arXiv subjects

D. M. Appleby

Publications and source records attributed to D. M. Appleby.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2006

Symmetric Informationally Complete Measurements of Arbitrary Rank

There has been much interest in so-called SIC-POVMs: rank 1 symmetric informationally complete positive operator valued measures. In this paper we discuss the larger class of POVMs which are symmetric and informationally complete but not necessarily rank 1. This class of POVMs is of some independent interest. In particular it includes a POVM which is closely related to the discrete Wigner function. However, it is interesting mainly because of the light it casts on the problem of constructing rank 1 symmetric informationally complete POVMs. In this connection we derive an extremal condition alternative to the one derived by Renes et al.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2005

SIC-POVMs and the Extended Clifford Group

We describe the structure of the extended Clifford Group (defined to be the group consisting of all operators, unitary and anti-unitary, which normalize the generalized Pauli group (or Weyl-Heisenberg group as it is often called)). We also obtain a number of results concerning the structure of the Clifford Group proper (i.e. the group consisting just of the unitary operators which normalize the generalized Pauli group). We then investigate the action of the extended Clifford group operators on symmetric informationally complete POVMs (or SIC-POVMs) covariant relative to the action of the generalized Pauli group. We show that each of the fiducial vectors which has been constructed so far (including all the vectors constructed numerically by Renes et al) is an eigenvector of one of a special class of order 3 Clifford unitaries. This suggests a strengthening of a conjuecture of Zauner's. We give a complete characterization of the orbits and stability groups in dimensions 2-7. Finally, we show that the problem of constructing fiducial vectors may be expected to simplify in the infinite sequence of dimensions 7, 13, 19, 21, 31,... . We illustrate this point by constructing exact expressions for fiducial vectors in dimensions 7 and 19.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2004

Probabilities are single-case, or nothing

Physicists have, hitherto, mostly adopted a frequentist conception of probability, according to which probability statements apply only to ensembles. It is argued that we should, instead, adopt an epistemic, or Bayesian conception, in which probabilities are conceived as logical constructs rather than physical realities, and in which probability statements do apply directly to individual events. The question is closely related to the disagreement between the orthodox school of statistical thought and the Bayesian school. It has important technical implications (it makes a difference, what statistical methodology one adopts). It may also have important implications for the interpretation of the quantum state.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2004

Facts, Values and Quanta

Quantum mechanics is a fundamentally probabilistic theory (at least so far as the empirical predictions are concerned). It follows that, if one wants to properly understand quantum mechanics, it is essential to clearly understand the meaning of probability statements. The interpretation of probability has excited nearly as much philosophical controversy as the interpretation of quantum mechanics. 20th century physicists have mostly adopted a frequentist conception. In this paper it is argued that we ought, instead, to adopt a logical or Bayesian conception. The paper includes a comparison of the orthodox and Bayesian theories of statistical inference. It concludes with a few remarks concerning the implications for the concept of physical reality.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2003

The Bell-Kochen-Specker Theorem

Meyer, Kent and Clifton (MKC) claim to have nullified the Bell-Kochen-Specker (Bell-KS) theorem. It is true that they invalidate KS's account of the theorem's physical implications. However, they do not invalidate Bell's point, that quantum mechanics is inconsistent with the classical assumption, that a measurement tells us about a property previously possessed by the system. This failure of classical ideas about measurement is, perhaps, the single most important implication of quantum mechanics. In a conventional colouring there are some remaining patches of white. MKC fill in these patches, but only at the price of introducing patches where the colouring becomes ''pathologically'' discontinuous. The discontinuities mean that the colours in these patches are empirically unknowable. We prove a general theorem which shows that their extent is at least as great as the patches of white in a conventional approach. The theorem applies, not only to the MKC colourings, but also to any other such attempt to circumvent the Bell-KS theorem (Pitowsky's colourings, for example). We go on to discuss the implications. MKC do not nullify the Bell-KS theorem. They do, however, show that we did not, hitherto, properly understand the theorem. For that reason their results (and Pitowsky's earlier results) are of major importance.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2002

The Hess-Philipp Model is Non-local

Hess and Philipp have constructed what, they claim, is a local hidden variables model reproducing the empirical predictions of quantum mechanics. In this paper explicit expressions for the conditional probabilities for the outcomes of the measurements at the two detectors are calculated. These expressions provide a conclusive demonstration of the falsity of the authors' claim. The authors give two different accounts of their model. The published version omits a crucial detail. As a result it disagrees with quantum mechanics. It also violates signal locality. The unpublished version agrees with quantum mechanics. However, it violates the condition of parameter independence, as Myrvold has previously shown.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2002

Existential Contextuality and the Models of Meyer, Kent and Clifton

It is shown that the models recently proposed by Meyer, Kent and Clifton (MKC) exhibit a novel kind of contextuality, which we term existential contextuality. In this phenomenon it is not simply the pre-existing value but the actual existence of an observable which is context dependent. This result confirms the point made elsewhere, that the MKC models do not, as the authors claim, ``nullify'' the Kochen-Specker theorem. It may also be of some independent interest.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2001

Nullification of the Nullification

A recent claim by Meyer, Kent and Clifton (MKC), that their models ``nullify'' the Kochen-Specker theorem, has attracted much comment. In this paper we present a new counter-argument, based on the fact that a classical measurement reveals, not simply a pre-existing value, but pre-existing classical information. In the MKC models measurements do not generally reveal pre-existing classical information. Consequently, the Kochen-Specker theorem is not nullified. We go on to prove a generalized version of the Kochen-Specker theorem, applying to non-ideal quantum measurements. The theorem was inspired by the work of Simon et al and Larsson (SBZL). However, there is a loophole in SBZL's argument, which means that their result is invalid (operational non-contextuality is not inconsistent with the empirical predictions of quantum mechanics). Our treatment resolves this difficulty. We conclude by discussing the question, whether the MKC models can reproduce the empirical predictions of quantum mechanics.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2000

Contextuality of Approximate Measurements

The claim of Meyer, Kent and Clifton (MKC) that finite precision measurement nullifies the Kochen-Specker theorem is criticised. It is argued that, although MKC have nullified the Kochen-Specker theorem strictly so-called, there are other, related propositions which are not nullified. The argument given is an elaboration of some of Mermin's critical remarks. Although MKC allow for the fact that the observables to be measured cannot be precisely specified, they continue to assume that the observables which are actually measured are strictly commuting. As Mermin points out, this assumption is unjustified. Consequently, the analysis of MKC is incomplete. To make it complete one needs to investigate the predictions their models make regarding approximate joint measurements of non-commuting observables. Such an investigation is carried out, using methods previously developed in connection with approximate joint measurements of position and momentum. It is shown that a form of contextuality then re-emerges.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2000

Husimi Transform of an Operator Product

It is shown that the series derived by Mizrahi, giving the Husimi transform (or covariant symbol) of an operator product, is absolutely convergent for a large class of operators. In particular, the generalized Liouville equation, describing the time evolution of the Husimi function, is absolutely convergent for a large class of Hamiltonians. By contrast, the series derived by Groenewold, giving the Weyl transform of an operator product, is often only asymptotic, or even undefined. The result is used to derive an alternative way of expressing expectation values in terms of the Husimi function. The advantage of this formula is that it applies in many of the cases where the anti-Husimi transform (or contravariant symbol) is so highly singular that it fails to exist as a tempered distribution.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2000

Optimal Measurements of Spin Direction

The accuracy of a measurement of the spin direction of a spin-s particle is characterised, for arbitrary half-integral s. The disturbance caused by the measurement is also characterised. The approach is based on that taken in several previous papers concerning joint measurements of position and momentum. As in those papers, a distinction is made between the errors of retrodiction and prediction. Retrodictive and predictive error relationships are derived. The POVM describing the outcome of a maximally accurate measurement process is investigated. It is shown that, if the measurement is retrodictively optimal, then the distribution of measured values is given by the initial state SU(2) Q-function. If the measurement is predictively optimal, then the distribution of measured values is related to the final state SU(2) P-function. The general form of the unitary evolution operator producing an optimal measurement is characterised.

quant-ph↗

arXiv1999

Retrodictively Optimal Localisations in Phase Space

In a previous paper it was shown that the distribution of measured values for a retrodictively optimal simultaneous measurement of position and momentum is always given by the initial state Husimi function. This result is now generalised to retrodictively optimal simultaneous measurements of an arbitrary pair of rotated quadratures x_theta1 and x_theta2. It is shown, that given any such measurement, it is possible to find another such measurement, informationally equivalent to the first, for which the axes defined by the two quadratures are perpendicular. It is further shown that the distribution of measured values for such a meaurement belongs to the class of generalised Husimi functions most recently discussed by Wuensche and Buzek. The class consists of the subset of Wodkiewicz's operational probability distributions for which the filter reference state is a squeezed vaccuum state.

quant-ph↗

arXiv1999

Generalized Husimi Functions: Analyticity and Information Content

The analytic properties of a class of generalized Husimi functions are discussed, with particular reference to the problem of state reconstruction. The class consists of the subset of Wodkiewicz's operational probability distributions for which the filter reference state is a squeezed vacuum state. The fact that the function is analytic means that perfectly precise knowledge of its values over any small region of phase space provides enough information to reconstruct the density matrix. If, however, one only has imprecise knowledge of its values, then the amplification of statistical errors which occurs when one attempts to carry out the continuation seriously limits the amount of information which can be extracted. To take account of this fact a distinction is made between explicate, or experimentally accessible information, and information which is only present in implicate, experimentally inaccessible form. It is shown that an explicate description of various aspects of the system can be found localised on various 2 real dimensional surfaces in complexified phase space. In particular, the continuation of the function to the purely imaginary part of complexified phase space provides an explicate description of the Wigner function.

quant-ph↗

arXiv1999

Bohmian Trajectories Post-Decoherence

The proposal that the interaction between a macroscopic body and its environment plays a crucial role in producing the correct classical limit in the Bohm interpretation of quantum mechanics is investigated, in the context of a model of quantum Brownian motion. It is well known that one of the effects of the interaction is to produce an extremely rapid approximate diagonalisation of the reduced density matrix in the position representation. This effect is, by itself, insufficient to produce generically quasi-classical behaviour of the Bohmian trajectory. However, it is shown that, if the system particle is initially in an approximate energy eigenstate, then there is a tendency for the Bohmian trajectory to become approximately classical on a rather longer time-scale. The relationship between this phenomenon and the behaviour of the Wigner function post-decoherence (as analysed by Halliwell and Zoupas) is discussed. It is also suggested that the phenomenon may be related to the storage of information about the trajectory in the environment, and that it may therefore be a general feature of every situation in which such environmental monitoring occurs.

quant-ph↗

arXiv1999

Generic Bohmian Trajectories of an Isolated Particle

The generic Bohmian trajectories are calculated for an isolated particle in an approximate energy eigenstate, for an arbitrary one-dimensional potential well. It is shown, that the necessary and sufficient condition for there to be a negligible probability of the trajectory deviating significantly from the classical trajectory at any stage in the motion is, that the state be a narrowly localised wave packet. The properties of the Bohmian trajectories are discussed in relationship to the theory of retrodictively optimal simultaneous measurements of position and momentum which was presented in several previous papers. It is shown that the Bohmian velocity at x is the expectation value of the velocity which would be observed at x, if one were to make a retrodictively optimal simultaneous measurement of x and p, in the limit as the error in the measurement of x tends to zero. This explains the tendency of the Bohmian particle to behave in a highly non-classical manner. It also explains why the trajectories in the interpretation recently proposed by Garcia de Polavieja tend to be much more nearly classical in the limit of large quantum number. The implications for other trajectory interpretations are considered.

quant-ph↗

arXiv1998

Maximal Accuracy and Minimal Disturbance in the Arthurs-Kelly Simultaneous Measurement Process

The accuracy of the Arthurs-Kelly model of a simultaneous measurement of position and momentum is analysed using concepts developed by Braginsky and Khalili in the context of measurements of a single quantum observable. A distinction is made between the errors of retrodiction and prediction. It is shown that the distribution of measured values coincides with the initial state Husimi function when the retrodictive accuracy is maximised, and that it is related to the final state anti-Husimi function (the P representation of quantum optics) when the predictive accuracy is maximised. The disturbance of the system by the measurement is also discussed. A class of minimally disturbing measurements is characterised. It is shown that the distribution of measured values then coincides with one of the smoothed Wigner functions described by Cartwright.

quant-ph↗

arXiv1998

The Error Principle

The problem of characterising the accuracy of, and disturbance caused by a joint measurement of position and momentum is investigated. In a previous paper the problem was discussed in the context of the unbiased measurements considered by Arthurs and Kelly. It is now shown, that suitably modified versions of these results hold for a much larger class of simultaneous measurements. The approach is a development of that adopted by Braginsky and Khalili in the case of a single measurement of position only. A distinction is made between the errors of retrodiction and the errors of prediction. Two error-error relationships and four error-disturbance relationships are derived, supplementing the Uncertainty Principle usually so-called. In the general case it is necessary to take into account the range of the measuring apparatus. Both the ideal case, of an instrument having infinite range, and the case of a real instrument, for which the range is finite, are discussed.

quant-ph↗

arXiv1998

Optimal Joint Measurements of Position and Momentum

The distribution of measured values for maximally accurate, unbiased simultaneous measurements of position and momentum is investigated. It is shown, that if the measurement is retrodictively optimal, then the distribution of results is given by the initial state Husimi function (or Q-representation). If the measurement is predictively optimal, then the distribution of results is related to the final state anti-Husimi function (or P-representation). The significance of this universal property for the interpretation of the Husimi function is discussed.

quant-ph↗