Abstract
This thesis investigates quantum foundations, evaluating and leveraging this area for the development of quantum technologies. It also demonstrates the usefulness of quantum technologies for experimentally testing foundational hypotheses. It does this by looking at two areas within foundations: counterfactual communication, and extensions of quantum mechanics.The thesis first focuses on counterfactual communication, and its antecedent, interaction-free measurement. It evaluates the philosophical and foundational issues surrounding these novel developing technologies, such as whether they are counterfactual (by various proposed criteria), and whether they are quantum. It also gives potential practical applications for which we can employ these technologies, such as to transfer quantum information, or to image delicate samples without damaging them.
The thesis then investigates extensions of quantum mechanics: specifically those which allow us to regain Bell-locality by weakening statistical independence. These extensions---which could act as a path to unifying quantum mechanics with general relativity---give predictions differing from standard quantum mechanics on scales only recently made accessible (e.g., using noisy intermediate-scale quantum devices). It then discusses possible experiments which would allow us to test these predictions empirically.
The work in this thesis contributes to the underpinning science of quantum technologies, showing how quantum foundational ideas can be adapted into quantum technological applications. It also shows quantum technologies can benefit quantum foundations---how these technologies can be utilised to test foundational hypotheses, and demonstrate foundational principles. Therefore, this work demonstrates the interplay between quantum foundations and quantum technologies---an often neglected, but vital, part of both of these fields.
| Date of Award | 21 Mar 2023 |
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| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Sponsors | EPSRC RCUK, University of York & Quantum Communications Hub |
| Supervisor | James A C Ladyman (Supervisor) & John G Rarity (Supervisor) |