arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Partha Ghose.
Using a nonlinear Schrödinger equation for the wave function of all systems, continuous transitions between quantum and classical motions are demonstrated for (i) the double-slit set up, (ii) the 2D harmonic oscillator and (iii) the hydrogen-like atom, all of which are of empirical interest.
Some consequences of a fully classical unified theory of gravity and electromagnetism are worked out for the electromagnetic sector such as the occurrence of classical light beams with spin and orbital angular momenta that are topologically quantized in units of $q_e q_m=σ$, independent of the beam size. Empirical fits require $σ= \hbar$. The theory also predicts a generalized coherency matrix whose consequences are testable.
The phenomenological consequences of unification of Einstein gravity and electromagnetism in an early phase of a Machian universe with a very small and uniform electrical charge density $ρ_q$ are explored. A form of the Strong Equivalence Principle for unified electrogravity is first formulated, and it immediately leads to (i) the empirical Schuster-Blackett law relating the magnetic moments and angular momenta of neutral astronomical bodies, (ii) an analogous relation between the linear acceleration of neutral massive bodies and associated electric fields, (iii) gravitational lensing in excess of Einstein gravity, and, with the additional assumption of scaling, to (iv) the Wesson relation between the angular momentum and the square of the mass of astronomical bodies. Incorporation of Sciama's version of Mach's principle leads to a new post-Newtonian dynamics (in the weak field limit of gravity alone without electromagnetism) that predicts flat rotation curves of galaxies without the need of dark matter haloes. Finally, it is shown that the unified theory with a broken symmetry predicts a flat expanding universe with a cosmological term intimately related to electrogravity unification, and can explain WMAP data with a single free parameter. WMAP data require $ρ_q =6.1\times 10^{-43}$ C/cc which is too small to be detected at
The main purpose of this paper is to review the progress that has taken place so far in the search for a single unifying principle that harmonizes (i) the wave and particle natures of matter and radiation, both at the quantum and the classical levels, on the one hand and (ii) the classical and quantum theories of matter and radiation on the other hand. The famous paradoxes of quantum theory, the mysterious nature of measurements in quantum theory and the principal no-go theorems for hidden variables are first briefly reviewed. The Koopman-von Neumann Hilbert space theory based on complex wave functions underlying particle trajectories in classical phase space, is an important step forward in that direction. It provides a clear and beautiful harmony of classical waves and particles. Sudarshan has given an alternative but equivalent formulation that shows that classical mechanics can be regarded as a quantum theory with essentially hidden non-commuting variables. An extension of KvNS theory to classical electrodynamics provides a sound Hilbert space foundation to it and satisfactorily accounts for entanglement and Bell-CHSH-like violations already observed in classical polarization optics. An important new insight that has been obtained through these developments is that entanglement and Bell-like inequality violations are neither unique signatures of quantumness nor of non-locality---they are rather signatures of non-separability. Finally, Sudarshan's proposed solution to the measurement problem using KvNS theory for the measuring apparatus is sketched to show to what extent wave and particles can be harmonized in quantum theory.
An overview is given of the nature of the quantum mechanical wave function.
Classical electrodynamics is reformulated in terms of wave functions in the classical phase space of electrodynamics, following the Koopman-von Neumann-Sudarshan prescription for classical mechanics on Hilbert spaces {\em sans} the superselection rule which prohibits interference effects in classical mechanics. This is accomplished by transforming from a set of commuting observables in one Hilbert space to another set of commuting observables in a larger Hilbert space. This is necessary to clarify the theoretical basis of much recent work on quantum-like features exhibited by classical optics. Furthermore, following Bondar et al ({\em Phys.Rev. A} {\bf 88}, 052108, (2013)), it is pointed out that quantum processes that preserve the positivity or nonpositivity of the Wigner function can be implemented by classical optics. This may be useful in interpreting quantum information processing in terms of classical optics.
We first prove that ontological models of the quantum state which are capable of reproducing the Born probability rule and fall in the class of $ψ$-epistemic models are inconsistent with the Sch{ö}dinger time evolution. We then model the ontic state space as a complex projective Hilbert space that embeds the projective Hilbert space of quantum mechanics and define a minimalist epistemic state as an average over a set of "hidden states" in the larger space. We show that such a model incorporates probability amplitudes and admits an epistemic interpretation of quantum states. Finally, we prove a second theorem to show that such a model is compatible with locality but ontic models are not.
An experiment is proposed to show that after initial frequency and polarization selection, classical thermal light from two independent sources can be made path-polarization entangled. Such light will show new intensity-intensity correlations involving both path and polarization phases, formally similar to those for four-particle GHZ states. For fixed polarization phases, the correlations reduce to the Hanbury Brown-Twiss phase correlations. It is also shown that these classical correlations violate noncontextuality.
A new criterion, based on noncontextuality, is derived to discriminate between separable and nonseparable states in classical wave optics where no discreteness is involved. An experiment is proposed to test the violation of noncontextuality by a nonseparable state. Such states have only recently begun to be explored. The significance of their nonseparability or entanglement as well as their similarities with and differences from entangled quantum states are discussed.
The emerging field of entanglement or nonseparability in classical optics is reviewed, and its similarities with and differences from quantum entanglement clearly pointed out through a recapitulation of Hilbert spaces in general, the special restrictions on Hilbert spaces imposed in quantum mechanics and the role of Hilbert spaces in classical polarization optics. The production of Bell-like states in classical polarization optics is discussed, and new theorems are proved to discriminate between separable and nonseparable states in classical wave optics where no discreteness is involved. The influence of the Pancharatnam phase on a classical Bell-like state is deived. Finally, to what extent classical polarization optics can be used to simulate quantum information processing tasks is also discussed. This should be of great practical importance because coherence and entanglement are robust in classical optics but not in quantum systems.
The Hilbert space structure of classical field theory is proposed as a general theoretical framework to model human cognitive processes which do not often follow classical (Bayesian) probability principles. This leads to an extension of the circumplex model of affect and a Poincaré sphere representation. A specific toy field theoretic model of the brain as a coherent structure in the presence of noise is also proposed that agrees qualitatively with Pavlovian fear conditioning studies.
A method is proposed for generating and discriminating Bell states of high fidelity from consecutive single-photons generated in a semiconductor quantum dot. The use of a non-symmetric beam splitter is found to be essential and sufficient, and no nonlinear optical process such as SPDC is required at any stage. This should be of considerable importance for testing the foundations of quantum mechanics.
It has been proposed that measurement in quantum mechanics results from spontaneous breaking of a symmetry of the measuring apparatus and could be a unitary process that preserves coherence. Viewed in this manner, it is argued, non-destructive measurements should preserve this coherence and be reversible. It is shown that experiments with maximally entangled bipartite states can indeed distinguish between projective and unitary measurements.
It is shown that having degenerate ground states over the domain of the wavefunction of a system is a sufficient condition for a quantum system to act as a measuring apparatus for the system. Measurements are then instances of spontaneous symmetry breaking to one of these ground states, induced by environmental perturbations. Together with non-Boolean holism this constitutes an optimal formulation of quantum mechanics that does not imply non-locality.
A critical re-examination of the double-slit experiment and its variants is presented to clarify the nature of what Feynmann called the ``central mystery'' and the ``only mystery'' of quantum mechanics, leading to an interpretation of complementarity in which a `wave {\em and} particle' description rather than a `wave {\em or} particle' description is valid for the {\em same} experimental set up, with the wave culminating in the particle sequentially in time. This interpretation is different from Bohr's but is consistent with the von Neumann formulation as well as some more recent interpretations of quantum mechanics.
A simple non-interferometric "quantum interrogation" method is proposed which uses evanescent wave sensing with frustrated total internal reflection on a surface. The simple method has the advantage over the original interferometric Elitzur-Vaidman method of being able to detect objects that are neither black nor non-diffracting and that are such that they cannot be introduced into an arm of an interferometer for whatever reason (e.g. its size, sensitivity, etc.). The method is intrinsically of high efficiency.
The mutual interaction of a relativistic particle and gravitoelectromagnetism (GEM) is studied both classically and quantum theoretically.
A formal symmetry between generalized coordinates and momenta is postulated to formulate classical and quantum theories of a particle coupled to an Abelian gauge field. It is shown that the symmetry (a) requires the field to have dynamic degrees of freedom and to be a connection in a non-flat space-time manifold, and (b) leads to a quantum theory free of the measurement problem. It is speculated that gravitomagnetism could be a possible source of the gauge field.