Promotion of quantum theory from a theory of measurement to a theory of reality requires an unambiguous specification of the ensemble of realizable states (and each state's probability of realization). Although not yet achieved within the framework of standard quantum theory, it has been achieved within the framework of the Continuous Spontaneous Localization (CSL) wave function collapse model. In this paper, I consider a previously presented model, which is predictively equivalent to CSL. In this Completely Quantized Collapse (CQC) model, the classical random field which causes collapse in CSL is quantized. The ensemble of realizable states is described by a single state vector, the "ensemble vector," the sum of the direct product of an eigenstate of the quantized field and the CSL state corresponding to that eigenstate. Using this description, a long standing problem is resolved: it is shown how to define energy of the random field and its energy of interaction with particles so that total energy is conserved for the ensemble of realizable states. As a byproduct, since the random field energy spectrum is unbounded, its canonical conjugate, a self-adjoint time operator, is discussed. Finally, CSL is a phenomenological description, whose connection to, or derivation from, more conventional physics has not yet appeared. We suggest that, because CQC is fully quantized, it is a natural framework for replacement of the classical field of CSL by a quantized physical entity. Two illustrative examples are given.
The continuous spontaneous localization (CSL) theory of dynamical wave function collapse is an experimentally testable alternative to non-relativistic quantum mechanics. In it, collapse occurs because particles interact with a classical random field. However, particles gain energy from this field, i.e., particle energy is not conserved. Recently, it has been shown how to construct a theory dubbed "completely quantized collapse" (CQC) which is predictively equivalent to CSL. In CQC, a quantized random field is introduced, and CSL's classical random field becomes its eigenvalue. In CQC, energy i…
We study the diffraction of quantum degenerate fermionic atoms off of quantized light fields in an optical cavity. We compare the case of a linear cavity with standing wave modes to that of a ring cavity with two counter-propagating traveling wave modes. It is found that the dynamics of the atoms strongly depends on the quantization procedure for the cavity field. For standing waves, no correlations develop between the cavity field and the atoms. Consequently, standing wave Fock states yield the same results as a classical standing wave field while coherent states give rise to a collapse and r…
Using as a testbed the recently proposed "gravcat" experimental scheme in [1], we compare the properties of gravitational cat states in three descriptions: (1) canonical quantum theory (CQT) combined with the Newtonian limit of GR, (2) objective collapse theories (OCTs) extended to the regime of semiclassical Newtonian gravity, and (3) OCTs extended to incorporate quantized Newtonian gravity. For the CQT approach, we follow the treatment of Hu and Anastopoulos in [2]. For the OCTs, we consider the GRW, CSL, DP, and Karolyhazy theories, based on the semiclassical approaches of Derakhshani [3] a…
We study the atom-field interaction when the field is in a mixture of coherent states. We show that in this case it is possible to calculate analytically the field entropy for times of the order of twice the collapse time. Such analytical results are done with the help of numerical analysis.
We present a simple calculation leading to the quantum gravitationally-induced decoherence of a spatial superposition of a massive object in the linear coupling regime. The point of this calculation is to illustrate that the gravitationally-induced collapse could be of the same origin as any other collapse, i.e. due to the entanglement between the system (here a massive object) and its environment (in this case gravity, but it could well be the electromagnetic or any other field). We then point out that, in some cases, one has to be careful when concluding that matter-wave interference of larg…
We study the exact solutions of the cascade three-level atom interacting with a single mode classical and quantized field with different initial conditions of the atom. For the semiclassical model, it is found that if the atom is initially in the middle level, the time dependent populations of the upper and lower levels are always equal. This dynamical symmetry exhibited by the classical field is spoiled on quantization of the field mode. To reveal this nonclassical effect an Euler matrix formalism is developed to solve the dressed states of the cascade Jaynes-Cummings model (JCM). Possible mo…
In this paper we study the interaction between two-level atom and quantized single-mode field, namely, Jaynes-Cummings model (JCM). The field and the atom are initially prepared in the binomial state and the excited atomic state, respectively. For this system we prove that the revival-collapse phenomenon exhibited in the atomic inversion of the standard JCM can be numerically (naturally) manifested in the evolution of the squeezing factor of the three-photon (standard) JCM provided that the initial photon-number distribution of the radiation has a smooth envelope.
We study the dynamics of the Jaynes-Cummings Model for an array of $N_q$ two level systems (or qubits) interacting with a quantized single mode electromagnetic cavity (or quantum bus). For an initial cavity coherent state $| α>$ and the qubit system in a specified `basin of attraction' in its Hilbert space, we demonstrate the oscillation of a superposition of two macroscopic quantum states between the qubit system and the field mode. From the perspective of either the qubit or the field system, there is collapse and revival of a `Schrödinger Cat' state.
We study the scattering of the quantized electromagnetic field from a linear, dispersive dielectric using the scattering formalism for quantum fields. The medium is modeled as a collection of harmonic oscillators with a number of distinct resonance frequencies. This model corresponds to the Sellmeir expansion, which is widely used to describe experimental data for real dispersive media. The integral equation for the interpolating field in terms of the in field is solved and the solution used to find the out field. The relation between the in and out creation and annihilation operators is found…
It is emphasized that the collapse postulate of standard quantum theory can violate conservation of energy-momentum and there is no indication from where the energy-momentum comes or to where it goes. Likewise, in the Continuous Spontaneous Localization (CSL) dynamical collapse model, particles gain energy on average. In CSL, the usual Schrödinger dynamics is altered so that a randomly fluctuating classical field interacts with quantized particles to cause wavefunction collapse. In this paper it is shown how to define energy for the classical field so that the average value of the energy of th…
A brief review is given of the Continuous Spontaneous Localization (CSL) model in which a classical field interacts with quantized particles to cause dynamical wavefunction collapse. One of the model's predictions is that particles "spontaneously" gain energy at a slow rate. When applied to the excitation of a nucleon in a Ge nucleus, it is shown how a limit on the relative collapse rates of neutron and proton could be obtained, and a rough estimate is made from data. When applied to the spontaneous excitation of 1s electrons in Ge, by a more detailed analysis of more accurate data than previo…
I explore the possibility that a quantum system S may be described completely by the combination of its standard quantum state $|ψ\rangle$ and a (hidden) quantum state $|ϕ\rangle$ (that lives in the same Hilbert space), such that the outcome of any standard projective measurement on the system S is determined once the two quantum states are specified. I construct an algorithm that retrieves the standard quantum-mechanical probabilities, which depend only on $|ψ\rangle$, by assuming that the (hidden) quantum state $|ϕ\rangle$ is drawn at random from some fixed probability distribution Pr(.) and…
A time-dependent completely integrable Hamiltonian system is quantized with respect to time-dependent action-angle variables near an instantly compact regular invariant manifold. Its Hamiltonian depends only on action variables, and has a time-independent countable energy spectrum.
We consider multiphoton dynamics of a quantum system composed of a three-state atom (a qutrit) and a single-mode photonic field in the ultrastrong and deep strong coupling regimes, when the coupling strength is comparable to or larger than the oscillator energy scale. We assume a qutrit to be in a polar-$Λ$ configuration in which two lower levels have mean dipole moments. Direct multiphoton resonant transitions revealing generalized Rabi oscillations, collapse, and revivals in atomic excitation probabilities for the ultrastrong couplings are studied. In the deep strong coupling regime particul…
We examine the entanglement between two qubits, supposed to be remotely located and driven by independent quantized optical fields. No interaction is allowed between the qubits, but their degree of entanglement changes as a function of time. We report a collapse and revival of entanglement that is similar to the collapse and revival of single-atom properties in cavity QED.
We study quantum dynamics of many-qubit systems strongly coupled to a quantized electromagnetic cavity mode, in the presence of decoherence and dissipation for both fermions and cavity photons. The analytic solutions are derived for a broad class of open quantum systems in Lindblad approximation. They include identical qubits, an ensemble of qubits with a broad distribution of transition frequencies, and multi-level electron systems. Compact analytic solutions for time-dependent quantum state amplitudes and observables become possible with the use of the stochastic equation of evolution for th…
A diffusive stochastic Schrödinger equation (SSE) is shown for the first time, such that contributes to a non-completely positive dynamics. This contradicts to a recent Letter [arXiv:1303.4284] claiming that SSEs, under most general conditions, enforce complete-positivity. The general form and parametrization of the SSE in the Letter is different from an alternative simpler result, the difference is shown to be completely redundant because of the gauge-freedom of the state vector's phase.
The relativistic quantum dynamics of an electron in an intense single-mode quantized electromagnetic field is investigated with special emphasis on the spin degree of freedom. In addition to fast spin oscillations at the laser frequency, a second time scale is identified due to the intensity dependent emissions and absorptions of field quanta. In analogy to the well-known phenomenon in atoms at moderate laser intensity, we put forward the conditions of collapses and revivals for the spin evolution in laser-driven electrons starting at feasible $10^{18}$ W/cm$^2$.
We study the effects of continuous measurement of the field mode during the collapse and revival of spin Schrödinger cat states in the Tavis-Cummings model of N qubits (two-level quantum systems) coupled to a field mode. We show that a compromise between relatively weak and relatively strong continuous measurement will not completely destroy the collapse and revival dynamics while still providing enough signal-to-noise resolution to identify the signatures of the process in the measurement record. This type of measurement would in principle allow the verification of the occurrence of the colla…
The quantum Rabi model describes the ultrastrong interaction of a two-level atom coupled to a single quantized bosonic mode. As compared to the Jaynes-Cummings model, in the Rabi model the absorption and emission processes do not need to satisfy energy conservation and the usual rotating wave approximation (RWA) breaks down. As a result, the atom-field dynamics in the Hilbert space splits into two independent parity chains, exhibiting a collapse-revival pattern and exact periodic dynamics in the limit of degenerate atomic levels. Here we introduce a mixed Rabi Jaynes-Cummings model by consider…
We study linear and nonlinear optical properties of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) medium interacting with two quantized laser fields for adiabatic EIT case. We show that EIT medium exhibits normal dispersion. Kerr and higher order nonlinear refractive-index coefficients are also calculated in a completely analytical form. It is indicated that EIT medium exhibits giant resonantly enhanced nonlinearities. We discuss the response of the EIT medium to nonclassical light fields and find that the polarization vanishes when the probe laser is initially in a nonclassical state of no s…
We systematically study the interaction between two quantized optical fields and a cyclic atomic ensemble driven by a classic optical field. This so-called atomic cyclic ensemble consists of three-level atoms with Delta-type transitions due to the symmetry breaking, which can also be implemented in the superconducting quantum circuit by Yu-xi Liu et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 087001 (2005)]. We explore the dynamic mechanisms to creating the quantum entanglements among photon states, and between photons and atomic collective excitations by the coherent manipulation of the atom-photon system. It …
The interaction of matter with a quantized electromagnetic mode is considered. Representing a strong exciting field, the mode is assumed to contain a large number of photons. As a result, the material response is highly nonlinear: the completely quantized description results in generation of high harmonics. In order to understand the essence of the physical processes that are involved, we consider a finite dimensional model for the material system. Using an appropriate description in phase space, this approach leads to a transparent picture showing that the interaction splits the initial, exci…
We first consider the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) paradox for the system of two particles with spin 1/2 with entangled spins in first-quantized quantum mechanics (QM). If measurement is governed by wavefunction collapse, then gedanken experiments show that a number of fundamental principles including conservation of angular momentum and the Heisenberg uncertainty principle can be violated. We conclude that the collapse of the spin part of the wavefunction cannot happen and therefore an EPR paradox does not arise for this system. QM unitarity alone is sufficient to rule out "spooky" action at…
