Parity (physics)

In physics, a parity transformation (also called parity inversion) is the flip in the sign of one spatial coordinate. In three dimensions, it can also refer to the simultaneous flip in the sign of all three spatial coordinates (a point reflection): \mathbf{P}: \begin{pmatrix}x\y\z\end{pmatrix} \mapsto \begin{pmatrix}-x\-y\-z\end{pmatrix}. It can also be thought of as a test for chirality of a physical phenomenon, in that a parity inversion transforms a phenomenon into its mirror image. All fundamental interactions of elementary particles, with the exception of the weak interaction, are symmetric under parity. The weak interaction is chiral and thus provides a means for probing chirality in physics. In interactions that are symmetric under parity, such as electromagnetism in atomic and molecular physics, parity serves as a powerful controlling principle underlying quantum transitions. A matrix representation of P (in any number of dimensions) has d

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Efficient Quantum Algorithms for GHZ and W States, and Implementation on the IBM Quantum Computer

Chun Lam Chan, Marc-André Dupertuis, Romain Fournier, Fabien Gremion, Clément Christian Javerzac-Galy, Kenichi Komagata, Nicolas Macris, Jarla Thiesbrummel

Efficient deterministic algorithms are proposed with logarithmic step complexities for the generation of entangled GHZ(N) and W-N states useful for quantum networks, and an implementation on the IBM quantum computer up to N = 16 is demonstrated. Improved quality is then investigated using full quantum tomography for low-N GHZ and W states. This is completed by parity oscillations and histogram distance for large-N GHZ and W states, respectively. Robust states are built with about twice the number of quantum bits which were previously achieved.

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Chiral gravitational waves from chiral fermions

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We report on a new mechanism that leads to the generation of primordial chiral gravitational waves, and hence, the violation of the parity symmetry in the Universe. We show that nonperturbative production of fermions with a definite helicity is accompanied by the generation of chiral gravitational waves. This is a generic and model-independent phenomenon that can occur during inflation, reheating and radiation eras, and can leave imprints in the cosmic microwave background polarization and may be observed in future ground-and space-based interferometers. We also discuss a specific model where chiral gravitational waves are generated via the production of light chiral fermions during pseudoscalar inflation.

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