. A model is described with continuously many equilibrium states for low temperatures.     

Quantum fluctuations,master equation and Fokker-Planck equation

In order to describe quantum fluctuations a general method is developed, which also may be applied to nonstationary systems as well as to states far from thermodynamic equilibrium. After a concise derivation of the master equation quantum mechanically determined dissipation and fluctuation coefficients are introduced, for which several theorems and relations are given. By using these coefficients there is set up a general Fokker-Planck equation for the diffusion of the statistical operator due to quantum fluctuations.     

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.     

Environment and initial state engineered dynamics of quantum and classical correlations

Based on an open exactly solvable system coupled to an environment with nontrivial spectral density, we connect the features of quantum and classical correlations with some features of the environment, initial states of the system, and the presence of initial system–environment correlations. Some interesting features not revealed before are observed by changing the structure of environment, the initial states of system, and the presence of initial system–environment correlations. The main results are as follows. (1) Quantum correlations exhibit temporary freezing and permanent freezing even at high temperature of the environment, for which the necessary and sufficient conditions are given by three propositions. (2) Quantum correlations display a transition from temporary freezing to permanent freezing by changing the structure of environment. (3) Quantum correlations can be enhanced all the time, for which the condition is put forward. (4) The one-to-one dependency relationship between all kinds of dynamic behaviors of quantum correlations and the initial states of the system as well as environment structure is established. (5) In the presence of initial system–environment correlations, quantum correlations under local environment exhibit temporary multi-freezing phenomenon. While under global environment they oscillate, revive, and damp, an explanation for which is given.     

Probability and logical structure of statistical theories

A characterization of statistical theories is given which incorporates both classical and quantum mechanics. It is shown that each statistical theory induces an associated logic and joint probability structure, and simple conditions are given for the structure to be of a classical or quantum type. This provides an alternative for the quantum logic approach to axiomatic quantum mechanics. The Bell inequalities may be derived for those statistical theories that have a classical structure and satisfy a locality condition weaker than factorizability. The relation of these inequalities to the issue of hidden variable theories for quantum mechanics is discussed and clarified.