Foundations of quantum mechanics : from photons to quantum computers

Quantum computers are the proposed centerpieces of a revolutionary, 21st century quantum information technology. Ideal for undergraduate and graduate courses in modern quantum physics, Foundations of Quantum Mechanics: From Photons to Quantum Computers takes the reader into the fascinating world of quantum mechanics and continues on an in-depth study of quantum information and quantum computing, including an entire chapter on the future of quantum technology. This accessible text with modern applications focuses on what is "quantum" about quantum mechanics; topics discussed include the EPR paradox, entanglement, teleportation, Bell's Theorem, quantum computing, and code-breaking with quantum computers.

Reviews 1

Choice Review

Blumel (Wesleyan Univ.) has written a very readable review of quantum mechanics for undergraduate students. His book has a dual focus: to provide an in-depth understanding of the aspects of quantum mechanics that have no classical analogue, and to review up-to-date applications of quantum mechanics in the field of quantum information processing. For the nonclassical aspects, which are so difficult for undergraduate students to grasp, the author succeeds in finding compelling ways to explain the material. These aspects include wave-particle duality, the act of measurement in quantum mechanics, and quantum entanglement. This is followed by a clear and detailed explanation of quantum information processing, and accounts for a substantial fraction of the book (five of the twelve chapters). These chapters culminate in an interesting account of the experimental realization of an ion-trap quantum computer. This is not the book one would choose to learn how to calculate in quantum mechanics, although most of the pertinent material to this end is contained in chapter 3. However, Blumel does achieve his goal of offering insight into the peculiar principles at the heart of quantum mechanics and their modern-day applications. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through graduate students. P. Oxley The College of the Holy Cross

Preface	p. ix
1 Photons	p. 1
1.1 Introduction	p. 1
1.2 Young's Double-Slit Experiment	p. 2
1.3 Photoelectric Effect: Einstein's Quanta	p. 10
1.4 Experiment of Aspect and Collaborators	p. 13
1.5 Properties of the Photon	p. 18
1.6 Summary	p. 22
Chapter Review Exercises	p. 22
2 Wave-Particle Duality	p. 25
2.1 Introduction	p. 25
2.2 A Diffraction Experiment with Photons	p. 26
2.3 Young's Double-Slit Experiment Revisited	p. 29
2.4 Three Rules of Quantum Mechanics	p. 34
2.5 Two-Slit Which-Way Experiment	p. 37
2.6 Summary	p. 40
Chapter Review Exercises	p. 42
3 The Machinery of Quantum Mechanics	p. 43
3.1 Introduction	p. 43
3.2 Schrödinger's Equation	p. 44
3.3 Observables	p. 49
3.4 Spectral Theory	p. 62
3.5 Dirac Notation	p. 90
3.6 Heisenberg Picture	p. 101
3.7 Two-Level Systems	p. 105
3.8 Summary	p. 120
Chapter Review Exercises	p. 121
4 Measurement	p. 125
4.1 Introduction	p. 125
4.2 von Neumann Measurement	p. 128
4.3 Uncertainty Principle	p. 135
4.4 No-Cloning Theorem	p. 138
4.5 Quantum Zeno Effect	p. 141
4.6 Summary	p. 145
Chapter Review Exercises	p. 146
5 Interaction-Free Measurements	p. 149
5.1 Introduction	p. 149
5.2 Seeing in the Dark: Conceptual Scheme	p. 151
5.3 Elitzur-Vaidman Scheme	p. 154
5.4 Optimal Interaction-Free Measurements	p. 159
5.5 Summary	p. 165
Chapter Review Exercises	p. 166
6 EPR Paradox	p. 169
6.1 Introduction	p. 169
6.2 Hallmarks of Physical Theories	p. 170
6.3 EPR and Reality	p. 174
6.4 Bell's Theorem	p. 182
6.5 Mermin's Reality Machine	p. 191
6.6 Summary	p. 194
Chapter Review Exercises	p. 196
7 Classical and Quantum Information	p. 197
7.1 Introduction	p. 197
7.2 Bits and Qubits	p. 199
7.3 Classical Gates	p. 202
7.4 Quantum Gates	p. 205
7.5 Classical and Quantum Circuits	p. 209
7.6 Teleportation	p. 213
7.7 Summary	p. 220
Chapter Review Exercises	p. 221
8 Quantum Computing	p. 223
8.1 Introduction	p. 223
8.2 Our First Quantum Computer	p. 224
8.3 Deutsch's Algorithm	p. 227
8.4 Deutsch-Jozsa Algorithm	p. 232
8.5 Grover's Search Algorithm	p. 238
8.6 Summary	p. 246
Chapter Review Exercises	p. 247
9 Classical Cryptology	p. 251
9.1 Introduction	p. 251
9.2 Private-Key Cryptosystems	p. 252
9.3 RSA Public-Key Cryptosystem	p. 254
9.4 How Does RSA Work?	p. 260
9.5 Why is Integer Factorization So Difficult?	p. 262
9.6 Summary	p. 265
Chapter Review Exercises	p. 266
10 Quantum Factoring	p. 267
10.1 Introduction	p. 267
10.2 Miller's Algorithm	p. 268
10.3 Quantum Fourier Transform	p. 270
10.4 Shor's Algorithm	p. 274
10.5 Summary	p. 280
Chapter Review Exercises	p. 280
11 Ion-Trap Quantum Computers	p. 281
11.1 Introduction	p. 281
11.2 Linear Radio-Frequency Ion Trap	p. 282
11.3 Laser Cooling	p. 287
11.4 Cirac-Zoller Scheme	p. 293
11.5 Ca+ Quantum Computer	p. 297
11.6 Summary	p. 300
Chapter Review Exercises	p. 301
12 Outlook	p. 303
12.1 Introduction	p. 303
12.2 Quantum Internet	p. 304
12.3 Quantum Cryptography	p. 306
12.4 Quantum Computing	p. 307
12.5 Summary	p. 309
Appendix	p. 311
Index	p. 313

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