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Massimo Blasone

Publications and source records attributed to Massimo Blasone.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Probing Quantum Foundations in Long-Baseline Neutrino Oscillations: Wave Packet Approach from MINOS Data to DUNE Predictions

We investigate neutrino flavor oscillations in the wave packet formalism, extending the standard planewave treatment to incorporate the finite spatial coherence of neutrino mass eigenstates.We derive the full three flavor oscillation probability with MSW matter effects, decoherence, and localization suppression governed by the wave packet width, benchmarking against MINOS disappearance data and extending to DUNE predictions under the same parameters. To quantify how sharply the oscillation data constrain the wave packet width, we compute the classical Fisher information FC as a function of neutrino energy for both MINOS and DUNE, and show that its sensitivity is concentrated precisely in the low-energy regime where the wave-packet and plane-wave predictions diverge. Beyond the oscillation probability analysis, we compute wave particle entanglement complementarity quantities within a quantum information theoretic framework and explore the complete triality description involving entanglement, predictability, and visibility as functions of neutrino energy for both experiments such as MINOS and DUNE. We show that even when the oscillation probability is numerically indistinguishable from the planewave result, the wave packet structure leaves observable imprints in these triality measures. Our results demonstrate that the wave packet approach provides a theoretically consistent and experimentally motivated framework for probing quantum foundations in long-baseline atmospheric neutrino oscillation experiments.

hep-ph

Quantum field theory of massive chiral fields

We present a quantum-field-theoretic treatment of massive chiral fields in which particles possess well-defined chirality and helicity. This framework reproduces the chiral oscillation formula previously obtained in first-quantized approaches and provides a consistent description of weak-interaction processes. We further derive corresponding chiral-energy uncertainty relations.

hep-ph

Characterizing entanglement dynamics in QED scattering processes

We study entanglement dynamics among helicity degrees of freedom in quantum electrodynamics (QED) scattering processes. For generic initial states, we consider scattering at fixed momentum, corresponding to a generalized measurement described by a positive operator-valued measure, resulting in a post-measurement state. Such processes are modeled in terms of quantum maps, whose spectral structure fully determines the associated entanglement dynamics. For scattering involving fermions only, maximal entanglement present in the initial state is always preserved. Moreover, iterating the corresponding quantum maps on arbitrary initial states, we obtain the fixed points of the maps, which, in the largest number of cases, are asymptotic (pure) maximally entangled states. The structure of the maps also accounts for the entanglement dynamics in processes involving both fermions and photons. The defining properties of these maps originate from discrete symmetries of the QED interaction.

quant-ph

On the possibility of superradiant neutrino emission by atomic condensates

In a recent work [B. J. P. Jones and J. A. Formaggio, Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 111801 (2025)], the possibility of superradiant neutrino emission from atomic condensates has been theoretically proposed. Subsequent analysis by Y. K. Lu, H. Lin, and W. Ketterle [arXiv:2510.21705] questioned this scenario, emphasizing the limiting role of the fermionic nature of the decayed atoms. In this study, we revisit the problem and discuss under which conditions collective emission phenomena might still emerge in cold-atom systems.

quant-ph

Chiral and flavor oscillations in quantum field theory

Massive fermions produced through weak charged interactions possess a definite chirality, which is not conserved during free propagation, leading to chiral oscillations. Neutrinos also exhibit flavor oscillations. These phenomena have been extensively studied - both individually and within a unified framework - using the first quantization approach, but only separately in the context of quantum field theory. In this work, we address this gap by developing a quantum field theory treatment of flavor-chiral oscillations. Focusing on the case of two-flavor mixing, we compute the expectation values of the (non-conserved) chiral-flavor charges and recover the same oscillation formulas obtained in the first quantization formalism. These charges are diagonalized via Bogoliubov transformations in both the chiral and flavor sectors. Such transformations reveal a non-trivial structure of the chiral-flavor vacuum, which consists of a condensate of particles with definite masses and helicities.

hep-ph

Entanglement saturation in quantum electrodynamics scattering processes

We investigate the properties of quantum electrodynamics (QED) two-particle scattering processes when an arbitrarily sharp filtering of the outgoing particles in momentum space is performed. We find that these processes are described by dynamical quantum maps, whose structure is such that any initial state is transformed into a maximally entangled state, after an infinite number of iterations of the map. This structural property is exactly realized if all the colliding particles are massive fermions while, when photons are involved, it is verified in a partial way, depending on the process under consideration.

quant-ph

Chiral oscillations in finite time quantum field theory

We demonstrate how chiral oscillations of a massive Dirac field can be described within quantum field theory using a finite-time interaction picture approach, where the mass term in the Lagrangian is treated as a perturbative coupling between massless fields of definite chirality. We derive the formula for chiral oscillations at the fourth order in the perturbative expansion, obtaining a result consistent with the formula derived by means of other methods. Furthermore, we illustrate how the perturbative framework of chiral oscillations can effectively describe production processes where an electron must exhibit both left chirality and positive helicity, as in decay $\pi^- \to e^- + {\bar \nu}_e$. Finally, we argue that, in this perturbative view, chiral oscillations are also essential for detecting the decay products in such processes.

hep-ph

Coherent dynamics of flavor mode entangled neutrinos

As the lynchpin of all quantum correlations, quantum coherence is fundamental for distinguishing quantum systems from classical ones and is essential for realizing quantum advantages in areas such as computation, communication, and metrology. In this study, we investigate the relationship between quantum coherence and neutrino oscillations within the two and three flavor-mode qubit frameworks. Our analysis extends beyond the commonly used $l_1$-norm and relative entropy of coherence to include all relevant measures of coherence such as robustness of coherence, coherence concurrence, trace-norm distance measure of coherence, coherence of formation, Schatten-$p$-norm-based functionals, geometric coherence and logarithmic coherence rank, each offering unique insights into the quantum correlations in these systems. Notably, while the $l_1$-norm and relative entropy-based measures apply to general quantum states, the other measures are particularly relevant for entangled systems, highlighting the critical role of entanglement in neutrino oscillations. We present a detailed methodology for calculating coherence measures in both two-flavor and three-flavor mixing scenarios, contributing to a deeper understanding of how quantum coherence manifests and evolves in mode-entangled neutrino systems. Our findings emphasize the potential of these systems as robust candidates for quantum information tasks, facilitated by the weak interaction nature of neutrinos.

hep-ph

Chiral oscillations in quantum field theory

Dirac particles have two intrinsic degrees-of-freedom, helicity and chirality. While helicity is conserved in time, chirality is not constant under time evolution for massive particles, yielding the phenomenon of chiral oscillations. So far, chiral oscillations have been mainly described in the framework of single particle relativistic quantum mechanics. In this paper, we present a quantum field theory approach to chiral oscillations in analogy with the one used to describe flavor mixing and oscillations. By taking the expectation value of chiral charges, we obtain the same chiral oscillation formula derived via standard relativistic quantum mechanics. We find that chiral charges are diagonalized by a Bogoliubov transformation: this implies that the vacuum for particles with definite chirality is orthogonal to the one for those with definite energy. In the case of neutrinos, our results can be further extended to include also flavor oscillations.

hep-ph

Tests of macrorealism in meson oscillation physics

Macrorealism formalizes the intuitive notion that at any given time the system occupies a definite state and that the evolution of the system is independent of the measurements performed on it, in contrast to the principles of quantum mechanics. In this study, we carry out a comparative analysis between three-time Leggett--Garg-type inequalities and the conditions of no-signaling-in-time and arrow-of-time for macrorealism within the context of meson oscillations. Our findings indicate that, under given initial conditions, no violations of Leggett--Garg inequalities are observed. However, no-signaling-in-time conditions are found to be violated, thereby revealing the impossibility of applying a macrorealistic description to the analysis of meson physics.

quant-ph

Complete complementarity relations in tree level QED processes

We exploit the complete complementarity relations (CCR) to fully characterize various aspects of quantumness in QED scattering processes at tree level. As a paradigmatic example, we consider Bhabha scattering in two different configurations: in the first case, the initial state is factorized in the spin and we study the generation of entanglement due to the scattering. Then we consider the most general case in which the initial state can be entangled: we find that the scattering generates and distributes quantum information in a non-trivial way among the spin degrees of freedom of the particles, with CCR relations being preserved. An important outcome of our analysis is that maximal entanglement is conserved in the scattering process involving only fermions as input and output states, with a more complex situation if photons are present.

quant-ph

Entanglement distribution in Bhabha scattering with entangled spectator particle

We analyze how entanglement is generated and distributed in a Bhabha scattering process $(e^-e^+\rightarrow e^-e^+)$ at tree level. In our setup an electron $A$ scatters with a positron $B$, which is initially entangled with another electron $C$ (spectator), that does not participate directly to the process. We find that the QED scattering generates and distributes entanglement in a non-trivial way among the three particles: the correlations in the output channels $AB$, $AC$ and $BC$ are studied in detail as functions of the scattering parameters and of the initial entanglement weight. Although derived in a specific case, our results exhibit some general features of other similar QED scattering processes, for which the extension of the present analysis is straightforward.

quant-ph

Kaniadakis entropy-based characterization of IceCube PeV neutrino signals

Kaniadakis $\kappa$-thermostatistics is by now recognized as an effective paradigm to describe relativistic complex systems obeying power-law tailed distributions, as opposed to the classical (exponential-type) decay. It is founded on a non-extensive one-parameter generalization of the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy, which, in the cosmological framework, gives rise to modified Friedmann equations on the basis of the gravity-thermodynamic conjecture. Assuming the entropy associated with the apparent horizon of the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) Universe follows Kaniadakis prescription, in this work we analyze the observed discrepancy between the present bound on the Dark Matter relic abundance and the IceCube high-energy ($\sim 1\,\mathrm{PeV}$) neutrinos. We show that this tension can be alleviated in the minimal model of Dark Matter decay with Kaniadakis-governed Universe evolution, while still considering the 4-dimensional Yukawa coupling between Standard Model and Dark Matter particles. This argument phenomenologically supports the need for a Kaniadakis-like generalization of the Boltzmann-Gibbs-Shannon entropy in the relativistic realm, opening new potential scenarios in high-energy astroparticle physics.

physics.gen-ph

Chiral and flavor oscillations in a hyperentangled neutrino state

In addition to flavor oscillations, Dirac neutrinos also undergo the so-called chiral oscillations, a consequence of the free-particle dynamics under the Dirac equation. Such a transition between different chiralities affect the flavor transitions, but also can generate non-trivial correlations between the internal degrees of freedom of the particle. In this paper, we show that the state of a massive oscillating neutrino produced by weak interaction process, is an hyperentangled state, in which flavor, chirality, and spin exhibit non-trivial correlations. Using complete complementarity relations, we show that both chiral and flavor oscillations redistribute correlations and coherence in time among different partitions of the system. In a similar way, we consider a spin entangled lepton-antineutrino pair and show that there is a dynamical redistribution of spin-spin entanglement into correlations and coherence between the other degrees-of-freedom. Our analysis provides a complete characterization of the quantum correlations involved in lepton-antineutrino pairs and in single particle neutrino evolution, and provides a further insight on possible routes to interpret and measure chiral oscillations.

quant-ph

Neutrino oscillations in the interaction picture

We study the mixing of different kind of fields (scalar in 0+1D, scalar in 3+1D, fermion in 3+1D) treating the mixing term as an interaction. To this aim, we employ the usual perturbative series in the interaction picture. We find that expression for flavor changing probability exhibits corrections with respect to the usual quantum mechanical (e.g. neutrino) oscillation formula, in agreement with the result previously obtained in the non-perturbative flavor Fock space approach.

hep-ph

Weak equivalence principle violation for mixed scalar particles

We investigate the non-relativistic limit of the Klein--Gordon equation for mixed scalar particles and show that, in this regime, one unavoidably arrives at redefining the particle's inertial mass. This happens because, in contrast to the case when mixing is absent, the antiparticle sector contribution cannot be neglected for particles with definite flavor. To clearly demonstrate this feature, we adopt the Feshbach--Villars formalism for Klein--Gordon particles. Furthermore, within the same framework, we also demonstrate that, in the presence of a weak gravitational field, the mass parameter that couples to gravity (gravitational mass) does not match the effective inertial mass. This, in turn, implies a violation of the weak equivalence principle. Finally, we prove that the Bargmann's superselection rule, which prohibits oscillating particles on the basis of the Galilean transformation, is incompatible with the non-relativistic limit of the Lorentz transformation and hence does not collide with the results obtained.

hep-th

Quantifying quantumness in three-flavor neutrino oscillations

We characterize quantum correlations encoded in a three-flavor oscillating neutrino system by using both plane-wave and wave-packet approach. By means of the Complete Complementarity Relations we study the trade off of predictability, local coherence and non local correlations in terms of the relevant parameters, chosen from recent neutrino experiments. Although the CCR describe very well the contributions associated to bipartite correlations, an attempt of promoting these relations to include the genuine tripartite contributions in the pure state case leads to a not completely meaningful result. However, we provide an analysis of the genuine tripartite contributions both for the pure instance and for the mixed case, independently of CCR.

quant-ph