A. R. Plastino

The role of constraints within generalized nonextensive statistics

The Gibbs–Jaynes path for introducing statistical mechanics is based on the adoption of a specific entropic form Sand of physically appropriate constraints. For instance, for the usual canonical ensemble, one adopts (i) S1=−k∑ipilnpi, (ii) ∑ipi=1, and (iii) ∑ipiei=U1 ({ei}≡ eigenvalues of the Hamiltonian; U1≡ internal energy). Equilibrium consists in optimizing S1 with regard to {pi} in the presence of constraints (ii) and (iii). Within the recently introduced nonextensive statistics, (i) is generalized into Sq=k[1−∑ipiq]/[q−1] (q→1 reproduces S1), (ii) is maintained, and (iii) is generalized in a manner which might involve piq. In the present effort, we analyze the consequences of some special choices for (iii), and their formal and practical implications for the various physical systems that have been studied in the literature. To illustrate some mathematically relevant points, we calculate the specific heat respectively associated with a nondegenerate two-level system as well as with the classical and quantum harmonic oscillators.

Quantum entanglement in helium

We compute the entanglement of the ground state and several singlet and triplet excited states of the helium atom using high-quality, state-of-the-art wavefunctions. The behaviour of the entanglement of the helium eigenstates is similar to that observed in some exactly soluble two-electron systems. In particular, the amount of entanglement exhibited by the eigenstates tends to increase with energy.

Quantum entanglement in two-electron atomic models

We explore the main entanglement properties exhibited by the eigenfunctions of two exactly soluble two-electron models, the Crandall atom and the Hooke atom, and compare them with the entanglement features of helium-like systems. We compute the amount of entanglement associated with the wavefunctions corresponding to the fundamental and first few excited states of these models. We investigate the dependence of the entanglement on the parameters of the models and on the quantum numbers of the eigenstates. It is found that the amount of entanglement of the system tends to increase with energy in both models. In addition, we study the entanglement of a few states of helium-like systems, which we compute using high-quality Kinoshita-like eigenfunctions. The dependence of the entanglement of helium-like atoms on the nuclear charge and on energy is found to be consistent with the trends observed in the previous two model systems.

Escort mean values and the characterization of power-law-decaying probability densities

Escort mean values (or q-moments) constitute useful theoretical tools for describing basic features of some probability densities such as those which asymptotically decay like power laws. They naturally appear in the study of many complex dynamical systems, particularly those obeying nonextensive statistical mechanics, a current generalization of the Boltzmann–Gibbs theory. They recover standard mean values (or moments) for q=1. Here we discuss the characterization of a (non-negative) probability density by a suitable set of all its escort mean values together with the set of all associated normalizing quantities, provided that all of them converge. This opens the door to a natural extension of the well-known characterization, for the q=1 instance, of a distribution in terms of the standard moments, provided that all of them have finite values. This question would be specially relevant in connection with probability densities having divergent values for all nonvanishing standard moments higher than a give...

Shape transitions in excited states of two-electron quantum dots in a magnetic field

We use entanglement to study shape transitions in two-electron axially symmetric parabolic quantum dots in a perpendicular magnetic field. At a specific magnetic field value the dot attains a spherical symmetry. The transition from the axial to the spherical symmetry manifests itself as a drastic change of the entanglement of the lowest state with zero angular momentum projection. While the electrons in such a state are always localized in the plane (x − y) before the transition point, after this point they become localized in the vertical direction.

A quantum uncertainty relation based on Fisher's information

We explore quantum uncertainty relations involving the Fisher information functionals Ix and Ip evaluated, respectively, on a wavefunction Ψ(x) defined on a D-dimensional configuration space and the concomitant wavefunction on the conjugate momentum space. We prove that the associated Fisher functionals obey the uncertainty relation IxIp ≥ 4D2 when either Ψ(x) or is real. On the other hand, there is no lower bound to the above product for arbitrary complex wavefunctions. We give explicit examples of complex wavefunctions not obeying the above bound. In particular, we provide a parametrized wavefunction for which the product IxIp can be made arbitrarily small.

Quantum entanglement in exactly soluble atomic models: the Moshinsky model with three electrons, and with two electrons in a uniform magnetic field

AbstractWe investigate the entanglement-related features of the eigenstates of two exactly soluble atomic models: a one-dimensional three-electron Moshinsky model, and a three-dimensional two-electron Moshinsky system in an external uniform magnetic field. We analytically compute the amount of entanglement exhibited by the wavefunctions corresponding to the ground, first and second excited states of the three-electron model. We found that the amount of entanglement of the system tends to increase with energy, and in the case of excited states we found a finite amount of entanglement in the limit of vanishing interaction. We also analyze the entanglement properties of the ground and first few excited states of the two-electron Moshinsky model in the presence of a magnetic field. The dependence of the eigenstates’ entanglement on the energy, as well as its behaviour in the regime of vanishing interaction, are similar to those observed in the three-electron system. On the other hand, the entanglement exhibits a monotonically decreasing behavior with the strength of the external magnetic field. For strong magnetic fields the entanglement approaches a finite asymptotic value that depends on the interaction strength. For both systems studied here we consider a perturbative approach in order to shed some light on the entanglement’s dependence on energy and also to clarify the finite entanglement exhibited by excited states in the limit of weak interactions. As far as we know, this is the first work that provides analytical and exact results for the entanglement properties of a three-electron model.n

Tsallis' maximum entropy ansatz leading to exact analytical time dependent wave packet solutions of a nonlinear Schrödinger equation

We obtain time dependent q-Gaussian wave-packet solutions to a non linear Schrödinger equation recently advanced by Nobre, Rego-Montero and Tsallis (NRT) [Phys. Rev. Lett. 106 (2011) 10601]. The NRT non-linear equation admits plane wave-like solutions (q-plane waves) compatible with the celebrated de Broglie relations connecting wave number and frequency, respectively, with energy and momentum. The NRT equation, inspired in the q-generalized thermostatistical formalism, is characterized by a parameter q, and in the limit q → 1 reduces to the standard, linear Schrödinger equation. The q-Gaussian solutions to the NRT equation investigated here admit as a particular instance the previously known q-plane wave solutions. The present work thus extends the range of possible processes yielded by the NRT dynamics that admit an analytical, exact treatment. In the q → 1 limit the q-Gaussian solutions correspond to the Gaussian wave packet solutions to the free particle linear Schrödinger equation. In the present work we also show that there are other families of nonlinear Schrödinger-like equations, besides the NRT one, exhibiting a dynamics compatible with the de Broglie relations. Remarkably, however, the existence of time dependent Gaussian-like wave packet solutions is a unique feature of the NRT equation not shared by the aforementioned, more general, families of nonlinear evolution equations.

The relationship between entanglement, energy and level degeneracy in two-electron systems

The entanglement properties of two-electron atomic systems have been the subject of considerable research activity in recent years. These studies are still somewhat fragmentary, focusing on numerical computations on particular states of systems such as helium, or on analytical studies of model systems such as the Moshinsky atom. Some general trends are beginning to emerge from these studies: the amount of entanglement tends to increase with energy and, in the case of excited states, entanglement does not necessarily tend to zero in the limit of vanishing interaction between the two constituting particles. A physical explanation of these properties, shared by the different two-electron models investigated so far, is still lacking. As a first step towards this goal, we perform here, via a perturbative approach, an analysis of entanglement in two-electron models that sheds new light on the physical origin of the aforementioned features and on their universal character.

The workings of the maximum entropy principle in collective human behaviour

We present an exhaustive study of the rank-distribution of city-population and population-dynamics of the 50 Spanish provinces (more than 8000 municipalities) in a time-window of 15 years (1996–2010). We exhibit compelling evidence regarding how well the MaxEnt principle describes the equilibrium distributions. We show that the microscopic dynamics that governs population growth is the deciding factor that originates the observed macroscopic distributions. The connection between microscopic dynamics and macroscopic distributions is unravelled via MaxEnt.