Mysteries, Puzzles and Paradoxes in Quantum Mechanics
The fourth International Workshop on `Mysteries, Puzzles and Paradoxes in Quantum Mechanics' was held from 27 August to 1 September 2001, at the Palazzo Feltrinelli in Gargnano, Italy, as were the first three, on the shore of Lake Garda. It continued the tradition of the previous workshops in seeking a deeper understanding of the foundations of quantum mechanics. After more than 75 years, this field of investigation is still active and able to stimulate both intense discussions and interesting physics research, involving many physicists from quite different fields. For that reason, this special issue of Journal of Optics B: Quantum and Semiclassical Optics confronts many different aspects of quantum mechanics, as afforded from many different points of view. There is, however, a common theme pervading all the contributions, which provided the main focus of this workshop, namely, interference. We have followed Richard Feynman, according to whom quantum interference is a `phenomenon which is impossible, absolutely impossible, to explain in any classical way, and which has in it the heart of quantum mechanics. In reality it contains the only mystery.' The workshop investigated many aspects of interference phenomena in various fields of optical, atomic and molecular physics. The progressive degradation of interference effects, i.e. quantum decoherence, was also investigated in its various forms, both experimentally and theoretically. In fact, this special issue demonstrates another distinguishing feature of the series of `Mysteries, Puzzles and Paradoxes in Quantum Mechanics', namely, the close connection between theoretical and experimental contributions. This strong interconnection is becoming more and more important nowadays, because of the impressive technological advances which have made it possible to verify experimentally in a laboratory what the founding fathers of quantum mechanics considered only as `Gedanken' experiments. The intense debate and lively atmosphere of the workshop is reflected by the 44 contributions to this special issue, involving more than 90 authors. We would like to give special thanks to Giovanna La Pietra, the real cornerstone of all four of the workshops; without her continuous assistance, they would have not been possible. Finally, special thanks are due to the Scientific Secretary of the workshop, Dr Stefano Olivares, for his invaluable help, both in organizing the meeting and in the preparation of this special issue. Rodolfo Bonifacio Università di Milano, Italy David Vitali Università di Camerino, Italy Guest Editors
Journal of Optics B Quantum and Semiclassical Optics•Jun 8, 2002•49 citations