In Print

A collection of my most cited research papers, and a selection of my books.

My Research

Quantum cooling activated by coherent-controlled thermalisation

In this paper, we show that by applying N identical thermalizing channels in a superposition of N cyclic causal orders [2], one can largely boost the heat extracting ability of the working system in ICO fridge even in the ultracold regime (it can be further boosted by utilizing a quDit working system in low temperature region). Moreover, in the controlled-SWAP scheme first introduced in [1] where we have access to the reservoir qubits which are quantum correlated with the control-target system, the performance of the fridge can be greatly enhanced in general(tripled for all N’s and temperatures). Then inspired by [3,4], we…

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A local-realistic theory for fermions

We propose a local model for general fermionic systems, which we express in the Heisenberg picture. To this end, we shall use a recently proposed formalism, the so-called “Raymond-Robichaud” construction, which allows one to construct an explicitly local model for any dynamical theory that satisfies no-signalling, in terms of equivalence classes of transformations that can be attached to each individual subsystem. By following the rigorous use of the parity superselection rule for fermions, we show how this construction removes the usual difficulties that fermionic systems display in regard to the definition of local states and local transformations.

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A Microscopic Quantum Model For the Experiment Coupling Qubits to a Tardigrade

We provide a quantum model for the recent experiment coupling a tardigrade to superconducting qubits. A number of different perspectives are discussed with the emphasis placed on quantum entanglement between different subsystems involved in the description.

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Spin, Statistics, Spacetime and Quantum Gravity

We explore the possibility that the connection between spin and statistics in quantum physics is of dynamical origin. We suggest that the gravitational field could provide a fully local mechanism for the phase that arises when fermionic and bosonic particles are exchanged. Our results hold even if the symmetry of space and time is Galilean, thus establishing that special relativity is not needed to explain the existence of spin (although it does motivate the introduction of creation and annihilation of particles, but this is a separate issue). We provide a model for the coupling between a particle of general spin…

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A Classical (Local) Account of The Aharonov-Bohm Effect

It is frequently stated that the electromagnetic vector potential acquires a fundamental role in quantum physics, whereas classically it only represents a convenient, but by no means necessary, way of representing the electromagnetic field. Here we argue that this is a historical accident due to the fact that the electromagnetic field was discovered before photons, while the electron itself was discovered first as a particle, before it became clear that it must also be treated as a wave and therefore as an excitation of the underlying electron field. We illustrate the fact that the vector potential ought to play a…

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Quantum Signatures of Gravity from Superpositions of Primordial Massive Particles

We study the superposition of primordial massive particles and compute the associated decoherence time scale in the radiation dominated universe. We observe that for lighter primordial particles with masses up to 107kg, the corresponding decoherence time scale is significantly larger than the age of the observable universe, demonstrating that a primordial particle would persist in a pure quantum state, with its wavefunction spreading freely. For heavier particles, they can still be in a quantum state while their position uncertainties are limited by the wavelength of background photons. We then discuss three observational signatures that may arise from a quantum superposition of…

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Visit the full research archive at Arxiv

My Books

Portals to a New Reality: Five Pathways to the Future of Physics
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Modern Foundations Of Quantum Optics
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Introductory Quantum Physics And Relativity
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Solid State Quantum Information
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Introduction to Quantum Information Science
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Decoding Reality
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My Blog

Substack

The Kochen-Specker “Paradox”

There are many ways of describing the fundamental difference between quantum and classical physics. The main issue is that of the existence of quantum superpositions, namely that an object can exist in many different states at the same time.

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Kindergarten Quantum Physics

They say Albert Einstein had his first scientific epiphany at age 4. His father showed him a compass, and the young Einstein realized that the needle’s motion is affected by an invisible force.

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Liberal Scientific Education: A battle for hearts and minds

Some hundred and fifty years ago a great British biologist, Thomas Henry Huxley, compared life to a game of chess in his essay on “Liberal Education”. He invited us to imagine that our survival and well-being depended on winning or losing at a game of chess.

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