We investigate the asymptotic relation between violations of the Mermin-Belinskii-Klyshko inequality and the entanglement distillability of multipartite entangled states, as the number of parties increases. We in particular consider noisy multiqubit GHZ and so-called Dür states in the Mermin-Belinskii-Klyshko inequality, and show that, in the asymptotic limit of the number of parties, the violation of the inequality implies the distillability in almost all bipartitions.

This note is an Addendum to our previous article [Phys. Rev. A 81, 053820 (2010)]. We show that under the assumption of a Bose-Einstein distribution for the thermal reservoir, zero-temperature properties of the entangled states considered there are not changed by heating, for temperatures up to the order of room temperatures. In this case, the system is dissipative in free space and presents stability for a small cavity, both for $T=0$ and for finite temperature.

Radiation in the range $187.5-215$ nm was generated via random quasi-phase-matched frequency doubling of femtosecond laser pulses in nonlinear photonic crystals of strontium tetraborate. A broad spectrum of fundamental radiation favors the probing of the nonlinear photonic crystal band structure. The red shift of the band structure upon the fundamental wave-vector rotation was observed. No principal limitations of the tuning range at its shorter wavelength boundary from the nonlinear photonic crystal (NPC) material are found. Calculation shows that the NPC structure enables enhancement of nonlinear generation in the vacuum ultraviolet.

Batle et al. [Phys. Rev. A 72, 032337 (2005)] and Borrás et al. [Phys. Rev. A 74, 022326 (2006)] studied the connection between entanglement and speed of quantum evolution for certain low-dimensional bipartite quantum states. However, their studies did not cover all possible cases. And the relation between entanglement and the maximum possible quantum evolution speed for these uncovered cases can be very different from the ones that they have studied.

Chau’s Comment deals with the properties exhibited by a particular set of two-qubit states in connection with entanglement and the quantum evolution of some low-dimensional composite systems. However, there is an important aspect of the previously mentioned two-qubit states and of the role they play in relation with the “speed” of quantum evolution that was not mentioned by Chau and deserves to be pointed out: for the two-qubit system under consideration, these states require the longest possible absolute time to evolve to an orthogonal state.

Leonhardt and Philbin [Phys. Rev. A 81, 011804(R) (2010)] have recently constructed a mathematical proof that the Maxwell's fish-eye lens provides perfect imaging of electromagnetic waves without negative refraction. In this comment, we argue that the unlimited resolution is an artifact of having introduced an unphysical drain at the position of the geometrical image. The correct solution gives focusing consistent with the standard diffraction limit.

Exact time-dependent solutions of Maxwell’s equations in Maxwell’s fish eye show that perfect imaging is not an artifact of a drain at the image, although a drain is required for subwavelength resolution.

Multilayers of fullerenes with and without endohedral Ar units, ${\mathrm{Ar@C}}_{60}$ and ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$, were investigated by photoemission and density-functional theory. The stoichiometry and the endohedral nature of Ar were checked by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron diffraction. Valence-band ultraviolet photoemission spectra showed a strong hybridization of the Ar $3$$p$ valence shell with the $6$$T_{1u}$ molecular orbital of ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$. A hybridization gap of $1.6$ $\pm$ $0.2$ eV was found. This is in agreement with density-functional theory, which predicts $1.47$ eV and indicates that ${\mathrm{Ar@C}}_{60}$ is a noble gas compound with a strong coupling between Ar and the ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ cage. No giant Ar photoemission cross section as previously predicted for the gas phase in Phys. Rev. Lett. 99 243003 (2007) was found.

We show that a persistent current flow in an atomic gas Bose-Einstein condensate could be realized when the system is subject to two counterpropagating Laguerre-Gaussian so-called doughnut beams, creating a toroidal trap. The theory is developed involving a two-photon process within three atomic levels leading to a quantized light-induced torque which rotates the atoms, generating an atomic current flow in the ring. We also show that it is possible for the torque to be controlled and even switched on and off by varying the frequencies of the incident light, thereby allowing a mechanism for the control of the current flow.

We study the orbits of two interacting particles described by a fully relativistic classical mechanical Hamiltonian. We use two sets of initial conditions. In the first set (dynamics 1) the system’s center of mass is at rest. In the second set (dynamics 2) the center of mass evolves with velocity $V$. If dynamics 1 is observed from a reference frame moving with velocity $-V$, the principle of relativity requires that all observables must be identical to those of dynamics 2 seen from the laboratory frame. Our numerical simulations demonstrate that kinematic Lorentz space-time transformations fail to transform particle observables between the two frames. This is explained as a result of the inevitable interaction dependence of the boost generator in the instant form of relativistic dynamics. Despite general inaccuracies of the Lorentz formulas, the orbital periods are correctly predicted by the Einstein’s time dilation factor for all interaction strengths.

We reconsider Baute et al.’s free crossing states [Phys. Rev. A 61, 022118 (2000)] and show that if we require a generalization in the interacting case that goes in complete parallel with the free-particle case, then this generalized crossing state cannot be arbitrary but is determined by the null space of the particle’s quantum time-of-arrival operator. Nonetheless, the free crossing states appear as the leading term in the asymptotic expansion of our generalized crossing state in the limit of large momentum. We then examine the quantum time-of-arrival problem of a spinless particle in a uniform gravitational field. Mass-dependent time-of-arrival probability distributions emerge, signifying quantum departures from the weak equivalence principle. However, in the classical limit of large mass and vanishing uncertainty in position, the mass dependence of the quantum time-of-arrival distribution becomes exponentially small and the mean quantum time of arrival reduces to the classical time of arrival.

In this paper we study the possibility of modifying the dynamics of both quantum correlations, such as entanglement and discord, and classical correlations of an open bipartite system by means of the quantum Zeno effect. We consider two qubits coupled to a common boson reservoir at zero temperature. This model describes, for example, two atoms interacting with a quantized mode of a lossy cavity. We show that when the frequencies of the two atoms are symmetrically detuned from that of the cavity mode, oscillations between the Zeno and anti-Zeno regimes occur. We also calculate analytically the time evolution of both classical correlations and quantum discord, and we compare the Zeno dynamics of entanglement with the Zeno dynamics of classical correlations and discord.

The quantum master equation obtained from two different thermodynamic arguments is seriously nonlinear. We argue that, for quantum systems, nonlinearity occurs naturally in the step from reversible to irreversible equations and we analyze the nature and consequences of the nonlinear contribution. The thermodynamic nonlinearity naturally leads to canonical equilibrium solutions and extends the range of validity to lower temperatures. We discuss the Markovian character of the thermodynamic quantum master equation and introduce a solution strategy based on coupled evolution equations for the eigenstates and eigenvalues of the density matrix. The general ideas are illustrated for the two-level system and for the damped harmonic oscillator. Several conceptual implications of the nonlinearity of the thermodynamic quantum master equation are pointed out, including the absence of a Heisenberg picture and the resulting difficulties with defining multitime correlations.

Quantum communication relies on optical implementations of channels, memories, and repeaters. In the absence of perfect devices, a minimum requirement on real-world devices is that they preserve quantum correlations, meaning that they have some throughput of a quantum-mechanical nature. Previous work has verified throughput in optical devices while using minimal resources. We extend this approach to the quantitative regime. Our method is illustrated in a setting where the input consists of two coherent states while the output is measured by two homodyne measurement settings.

We discuss a general treatment based on the mean field plus random-phase approximation (RPA) for the evaluation of subsystem entropies and negativities in ground states of spin systems. The approach leads to a tractable general method that becomes straightforward in translationally invariant arrays. The method is examined in arrays of arbitrary spin with $\mathit{XYZ}$ couplings of general range in a uniform transverse field, where the RPA around both the normal and parity-breaking mean-field state, together with parity-restoration effects, is discussed in detail. In the case of a uniformly connected $\mathit{XYZ}$ array of arbitrary size, the method is shown to provide simple analytic expressions for the entanglement entropy of any global bipartition, as well as for the negativity between any two subsystems, which become exact for large spin. The limit case of a spin $s$ pair is also discussed.

Motivated by some recent results of quantum control theory, we discuss the feasibility of local operator control in arrays of interacting qubits modeled as isotropic Heisenberg spin chains. Acting on one of the end spins, we aim at finding piecewise-constant control pulses that lead to optimal fidelities for a chosen set of quantum gates. We analyze the robustness of the obtained results for the gate fidelities to random errors in the control fields, finding that with faster switching between piecewise-constant controls the system is less susceptible to these errors. The observed behavior falls into a generic class of physical phenomena that are related to a competition between resonance- and relaxation-type behavior, exemplified by motional narrowing in NMR experiments. Finally, we discuss how the obtained optimal gate fidelities are altered when the corresponding rapidly varying piecewise-constant control fields are smoothened through spectral filtering.

In classical problem solving, there is, of course, correlation between the selection of the problem on the part of Bob (the problem setter) and that of the solution on the part of Alice (the problem solver). In quantum problem solving, this correlation becomes quantum. This means that Alice contributes to selecting $50\%$ of the information that specifies the problem. As the solution is a function of the problem, this gives to Alice advanced knowledge of $50\%$ of the information that specifies the solution. Both the quadratic and exponential speed-ups are explained by the fact that quantum algorithms start from this advanced knowledge.

The dynamical generation of entanglement in closed bipartite systems is investigated in the semiclassical regime. We consider a model of two particles, initially prepared in a product of coherent states, evolving in time according to a generic Hamiltonian, and derive a formula for the linear entropy of the reduced density matrix using the semiclassical propagator in the coherent-state representation. The formula is explicitly written in terms of quantities that define the stability of classical trajectories of the underlying classical system. The formalism is then applied to the problem of two nonlinearly coupled harmonic oscillators, and the result is shown to be in remarkable agreement with the exact quantum measure of entanglement in the short-time regime. An important by-product of our approach is a unified semiclassical formula, which contemplates both the coherent-state propagator and its complex conjugate.

We propose a practical algorithm for the calculation of the relative entropy of entanglement (REE), defined as the minimum relative entropy between a state and the set of states with positive partial transpose. Our algorithm is based on a practical semidefinite cutting plane approach. In low dimensions the implementation of the algorithm in matlab provides an estimation for the REE with an absolute error smaller than ${10}^{-3}$.