Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Physica Scripta

Quantum Coherence Between States with Even and Odd Numbers of Electrons

Alexander F. Andreev

Published Jan 1, 2002• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

A system with variable number of electrons is described in which the states representing coherent superpositions of states with even and odd numbers of electrons may occur. An experiment is suggested which generalizes the experiment of Nakamura et al. and may provide direct evidence of such coherence and, thereby, justify the reality of a superspace. Quantum coherence between states with even and odd numbers of electrons is of special fundamental interest. In 1952, Wick, Wightman, and Wigner [1] claimed that the coherent linear superpositions of states with even and odd numbers of fermions are incompatible with the Lorentz invariance and introduced the superselection rule, according to which such linear superpositions are physically impossible. In actuality (as was pointed out in [2, 3]), the superselection rule is the alternative to the existence, along with x, y, z, and t, of additional spinor coordinates, which, in fact, are introduced in quantum field theory to account for supersymmetry. In this work, it is proved theoretically that the superselection rule is, generally, not self-consistent. Namely, a simple realistic system with variable number of electrons is considered, which is governed by the Hamiltonian whose eigenvectors are all coherent superpositions of the

DOI
10.1238/physica.topical.102a00007

Related papers

Quantum coherence between states with even and odd numbers of electrons

Alexander F. Andreev

Systems with variable numbers of electrons are described in which the states representing coherent superpositions of states with even and odd numbers of electrons may occur. An experiment is suggested which generalizes the experiment of Nakamura et al. and may provide direct evidence of such coherence and, thereby, justify the reality of a superspace.

Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics Letters•Nov 1, 2001•2 citations

Manifestation of additional dimensions of space-time in mesoscopic systems

Alexander F. Andreev

We note that the existence of physical states which are coherent superpositions of states with even and odd numbers of fermions means the existence, together with $x,y,z,t,$ of additional spinor dimensions of space-time. A system with variable number of electrons is described in which such superpositions are realized. Experiments with mesoscopic condensed matter systems are suggested which generalize the experiment of Nakamura et al. and may provide direct observation of such superpositions and, thereby, justify the reality of a superspace with additional spinor dimensions introduced in quantum field theory to account for supersymmetry. The nature of additional dimensions of space-time is elucidated for nonrelativistic systems.

arXiv:hep-th/0302040•Physical review. B, Condensed matter•Oct 20, 2003•7 citations

Quantum dots for demonstration of additional dimensions of spacetime

Alexander F. Andreev

By the example of electron mesoscopic systems, we show the impossibility of constraints of the quantum principle of superposition imposed by the superselection rule. This rule was introduced by Wick, Wightman, and Wigner in order to avoid the violation of Lorentz invariance due to the absence of physical invariance under rotations by an angle of 2π in states which are a coherent superposition of states with an even and odd number of fermions. We describe a mesoscopic system (a semiconductor double quantum dot at low temperatures) where such superpositions are realized; this is confirmed by experiments. We suggest a new experiment which explicitly demonstrates the absence of physical invariance under rotations by an angle of 2π. We note that an alternative to the superselection rule is the existence (along with x, y, z , and t ) of additional spinor (Grassmann) dimensions of spacetime introduced in quantum field theory for realization of supersymmetry. It is proved that additional dimensions are real; their physical meaning is clarified for nonrelativistic systems of fermions.

Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics•Oct 1, 2007•0 citations

Fermionic quantum theory and superselection rules for operational probabilistic theories

Giacomo Mauro, Paolo Perinotti, Alessandro Tosini

The anticommutation of Fermionic fields raises the problem of simulating the evolution of Fermionic systems by means of commuting quantum systems, say qubits. We tackle the issue considering local Fermionic modes as the elementary systems of an operational probabilistic theory. We show that the locality of Fermionic operations, namely operations on systems that are not causally connected must commute, implies the parity superselection rule, which inhibits the superposition of states with an even and an odd number of excitations. Accordingly we derive the largest probabilistic theory compatible with the parity superselection constraint and show that it lacks two distinctive traits of quantum theory, the local tomography and the monogamy of the entanglement. We generalize the notion of superselection rule to general probabilistic theories as sets of linear constraints on the convex set of states and prove a trade-off between the cardinality of the superselection rule and the degree of holism of the resulting theory. Within this scenario the Fermionic quantum theory and the real quantum theory can be regarded as superselected versions of the usual quantum theory. These results are published in Ref. [7] http://iopscience.iop.org/0295-5075/107/2/20009 and Ref. [8] http://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/S0217751X14300257. In the last three decades the relation between Fermionic systems and other quantum systems has been throughly investigated from both the computational and the physical point of view. In particular the puzzling anti-commuting nature of the Fermionic systems casts a shadow on the possibility of simulating the physical evolution of a bunch of Fermionic systems by means of commuting quantum systems—say qubits. This issue was raised by R. P. Feynman in 1982 [9], when in his seminal work on physical computation he wondered about the possibility of simulating Fermions by local quantum systems in interaction—what we would call nowadays a quantum computer. The problem is that of encoding the evolution of Fermionic fields onto localized quantum systems. A well-known encoding of N Fermionic systems into N qubits is given by the Jordan-Wigner transform (JWT) [14]. Such an encoding, based on the identification between the Fock space of N Fermions and the Hilbert space of N qubits, provides a -algebra isomorphism between the Fermionic anticommuting algebra and the commuting algebra of qubits. Such a correspondence has been a valuable instrument in modern solid state physics for solving the one dimensional XY spin-chains [18, 15] and then for the understanding of superconductivity and the quantum Hall effect. Moreover, a time-adaptive JWT has been introduced in Ref. [19], which allows to contract Fermionic unitary circuits with the same complexity as for the corresponding spin model. In quantum information science the JWT has been used to extend to the Fermionic case notions as entanglement [1], the entropic area law [24], and universal computation [5]. More recently the JWT, which originally regards one dimensional chains of spin-1=2 systems, has been generalized to any spin [3] and lattice [13] dimension. Despite its computational power, the JWT fails to solve completely the issue established by Feynman: physically local Fermionic operations are mapped into nonlocal quantum ones and viceversa. As noticed by many authors this can lead to ambiguities in defining the partial trace [16, 4, 17, 10], and in assessing

•Jan 1, 2015•0 citations

Observing superpositions of different number states

Jacob Dunningham, L M Rico-Gutierrez, Veiko Palge

The formal structure of quantum mechanics allows systems to exist in a superposition of different states. A curious feature is that while some superpositions, such as position or momentum, are routinely observed, others such as mass or charge are not. This anomaly is at least partly due to the fact that it is much easier to carry out interference experiments for certain observables than others. Here we focus particularly on the superposition of two different number states for photons or bosonic atoms. This can equally well be thought of as a superposition of different masses in the case of atoms. We present different interferometry schemes that should, at least in principle, allow us to observe interference between these states. This would provide evidence of a superposition that we would normally consider to be prevented by superselection rules.

Optics and Spectroscopy•Oct 1, 2011•3 citations

Quantum operations in an information theory for fermions

Nicetu Tibau Vidal, Mohit Lal Bera, Arnau Riera +2 more

A reasonable quantum information theory for fermions must respect the parity superselection rule to comply with the special theory of relativity and the no-signaling principle. This rule restricts the possibility of any quantum state to have a superposition between even- and odd-parity fermionic states. thereby characterizing the set of physically allowed fermionic quantum states. Here we introduce the physically allowed quantum operations, in congruence with the parity superselection rule, that map the set of allowed fermionic states onto itself. We first introduce unitary and projective measurement operations of the fermionic states. We further extend the formalism to general quantum operations in the forms of Stinespring dilation, operator-sum representation, and axiomatic completely positive and trace-preserving maps. We explicitly show the equivalence between these three representations of fermionic quantum operations. We discuss the possible implications of our results in characterization of correlations in fermionic systems.

arXiv:2102.09074•Physical Review A•Sep 13, 2021•18 citations
A system with variable number of electrons is described in which the states representing coherent superpositions of states with even and odd numbers of electrons may occur. An experiment is suggested which generalizes the experiment of Nakamura et al. and may provide direct evidence of such coherence and, thereby, justify the reality of a superspace. Quantum coherence between states with even and odd numbers of electrons is of special fundamental interest. In 1952, Wick, Wightman, and Wigner [1] claimed that the coherent linear superpositions of states with even and odd numbers of fermions are incompatible with the Lorentz invariance and introduced the superselection rule, according to which such linear superpositions are physically impossible. In actuality (as was pointed out in [2, 3]), the superselection rule is the alternative to the existence, along with x, y, z, and t, of additional spinor coordinates, which, in fact, are introduced in quantum field theory to account for supersymmetry. In this work, it is proved theoretically that the superselection rule is, generally, not self-consistent. Namely, a simple realistic system with variable number of electrons is considered, which is governed by the Hamiltonian whose eigenvectors are all coherent superpositions of the
We note that the existence of physical states which are coherent superpositions of states with even and odd numbers of fermions means the existence, together with x,y,z,t,x,y,z,t,x,y,z,t, of additional spinor dimensions of space-time. A system with variable number of electrons is described in which such superpositions are realized. Experiments with mesoscopic condensed matter systems are suggested which generalize the experiment of Nakamura et al. and may provide direct observation of such superpositions and, thereby, justify the reality of a superspace with additional spinor dimensions introduced in quantum field theory to account for supersymmetry. The nature of additional dimensions of space-time is elucidated for nonrelativistic systems.
By the example of electron mesoscopic systems, we show the impossibility of constraints of the quantum principle of superposition imposed by the superselection rule. This rule was introduced by Wick, Wightman, and Wigner in order to avoid the violation of Lorentz invariance due to the absence of physical invariance under rotations by an angle of 2π in states which are a coherent superposition of states with an even and odd number of fermions. We describe a mesoscopic system (a semiconductor double quantum dot at low temperatures) where such superpositions are realized; this is confirmed by experiments. We suggest a new experiment which explicitly demonstrates the absence of physical invariance under rotations by an angle of 2π. We note that an alternative to the superselection rule is the existence (along with x, y, z , and t ) of additional spinor (Grassmann) dimensions of spacetime introduced in quantum field theory for realization of supersymmetry. It is proved that additional dimensions are real; their physical meaning is clarified for nonrelativistic systems of fermions.
The anticommutation of Fermionic fields raises the problem of simulating the evolution of Fermionic systems by means of commuting quantum systems, say qubits. We tackle the issue considering local Fermionic modes as the elementary systems of an operational probabilistic theory. We show that the locality of Fermionic operations, namely operations on systems that are not causally connected must commute, implies the parity superselection rule, which inhibits the superposition of states with an even and an odd number of excitations. Accordingly we derive the largest probabilistic theory compatible with the parity superselection constraint and show that it lacks two distinctive traits of quantum theory, the local tomography and the monogamy of the entanglement. We generalize the notion of superselection rule to general probabilistic theories as sets of linear constraints on the convex set of states and prove a trade-off between the cardinality of the superselection rule and the degree of holism of the resulting theory. Within this scenario the Fermionic quantum theory and the real quantum theory can be regarded as superselected versions of the usual quantum theory. These results are published in Ref. [7] http://iopscience.iop.org/0295-5075/107/2/20009 and Ref. [8] http://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/S0217751X14300257. In the last three decades the relation between Fermionic systems and other quantum systems has been throughly investigated from both the computational and the physical point of view. In particular the puzzling anti-commuting nature of the Fermionic systems casts a shadow on the possibility of simulating the physical evolution of a bunch of Fermionic systems by means of commuting quantum systems—say qubits. This issue was raised by R. P. Feynman in 1982 [9], when in his seminal work on physical computation he wondered about the possibility of simulating Fermions by local quantum systems in interaction—what we would call nowadays a quantum computer. The problem is that of encoding the evolution of Fermionic fields onto localized quantum systems. A well-known encoding of N Fermionic systems into N qubits is given by the Jordan-Wigner transform (JWT) [14]. Such an encoding, based on the identification between the Fock space of N Fermions and the Hilbert space of N qubits, provides a -algebra isomorphism between the Fermionic anticommuting algebra and the commuting algebra of qubits. Such a correspondence has been a valuable instrument in modern solid state physics for solving the one dimensional XY spin-chains [18, 15] and then for the understanding of superconductivity and the quantum Hall effect. Moreover, a time-adaptive JWT has been introduced in Ref. [19], which allows to contract Fermionic unitary circuits with the same complexity as for the corresponding spin model. In quantum information science the JWT has been used to extend to the Fermionic case notions as entanglement [1], the entropic area law [24], and universal computation [5]. More recently the JWT, which originally regards one dimensional chains of spin-1=2 systems, has been generalized to any spin [3] and lattice [13] dimension. Despite its computational power, the JWT fails to solve completely the issue established by Feynman: physically local Fermionic operations are mapped into nonlocal quantum ones and viceversa. As noticed by many authors this can lead to ambiguities in defining the partial trace [16, 4, 17, 10], and in assessing
The formal structure of quantum mechanics allows systems to exist in a superposition of different states. A curious feature is that while some superpositions, such as position or momentum, are routinely observed, others such as mass or charge are not. This anomaly is at least partly due to the fact that it is much easier to carry out interference experiments for certain observables than others. Here we focus particularly on the superposition of two different number states for photons or bosonic atoms. This can equally well be thought of as a superposition of different masses in the case of atoms. We present different interferometry schemes that should, at least in principle, allow us to observe interference between these states. This would provide evidence of a superposition that we would normally consider to be prevented by superselection rules.
A reasonable quantum information theory for fermions must respect the parity superselection rule to comply with the special theory of relativity and the no-signaling principle. This rule restricts the possibility of any quantum state to have a superposition between even- and odd-parity fermionic states. thereby characterizing the set of physically allowed fermionic quantum states. Here we introduce the physically allowed quantum operations, in congruence with the parity superselection rule, that map the set of allowed fermionic states onto itself. We first introduce unitary and projective measurement operations of the fermionic states. We further extend the formalism to general quantum operations in the forms of Stinespring dilation, operator-sum representation, and axiomatic completely positive and trace-preserving maps. We explicitly show the equivalence between these three representations of fermionic quantum operations. We discuss the possible implications of our results in characterization of correlations in fermionic systems.