Description
Book SynopsisThis book is an up-to-date introduction to the quantum theory of measurement, a fast developing field of intense current interest to scientists and engineers for its potential high-technology applications. It is also a subject of importance to students for its central role in the foundations of quantum mechanics.
Although the main principles of the field were elaborated in the 1930s by Bohr, Schrodinger, Heisenberg, von Neumann and Mandelstam, it was not until the 1980s that technology became sufficiently advanced to allow its application in real experiments. Quantum measurements is now central to many ultra-high technology developments, such as squeezed light, single atom traps, and searches for gravitational radiation. It is also considered to have great promise for computer science and engineering, particularly for its applications in information processing and transfer. The book contains a pedagogical introduction to the relevant theory written at a level accessible to those with
Trade Review
' … applies all tools of classical and quantum measurement to the measurement of small forces. The tools include evolution operators, eigenstates, density matrices, correlation functions, noise spectral densities and hetero- and homodyne detection … the ideas, all subtle, fundamental and useful, are the original work of the authors … will provide easy-to-understand examples for the quantum mechanics texts of the future, and it will influence the direction of research in quantum mechanics.' Donald Searl, Physics Today
Table of Contents
Editor's foreword; Notation; 1. Historical introduction: photons and measurements using photons; 2. The main principles of quantum mechanics; 3. Indirect measurements; 4. Quantum nondemolition measurements; 5. Linear measurements; 6. Continuous linear measurements; 7. Nonlinear systems for continuous measurements; 8. Detection of classical forces; 9. Energetic quantum limitations; 10. Devices for measuring small mechanical displacements; 11. Quantum nondemolition measurements of a resonator's energy; 12. Nonclassical states of electromagnetic waves as tools for quantum measurements; Conclusion; References; Subject index.
