Related papers: When are quantum systems operationally independent…
We consider the links between consistent and approximate descriptions of the quantum-classical systems, i.e. systems are composed of two interacting subsystems, one of which behaves almost classically while the other requires a quantum…
The main features of quantum computing are described in the framework of spin resonance methods. Stress is put on the fact that quantum computing is in itself nothing but a re-interpretation (fruitful indeed) of well-known concepts. The…
If the block universe view is correct, the future and the past have similar status and one would expect physical theories to involve final as well as initial boundary conditions. A plausible consistency condition between the initial and…
The biological hierarchy and the differences between living and non-living systems are considered from the standpoint of quantum mechanics. The hierarchical organization of biological systems requires hierarchical organization of quantum…
The description of an open quantum system's decay almost always requires several approximations as to remain tractable. Here, we first revisit the meaning, domain and seeming contradictions of a few of the most widely used of such…
This work explores the connection between logical independence and the algebraic structure of quantum mechanics. Building on results by Brukner et al., it introduces the notion of \textit{onto-epistemic ignorance}: situations in which the…
Does information play a significant role in the foundations of physics? Information is the abstraction that allows us to refer to the states of systems when we choose to ignore the systems themselves. This is only possible in very…
Assuming the validity of the equivalence principle in the quantum regime, we argue that one of the assumptions of the usual definition of quantum mechanics, namely separation between the ``classical'' detector and the ``quantum'' system,…
In this work, we present a logical formalism for reasoning about quantum systems in finite dimension. Contrary to the usual approach in quantum logic, our formalism is based classical first-order logic, which allows us to use the tools of…
In this work we present a re-evaluation of the concept of time in non-relativistic quantum theory. We suggest a formalism in which time is changed into the status of an operator, and where expectation values of observables and the state of…
We present a unifying framework to the understanding of when and how quantum mechanical systems become independent of their initial conditions and adapt macroscopic properties (like temperature) of the environment.By viewing this problem…
If Nature allowed nonlocal correlations other than those predicted by quantum mechanics, would that contradict some physical principle? Various approaches have been put forward in the past two decades in an attempt to single out quantum…
The theory of decoherent histories allows one to talk of the behavior of quantum systems in the absence of measurement. This paper generalizes the idea of decoherent histories to arbitrary open system operations and proposes experimentally…
Processes such as quantum computation, or the evolution of quantum cellular automata are typically described by a unitary operation implemented by an external observer. In particular, an interaction is generally turned on for a precise…
Quantum computers take advantage of interfering quantum alternatives in order to handle problems that might be too time consuming with algorithms based on classical logic. Developing quantum computers requires new ways of thinking beyond…
The aim of this paper is to explain carefully the arguments behind the assertion that the correct quantum theory of gravity must be background independent. We begin by recounting how the debate over whether quantum gravity must be…
Heat and work are fundamental concepts for thermodynamical systems. When these are scaled down to the quantum level they require appropriate embeddings. Here we show that the dependence of the particle spectrum on system size giving rise to…
The subject of controlling quantum systems is not new, but concepts that have been introduced in the last decade and a half, especially that of coherent feedback, suggest new questions that broaden and deepen the field. Here we provide a…
Accurately describing work extraction from a quantum system is a central objective for the extension of thermodynamics to individual quantum systems. The concepts of work and heat are surprisingly subtle when generalizations are made to…
The state of a quantum system, consisting of two distinct subsystems, is called separable if it can be prepared by two distant experimenters who receive instructions from a common source, via classical communication channels. A necessary…