Search

In the large-$N$, classical limit, the Bose-Hubbard dimer undergoes a transition to chaos when its tunnelling rate is modulated in time. We use exact and approximate numerical simulations to determine the features of the dynamically evolving state that are correlated with the presence of chaos in the classical limit. We propose the statistical distance between initially similar number distributions as a reliable measure to distinguish regular from chaotic behaviour in the quantum dynamics. Besides being experimentally accessible, number distributions can be efficiently reconstructed numerically from binned phase-space trajectories in a truncated Wigner approximation. Although the evolving Wigner function becomes very irregular in the chaotic regions, the truncated Wigner method is nevertheless able to capture accurately the beyond mean-field dynamics., Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures

Conventional wisdom is that quantum effects will tend to disappear as the number of quanta in a system increases, and the evolution of a system will become closer to that described by mean field classical equations. In this letter we combine newly developed experimental techniques to propose and analyse an experiment using a Bose-Hubbard trimer where the opposite is the case. We find that differences in the preparation of a centrally evacuated trimer can lead to readily observable differences in the subsequent dynamics which increase with system size. Importantly, these differences can be detected by the simple measurements of atomic number., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, theory

We propose and analyse a cascaded optical parametric system which involves three interacting modes across two octaves of frequency difference. Our system, combining degenerate optical parametric oscillation (OPO) with second harmonic generation (SHG), promises to be a useful source of squeezed and entangled light at three differing frequencies. We show how changes in damping rates and the ratio of the two concurrent nonlinearities affect the quantum correlations in the output fields. We analyse the threshold behaviour, showing how the normal OPO threshold is changed by the addition of the SHG interactions. We also find that the inclusion of the OPO interaction removes the self-pulsing behaviour found in normal SHG. Finally, we show how the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen correlations can be controlled by the injection of a coherent seed field at the lower frequency., Comment: 23 pages, 11 figures, theory

A recent article [W.C.W. Huang and H. Batelaan, arXiv:1708.0057v1] analysed the dualism between optical and difference parametric amplification, performing a classical analysis of a system where two electromagnetic fields are produced by another of a frequency which is the difference of the frequency of the other two. The authors claimed that this process would not violate energy conservation at the classical level, but that a quantum description would necessarily require a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian and therefore would not exist. In this work we show that the process can proceed quantum mechanically if described by the correct Hamiltonian, that energy conservation is not violated, and that fields are produced with interesting quantum statistics. Furthermore, we show that the process can be thought of as different types of already known three-wave mixing processes, with the actual type depending on either initial conditions or personal preference., Comment: Theory, five figures. Inspired by W.C.W. Huang and H. Batelaan, arXiv:1708.0057v1, who I believe did not map a classical system properly to a quantum one

There is a serious flaw in the proposal [arXiv:1603.06857] for the achievement of unity efficiency in SPDC. This is a replacement due to mistakes in the table of probabilities. Numbers have been corrected., Comment: 1 page, 1 figure

We analyse the output quantum tripartite correlations from an intracavity nonlinear optical system which uses cascaded nonlinearities to produce both second and fourth harmonic outputs from an input field at the fundamental frequency. Using fully quantum equations of motion, we investigate two parameter regimes and show that the system produces tripartite inseparability, entanglement and EPR steering, with the detection of these depending on the correlations being considered., Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, theoretical.arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1707.02537

We propose and analyse a nonlinear optical apparatus in which the direction of asymmetric steering is controllable within the apparatus, rather than by adding noise to measurements. Using a nondegenerate parametric oscillator with an injected signal field, we show how the directionality and extent of the steering can be readily controlled for output modes which can be up to one octave apart. The two downconverted modes, which exhibit the greater violations of the steering inequalities, can also be controlled to exhibit asymmetric steering in some regimes., Comment: Theory, 4 pages, 5 figures. Revised version after expert, well written and useful referee reports

We analyse a nonlinear optical system which uses cascaded nonlinearities to produce both second and fourth harmonic outputs from an input field at the fundamental frequency. Using fully quantum equations of motion, we show that the system produces quadrature squeezed outputs which exhibit bipartite entanglement, EPR-steering, and asymmetric steering across a two octave frequency range., Comment: 5 pages, 7 figures, theory

We propose and analyse analogs of optical cavities for atoms using three-well Bose-Hubbard models with pumping and losses. We consider triangular configurations. With one well pumped and one damped, we find that both the mean-field dynamics and the quantum statistics show a quantitative dependence on the choice of damped well. The systems we analyse remain far from equilibrium, preserving good coherence between the wells in the steady-state. We find quadrature squeezing and mode entanglement for some parameter regimes and demonstrate that the trimer with pumping and damping at the same well is the stronger option for producing non-classical states. Due to recent experimental advances, it should be possible to demonstrate the effects we investigate and predict., Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures, theory. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1704.04021

Many-site Bose-Hubbard lattices display complex semiclassical dynamics, with both chaotic and regular features. We have characterised chaos in the semiclassical dynamics of short Bose-Hubbard chains using both stroboscopic phase space projections and finite-time Lyapunov exponents. We found that chaos was present for intermediate collisional nonlinearity in the open trimer and quatramer systems, with soft chaos and Kolmogoroff-Arnold-Moser islands evident. We have found that the finite-time Lyapunov exponents are consistent with stroboscopic maps for the prediction of chaos in these small systems. This gives us confidence that the finite-time Lyapunov exponents will be a useful tool for the characterisation of chaos in larger systems, where meaningful phase-space projections are not possible and the dimensionality of the problem can make the standard methods intractable., Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures

We compare the bipartite entanglement and EPR-steering properties of the two different schemes which produce third harmonic optical fields from an input field at the fundamental frequency. The first scheme uses second harmonic cascaded with sum-frequency generation while the second uses triply degenerate four-wave mixing, also known as direct third harmonic generation. We examine and compare the two schemes in both the travelling wave and intra-cavity configurations. We find that both schemes produce continuous-variable bipartite entanglement and EPR-steering. The direct scheme produces a greater degree of EPR-steering while the cascaded scheme allows for greater flexibility in having three available bipartitions., Comment: 20 pages, 9 figures, theory

We propose and analyse analogs of optical cavities for atoms using three-well inline Bose-Hubbard models with pumping and losses. With one well pumped and one damped, we find that both the mean-field dynamics and the quantum statistics show a qualitative dependence on the choice of damped well. The systems we analyse remain far from equilibrium, although most do enter a steady-state regime. We find quadrature squeezing, bipartite and tripartite inseparability and entanglement, and states exhibiting the EPR paradox, depending on the parameter regimes. We also discover situations where the mean-field solutions of our models are noticeably different from the quantum solutions for the mean fields. Due to recent experimental advances, it should be possible to demonstrate the effects we predict and investigate in this article., Comment: 20 pages, 8 figures, theoretical

We propose and evaluate a method to construct a quantum correlated twin atom laser using a pumped and damped Bose-Hubbard inline trimer which can operate in a stationary regime. With pumping via a source condensate filling the middle well and damping using either an electron beam or optical means at the two end wells, we show that bipartite quantum correlations build up between the ends of the chain, and that these can be measured either in situ or in the outcoupled beams. While nothing similar to our system has yet been achieved experimentally, recent advances mean that it should be practically realisable in the near future., Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures, theory. Typos fixed and material added to introduction

Comment on a letter to Nature Physics, where Sakmann and Kasevich claim to solve the many-body time dependent Schr\"odinger equation to simulate single experimental runs of interacting quantum systems., Comment: Sent to Nature Physics as correspondence

We propose and analyse a pumped Bose-Hubbard dimer as a source of continuous-variable Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) steering with non-Gaussian statistics. We use the truncated Wigner representation to calculate third and fourth order cumulants, finding clear signals of non-Gaussianity. We also calculate the products of inferred quadrature variances which indicate that states demonstrating the EPR paradox are present. Our proposed experimental configuration is extrapolated from current experimental techniques and adds another possibility to the current toolbox of quantum atom optics., Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1607.01911

We investigate Bose-Hubbard chains in a central depleted well configuration, with dephasing in the middle well. We look at equilibration of populations, pseudo-entropy, and entanglement measures. Using stochastic integration in the truncated Wigner representation, we find that the initial quantum states of the occupied wells has an influence on the subsequent dynamics, and that with more than three wells, the chains do not reach a full equilibrium, with edge effects becoming important, and the time to reach the steady state becoming longer. The evolutions with and without phase diffusion are qualitatively different. We find no convincing evidence of entanglement in the final states with phase diffusion. Although at least one accepted measure indicates the presence of mode entanglement, we are easily able to show that it can give ambiguous predictions., Comment: 20 pages, 12 figures, theory

The use of an electron beam to remove ultracold atoms from selected sites in an optical lattice has opened up new opportunities to study transport in quantum systems [R. Labouvie {\it et al.\ }, Phys.\ Rev.\ Lett.\ {\bf 115}, 050601 (2015)]. Inspired by this experimental result, we examine the effects of number difference, dephasing, and initial quantum statistics on the filling of an initially depleted middle well in the three-well inline Bose-Hubbard model. We find that the well-known phenomenon of macroscopic self-trapping is the main contributor to oscillatory negative differential conductivity in our model, with phase diffusion being a secondary effect. However, we find that phase diffusion is required for the production of direct atomic current, with the coherent process showing damped oscillatory currents. We also find that our results are highly dependent on the initial quantum states of the atoms in the system., Comment: 9 figures, 6 pages

We propose and analyse analogs of optical cavities for atoms using two-well Bose-Hubbard models with pumping and losses. With one well pumped, we find that both the mean-field dynamics and the quantum statistics show a quantitative dependence on the choice of damped well. Both the systems we analyse remain far from equilibrium, preserving good coherence between the wells in the steady-state. We find a small degree of quadrature squeezing and mode entanglement for some parameter regimes. Due to recent experimental advances, it should be possible to demonstrate the effects we investigate and predict., Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures

We consider the Wigner quasi-probability distribution function of a single mode of an electromagnetic or matter-wave field to address the question of whether a direct stochastic sampling and binning of the absolute square of the complex field amplitude can yield a distribution function $\tilde{P}_n$ that closely approximates the true particle number probability distribution $P_n$ of the underlying quantum state. By providing an operational definition of the binned distribution $\tilde{P}_n$ in terms of the Wigner function, we explicitly calculate the overlap between $\tilde{P}_n$ and ${P}_n$ and hence quantify the statistical distance between the two distributions. We find that there is indeed a close quantitative correspondence between $\tilde{P}_n$ and $P_n$ for a wide range of quantum states that have smooth and broad Wigner function relative to the scale of oscillations of the Wigner function for the relevant Fock state. However, we also find counterexamples, including states with high mode occupation, for which $\tilde{P}_n$ does not closely approximate $P_n$., Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1503.05647. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. A

Labouvie \etal (\prl {\bf 115}, 050601, (20015)) recently demonstrated negative differential conductivity (NDC) in a multi-well Bose-Einstein condensate. They stated "we demonstrate that NDC originates from a nonlinear, atom number dependent tunneling coupling in combination with fast collisional decoherence." We show theoretically how the essential feature of NDC, a reduction in atomic current caused by an increase in chemical potential, is present in unitary dynamics through the well-known mechanism of macroscopic self-trapping (MST), and that the collisional decoherence merely serves as a quantitative modification of this., Comment: Submitted as a comment. A more extensive article is in preparation

We examine one asymmetric adnd two fully symmetric Gaussian continuous-variable systems in terms of their tripartite and bipartite entanglement properties. We treat pure states and are able to find analytic solutions using the undepleted pump approximation for the Hamiltonian models, and standard beamsplitter relations for a model that mixes the outputs of optical parametric oscillators. Our two symmetric systems exhibit perfect tripartite correlations, but only in the unphysical limit of infinite squeezing. For more realistic squeezing parameters, all three systems exhibit both tripartite and bipartite entanglement. We conclude that none of the outputs are completely analogous to either GHZ or W states, but there are parameter regions where they produce T states introduced by Adesso \etal The qualitative differences in the output states for different interaction parameters indicate that continuous-variable tripartite quantum information systems offer a versatility not found in bipartite systems., Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1510.01821

We compare and contrast the entangling properties of a three-well Bose-Hubbard model and an optical beamsplitter. The coupling between the different modes is linear in both cases, and we may identify two output modes. Obvious differences are that our Bose-Hubbard model, with only the middle well initially occupied, does not have a vacuum input port, there is no equivalent of a collisional, $\chi^{(3)}$ nonlinearity with the beamsplitter, and the results of the Bose-Hubbard model show a time-dependence. In the non-interacting case, we obtain analytic solutions and show that, like a beamsplitter, the Bose-Hubbard system will not produce entanglement for classical initial states. We also show that whether inseparability or entanglement are detected depends sensitively on the criteria measured, with different criteria giving contradictory predictions., Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, theory. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1507.08451, arXiv:1506.03673

The fully symmetric Gaussian tripartite entangled pure states will not exhibit two-mode Einstein Podolsky-Rosen (EPR)-steering. This means that any two participants cannot share quantum secrets using the security of one-sided device independent quantum key distribution (1SDI-QKD) without involving the third. They are restricted at most to standard quantum key distribution (S-QKD), which is less secure. Here we show that least some asymmetric tripartite systems can exhibit bipartite EPR-steering, so that two of the participants can use 1SDI-QKD without involving the other. This is possible because the promiscuity relations of continuous-variable tripartite entanglement are different from those of discrete-variable systems. We analyse these properties for two different systems, showing that the asymmetric system has an extra degree of flexibility not found in the symmetric one., Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, theoretical work. Published version PRA 94, 012331 (2016)

We investigate how entanglement spreads along small Bose-Hubbard chains, with only the first well initially occupied by a mesoscopic number of atoms, as the number of sites increases. For two- and three-well chains in the non-interacting case, we are able to obtain analytical solutions and show that the presence of entanglement depends on having a sub-Poissonian state of the atoms in the first well. In these cases, the correlations we calculate are completely periodic. Restoring the collisional interactions or moving to a four-well chain necessitates a numerical treatment, for which we use the fully quantum positive-P representation. We examine two different correlations and find that adding collisional interactions destroys the periodicity of the correlations and causes them to degrade with time. This happens well before there is a noticeable effect on the periodicity of the solutions for the number of atoms in each well., Comment: 25 pages, 13 figures

We propose and analyse the use of a three-well Bose-Hubbard model for the creation of two spatially separated entangled atomic samples. Our three wells are in a linear configuration, with all atoms initially in the middle well, which gives some spatial separation of the two end wells. The evolution from the initial quantum state allows for the development of entanglement between the atomic modes in the two end wells. Using inseparability criteria developed by Hillery and Zubairy, we show how the detected entanglement is time dependent, oscillating with the well occupations. We suggest and analyse a method for preserving the entanglement by turning off the different interactions when it reaches its first maximum. We analyse the system with both Fock and coherent initial states, showing that the violations of the Hillery-Zubairy inequality exist only for initial Fock states and that the collisional nonlinearity degrades them. This system is an early step towards producing entangled atomic samples that can be spatially separated and thus close the locality loophole in tests of non-local quantum correlations., Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures. Rejection process has begun

A large number of inequalities have been proposed for the detection of bipartite continuous variable entanglement and Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering. Many of these are based on either measured or inferred variances and are relatively easily measured via homodyne detection of optical outputs. In this work we examine a number of bipartite inequalities in the process of cascaded downconversion and sum-frequency generation inside an optical cavity. This has previously been predicted to be a potential source of continuous-variable tripartite entanglement, therefore we know that there are no separable bipartitions. In this work we investigate the performance of the chosen inequalities in the stable, below threshold regime. We show that detection of the existing entanglement is sensitive to the actual inequalities chosen, with some criteria missing it completely. Our results are explained by the fact that violation of the chosen inequalities is sufficient but not necessary to demonstrate the non-classical relationships between the modes, and highlights the outstanding problem of developing a reliable continuous-variable entanglement measure., Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:0708.2963 Withdrawn due to a conceptual error

We examine the interpretation of individual phase-space trajectories of the Wigner function as corresponding to possible outcomes of single experimental trials. To this end, we investigate the relation between the true (measured) particle number distribution $P_n$ for a single-mode state and that obtained by discretely binning the individual stochastic realisations of squared mode amplitudes $|\alpha|^2$ of the sampled Wigner distribution $W(\alpha)$, which we denote via $\tilde{P}_n$. We provide an operational definition of $\tilde{P}_n$ in terms of the underlying Wigner function, which allows us to explicitly calculate the overlap between the two number distributions and hence quantify the statistical distance between them. We find that there is indeed a close quantitative correspondence between $P_n$ and $\tilde{P}_n$ for a wide range of states, justifying the broadly accepted view that, for highly occupied modes, individual stochastic realisations of Wigner trajectories should approximately correspond to outcomes of single experiments. However, we also find counterexamples for which high mode occupation may not be sufficient for such an interpretation, we find instead that a more relevant and sufficient requirement is the smoothness and broadness of the Wigner function $W(\alpha)$ for the state of interest relative to the scale of oscillations of the Wigner functions for the relevant Fock states., Comment: Our interpretation of results in this article was not adequately articulated. Confusion over terms and phrasing used could lead the reader to tangential issues which were not the original intention or motivation of this paper. A new version can be found as arxiv:1605.07276

It is known that a semi-classical analysis is not always adequate for atomtronics devices, but that a fully quantum analysis is often necessary to make reliable predictions. While small numbers of atoms at a small number of sites are tractable using the density matrix, a fully quantum analysis is often not straightforward as the system becomes larger. We show that the fully quantum positive-P representation is then a viable calculational tool. We postulate an atomtronic phase-gate consisting of four wells in a Bose-Hubbard configuration, for which the semi-classical dynamics are controllable using the phase of the atomic mode in one of the wells. We show that the quantum predictions of the positive-P representation for the performance of this device have little relation to those found semi-classically, and that the performance depends markedly on the actual quantum states of the initially occupied modes. We find that initial coherent states lead to closest to classical dynamics, but that initial Fock states give results that are quite different. A fully quantum analysis also opens the door for deeply quantum atomtronics, in which properties such as entanglement and EPR (Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen) steering become valuable technical properties of a device., Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev A

Non-Gaussian correlations in a pure state are inextricably linked with non-classical features, such as a non positive-definite Wigner function. In a commonly used simulation technique in ultracold atoms and quantum optics, known as the truncated Wigner method, the quantum dynamics is mapped to stochastic trajectories in phase space, governed by a positive approximation to the true Wigner distribution. The question thus arises: how accurate is this approach in predicting truly non-classical behaviour? In this article, we benchmark the ability of the truncated Wigner phase-space method to reproduce the non-Gaussian statistics of the single mode anharmonic oscillator. We find that the this method can reliably predict departures from Gaussian statistics over a wide range of particle numbers, whereas the positive-P representation method, which is in principle exact, can suffer from divergent instabilities. The truncated Wigner function, furthermore, is able to reproduce the non-Gaussian correlations while satisfying the condition for purity., Comment: Corrected the rather obvious typos in Eqs (9)-(10). Expanded discussion on +P, sampling error and related issues. To appear in Phys. Rev. A

We analyse the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) steering properties in a three-well Bose-Hubbard model under the mechanism of coherent transport of atomic population (CTAP). This process, also known as transport without transit (TWT), transfers condensed atoms from one well of a lattice potential to another, non-adjacent well, without macroscopic occupation of the middle well. The dynamics and entanglement properties of this system have previously been analysed and shown to be dependent on the initial quantum state of the atoms in the first well. In this work we utilise the phase-space method of stochastic integration in the positive-P representation. The system demonstrated inseparability between the wells for Fock initial states, and we show that steering is also only found for an initial Fock state. Depending on how we write our steering inequalities, steering is seen at different times, showing a basic asymmetry. This means that for part of the evolution, Alice can steer Bob but not vice versa. After the midpoint of the population transfer, this situation reverses., Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, submitted to special edition of JOSA-B on EPR steering. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1401.2535

In this work we look at the quantum dynamics of the process known as either transport without transit (TWT), or coherent transfer of atomic population (CTAP), of a Bose-Einstein condensate from one well of a lattice potential to another, non-adjacent well, without macroscopic occupation of the well between the two. This process has previously been analysed and in this work we extend those analyses by considering the effects of quantum statistics on the dynamics and entanglement properties of the condensate modes in the two relevant wells. In order to do this, we go beyond the mean-field analysis of the Gross-Pitaevskii type approach and utilise the phase-space stochastic methods so well known in quantum optics. In particular, we use the exact positive-P representation where it is suitable, and the approximate truncated WIgner representation otherwise. We find strong agreement between the results of these two methods, with the mean-field dynamics not depending on the initial quantum states of the trapped condensate. We find that the entanglement properties do depend strongly on the initial quantum states, with quantitatively different results found for coherent and Fock states. Comparison of the two methods gives us confidence that the truncated Wigner representation delivers accurate results for this system and is thus a useful method as the collisional nonlinearity increases and the positive-P results fail to converge., Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures

Intracavity second harmonic generation is one of the simplest of the quantum optical processes and is well within the expertise of most optical laboratories. It is well understood and characterised, both theoretically and experimentally. We show that it can be a source of continuous variable asymmetric Gaussian harmonic steering with fields which have a coherent excitation, hence combining the important effects of harmonic entanglement and asymmetric steering in one easily controllable device, adjustable by the simple means of tuning the cavity loss rates at the fundamental and harmonic frequencies. We find that whether quantum steering is available via the standard measurements of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen correlations can depend on which quadrature measurements are inferred from output spectral measurements of the fundamental and the harmonic. Altering the ratios of the cavity loss rates can be used to tune the regions where symmetric steering is available, with the results becoming asymmetric over all frequencies as the cavity damping at the fundamental frequency becomes significantly greater than at the harmonic. This asymmetry and its functional dependence on frequency is a potential new tool for experimental quantum information science, with possible utility for quantum key distribution. Although we show the effect here for Gaussian measurements of the quadratures, and cannot rule out a return of the steering symmetry for some class of non-Gaussian measurements, we note here that the system obeys Gaussian statistics in the operating regime investigated and Gaussian inference is at least as accurate as any other method for calculating the necessary correlations. Perhaps most importantly, this system is simpler than any other methods we are aware of which have been used or proposed to create asymmetric steering., Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, changed according to referee comments

In this work we present the formal background used to develop the methods used in earlier works to extend the truncated Wigner representation of quantum and atom optics in order to address multi-time problems. The truncated Wigner representation has proven to be of great practical use, especially in the numerical study of the quantum dynamics of Bose condensed gases. In these cases, it allows for the simulation of effects which are missed entirely by other approximations, such as the Gross-Pitaevskii equation, but does not suffer from the severe instabilities of more exact methods. The numerical treatment of interacting many-body quantum systems is an extremely difficult task, and the ability to extend the truncated Wigner beyond single-time situations adds another powerful technique to the available toolbox. This article gives the formal mathematics behind the development of our "time-Wigner ordering" which allows for the calculation of the multi-time averages which are required for such quantities as the Glauber correlation functions which are applicable to bosonic fields., Comment: Submitted to PRE

We investigate the effects of a squeezed pump on the quantum properties and conversion efficiency of the light produced in single-pass second harmonic generation. Using stochastic integration of the two-mode equations of motion in the positive-P representation, we find that larger violations of continuous-variable harmonic entanglement criteria are available for lesser effective interaction strengths than with a coherent pump. This enhancement of the quantum properties also applies to violations of the Reid-Drummond inequalities used to demonstrate a harmonic version of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox. We find that the conversion efficiency is largely unchanged except for very low pump intensities and high levels of squeezing., Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures

Two Kerr-squeezed optical beams can be combined in a beamsplitter to produce non-Gaussian continuous-variable entangled states. We characterize the non-Gaussian nature of the output by calculating the third-order cumulant of quadrature variables, and predict the level of entanglement that could be generated by evaluating the Duan-Simon and Reid Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen criteria. These states have the advantage over Gaussian states and non-Gaussian measurement schemes in that the well known, efficient and proven technology of homodyne detection may be used for their characterisation. A physical demonstration maintaining the important features of the model could be realised using two optical fibres, beamsplitters, and homodyne detection., Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures

We consider how to generate and detect Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) entanglement and the steering paradox between groups of atoms in two separated potential wells in a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). We present experimental criteria for this form of entanglement, and propose experimental strategies for detecting entanglement using two or four mode ground states. These approaches use spatial and/or internal modes. We also present higher order criteria that act as signatures to detect the multiparticle entanglement present in this system. We point out the difference between spatial entanglement using separated detectors, and other types of entanglement that do n}ot require spatial separation. The four-mode approach with two spatial and two internal modes results in an entanglement signature with spatially separated detectors, conceptually similar to the original EPR paradox., Comment: 15 pages, changes made

We examine the medium time quantum dynamics and population equilibration of two, three and four-well Bose-Hubbard models using stochastic integration in the truncated Wigner phase-space representation. We find that all three systems will enter at least a temporary state of equilibrium, with the details depending on both the classical initial conditions and the initial quantum statistics. We find that classical integrability is not necessarily a good guide as to whether equilibration will occur. We construct an effective single-particle reduced density matrix for each of the systems, using the expectation values of operator moments, and use this to calculate an effective entropy. Knowing the expected maximum values of this entropy for each system, we are able to quantify the different approaches to equilibrium., Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures

We theoretically evaluate the squeezed joint operators produced in a single optical parametric oscillator which generates quadripartite entangled outputs, as demonstrated experimentally by Pysher et al. \cite{pysher}[Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 030505 (2011)]. Using a linearized fluctuation analysis we calculate the squeezing of the joint quadrature operators below threshold for a range of local oscillator phases and frequencies. These results add to the existing theoretical understanding of this potentially important system., Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures

The SU(2) and SU(3) Lie algebras lend themselves naturally to studies of two- and three-well Bose-Einstein condensates, with the group operators being expressed in terms of bosonic annihilation and creation operators at each site. The success of these representations has led to the purities associated with these algebras to be promoted as a measure of entanglement between the atomic modes in each well. In this report, we show that these purities do not provide an unambiguous measure, but instead give results which depend on the quantum statistical states of each atomic mode. Using the example of totally uncoupled modes which have never interacted, we quantify these purities for different states and show that completely separable states can give values which have been claimed to indicate the presence of entanglement.

We consider a theoretical model of a four-mode Bose-Hubbard model consisting of two pairs of wells coupled via two processes with two different rates. The model is naturally divided into two subsystems with strong intra-system coupling and much weaker coupling between the two subsystems and has previously been introduced as a model for Josephson heat oscillations by Strzys and Anglin [\pra {\bf 81}, 043616 (2010) ]. We examine the quantum dynamics of this model for a range of different initial conditions, in terms of both the number distribution among the wells and the quantum statistics. We find that the time evolution is different to that predicted by a mean-field model and that this system exhibits a wide range of interesting behaviours. We find that the system equilibriates to a maximum entropy state and is thus a useful model for quantum thermalisation. As our model may be realised to a good approximation in the laboratory, it becomes a candidate for experimental investigation.

We examine the feasibility of generating continuous-variable multipartite entanglement in an intra-cavity quadruply concurrent downconversion scheme that has been proposed for the generation of cluster states by Menicucci \textit{et al.} [Physical Review Letters \textbf{101}, 130501 (2008)]. By calculating optimized versions of the van Loock-Furusawa correlations we demonstrate genuine quadripartite entanglement and investigate the degree of entanglement present. Above the oscillation threshold the basic cluster state geometry under consideration suffers from phase diffusion. We alleviate this problem by incorporating a small injected signal into our analysis. Finally, we investigate squeezed joint operators. While the squeezed joint operators approach zero in the undepleted regime, we find that this is not the case when we consider the full interaction Hamiltonian and the presence of a cavity. In fact, we find that the decay of these operators is minimal in a cavity, and even depletion alone inhibits cluster state formation., Comment: 26 pages, 12 figures

We investigate an intra-cavity coupled down-conversion scheme to generate quadripartite entanglement using concurrently resonant nonlinearities. We verify that quadripartite entanglement is present in this system by calculating the output fluctuation spectra and then considering violations of optimized inequalities of the van Loock-Furusawa type. The entanglement characteristics both above and below the oscillation threshold are considered. We also present analytic solutions for the quadrature operators and the van Loock-Furusawa correlations in the undepleted pump approximation., Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures

The availability of Bose-Einstein condensates as mesoscopic or macroscopic quantum objects has aroused new interest in the possiblity of making and detecting coherent superpositions involving many atoms. In this article we show that it may be possible to generate such a superposition state in a reasonably short time using Feshbach resonances to tune the inter-atomic interactions in a double-well condensate. We also consider the important problem of distinguishing whether a coherent superposition or a statistical mixture is generated by a given experimental procedure. We find that unambiguously distinguishing even a perfect `NOON' state from a statistical mixture using standard detection methods will present experimental difficulties., Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures

Asymmetric steering is an effect whereby an inseparable bipartite system can be found to be described by either quantum mechanics or local hidden variable theories depending on which one of Alice or Bob makes the required measurements. We show that, even with an inseparable bipartite system, situations can arise where Gaussian measurements on one half are not sufficient to answer the fundamental question of which theory gives an adequate description and the whole system must be considered. This phenomenon is possible because of an asymmetry in the definition of the original Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox and in this article we show theoretically that it may be demonstrated, at least in the case where Alice and Bob can only make Gaussian measurements, using the intracavity nonlinear coupler., Comment: 5 Pages, 4 Figures

Numerical stochastic integration is a powerful tool for the investigation of quantum dynamics in interacting many body systems. As with all numerical integration of differential equations, the initial conditions of the system being investigated must be specified. With application to quantum optics in mind, we show how various commonly considered quantum states can be numerically simulated by the use of widely available Gaussian and uniform random number generators. We note that the same methods can also be applied to computational studies of Bose-Einstein condensates, and give some examples of how this can be done., Comment: 16 pages, single column format

The applicability of the so-called truncated Wigner approximation (-W) is extended to multitime averages of Heisenberg field operators. This task splits naturally in two. Firstly, what class of multitime averages the -W approximates, and, secondly, how to proceed if the average in question does not belong to this class. To answer the first question we develop an (in principle, exact) path-integral approach in phase-space based on the symmetric (Weyl) ordering of creation and annihilation operators. These techniques calculate a new class of averages which we call time-symmetric. The -W equations emerge as an approximation within this path-integral techniques. We then show that the answer to the second question is associated with response properties of the system. In fact, for two-time averages Kubo's renowned formula relating the linear response function to two-time commutators suffices. The -W is trivially generalised to the response properties of the system allowing one to calculate approximate time-normally ordered two-time correlation functions with surprising ease. The techniques we develop are demonstrated for the Bose-Hubbard model., Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures

We describe a pairing mean-field theory related to the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov approach, and apply it to the dynamics of dissociation of a molecular Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) into correlated bosonic atom pairs. We also perform the same simulation using two stochastic phase-space techniques for quantum dynamics -- the positive P-representation method and the truncated Wigner method. By comparing the results of our calculations we are able to assess the relative strength of these theoretical techniques in describing molecular dissociation in one spatial dimension. An important aspect of our analysis is the inclusion of atom-atom interactions which can be problematic for the positive-P method. We find that the truncated Wigner method mostly agrees with the positive-P simulations, but can be simulated for significantly longer times. The pairing mean-field theory results diverge from the quantum dynamical methods after relatively short times., Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, corrected typos, minor content changes

We propose three criteria for identifying continuous variable entanglement between two many-particle systems with no restrictions on the quantum state of the local oscillators used in the measurements. Mistakenly asserting a coherent state for the local oscillator can lead to incorrectly identifying the presence of entanglement. We demonstrate this in simulations with 100 particles, and also find that large number fluctuations do not prevent the observation of entanglement. Our results are important for quantum information experiments with realistic Bose-Einstein condensates or in optics with arbitrary photon states., Comment: 7 Pages, 4 Figures

We investigate the quantum properties of the well-known process of sum frequency generation, showing that it is potentially a very useful source of non-classical states of the electromagnetic field, some of which are not possible with the more common techniques. We show that it can produce quadrature squeezed light, bright bichromatic entangled states and symmetric and asymmetric demonstrations of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox. We also show that the semiclassical equations totally fail to describe the mean-field dynamics when the cavity is strongly pumped.