The Quantum-Classical Boundary: from Opto-Mechanics to Solid-State

TL;DR

This thesis explores the quantum-to-classical boundary using quantum information concepts, demonstrating methods to extend quantum effects to larger systems and proposing new avenues for quantum computation with correlated materials.

Contribution

It introduces novel approaches to push the quantum-classical boundary in mesoscopic systems and demonstrates robust gap opening in 2D antiferromagnetic lattices for quantum info processing.

Findings

Coupling a moveable mirror to a quasi-classical electromagnetic field extends quantum effects.

Robust gaps in 2D antiferromagnetic lattices can be achieved with spin-1/2 probes.

Quantum information concepts help understand and manipulate the quantum-classical transition.

Abstract

The present thesis shows that Quantum Information concepts can be used to better understand the quantum-to-classical boundary in mesoscopic and macroscopic systems. Our findings suggest a way to push this boundary towards the macroscopic domain by coupling a moveable mirror to a confined quasi-classical electromagnetic field (Chapters 2 and 3), and opens new possibilities towards quantum computation and information processing with strongly-correlated systems at realistic temperatures by demonstrating the opening of robust gaps in 2D antiferromagnetic lattices due to the presence of additional spin-1/2 probes (Chapters 4 and 5).