Quantum Measurement

Andrew N. Jordan received his B.S. from Texas A&M and his Ph.D. in physics from UC Santa Barbara. He has served on the faculty at the University of Rochester and Chapman University where is he is co-Director of the Institute for Quantum Studies. Andrew has received the NSF CAREER award and a Simons Fellowship in theoretical physics for his work. Irfan Siddiqi received his A.B. from Harvard University and Ph.D. in applied physics from Yale University. He is a member of the Physics and Electrical Engineering departments at UC Berkeley and faculty scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Irfan is Fellow of the American Physical Society and has received numerous awards including George E. Valley, Jr. Prize, the John F. Keithley Award, and UC Berkeley Distinguished Teaching Award.

• 1. Introduction to quantum physics and measurement; 2. Projective measurement; 3. Generalized measurement; 4. Weak measurement; 5. Continuous measurement – diffusive case; 6. Continuous measurement – quantum jump case; 7. Linear detectors; 8. Quantum amplifcation; 9. Measurement-related phenomena and applications; 10. Feedback and control; 11. Epilogue – what does it all mean?

'There is a spot in the great John Archibald Wheeler's autobiography where he writes, 'Many students entering upon their study of quantum mechanics are told that [the theory] shows its essence in the equation Erwin Schrödinger published in 1926. … But, to my mind, the Schrödinger wave fails to capture the true essence of quantum mechanics. That essence is measurement.' Were Wheeler but alive today to see this marvelous book! His outlook shaped my own approach to the foundations of quantum theory, but this book is the first living instantiation of Wheeler's deep thought to physical practice itself. It will be a standard reference for years to come.' Christopher Fuchs, University of Massachusetts Boston