Quantum Nondemolition Measurements
Carlton M. Caves
Quantum nondemolition—the phrase tumbles easily out of the brain and off the tounge. Too easily, in fact—one is left wondering what it could possibly mean. It could, for example refer to an unsuccessful laser weapon, or it might be a law prohibiting destruction of the buildings where the quantum theory was invented. Alas, it is neither of these, but what it does mean might be just as surprising. Quantum nondemolition refers to techniques for monitoring a weak force acting on a harmonic oscillator, the force being so weak that it changes the oscillator’s amplitude by an amount less than the amplitude of zero-point fluctuations. In these lecture notes I describe the current understanding of quantum nondemolition techniques and give a brief account of how that understanding developed. The references are intended to include a complete list of published work that bears directly on the quantum nondemolition problem.
Advanced series in applied physics•Jan 1, 1997•2 citations