Florian Mintert

Measures and dynamics of entangled states

We develop an original approach for the quantitative characterisation of the entanglement properties of, possibly mixed, bi- and multipartite quantum states of arbitrary finite dimension. Particular emphasis is given to the derivation of reliable estimates which allow for an efficient evaluation of a specific entanglement measure, concurrence, for further implementation in the monitoring of the time evolution of multipartite entanglement under incoherent environment coupling. The flexibility of the technical machinery established here is illustrated by its implementation for different, realistic experimental scenarios.

Ion-Trap Quantum Logic Using Long-Wavelength Radiation

A quantum information processor is proposed that combines experimental techniques and technology successfully demonstrated either in nuclear magnetic resonance experiments or with trapped ions. An additional inhomogeneous magnetic field applied to an ion trap (i) shifts individual ionic resonances (qubits), making them distinguishable by frequency, and (ii) mediates the coupling between internal and external degrees of freedom of trapped ions. This scheme permits one to individually address and coherently manipulate ions confined in an electrodynamic trap using radiation in the radiofrequency or microwave regime.

Essential entanglement for atomic and molecular physics

Entanglement is nowadays considered as a key quantity for the understanding of correlations, transport properties and phase transitions in composite quantum systems, and thus receives interest beyond the engineered applications in the focus of quantum information science. We review recent experimental and theoretical progress in the study of quantum correlations under that wider perspective, with an emphasis on rigorous definitions of the entanglement of identical particles, and on entanglement studies in atoms and molecules.Corrections were made to this article on 28 September 2011. The received date was incorrectly given.

Detection of High-Dimensional Genuine Multipartite Entanglement of Mixed States

We derive a general framework to identify genuinely multipartite entangled mixed quantum states in arbitrary-dimensional systems and show in exemplary cases that the constructed criteria are stronger than those previously known. Our criteria are simple functions of the given quantum state and detect genuine multipartite entanglement that had not been identified so far. They are experimentally accessible without quantum state tomography and are easily computable as no optimization or eigenvalue evaluation is needed.

Efficient and coherent excitation transfer across disordered molecular networks

We show that finite-size, disordered molecular networks can mediate highly efficient, coherent excitation transfer which is robust against ambient dephasing and associated with strong multisite entanglement. Such optimal, random molecular conformations may explain efficient energy transfer in the photosynthetic Fenna-Matthews-Olson complex.

Observable entanglement measure for mixed quantum states

We quantify an unknown mixed quantum states entanglement by suitable, local parity measurements on its twofold copy. The associated observable qualifies as a generalized entanglement witness.

Zero-transmission law for multiport beam splitters

The Hong-Ou-Mandel effect is generalized to a configuration of n bosons prepared in the n input ports of a Bell multiport beam splitter. We derive a strict suppression law for most possible output events, consistent with a generic bosonic behavior after suitable coarse graining.

Counting statistics of many-particle quantum walks

We study quantum walks of many noninteracting particles on a beam splitter array as a paradigmatic testing ground for the competition of single- and many-particle interference in a multimode system. We derive a general expression for multimode particle-number correlation functions, valid for bosons and fermions, and infer pronounced signatures of many-particle interferences in the counting statistics.

Many-particle interference beyond many-boson and many-fermion statistics

Identical particles exhibit correlations even in the absence of inter-particle interaction, due to the exchange (anti)symmetry of the many- particle wavefunction. Two fermions obey the Pauli principle and anti-bunch, whereas two bosons favor bunched, doubly occupied states. Here, we show that the collective interference of three or more particles leads to much more diverse behavior than expected from the boson-fermion dichotomy known from quantum statistical mechanics. The emerging complexity of many-particle interference is tamed by a simple law for the strict suppression of events in the Bell multiport beam splitter. The law shows that counting events are governed by widely species-independent interference, such that bosons and fermions can even exhibit identical interference signatures, while their statistical character remains subordinate. Recent progress in the preparation of tailored many-particle

Entanglement of Identical Particles and the Detection Process

We introduce detector-level entanglement, a unified entanglement concept for identical particles that takes into account the possible deletion of many-particle which-way information through the detection process. The concept implies a measure for the effective indistinguishability of the particles, which is controlled by the measurement setup and which quantifies the extent to which the (anti-)symmetrization of the wave-function impacts on physical observables. Initially indistinguishable particles can gain or loose entanglement on their transition to distinguishability, and their quantum statistical behavior depends on their initial entanglement. Our results show that entanglement cannot be attributed to a state of identical particles alone, but that the detection process has to be incorporated in the analysis.