Robert W. Spekkens is a Canadian theoretical quantum physicist working in the fields of quantum foundations and quantum information.[1][2][3]

Robert Spekkens
NationalityCanadian
CitizenshipCanadian
Alma materMcGill University, University of Toronto
Known forSpekkens toy model;
quantum contextuality
AwardsBirkhoff-von Neumann Prize of the International Quantum Structures Association (2008); FQXI Essay contest "Questioning the Foundations: Which of Our Assumptions Are Wrong?" (2012)
Scientific career
FieldsPhysicist
InstitutionsPerimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
University of Cambridge
University of Waterloo
Griffith University

He is known for his work on epistemic view of quantum states (in particular the Spekkens toy model),[4][5][6] quantum contextuality,[7][8][9] quantum resource theories[10][11] and quantum causality.[12][13]

He co-edited the book Quantum Theory: Informational Foundations and Foils.[14]

Career

edit

Spekkens is a faculty member and the leader of the quantum causal inference initiative at Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.[15][16] He regularly teaches the course on quantum foundations in the Perimeter Scholars International master's program.[17][18]

He is an adjunct faculty in the Department of Physics of the University of Waterloo[19] and an adjunct research fellow in the Centre for Quantum Dynamics of Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia.[15]

Awards

edit
  • 2012 FQXI Essay contest "Questioning the Foundations: Which of Our Assumptions Are Wrong?"[20]

References

edit
  1. ^ Castelvecchi, Davide (2018-09-18). "Reimagining of Schrödinger's cat breaks quantum mechanics — and stumps physicists". Nature. 561 (7724): 446–447. doi:10.1038/d41586-018-06749-8. PMID 30254348. S2CID 52821314.
  2. ^ Cavalcanti, Eric. "Schrödinger's cat gets a reality check". The Conversation. Retrieved 2022-04-16.
  3. ^ Castelvecchi, Davide (19 September 2018). "Reimagining of Schrödinger's Cat Breaks Quantum Mechanics and Stumps Physicists". Nature. 561 (7724): 446–447. doi:10.1038/d41586-018-06749-8. PMID 30254348. S2CID 52821314. Retrieved 2022-04-14.
  4. ^ Harrigan, Nicholas; Spekkens, Robert W. (2010-02-01). "Einstein, Incompleteness, and the Epistemic View of Quantum States". Foundations of Physics. 40 (2): 125–157. arXiv:0706.2661. doi:10.1007/s10701-009-9347-0. ISSN 1572-9516. S2CID 32755624.
  5. ^ Spekkens, Robert W. (March 19, 2007). "Evidence for the epistemic view of quantum states: A toy theory". Physical Review A. 75 (3): 032110. arXiv:quant-ph/0401052. Bibcode:2007PhRvA..75c2110S. doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.75.032110. S2CID 117284016.
  6. ^ "Entangled photons cast a new light on cause and effect". Physics World. 2015-03-30. Retrieved 2022-04-14.
  7. ^ Spekkens, R. W. (2005-05-31). "Contextuality for preparations, transformations, and unsharp measurements". Physical Review A. 71 (5): 052108. arXiv:quant-ph/0406166. doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.71.052108. S2CID 38186461.
  8. ^ Liang, Yeong-Cherng; Spekkens, Robert W.; Wiseman, Howard M. (2011-09-01). "Specker's parable of the overprotective seer: A road to contextuality, nonlocality and complementarity". Physics Reports. 506 (1): 1–39. doi:10.1016/j.physrep.2011.05.001. hdl:10072/42574. ISSN 0370-1573.
  9. ^ Musser, George (2016-01-19). "Quantum Weirdness Now a Matter of Time". Quanta Magazine. Retrieved 2022-04-14.
  10. ^ Brandão, Fernando G. S. L.; Horodecki, Michał; Oppenheim, Jonathan; Renes, Joseph M.; Spekkens, Robert W. (2013-12-18). "Resource Theory of Quantum States Out of Thermal Equilibrium". Physical Review Letters. 111 (25): 250404. arXiv:1111.3882. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.250404. PMID 24483734. S2CID 29481474.
  11. ^ Gour, Gilad; Spekkens, Robert W. (2008-03-17). "The resource theory of quantum reference frames: manipulations and monotones". New Journal of Physics. 10 (3): 033023. arXiv:0711.0043. doi:10.1088/1367-2630/10/3/033023. ISSN 1367-2630. S2CID 119185952.
  12. ^ Wood, Christopher J; Spekkens, Robert W (2015-03-03). "The lesson of causal discovery algorithms for quantum correlations: causal explanations of Bell-inequality violations require fine-tuning". New Journal of Physics. 17 (3): 033002. arXiv:1208.4119. doi:10.1088/1367-2630/17/3/033002. ISSN 1367-2630. S2CID 118518558.
  13. ^ Leifer, M. S.; Spekkens, Robert W. (2013-11-27). "Towards a formulation of quantum theory as a causally neutral theory of Bayesian inference". Physical Review A. 88 (5): 052130. arXiv:1107.5849. doi:10.1103/physreva.88.052130. ISSN 1050-2947. S2CID 43563970.
  14. ^ Colbeck, Roger; Renner, Renato (2016). Chiribella, Giulio; Spekkens, Robert W. (eds.). "Quantum Theory: Informational Foundations and Foils". Fundamental Theories of Physics. 181. arXiv:1208.4123. doi:10.1007/978-94-017-7303-4. ISBN 978-94-017-7302-7. ISSN 0168-1222. S2CID 118699215.
  15. ^ a b "Robert Spekkens | Perimeter Institute". perimeterinstitute.ca. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
  16. ^ "Quantum causal inference initiative | Perimeter Institute". perimeterinstitute.ca. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  17. ^ "12/13 PSI - Found Quantum Mechanics | PIRSA". pirsa.org. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  18. ^ "PSI master's program | Perimeter Institute". perimeterinstitute.ca. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  19. ^ "Robert Spekkens". Physics and Astronomy. 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
  20. ^ "The Paradigm of Kinematics and Dynamics Must Yield to Causal Structure by Robert W. Spekkens". fqxi.org. Retrieved 2022-04-14.