Browsing University of Waterloo by Subject "quantum foundations"
Now showing items 1-13 of 13
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Atomic shell structure from an orbital-free-related density-functional-theory Pauli potential
(American Physical Society, 2020-07)Polymer self-consistent field theory techniques are used to find radial electron densities and total binding energies for isolated atoms. Quantum particles are modeled as Gaussian threads with ring-polymer architecture in ... -
Atomic Shell Structure in a Ring Polymer Formulation of Orbital-Free Density Functional Theory
(University of Waterloo, 2022-08-18)An alternative approach to orbital-free density functional theory based on self-consistent field theory for ring polymers is proposed and applied to isolated atoms on the periodic table in their ground-state. Using a ... -
Causal Discovery of Photonic Bell Experiments
(University of Waterloo, 2020-01-13)A causal understanding of a physical theory is vital. They provide profound insights into the implications of the theory and contain the information required to manipulate, not only predict, our surroundings. Unfortunately, ... -
Causal Models for a Quantum World
(University of Waterloo, 2016-05-18)Quantum mechanics has achieved unparalleled success as an operational theory, describing a wide range of experiments to remarkable accuracy. However, the physical foundations on which it rests remain as puzzling as they ... -
An Examination of Quantum Foundations
(University of Waterloo, 2011-09-01)Quantum foundations is a field of diverse goals and methods. In this thesis, I will present three different approaches to quantum foundations, each emphasizing a different goal or perspective. The causaloid framework has ... -
Guiding our interpretation of quantum theory by principles of causation and inference
(University of Waterloo, 2021-07-07)A key aim of quantum foundations is to characterize the sense in which nature goes beyond classical physics. Understanding nonclassicality is one of our best avenues towards finding a satisfactory interpretation of quantum ... -
Information flow at the quantum-classical boundary
(University of Waterloo, 2008-08-28)The theory of decoherence aims to explain how macroscopic quantum objects become effectively classical. Understanding this process could help in the search for the quantum theory underlying gravity, and suggest new schemes ... -
Negative Quasi-Probability in the Context of Quantum Computation
(University of Waterloo, 2013-08-09)This thesis deals with the question of what resources are necessary and sufficient for quantum computational speedup. In particular, we study what resources are required to promote fault tolerant stabilizer computation to ... -
An Operational Road towards Understanding Causal Indefiniteness within Post-Quantum Theories
(University of Waterloo, 2022-01-07)A theory, whatever it does, must correlate data. We commit ourselves to operational methodology, as a means towards studying the space of Generalised Probability Theories that are compatible with Indefinite Causality. Such ... -
Path Integrals in the Sky: Classical and Quantum Problems with Minimal Assumptions
(University of Waterloo, 2019-10-24)Cosmology has, after the formulation of general relativity, been transformed from a branch of philosophy into an active field in physics. Notwithstanding the significant improvements in our understanding of our Universe, ... -
Topics in Quantum Foundations: Ontological Models, and Distinguishability as a Resource
(University of Waterloo, 2009-08-24)This thesis covers research in two disjoint research areas: The ontological model program (formerly hidden-variables program) for quantum theory has a long and noble tradition in the quantum foundations literature. By ... -
Understanding sequential measurements in psi-epistemic ontological models
(University of Waterloo, 2019-08-06)Since the famous debates of Einstein & Bohr, physicists have argued about the nature of the quantum state. Is it best thought of as describing the-way-things-are out there in the world, or merely as a description of our ... -
Violation of an augmented set of Leggett-Garg inequalities and the implementation of a continuous in time velocity measurement
(University of Waterloo, 2019-07-11)Macroscopic realism (MR) is the view that a system may possess definite properties at any time independent of past or future measurements, and may be tested experimentally using the Leggett-Garg inequalities (LGIs). In ...