C. Jess Riedel

Physics postdoc
Perimeter Institute

Field: Quantum information / foundations
Topics: Decoherence, quantum-enhanced soft-particle detection, consistent histories set selection

Email: jessriedel[at]gmail.com
CV | Blog | PI webpage | Papers: arXiv/Google Scholar

I work on quantum decoherence, concentrating especially on two ideas:

Rigorous wavefunction branches

What are the branches in the wavefunction of many-body systems? A clear description of the quantum-classical transition requires a precise understanding of the imprint left by physical amplification processes on the wavefunction of macroscopic systems, with laboratory measurement as a special case. One way to formulate this is the set selection problem. In addition to clarifying foundational questions, this will have applications in numerical many-body simulations.

CJR, "Classical branch structure from spatial redundancy in a many-body wavefunction", (2016).

[arXiv:1608.05377]

CJR, Wojciech H. Zurek, and Michael Zwolak, "The Objective Past of a Quantum Universe: Redundant Records of Consistent Histories", Phys. Rev. A, 93, 032126 (2016).

[arXiv:1312.0331][Slides (IBM)][Video (IBM)]

Decoherence detection

How can large quantum superpositions be used to detect decoherence from new particles and forces that are otherwise undetectable? Early work on this has concentrated on the sensitivity of matter interferometers to detect low-mass (keV-MeV) dark matter, but the mechanism is very general and potentially can be exploited in other experiments and for other searches.

CJR and Itay Yavin, "Decoherence as a way to measure extremely soft collisions with Dark Matter", (2016).

[arXiv:1609.04145][Video (Perimeter)]

CJR, "Decoherence from classically undetectable sources: Standard quantum limit for diffusion". Phys. Rev. A 92, 010101(R) (2015).

[arXiv:1504.03250][Slides (Les Houches)]

Selected papers

CJR and Wojciech H. Zurek, "Quantum Darwinism in an Everyday Environment: Huge Redundancy in Scattered Photons," Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 020404 (2010).

[arXiv:1001.3419]

Michael Zwolak, CJR, and Wojciech H. Zurek, "Amplification, Redundancy, and the Quantum Chernoff Information", Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 140406 (2014)

[arXiv:1312.5373][Video (Zwolak, IBM)]

CJR, "Direct Detection of Classically Undetectable Dark Matter through Quantum Decoherence", Phys. Rev. D 88, 116005 (2013).

[arXiv:1212.3061][Slides (Perimeter)][Video (Perimeter)][FAQs (Blog)]

R. Kaltenbaek et al., "Macroscopic quantum resonators (MAQRO): 2015 Update", EPJ Quantum Technology, 3, 5 (2016).

[arXiv:1503.02640]

CJR, "Quantum Brownian motion as an iterated entanglement-breaking measurement by the environment", Phys. Rev. A 93, 012107 (2016)

[arXiv:1507.04083][Slides (Los Alamos)]

CJR, Wojciech H. Zurek, and Michael Zwolak, "The Rise and Fall of Redundancy in Decoherence and Quantum Darwinism," New J. Phys. 14, 083010 (2012).

[arXiv:1205.3197][Slides (thesis defense)]

CJR, "Evidence for Gravitons from Decoherence by Bremsstrahlung".

[arXiv:1310.6347]

CJR, "Local Records and Global Entanglement: A Unique Multi-Partite Generalization of the Schmidt Decomposition", (2013).

[arXiv:1310.4473][Slides (MIT)]

(Collaborators: Charles H. Bennett, Elliot Nelson, Joshual Rosaler, Itay Yavin, Michael Zwolak, Wojciech H. Zurek.)

Online Persona

HackerNews, StackExchange (Physics.SE, MathOverflow), EA Forum / Hub, foreXiv (blog), Google Scholar, arXiv.

Former institutions

IBM Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, (2012-2014)
Los Alamos National Lab: CNLS & T-4 (2009-2012)
UC Santa Barbara Physics (2007-2012)
Princeton Physics (2003-2007)
Thomas Jefferson HSST (1999-2003)

Mailing address

Jess Riedel
Perimeter Institute
31 Caroline St. N
Waterloo, Ontario N2L 2Y5

Personal pages

Software
Other