Related papers: Fermi and the Elucidation of Matter
The gap between classical mechanics and quantum mechanics has an important interpretive implication: the Universe must have an irreducible fundamental level, which determines the properties of matter at higher levels of organization. We…
In this work we revisit the famous Fermi two-atom problem, which concerns how relativistic causality impacts atomic transition probabilities, using the tools from relativistic quantum information (RQI) and algebraic quantum field theory…
We present a full quantum mechanical three dimensional theory describing an electromagnetic field interacting with an ensemble of identical atoms. The theory is constructed such that it describes recent experiments on light-matter quantum…
Feynman gave a famous elementary introduction to quantum theory by discussing the thin-film reflection of light. We make his discussion mathematically rigorous, keeping it elementary, using his other idea. The resulting model leads to…
A unified framework, which is directly established on the quantum ground, is proposed for elementary physical entities, called \emph{modes} in this paper. The framework is mainly built upon five basic assumptions, which loosely speaking…
Classical, Quantum, Relativistic and Statistical: the four branches of mechanics. However, the Quattro Donna of Physics disagree even about the entities that are supposed to be fundamental, such as space, matter and time. In order to search…
We generalize the formerly proposed relationship between a special complex geometry (originating from the structure of biquaternion algebra) and induced real geometry of (extended) space-time. The primordial dynamics in complex space allows…
It is widely accepted that the Everett's (or "many-worlds") interpretation of quantum mechanics is the only one which is appropriate for quantum cosmology because no environment may exist for Universe as a whole. We discuss, in the…
Einstein's special theory of relativity starts with assumptions about how observations conducted in relatively moving inertial frames must compare. From these assumptions, conclusions can be drawn regarding the laws of physics in any one…
"All men by nature desire to know," states Aristotle in the famous first sentence of his Metaphysics. Knowledge about fundamental particles and interactions, that is, knowledge about the deepest aspects of matter, is certainly high if not…
To understand the foundations of quantum mechanics, we have to think carefully about how theoretical concepts are rooted in -- and limited by -- the nature of experience, as Bohr attempted to show. Geometrical pictures of physical phenomena…
We introduce a qubit-based version of the quantum switch, consisting in a variation of the Fermi problem. Two qubits start in a superposition state where one qubit is excited and the other in the ground state, but it is undefined which is…
One of the traditional ways of introducing bosons and fermions is through creation-annihilation algebras. Historically, these have been associated with emission and absorption processes at the quantum level and are characteristic of the…
General relativity describes the gravitational field geometrically and in a self-interacting way because it couples to all forms of energy, including its own. Both features make finding a quantum theory difficult, yet it is important in the…
Fermions are the building blocks of matter, forming atoms and nuclei, complex materials and neutron stars. Our understanding of many-fermion systems is however limited, as classical computers are often insufficient to handle the intricate…
We study the possible decay of a coherently oscillating scalar field, interpreted as dark matter, into light fermions. Specifically, we consider a scalar field with sub-eV mass decaying into a Fermi sea of neutrinos. We recognize the…
We stress the notion of statistical experiment, which is mandatory for quantum mechanics, and recall Ludwig's foundation of quantum mechanics, which provides the most general framework to deal with statistical experiments giving evidence…
In recent years, a change in attitude in particle physics has led to our understanding current quantum field theories as effective field theories (EFTs). The present paper is concerned with the significance of this EFT approach, especially…
We consider the problem of quantum behavior in the finite background. Introduction of continuum or other infinities into physics leads only to technical complications without any need for them in description of empirical observations. The…
In this article a notion of information is presented which stresses the contextuality of quantum objects and their measurement. Mathematically this is reached by a quantification of the quantum mechanical surplus knowledge which has been…