Decoherence in quantum mechanics

We study decoherence in a simple quantum mechanical model using two approaches. Firstly, we follow the conventional approach to decoherence where one is interested in solving the reduced density matrix from the perturbative master equation. Secondly, we consider our novel correlator approach to decoherence where entropy is generated by neglecting observationally inaccessible correlators. We show that both methods can accurately predict decoherence time scales. However, the perturbative master equation generically suffers from instabilities which prevents us to reliably calculate the system’s total entropy increase. We also discuss the relevance of the results in our quantum mechanical model for interacting field theories.     

Electroluminescence of colloidal ZnSe quantum dots

The article reports a green chemical synthesis of colloidal ZnSe quantum dots at a moderate temperature. The prepared colloid sample is characterised by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. UV-vis spectroscopy reveals as-expected blue-shift with strong absorption edge at 400 nm and micrographs show a non-uniform size distribution of ZnSe quantum dots in the range 1-4 nm. Further, photoluminescence and electroluminescence spectroscopies are carried out to study optical emission. Each of the spectroscopies reveals two emission peaks, indicating band-to-band transition and defect related transition. From the luminescence studies, it can be inferred that the recombination of electrons and holes resulting from interband transition causes violet emission and the recombination of a photon generated hole with a charged state of Zn-vacancy gives blue emission. Meanwhile electroluminescence study suggests the application of ZnSe quantum dots as an efficient light emitting device with the advantage of colour tuning (violet-blue-violet).     

Synthesis and luminescence properties of novel 4-(N-carbazole methyl) benzoyl hydrazone Schiff bases

4-(N-carbazole methyl) benzoyl hydrazine was synthesized on the basis of carbazole, and then nine novel carbazolyl acylhydrazone Schiff bases were synthesized by the condensation reaction between 4-(N-carbazole methyl) benzoyl hydrazine and the substituted benzaldehydes. The relationships between the substituted group types and the UV fluorescence spectral properties, as well as the fluorescence quantum yields of the title Schiff bases were also investigated. The results show that the introduction of both the donating and accepting electron groups causes various grade redshifts of the fluorescence characteristic emission peak of the title Schiff bases to occur.The fluorescence quantum yields of the title Schiff bases with the donating group are increased, and the highest fluorescence quantum yield is up to 0.703.     

Carrier relaxation dynamics in InAs/InGaAlAs quantum dashes

We characterize size-dependent carrier relaxation dynamics of partial laser structures containing quantum dashes by time-resolved degenerate four wave mixing between 1.2 and 1.6 μm.     

CdSe quantum dots decorated by mercaptosuccinic acid as fluorescence probe for Cu

Water-soluble CdSe quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized using mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA) as a stabilizer. The growth process and characterization of CdSe quantum dots were determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Results demonstrated the MSA-capped CdSe QDs were highly crystalline and possessed good optical properties. Further, the resulting products could be used as fluorescent probes to detect Cu²⁺ ions in physiological buffer solution. The response was linearly proportional to the concentration of Cu²⁺ ion in the range 2×10⁻⁸- 3.5×10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 3.4 nmol L⁻¹.     

High-resolution spectroscopy of the ν8 band of methylene bromide using a quantum cascade laser

A continuous wave cavity ringdown spectrometer with a Fabry-Perot quantum cascade laser has been used to collect a rotationally-resolved infrared spectrum of the ν₈ vibrational band of methylene bromide in a slit nozzle expansion. In our laboratory, previous observations of the vibrational band were limited by spectral coverage to only the P and Q-branches and by the 24 MHz step-size of the laser [1]. The issue of limited spectral coverage has been resolved using a Fresnel rhomb and a wire grid polarizer to protect the laser from the destabilizing effects of back-reflection from the ringdown cavity. The frequency step-size of the spectrometer has been reduced from 24 MHz to 2 MHz. With both of these instrument enhancements, we have been able to record the R-branch of the vibrational band, and can resolve many lines that were previously blended in spectra acquired using a pinhole expansion nozzle. Significant hyperfine splitting was observed for the low-J transitions in the P and R-branches. It was possible to neglect the effects of hyperfine splitting for transitions involving J″ > 2 in the spectral assignment, and simulations using the constants obtained by fitting to Watson’s S-reduced Hamiltonian for CH₂⁷⁹Br⁸¹Br, and the A-reduced form for CH₂⁷⁹Br₂ and CH₂⁸¹Br₂, provide a good match to experimental spectra. A total of 297 transitions have been assigned for all three isotopologues, with a standard deviation of 0.00024 cm⁻¹(∼7 MHz).     

Stability of flip and exchange symmetric entangled state classes under invertible local operations

Flip and exchange symmetric (FES) many-qubit states, which can be obtained from a state with the same symmetries by means of invertible local operations (ILO), constitute a set of curves in the Hilbert space. Eigenstates of FES ILOs correspond to vectors that cannot be transformed to other FES states. This means equivalence classes of states under ILO can be determined in a systematic way for an arbitrary number of qubits. More important, for entangled states, at the boundaries of neighboring equivalence classes, one can show that when the fidelity between the final state after an ILO and a state of the neighboring class approaches unity, the probability of success decreases to zero. Therefore, the classes are stable under ILOs.     

Quantum protocol for millionaire problem

We present a quantum protocol for the solution of a two-party comparison task with the help of a semi-honest third party, which can be used to solve the millionaire problem. The secrets are coded into the phases of d-level entangled states by local operations and read by the third party's collective measurements. The two parties can deduce the results of comparisons based on the secret bits shared between them beforehand and the announcement of the third party. Moreover, others will learn no information of the comparison results, even the third party. Our scheme is private and fair, and the security has also been discussed.     

Intercept-resend attacks on Chen et al.'s quantum private comparison protocol and the improvements

Recently, Chen et al. presented a novel quantum private comparison (QPC) protocol using triplet GHZ state to enable two parties to compare the equality of their information without revealing the content. The protocol is rather promising because it only requires single-photon measurement with the help of a semi-honest third party to complete the secret comparison. However, this study will point out that a weakness could occur in the eavesdropping check phase. That is, an intercept-resend attack could be launched by one of the two participants to reveal the information content of the other participant—a result that contradicts to the security requirement of a QPC. Fortunately, two solutions are possible to avoid the attack.     

Quantum secret sharing protocol with four state Grover algorithm and its proof-of-principle experimental demonstration

In this article, we propose a three-party quantum secret sharing protocol with four-state Grover algorithm. The protocol has several advantages. It uses only four initial states which simplifies its experimental implementation. It has a higher encoding capacity, each two-qubit state provides two bits of information. We have experimentally demonstrated the protocol in a nuclear magnetic resonance quantum information processor successfully.