dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaQuantum coherence: myth or fact?
| Authors | Kae Nemoto, Samuel L. Braunstein |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | quant-ph/0312108 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0312108 |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.physleta.2004.10.061 |
Abstract
It has recently been argued that the inability to measure the absolute phase of an electromagnetic field prohibits the representation of a laser's output as a quantum optical coherent state. This argument has generally been considered technically correct but conceptually disturbing. Indeed, it would seem to place in question the very concept of the coherent state. Here we show that this argument fails to take into account a fundamental principle that not only re-admits the coherent state as legitimate, but formalizes a fundamental concept about model building in general, and in quantum mechanics in particular.
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"abstract": "It has recently been argued that the inability to measure the absolute phase\nof an electromagnetic field prohibits the representation of a laser\u0027s output as\na quantum optical coherent state. This argument has generally been considered\ntechnically correct but conceptually disturbing. Indeed, it would seem to place\nin question the very concept of the coherent state. Here we show that this\nargument fails to take into account a fundamental principle that not only\nre-admits the coherent state as legitimate, but formalizes a fundamental\nconcept about model building in general, and in quantum mechanics in\nparticular.",
"arxiv_id": "quant-ph/0312108",
"authors": [
"Kae Nemoto",
"Samuel L. Braunstein"
],
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"quant-ph"
],
"doi": "10.1016/j.physleta.2004.10.061",
"title": "Quantum coherence: myth or fact?",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0312108"
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