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M. Fraas

Publications and source records attributed to M. Fraas.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2017

Perturbation Theory for Weak Measurements in Quantum Mechanics, I -- Systems with Finite-Dimensional State Space

The quantum theory of indirect measurements in physical systems is studied. The example of an indirect measurement of an observable represented by a self-adjoint operator $\mathcal{N}$ with finite spectrum is analysed in detail. The Hamiltonian generating the time evolution of the system in the absence of direct measurements is assumed to be given by the sum of a term commuting with $\mathcal{N}$ and a small perturbation not commuting with $\mathcal{N}$. The system is subject to repeated direct (projective) measurements using a single instrument whose action on the state of the system commutes with $\mathcal{N}$. If the Hamiltonian commutes with the observable $\mathcal{N}$ (i.e., if the perturbation vanishes) the state of the system approaches an eigenstate of $\mathcal{N}$, as the number of direct measurements tends to $\infty$. If the perturbation term in the Hamiltonian does \textit{not} commute with $\mathcal{N}$ the system exhibits "jumps" between different eigenstates of $\mathcal{N}$. We determine the rate of these jumps to leading order in the strength of the perturbation and show that if time is re-scaled appropriately a maximum likelihood estimate of $\mathcal{N}$ approaches a Markovian jump process on the spectrum of $\mathcal{N}$, as the strength of the perturbation tends to $0$.

math-ph↗
arXiv2017

Non-demolition measurements of observables with general spectra

It has recently been established that, in a non-demolition measurement of an observable $\mathcal{N}$ with a finite point spectrum, the density matrix of the system approaches an eigenstate of $\mathcal{N}$, i.e., it "purifies" over the spectrum of $\mathcal{N}$. We extend this result to observables with general spectra. It is shown that the spectral density of the state of the system converges to a delta function exponentially fast, in an appropriate sense. Furthermore, for observables with absolutely continuous spectra, we show that the spectral density approaches a Gaussian distribution over the spectrum of $\mathcal{N}$. Our methods highlight the connection between the theory of non-demolition measurements and classical estimation theory.

math-ph↗
arXiv2016

Indirect acquisition of information in quantum mechanics: states associated with tail events

The problem of reconstructing information on a physical system from data acquired in long sequences of direct (projective) measurements of some simple physical quantities - histories - is analyzed within quantum mechanics; that is, the quantum theory of indirect measurements, and, in particular, of non-demolition measurements is studied. It is shown that indirect measurements of time-independent features of physical systems can be described in terms of quantum-mechanical operators belonging to an algebra of asymptotic observables. Our proof involves associating a natural measure space with certain sets of histories of a system and showing that quantum-mechanical states of the system determine probability measures on this space. Our main result then says that functions on that space of histories measurable at infinity (i.e., functions that only depend on the tails of histories) correspond to operators in the algebra of asymptotic observables.

math-ph↗
arXiv2016

Optimal Hardy Weight for Second-Order Elliptic Operator: An Answer to a Problem of Agmon

For a general subcritical second-order elliptic operator $P$ in a domain $Ω\subset \mathbb{R}^n$ (or noncompact manifold), we construct Hardy-weight $W$ which is optimal in the following sense. The operator $P - λW$ is subcritical in $Ω$ for all $λ< 1$, null-critical in $Ω$ for $λ= 1$, and supercritical near any neighborhood of infinity in $Ω$ for any $λ> 1$. Moreover, if $P$ is symmetric and $W>0$, then the spectrum and the essential spectrum of $W^{-1}P$ are equal to $[1,\infty)$, and the corresponding Agmon metric is complete. Our method is based on the theory of positive solutions and applies to both symmetric and nonsymmetric operators. The constructed Hardy-weight is given by an explicit simple formula involving two distinct positive solutions of the equation $Pu=0$, the existence of which depends on the subcriticality of $P$ in $Ω$.

math.AP↗
arXiv2013

Adiabatic response for Lindblad dynamics

We study the adiabatic response of open systems governed by Lindblad evolutions. In such systems, there is an ambiguity in the assignment of observables to fluxes (rates) such as velocities and currents. For the appropriate notion of flux, the formulas for the transport coefficients are simple and explicit and are governed by the parallel transport on the manifold of instantaneous stationary states. Among our results we show that the response coefficients of open systems, whose stationary states are projections, is given by the adiabatic curvature.

math-ph↗
arXiv2012

Adiabatic theorems for generators of contracting evolutions

We develop an adiabatic theory for generators of contracting evolution on Banach spaces. This provides a uniform framework for a host of adiabatic theorems ranging from unitary quantum evolutions through quantum evolutions of open systems generated by Lindbladians all the way to classically driven stochastic systems. In all these cases the adiabatic evolution approximates, to lowest order, the natural notion of parallel transport in the manifold of instantaneous stationary states. The dynamics in the manifold of instantaneous stationary states and transversal to it have distinct characteristics: The former is irreversible and the latter is transient in a sense that we explain. Both the gapped and gapless cases are considered. Some applications are discussed.

math-ph↗
arXiv2011

Quantum response of dephasing open systems

We develop a theory of adiabatic response for open systems governed by Lindblad evolutions. The theory determines the dependence of the response coefficients on the dephasing rates and allows for residual dissipation even when the ground state is protected by a spectral gap. We give quantum response a geometric interpretation in terms of Hilbert space projections: For a two level system and, more generally, for systems with suitable functional form of the dephasing, the dissipative and non-dissipative parts of the response are linked to a metric and to a symplectic form. The metric is the Fubini-Study metric and the symplectic form is the adiabatic curvature. When the metric and symplectic structures are compatible the non-dissipative part of the inverse matrix of response coefficients turns out to be immune to dephasing. We give three examples of physical systems whose quantum states induce compatible metric and symplectic structures on control space: The qubit, coherent states and a model of the integer quantum Hall effect.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2010

Optimal parametrizations of adiabatic paths

The parametrization of adiabatic paths is optimal when tunneling is minimized. Hamiltonian evolutions do not have unique optimizers. However, dephasing Lindblad evolutions do. The optimizers are simply characterized by an Euler-Lagrange equation and have a constant tunneling rate along the path irrespective of the gap. Application to quantum search algorithms recovers the Grover result for appropriate scaling of the dephasing. Dephasing rates that beat Grover imply hidden resources in Lindblad operators.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2010

Landau-Zener tunneling for dephasing Lindblad evolutions

We derive an analog of the Landau-Zener adiabatic tunneling formula for an open, two-level system coupled to a memoryless, dephasing bath. The derivation rests on a geometric view of the spectral subspaces as adiabatic invariants.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2009

On geometric perturbations of critical Schrödinger operators with a surface interaction

We study singular Schrodinger operators with an attractive interaction supported by a closed smooth surface A in R^3 and analyze their behavior in the vicinity of the critical situation where such an operator has empty discrete spectrum and a threshold resonance. In particular, we show that if A is a sphere and the critical coupling is constant over it, any sufficiently small smooth area preserving radial deformation gives rise to isolated eigenvalues. On the other hand, the discrete spectrum may be empty for general deformations. We also derive a related inequality for capacities associated with such surfaces.

math-ph↗
arXiv2008

Interlaced dense point and absolutely continuous spectra for Hamiltonians with concentric-shell singular interactions

We analyze the spectrum of the generalized Schrodinger operator in $L^2(R^ν) ν\geq 2$, with a general local, rotationally invariant singular interaction supported by an infinite family of concentric, equidistantly spaced spheres. It is shown that the essential spectrum consists of interlaced segments of the dense point and absolutely continuous character, and that the relation of their lengths at high energies depends on the choice of the interaction parameters; generically the p.p. component is asymptotically dominant. We also show that for $ν=2$ there is an infinite family of eigenvalues below the lowest band.

math-ph↗