Liu, Chuang (2018) Infinte Idealization and Contextual Realism. Synthese. ISSN 1573-0964

Physicists from Einstein to Hawking tried and failed to unite gravity and quantum theory. Now we have hints of a better – but not so beautiful – answer

Author(s): Eric G. Cavalcanti

A new analysis puts quantum nonlocality and contextuality—key resources for quantum computing—on equal theoretical footing as violations of classical causality.

[Phys. Rev. X 8, 021018] Published Fri Apr 13, 2018

Author(s): Q. Duprey and A. Matzkin

We discuss the preceding Comment [D. Sokolovski, preceding Comment, Phys. Rev. A 97, 046102 (2018)] and conclude that the arguments given there against the relevance of null weak values as representing the absence of a system property are not compelling. We give an example in which the transition ma…
[Phys. Rev. A 97, 046103] Published Fri Apr 13, 2018

Author(s): D. Sokolovski

In a recent paper [Phys. Rev. A 95, 032110 (2017)], Duprey and Matzkin investigated the meaning of vanishing weak values and their role in the retrodiction of the past of a preselected and postselected quantum system in the presence of interference. Here we argue that any proposition regarding the w…
[Phys. Rev. A 97, 046102] Published Fri Apr 13, 2018

Authors: Tien D. Kieu

The Principle of Unattainability rules out the attainment of absolute zero temperature by any finite physical means, no matter how idealised they could be. Nevertheless, we clarify that the Third Law of Thermodynamics, as defined by Nernst’s heat theorem statement, is distinct from the Principle of Unattainability in the sense that the Third Law is mathematically equivalent only to the unattainability of absolute zero temperature by {\em quasi-static adiabatic} processes. This thus leaves open the possibility of attainability of absolute zero, without violating the Third Law, by non-adiabatic means. Such a means may be provided in principle and in particular by projective measurements in quantum mechanics. This connection also establishes some intimate relationship between the postulate of projective measurement and the Principle of Unattainability.

Author(s): Hyukjoon Kwon, Hyunseok Jeong, David Jennings, Benjamin Yadin, and M. S. Kim

In thermodynamics, quantum coherences—superpositions between energy eigenstates—behave in distinctly nonclassical ways. Here we describe how thermodynamic coherence splits into two kinds—“internal” coherence that admits an energetic value in terms of thermodynamic work, and “external” coherence that…
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 150602] Published Thu Apr 12, 2018

Manchak, JB (2018) Space and Time. [Preprint]

Author(s): Philippe Faist and Renato Renner

A new theoretical analysis derives a precise fundamental lower limit to the work cost for processing information in any type of system, thereby cornering a new microscopic formulation of thermodynamics and shedding light on how far the second law can be applied.

[Phys. Rev. X 8, 021011] Published Tue Apr 10, 2018

Dewar, Neil (2018) Algebraic structuralism. [Preprint]

Author(s): Maximilian Schlosshauer

This paper presents a proof-of-principle scheme for the protective measurement of a single photon. In this scheme, the photon is looped arbitrarily many times through an optical stage that implements a weak measurement of a polarization observable followed by a strong measurement protecting the stat…
[Phys. Rev. A 97, 042104] Published Mon Apr 09, 2018

We address what we consider to be the main points of disagreement by showing that (a) scientific plausibility (or lack thereof) is a weak argument in the face of empirical data, (b) the statistical methods we used were sound according to at least one of several possible statistical positions, and (c) the potential physical mechanisms underlying precognition could include quantum biological phenomena. We close with a discussion of what we believe is an unfortunate but currently dominant tendency to focus on reducing Type-I statistical errors without balancing that approach by also paying attention to the potential for Type-II errors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)