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Francesco De Martini

Publications and source records attributed to Francesco De Martini.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

The Intrinsic Angular - Momentum of Particles and the Resolution of the Spin-Statistics Theorem

The traditional Standard Quantum Mechanics (SQM) theory is unable to solve the Spin-s problem, i.e., to justify the utterly important "Pauli Exclusion Principle". A complete and straightforward solution of the Spin-Statistics problem is presented based on the "Weyl Integrable Quantum Mechanics" (WIQM) theory. This theory provides a Weyl-gauge invariant formulation of the Standard Quantum Mechanics and reproduces successfully, with no restrictions, the full set of the quantum mechanical processes, including the formulation of Dirac's or Schrödinger's equation, of Heisenberg's uncertainty relations, and of the nonlocal EPR correlations. etc. When the Weyl Integrable Quantum Mechanics is applied to a system made of many identical particles with spin, an additional constant property of all elementary particles enters naturally into play: the "intrinsic helicity", or the "intrinsic angular - momentum". This additional particle property, not considered by Standard Quantum Mechanics, determines the correct Spin-Statistics Connection (SSC) observed in Nature. All this leads to the consideration of a novel, most complete (in the EPR sense) quantum mechanical theory.

quant-ph↗

Gravitational Wave Detection by Hollow-Core Fiber-Optics Mach-Zehnder Interferometry

Recent advances in the field of very long distance optical communication suggest the adoption of the advanced technology based on Hollow Core Nested Anti-resonant Nodeless Fiber (HC-NANF) within the endeavour of Gravitational Wave detection using a Mach-Zehnder optical interferometer (MZ-IF). The proposal, consisting of a summary project of the device emphasizes the favorable properties of (MZ-IF) in comparison with Michelson Interferometer (MIF) currently in operation. The key feature of the proposed method consists of the use of a couple of "fibrated" metallic antennas enfolded by a very large (K x 8.10^4 with K=1,2,3 etc.) of coiled (HC-NANF) rings. This amounts to a corresponding fiber length: Leff = K x 1600 Km. The relevant properties of the device are noise reduction, absence of critical optical mirror alignment in a noisy environment, reduced spatial extension of the apparatus, exploration of the entire sky scenario by freely orientable antennas, a substational cost reduction of the apparatus. The remarkable properties of (HC-NANF), invented by F. Poletti in 2013 are currently investigated by his group at the University of Southampton (UK).

astro-ph.IM↗

Weyl-invariant derivation of Dirac equation from scalar tensor fields in curved space-time

In this work we present a derivation of Dirac's equation in a curved space-time starting from a Weyl-invariant action principle in 4+K dimensions. The Weyl invariance of Dirac's equation (and of Quantum Mechanics in general) is made possible by observing that the difference between the Weyl and the Riemann scalar curvatures in a metric space is coincident with Bohm's Quantum potential. This circumstance allows a completely geometrical formulation of Quantum Mechanics, the Conformal Quantum Geometrodynamics (CQG), which was proved to be useful, for example, to clarify some aspects of the quantum paradoxes and to simplify the demonstration of difficult theorems as the Spin-Statistics connection. The present work extends our previous derivation of Dirac's equation from the flat Minkowski space-time to a general curved space-time. Charge and the e.m. fields are introduced by adding extra-coordinates and then gauging the associated group symmetry. The resulting Dirac's equation yields naturally to the correct gyromagnetic ratio $g_e=2$ for the electron, but differs from the one derived in the Standard Quantum Mechanics (SQM) in two respects. First, the coupling with the space-time Riemann scalar curvature is found to be about 1/4 in the CQG instead of 1/2 as in the SQM and, second, in the CQG result two very small additional terms appear as scalar potentials acting on the particle. One depends on the derivatives of the e.m. field tensor and the other is the scalar Kretschmann term $R_{μνρσ}R^{μνρσ}$. Both terms, not present in the SQM, become appreciable only at distances of the order of the electron Compton length or less. The Kretschmann term, in particular, is the only one surviving in an external gravitational field obeying Einstein's equations in vacuum. These small differences render the CQG theory confutable by very accurate experiments, at least in principle.

quant-ph↗

The Higgs field and the resolution of the Cosmological Constant Paradox in the Weyl geometrical Universe

The standard electroweak theory of leptons and the conformal groups of spacetime Weyl's transformations are at the core of a general relativistic, conformally covariant scalar tensor theory aimed at the resolution of the most intriguing enigma of modern Physics: the cosmological constant paradox (hereafter: Lambda paradox. A Higgs mechanism within a spontaneous symmetry breaking process offers formal connections, via an effective potential V(eff), between some relevant properties of the elementary particles and the dark energy content of the Universe. The nonintegrable application of the Weyl's geometry leads to a Proca equation accounting for the dynamics of a vector-meson proposed as an optimum candidate for Dark Matter. The average vacuum-energy density in the Universe and the "cosmological constant" are evaluated on the basis of the recent experimental data of the PLANCK Mission. The resolution of the paradox is found for all exponential inflationary potentials and is consistent with the experimental data. The result of the theory: Lambda=6|V(eff)|shows that the paradox is determined by the algebraic mismatch between two large counteracting functions of the scalar field contributing to V(eff). The critical stability of the Universe is discussed.

gr-qc↗

The geometrical nature of the cosmological inflation in the framework of the Weyl-Dirac conformal gravity theory

The nature of the scalar field responsible for the cosmological inflation, the \qo{inflaton}, is found to be rooted in the most fundamental concept of the Weyl's differential geometry: the parallel displacement of vectors in curved space-time. The Euler-Lagrange theory based on a scalar-tensor Weyl-Dirac Lagrangian leads straightforwardly to the Einstein equation admitting as a source the characteristic energy-momentum tensor of the inflaton field. Within the dynamics of the inflation, e.g. in the slow roll transition from a \qo{false} toward a \qo{true vacuum}, the inflaton's geometry implies a temperature driven symmetry change between a highly symmetrical \qo{Weylan} to a low symmetry \qo{Riemannian} scenario. Since the dynamics of the Weyl curvature scalar, constructed over differentials of the inflaton field, has been found to account for the quantum phenomenology at the microscopic scale, the present work suggests interesting connections between the \qo{micro} and the \qo{macro} aspects of our Universe.

gr-qc↗

Weyl-gauge invariant proof of the Spin-Statistics Theorem

The traditional standard theory of quantum mechanics is unable to solve the spin-statistics problem, i.e. to justify the utterly important \qo{Pauli Exclusion Principle} but by the adoption of the complex standard relativistic quantum field theory. In a recent paper (Ref. [1]) we presented a proof of the spin-statistics problem in the nonrelativistic approximation on the basis of the \qo{Conformal Quantum Geometrodynamics}. In the present paper, by the same theory the proof of the Spin-Statistics Theorem is extended to the relativistic domain in the general scenario of curved spacetime. The relativistic approach allows to formulate a manifestly step-by-step Weyl gauge invariant theory and to emphasize some fundamental aspects of group theory in the demonstration. No relativistic quantum field operators are used and the particle exchange properties are drawn from the conservation of the intrinsic helicity of elementary particles. It is therefore this property, not considered in the Standard Quantum Mechanics, which determines the correct spin-statistics connection observed in Nature [1]. The present proof of the Spin-Statistics Theorem is simpler than the one presented in Ref. [1], because it is based on symmetry group considerations only, without having recourse to frames attached to the particles.

quant-ph↗

The intrinsic helicity of the elementary particles and the proof of the spin-statistics theorem

The traditional Standard Quantum Mechanics is unable to solve the Spin-Statistics problem, i.e. to justify the utterly important Pauli Exclusion Principle. We show that this is due to the non completeness of the standard theory due to an arguable conception of the spin as a vector characterizing the rotational properties of the elementary particles. The present Article presents a complete and straightforward solution of the Spin-Statistics problem on the basis of the Conformal Quantum Geometrodynamics, a theory that has been proved to reproduce successfully all relevant processes of the Standard Quantum Mechanics based on the Dirac or Schrödinger equations, including Heisenberg uncertainty relations and nonlocal EPR correlations. When applied to a system made of many identical particles, an additional property of all elementary particles enters naturally into play: the intrinsic helicity. This property determines the correct Spin-Statistics connection observed in Nature.

quant-ph↗

Nonlocality, No-Signalling and Bell's Theorem investigated by Weyl's Conformal Differential Geometry

The principles and methods of the Conformal Quantum Geometrodynamics (CQG) based on the Weyl's differential geometry are presented. The theory applied to the case of the relativistic single quantum spin 1/2 leads a novel and unconventional derivation of Dirac's equation. The further extension of the theory to the case of two spins 1/2 in EPR entangled state and to the related violation of Bell's inequalities leads, by an exact albeit non relativistic analysis, to an insightful resolution of all paradoxes implied by quantum nonlocality.

quant-ph↗

Investigating macroscopic quantum superpositions and the quantum-to-classical transition by optical parametric amplification

The present work reports on an extended research endeavor focused on the theoretical and experimental realization of a macroscopic quantum superposition (MQS) made up with photons. As it is well known, this intriguing, fundamental quantum condition is at the core of a famous argument conceived by Erwin Schroedinger, back in 1935. The main experimental challenge to the actual realization of this object resides generally on the unavoidable and uncontrolled interactions with the environment, i.e. the decoherence leading to the cancellation of any evidence of the quantum features associated with the macroscopic system. The present scheme is based on a nonlinear process, the "quantum injected optical parametric amplification", that maps by a linearized cloning process the quantum coherence of a single - particle state, i.e. a Micro - qubit, into a Macro - qubit, consisting in a large number M of photons in quantum superposition. Since the adopted scheme was found resilient to decoherence, the MQS\ demonstration was carried out experimentally at room temperature with $M\geq $ $10^{4}$. This result elicited an extended study on quantum cloning, quantum amplification and quantum decoherence. The related theory is outlined in the article where several experiments are reviewed such as the test on the "no-signaling theorem" and the dynamical interaction of the photon MQS with a Bose-Einstein condensate. In addition, the consideration of the Micro - Macro entanglement regime is extended into the Macro - Macro condition. The MQS interference patterns for large M were revealed in the experiment and the bipartite Micro-Macro entanglement was also demonstrated for a limited number of generated particles: $M\precsim 12$. At last, the perspectives opened by this new method are considered in the view of further studies on quantum foundations and quantum measurement.

quant-ph↗

Hybrid methods for witnessing entanglement in a microscopic-macroscopic system

We propose a hybrid approach to the experimental assessment of the genuine quantum features of a general system consisting of microscopic and macroscopic parts. We infer entanglement by combining dichotomic measurements on a bidimensional system and phase-space inference through the Wigner distribution associated with the macroscopic component of the state. As a benchmark, we investigate the feasibility of our proposal in a bipartite-entangled state composed of a single-photon and a multiphoton field. Our analysis shows that, under ideal conditions, maximal violation of a Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt-based inequality is achievable regardless of the number of photons in the macroscopic part of the state. The difficulty in observing entanglement when losses and detection inefficiency are included can be overcome by using a hybrid entanglement witness that allows efficient correction for losses in the few-photon regime.

quant-ph↗

Ab initio derivation of the quantum Dirac equation by conformal differential geometry: the "Affine Quantum Mechanics'"

A rigorous \textit{ab initio} derivation of the (square of) Dirac's equation for a single particle with spin is presented. The general Hamilton-Jacobi equation for the particle expressed in terms of a background Weyl's conformal geometry is found to be linearized, exactly and in closed form, by an \textit{ansatz} solution that can be straightforwardly interpreted as the "quantum wave function" $ψ_4$ of the 4-spinor Dirac's equation. In particular, all quantum features of the model arise from a subtle interplay between the conformal curvature of the configuration space acting as a potential and Weyl's "pre-potential", closely related to $ψ_4$, which acts on the particle trajectory. The theory, carried out here by assuming a Minkowsky metric, can be easily extended to arbitrary space-time Riemann metric, e.g. the one adopted in the context of General Relativity. This novel theoretical scenario, referred to as "Affine Quantum Mechanics", appears to be of general application and is expected to open a promising perspective in the modern endeavor aimed at the unification of the natural forces with gravitation.

quant-ph↗

Entanglement criteria for microscopic-macroscopic systems

We discuss the conclusions that can be drawn on a recent experimental micro-macro entanglement test [F. De Martini, F. Sciarrino, and C. Vitelli, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 253601 (2008). The system under investigation is generated through optical parametric amplification of one photon belonging to an entangled pair. The adopted entanglement criterion makes it possible to infer the presence of entanglement before losses, that occur on the macrostate, under a specific assumption. In particular, an a priori knowledge of the system that generates the micro-macro pair is necessary to exclude a class of separable states that can reproduce the obtained experimental results. Finally, we discuss the feasibility of a micro-macro "genuine" entanglement test on the analyzed system by considering different strategies, which show that in principle a fraction epsilon, proportional to the number of photons that survive the lossy process, of the original entanglement persists in any losses regime.

quant-ph↗

Measurement-induced quantum operations on multiphoton states

We investigate how multiphoton quantum states obtained through optical parametric amplification can be manipulated by performing a measurement on a small portion of the output light field. We study in detail how the macroqubit features are modified by varying the amount of extracted information and the strategy adopted at the final measurement stage. At last the obtained results are employed to investigate the possibility of performing a microscopic-macroscopic non-locality test free from auxiliary assumptions.

quant-ph↗

Optimal quantum cloning of orbital angular momentum photon qubits via Hong-Ou-Mandel coalescence

The orbital angular momentum (OAM) of light, associated with a helical structure of the wavefunction, has a great potential for quantum photonics, as it allows attaching a higher dimensional quantum space to each photon. Hitherto, however, the use of OAM has been hindered by its difficult manipulation. Here, exploiting the recently demonstrated spin-OAM information transfer tools, we report the first observation of the Hong-Ou-Mandel coalescence of two incoming photons having nonzero OAM into the same outgoing mode of a beam-splitter. The coalescence can be switched on and off by varying the input OAM state of the photons. Such effect has been then exploited to carry out the 1 \rightarrow 2 universal optimal quantum cloning of OAM-encoded qubits, using the symmetrization technique already developed for polarization. These results are finally shown to be scalable to quantum spaces of arbitrary dimension, even combining different degrees of freedom of the photons.

quant-ph↗

Entanglement and Quantum Superposition of a Macroscopic - Macroscopic system

Two quantum Macro-states and their Macroscopic Quantum Superpositions (MQS) localized in two far apart, space - like separated sites can be non-locally correlated by any entangled couple of single-particles having interacted in the past. This novel Macro - Macro paradigm is investigated on the basis of a recent study on an entangled Micro-Macro system involving N=10^5 particles. Crucial experimental issues as the violation of Bell's inequalities by the Macro - Macro system are considered.

quant-ph↗

Coherent scattering of a Multiphoton Quantum Superposition by a Mirror-BEC

We present the proposition of an experiment in which the multiphoton quantum superposition consisting of N= 10^5 particles generated by a quantum-injected optical parametric amplifier (QI-OPA), seeded by a single-photon belonging to an EPR entangled pair, is made to interact with a Mirror-BEC shaped as a Bragg interference structure. The overall process will realize a Macroscopic Quantum Superposition (MQS) involving a microscopic single-photon state of polarization entangled with the coherent macroscopic transfer of momentum to the BEC structure, acting in space-like separated distant places.

quant-ph↗

Complete analysis of measurement-induced entanglement localization on a three-photon system

We discuss both theoretically and experimentally elementary two-photon polarization entanglement localization after break of entanglement caused by linear coupling of environmental photon with one of the system photons. The localization of entanglement is based on simple polarization measurement of the surrounding photon after the coupling. We demonstrate that non-zero entanglement can be localized back irrespectively to the distinguishability of coupled photons. Further, it can be increased by local single-copy polarization filters up to an amount violating Bell inequalities. The present technique allows to restore entanglement in that cases, when the entanglement distillation does not produce any entanglement out of the coupling.

quant-ph↗

Towards Quantum Experiments with Human Eyes Detectrors Based on Cloning via Stimulated Emission ?

We believe that a recent, unconventional theoretical work published in Physical Review Letters 103, 113601 (2009) by Sekatsky, Brunner, Branciard, Gisin, Simon, albeit appealing at fist sight, is highly questionable. Furthermore, the criticism raised by these Authors against a real experiment on Micro - Macro entanglement recently published in Physical Review Letters (100, 253601, 2008) is found misleading and to miss its target.

quant-ph↗