Unifying uncertainties for rotor-like quantum systems

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Mišta Jr., Ladislav, Mišta, Matouš, Hradil, Zdeněk
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Mišta Jr., Ladislav
Mišta, Matouš
Hradil, Zdeněk
author_facet Mišta Jr., Ladislav
Mišta, Matouš
Hradil, Zdeněk
contents The quantum rotor represents, after the harmonic oscillator, the next obvious quantum system to study the complementary pair of variables: the angular momentum and the unitary shift operator in angular momentum. Proper quantification of uncertainties and the incompatibility of these two operators are thus essential for applications of rotor-like quantum systems. While angular momentum uncertainty is characterized by variance, several uncertainty measures have been proposed for the shift operator, with dispersion the simplest example. We establish a hierarchy of those measures and corresponding uncertainty relations which are all perfectly or almost perfectly saturated by a tomographically complete set of von Mises states. Building on the interpretation of dispersion as the moment of inertia of the unit ring we then show that the other measures also possess the same mechanical interpretation. This unifying perspective allows us to express all measures as a particular instance of a single generic angular uncertainty measure. The importance of these measures is then highlighted by applying the simplest two of them to derive optimal simultaneous measurements of the angular momentum and the shift operator. Finally, we argue that the model of quantum rotor extends beyond its mechanical meaning with promising applications in the fields of singular optics, super-conductive circuits with a Josephson junction or optimal pulse shaping in the time-frequency domain. Our findings lay the groundwork for quantum-information and metrological applications of the quantum rotor and point to its interdisciplinary nature.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2403_02498
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Unifying uncertainties for rotor-like quantum systems
Mišta Jr., Ladislav
Mišta, Matouš
Hradil, Zdeněk
Quantum Physics
The quantum rotor represents, after the harmonic oscillator, the next obvious quantum system to study the complementary pair of variables: the angular momentum and the unitary shift operator in angular momentum. Proper quantification of uncertainties and the incompatibility of these two operators are thus essential for applications of rotor-like quantum systems. While angular momentum uncertainty is characterized by variance, several uncertainty measures have been proposed for the shift operator, with dispersion the simplest example. We establish a hierarchy of those measures and corresponding uncertainty relations which are all perfectly or almost perfectly saturated by a tomographically complete set of von Mises states. Building on the interpretation of dispersion as the moment of inertia of the unit ring we then show that the other measures also possess the same mechanical interpretation. This unifying perspective allows us to express all measures as a particular instance of a single generic angular uncertainty measure. The importance of these measures is then highlighted by applying the simplest two of them to derive optimal simultaneous measurements of the angular momentum and the shift operator. Finally, we argue that the model of quantum rotor extends beyond its mechanical meaning with promising applications in the fields of singular optics, super-conductive circuits with a Josephson junction or optimal pulse shaping in the time-frequency domain. Our findings lay the groundwork for quantum-information and metrological applications of the quantum rotor and point to its interdisciplinary nature.
title Unifying uncertainties for rotor-like quantum systems
topic Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.02498