An Introduction to the Formalism of Quantum Information with Continuous Variables (Iop Concise Physics)

Quantum information is an emerging field which has attracted a lot of attention in the last couple of decades. It is a broad subject which extends from the most applied questions (e.g. how to build quantum computers or secure cryptographic systems) to the most theoretical problems concerning the formalism and interpretation of quantum mechanics, its complexity, and its potential to go beyond classical physics.This book is an introduction to quantum information with special emphasis on continuous-variable systems (such as light) which can be described as collections of harmonic oscillators. It covers a selection of basic concepts, focusing on their physical meaning and mathematical treatment. It starts from the very first principles of quantum mechanics, and builds up the concepts and techniques following a logical progression. This is an excellent reference for students with a full semester of standard quantum mechanics and researchers in closely related fields.

Carlos Navarrete-Benlloch (born 1983) was born and raised in Valencia, Spain, where he attended Universitat de València for a six-year BSc+MSc degree in theoretical physics. During his studies, he became fascinated by several physical fields. One of these fields, which he later continued studying during his PhD, was quantum optics. Carlos completed his PhD degree in 2011 under the joint supervision of Eugenio Roldán and Germán J de Valcárcel, in the quantum and nonlinear optics group of the Universitat de València, focusing on the quantum properties of multi-mode optical parametric oscillators. During his PhD studies, Carlos also maintained his interest in various other topics in quantum optics, which he had the opportunity to work on and become acquainted with during several long-term visits he made to other universities and research institutions. These included the Max-Planck Institute of Quantum Optics (MPQ) in Garching, Germany, where he worked under the supervision of J Ignacio Cirac; the Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, under the supervision of Peter D Drummond; and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, under the supervision of Jeffrey H Shapiro. After receiving his PhD, Carlos joined J Ignacio Cirac's theory division at MPQ as a postdoctoral researcher, including two years as the recipient of a postdoctoral research fellowship granted by the Alexander von Humboldt foundation. At MPQ, Carlos has mainly focused on dissipative quantum optics with nonlinear optical cavities, superconducting circuits, and optomechanical systems, as well as on quantum simulation with ultracold atoms, collaborating with several scientists inside and outside MPQ. In the field of quantum information with continuous variables, Carlos has contributed to the theory of non-Gaussian states and operations, as well as the characterization of the classical capacity of Gaussian channels, in collaboration with Raúl García-Patrón, Nicolas J Cerf, Jeffrey H Shapiro, and Seth Lloyd. Apart from quantum optics and information, Carlos has studied and been interested in several other physical fields, such as gravitation, cosmology, quantum field theory, and particle physics. He has also studied modern guitar and is a founding member and composer of the Valencia-based progressive jazz band Versus Five.