Ivette Fuentes

Unruh effect in quantum information beyond the single-mode approximation

We address the validity of the single-mode approximation that is commonly invoked in the analysis of entanglement in noninertial frames and in other relativistic quantum-information scenarios. We show that the single-mode approximation is not valid for arbitrary states, finding corrections to previous studies beyond such approximations in the bosonic and fermionic cases. We also exhibit a class of wave packets for which the single-mode approximation is justified subject to the peaking constraints set by an appropriate Fourier transform.

Optimal Quantum Estimation of the Unruh-Hawking Effect

We address on general quantum-statistical grounds the problem of optimal detection of the Unruh-Hawking effect. We show that the effect signatures are magnified up to potentially observable levels if the scalar field to be probed has high mean energy from an inertial perspective: The Unruh-Hawking effect acts like an amplification channel. We prove that a field in a Fock inertial state, probed via photon counting by a noninertial detector, realizes the optimal strategy attaining the ultimate sensitivity allowed by quantum mechanics for the observation of the effect. We define the parameter regime in which the effect can be reliably revealed in laboratory experiments, regardless of the specific implementation.

Observer-dependent entanglement

Understanding the observer-dependent nature of quantum entanglement has been a central question in relativistic quantum information. In this paper, we will review key results on relativistic entanglement in flat and curved spacetime and discuss recent work which shows that motion and gravity have observable effects on entanglement between localized systems.

Relativistic Quantum Teleportation with superconducting circuits

We study the effects of relativistic motion on quantum teleportation and propose a realizable experiment where our results can be tested. We compute bounds on the optimal fidelity of teleportation when one of the observers undergoes nonuniform motion for a finite time. The upper bound to the optimal fidelity is degraded due to the observers motion. However, we discuss how this degradation can be corrected. These effects are observable for experimental parameters that are within reach of cutting-edge superconducting technology.

Entanglement of Dirac fields in an expanding spacetime

We study the entanglement generated between Dirac modes in a 2-dimensional conformally flat Robertson-Walker universe. We find radical qualitative differences between the bosonic and fermionic entanglement generated by the expansion. The particular way in which fermionic fields get entangled encodes more information about the underlying spacetime than the bosonic case, thereby allowing us to reconstruct the parameters of the history of the expansion. This highlights the importance of bosonic/fermionic statistics to account for relativistic effects on the entanglement of quantum fields.

Using Berry's phase to detect the Unruh effect at lower accelerations.

We show that a detector acquires a Berry phase due to its motion in spacetime. The phase is different in the inertial and accelerated case as a direct consequence of the Unruh effect. We exploit this fact to design a novel method to measure the Unruh effect. Surprisingly, the effect is detectable for accelerations 10(9) times smaller than previous proposals sustained only for times of nanoseconds.

Voyage to Alpha Centauri: Entanglement degradation of cavity modes due to motion

School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom(Dated: May 2011)Mode entanglement between inertial and uniformly accelerated cavities in Minkowski space ispreserved in time. We show that the entanglement for a massless scalar field in (1 + 1) dimensionsis degraded between Dirichlet cavities on generic trajectories, with a periodic dependence on thedurations of any inertial or uniformly accelerated segments. We give an analytic method for graftinginertial and uniformly accelerated segments for small accelerations, and we present explicit results forsample travel scenarios. Relevance of the results for proposed space-based experiments is discussed.

Redistribution of particle and antiparticle entanglement in noninertial frames

We analyze the entanglement tradeoff between particle and antiparticle modes of a Dirac field from the perspective of inertial and uniformly accelerated observers. Our results show that a redistribution of entanglement between particle and antiparticle modes plays a key role in the survival of femionic field entanglement in the infinite-acceleration limit.

Quantum metrology for relativistic quantum fields

In quantum metrology quantum properties such as squeezing and entanglement are exploited in the design of a new generation of clocks, sensors and other measurement devices that can outperform their classical counterparts. Applications of great technological relevance lie in the precise measurement of parameters which play a central role in relativity, such as proper accelerations, relative distances, time and gravitational field strengths. In this paper we generalise recently introduced techniques to estimate physical quantities within quantum field theory in flat and curved space-time. We consider a bosonic quantum field that undergoes a generic transformation, which encodes the parameter to be estimated. We present analytical formulas for optimal precision bounds on the estimation of small parameters in terms of Bogoliubov coefficients for single mode and two-mode Gaussian channels.

Phonon creation by gravitational waves

We show that gravitational waves create phonons in a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). A traveling spacetime distortion produces particle creation resonances that correspond to the dynamical Casimir effect in a BEC phononic field contained in a cavity-type trap. We propose to use this effect to detect gravitational waves. The amplitude of the wave can be estimated applying recently developed relativistic quantum metrology techniques. We provide the optimal precision bound on the estimation of the waves amplitude. Finally, we show that the parameter regime required to detect gravitational waves with this technique could be, in principle, within experimental reach in a medium-term timescale.