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P. Lahti

Publications and source records attributed to P. Lahti.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2014

Comment on "Experimental Test of Error-Disturbance Uncertainty Relations by Weak Measurement"

In this comment on the paper by F. Kaneda, S.-Y. Baek, M. Ozawa and K. Edamatsu [Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 020402, 2014, arXiv:1308.5868], we point out that the claim of having refuted Heisenberg's error-disturbance relation is unfounded since it is based on the choice of unsuitable and operationally problematical quantifications of measurement error and disturbance. As we have shown elsewhere [PRL 111, 160405, 2013], for appropriate choices of operational measures of error and disturbance, Heisenberg's heuristic relation can be turned into a precise inequality which is a rigorous consequence of quantum mechanics.

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arXiv2014

Comment on "Noise and Disturbance in Quantum Measurements: An Information-Theoretic Approach"

In this comment on the work of F. Buscemi, M.J.W. Hall, M. Ozawa and M.M. Wilde [PRL 112, 050401, 2014, arXiv:1310.6603], we point out a misrepresentation of measures of error and disturbance introduced in our recent work [PRL 111, 160405, 2013, arXiv:1306.1565] as being "purely formal, with no operational counterparts". We also exhibit an tension in the authors' message, in that their main result is an error-disturbance relation for state-independent measures, but its importance is declared to be limited to discrete variables. In contrast, we point out the separate roles played by such relations for either state-dependent or state-independent measures of error and disturbance.

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arXiv2014

Measurement Uncertainty: Reply to Critics

In a recent publication [PRL 111, 160405 (2013)] we proved a version of Heisenberg's error-disturbance tradeoff. This result was in apparent contradiction to claims by Ozawa of having refuted these ideas of Heisenberg. In a direct reaction [arXiv:1308.3540] Ozawa has called our work groundless, and has claimed to have found both a counterexample and an error in our proof. Here we answer to these allegations. We also comment on the submission [arXiv:1307.3604] by Rozema et al, in which our approach is unfavourably compared to that of Ozawa.

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arXiv2009

On the notion of coexistence in quantum mechanics

The notion coexistence of quantum observables was introduced to describe the possibility of measuring two or more observables together. Here we survey the various different formalisations of this notion and their connections. We review examples illustrating the necessary degrees of unsharpness for two noncommuting observables to be jointly measurable (in one sense of the phrase). We demonstrate the possibility of measuring together (in another sense of the phrase) noncoexistent observables. This leads us to a reconsideration of the connection between joint measurability and noncommutativity of observables and of the statistical and individual aspects of quantum measurements.

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arXiv2007

Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle

Heisenberg's uncertainty principle is usually taken to express a limitation of operational possibilities imposed by quantum mechanics. Here we demonstrate that the full content of this principle also includes its positive role as a condition ensuring that mutually exclusive experimental options can be reconciled if an appropriate trade-off is accepted. The uncertainty principle is shown to appear in three manifestations, in the form of uncertainty relations: for the widths of the position and momentum distributions in any quantum state; for the inaccuracies of any joint measurement of these quantities; and for the inaccuracy of a measurement of one of the quantities and the ensuing disturbance in the distribution of the other quantity. Whilst conceptually distinct, these three kinds of uncertainty relations are shown to be closely related formally. Finally, we survey models and experimental implementations of joint measurements of position and momentum and comment briefly on the status of experimental tests of the uncertainty principle.

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arXiv2007

A note on the measurement of phase space observables with an eight-port homodyne detector

It is well known that the Husimi Q-function of the signal field can actually be measured by the eight-port homodyne detection technique, provided that the reference beam (used for homodyne detection) is a very strong coherent field so that it can be treated classically. Using recent rigorous results on the quantum theory of homodyne detection observables, we show that any phase space observable, and not only the Q-function, can be obtained as a high amplitude limit of the signal observable actually measured by an eight-port homodyne detector. The proof of this fact does not involve any classicality assumption.

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arXiv2007

On the moment limit of quantum observables, with an application to the balanced homodyne detection

We consider the moment operators of the observable (i.e. a semispectral measure or POM) associated with the balanced homodyne detection statistics, with paying attention to the correct domains of these unbounded operators. We show that the high amplitude limit, when performed on the moment operators, actually determines uniquely the entire statistics of a rotated quadrature amplitude of the signal field, thereby verifying the usual assumption that the homodyne detection achieves a measurement of that observable. We also consider, in a general setting, the possibility of constructing a measurement of a single quantum observable from a sequence of observables by taking the limit on the level of moment operators of these observables. In this context, we show that under some natural conditions (each of which is satisfied by the homodyne detector example), the existence of the moment limits ensures that the underlying probability measures converge weakly to the probability measure of the limiting observable. The moment approach naturally requires that the observables be determined by their moment operator sequences (which does not automatically happen), and it turns out, in particular, that this is the case for the balanced homodyne detector.

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arXiv2006

Quantization and noiseless measurements

In accordance with the fact that quantum measurements are described in terms of positive operator measures (POMs), we consider certain aspects of a quantization scheme in which a classical variable $f:\R^2\to \R$ is associated with a unique positive operator measure (POM) $E^f$, which is not necessarily projection valued. The motivation for such a scheme comes from the well-known fact that due to the noise in a quantum measurement, the resulting outcome distribution is given by a POM and cannot, in general, be described in terms of a traditional observable, a selfadjoint operator. Accordingly, we notice that the noiseless measurements are the ones which are determined by a selfadjoint operator. The POM $E^f$ in our quantization is defined through its moment operators, which are required to be of the form $Γ(f^k)$, $k\in \N$, with $Γ$ a fixed map from classical variables to Hilbert space operators. In particular, we consider the quantization of classical \emph{questions}, that is, functions $f:\R^2\to\R$ taking only values 0 and 1. We compare two concrete realizations of the map $Γ$ in view of their ability to produce noiseless measurements: one being the Weyl map, and the other defined by using phase space probability distributions.

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arXiv2006

On infinite matrices, Schur products, and operator measures

Measures with values in the set of sesquilinear forms on a subspace of a Hilbert space are of interest in quantum mechanics, since they can be interpreted as observables with only a restricted set of possible measurement preparations. In this paper, we consider the question under which conditions such a measure extends to an operator valued measure, in the concrete setting where the measure is defined on the Borel sets of the interval $[0,2π)$ and is covariant with respect to shifts. In this case, the measure is characterized with a single infinite matrix, and it turns out that a basic sufficient condition for the extensibility is that the matrix be a Schur multiplier. Accordingly, we also study the connection between the extensibility problem and the theory of Schur multipliers. In particular, we define some new norms for Schur multipliers.

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arXiv2006

Notes on phase space quantization

We consider questions related to a quantization scheme in which a classical variable f:Ω\to R on a phase space Ωis associated with a semispectral measure E^f, such that the moment operators of E^f are required to be of the form Γ(f^k), with Γa suitable mapping from the set of classical variables to the set of (not necessarily bounded) operators in some Hilbert space. In particular, we investigate the situation where the map Γis implemented by the operator integral with respect to some fixed positive operator measure. The phase space Ωis first taken to be an abstract measurable space, then a locally compact unimodular group, and finally R^2, where we determine explicitly the relevant operators Γ(f^k) for certain variables f, in the case where the quantization map Γis implemented by a translation covariant positive operator measure. In addition, we consider the question under what conditions a positive operator measure is projection valued.

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arXiv2005

Normal covariant quantization maps

We consider questions related to quantizing complex valued functions defined on a locally compact topological group. In the case of bounded functions, we generalize R. Werner's approach to prove the characterization of the associated normal covariant quantization maps.

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arXiv2004

Moment operators of the Cartesian margins of the phase space observables

The theory of operator integrals is used to determine the moment operators of the Cartesian margins of the phase space observables generated by the mixtures of the number states. The moments of the $x$-margin are polynomials of the position operator and those of the $y$-margin are polynomials of the momentum operator.

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arXiv2004

Notes on coarse grainings and functions of observables

Using the Naimark dilation theory we investigate the question under what conditions an observable which is a coarse graining of another observable is a function of it. To this end, conditions for the separability and for the Boolean structure of an observable are given.

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arXiv2003

Covariant fuzzy observables and coarse-graining

A fuzzy observable is regarded as a smearing of a sharp observable, and the structure of covariant fuzzy observables is studied. It is shown that the covariant coarse-grainings of sharp observables are exactly the covariant fuzzy observables. A necessary and sufficient condition for a covariant fuzzy observable to be informationally equivalent to the corresponding sharp observable is given.

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arXiv2003

Noise and disturbance in quantum mechanics

The operational meaning of some measures of noise and disturbance in measurements is analyzed and their limitations are pointed out. The cases of minimal noise and least disturbance are characterized.

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arXiv2002

The norm-1-property of a quantum observable

A normalized positive operator measure $X\mapsto E(X)$ has the norm-1-property if $\no{E(X)}=1$ whenever $E(X)\ne O$. This property reflects the fact that the measurement outcome probabilities for the values of such observables can be made arbitrary close to one with suitable state preparations. Some general implications of the norm-1-property are investigated. As case studies, localization observables, phase observables, and phase space observables are considered.

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arXiv2002

Covariant phase difference observables

Covariant phase difference observables are determined in two different ways, by a direct computation and by a group theoretical method. A characterization of phase difference observables which can be expressed as difference of two phase observables is given. Classical limit of such phase difference observables are determined and the Pegg-Barnett phase difference distribution is obtained from the phase difference representation. The relation of Ban's theory to the covariant phase theories is exhibited.

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