Quantum Mechanics at the Crossroads - New Perspectives from History, Philosophy and Physics

Preface

Contents

List of Contributors

1 Introduction: Contexts and Challenges for Quantum Mechanics

1.1 Periodization of Quantum Mechanics

1.2 Determinism, Entanglement, Locality, and the Quantum – Classical Divide

1.3 Quantum Mechanics in the Baroque Age

References

2 Max Planck’s compromises on the way to and from the Absolute

2.1 Scientific

2.2 Personal

References

3 Atomic Waves in Private Practice

3.1 Family Life

3.2 The Modern World

3.3 Sibling Partnership

3.4 Benefits of War

3.5 Industry

3.6 Physique Redux

3.7 X-Ray Photoeffect

3.8 Relativistic Revelation

3.9 Matter Waves

3.10 Sinuous Legacy

Acknowledgements

References

4 A Complementary Opposition: Louis de Broglie and Werner Heisenberg

References

5 Schrödinger Against Particles and Quantum Jumps

Introduction

5.1 Dispensing with Particles

5.2 Getting Rid of Quantum Jumps

Conclusion

References

6 Aspects of Nonlocality in Quantum Mechanics

6.1 Introduction

6.2 The Superposition Principle and Entangled States

6.3 Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen (EPR)

6.4 A Generalized Version of Bell’s Theorem

6.5 Experimental Tests of Bell’s Inequality

6.6 What Kind of Nonlocality is Implied by a Violation of Bell’s Inequality?

6.7 The Need for a Deeper Physics

References

7 Decoherence and the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Basics of Decoherence

7.3 Decoherence and the Measurement Problem

7.4 Resolution into Subsystems and the Closed-Universe Objection

7.5 Decoherence and Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics

7.6 Outlook

References

8 What Are Consistent Histories?

8.1 Introduction

8.2 How Does a System Get from a to b?

8.3 Testing for Consistent Histories

8.4 Conclusion

References

9 Bose–Einstein Condensation: Identity Crisis for Indistinguishable Particles

9.1 The Phenomenon of Bose–Einstein Condensation

9.2 How to Count Classical and Quantum Particles

9.3 Bose–Einstein Statistics and Planck’s Black-Body Spectrum

9.4 Why Photons Don’t Condense

9.5 Bose–Einstein Condensation and Entropy

9.6 Absolute Indistinguishability

9.7 Some Historical Remarks

9.8 What are the Conditions for Observing Bose – Einstein Condensation?

9.9 How to Cool to Bose–Einstein Condensation

9.10 Observation of Bose –Einstein Condensation

9.11 A Bose–Einstein Condensate Has a Macroscopic Wavefunction

9.12 Atom Lasers and Atom Amplification

9.13 Outlook

Acknowledgments

References

10 Quantum Fluctuations of Light: A Modern Perspective on Wave/ Particle Duality

10.1 Introduction

10.2 A Criterion for Nonclassicality

10.3 Light Sources and Their Fluctuations

10.4 Photon Antibunching: A Probe of Particle Fluctuations

10.5 Quadrature Squeezing: A Probe of Wave Fluctuations

10.6 Wave –Particle Correlations

10.7 A Concluding Comment

References

11 Quantum Entanglement as a Resource for Communication

11.1 What is Entanglement?

11.2 Entanglement in Communication

11.3 A Teleportation Experiment

11.4 Conclusion

References

12 The Three Cases of Doctor von Neumann

12.1 Setting the Stage

12.2 Von Neumann’s Three Enigmas

12.3 Three Lines of Investigation

12.4 The Last Chapter

References

About the Authors

Index