Nicolas Menicucci

Research Interests

* Continuous-variable cluster states -- I was instrumental in the initial development of this quantum computing platform. Since co-authoring the seminal paper on the topic in 2006, I continue to remain heavily involved in its theoretical and experimental development.

* Relativistic quantum information theory -- Even while physics lacks a complete theory of quantum gravity, quantum information theory provides new tools with which to probe the interface between quantum theory and relativity. My ongoing research in this area includes examining entanglement in curved spacetime and proposing analog-gravity experiments in ion traps and other laboratory systems.

* Foundations of quantum theory -- In the last decade, quantum foundations has matured into an active and respected area of scientific research in its own right as we try to make sense of the mysteries of the quantum world. I remain especially interested in foundational questions as they relate to relativity.

Recent Publications

• Nicolas C. Menicucci, "Temporal-mode continuous-variable cluster states using linear optics," Phys. Rev. A 83, 062314 (2011), arxiv: 1007.3434
• Nicolas C. Menicucci, Steven T. Flammia, and Peter van Loock, "Graphical calculus for Gaussian pure states with applications to continuous-variable cluster states," Phys. Rev. A 83, 042335 (2011), arxiv: 1007.0725
• Nicolas C. Menicucci, S. Jay Olson, and Gerard J. Milburn, "Simulating quantum effects of cosmological expansion in a static ion trap," New J. Phys. 12, 095019 (2010), arxiv: 1005.0434
• Charles D. Hill, Adrian P. Flitney, Nicolas C. Menicucci, "A competitive game whose maximal Nash-equilibrium payoff requires quantum resources for its achievement," Phys. Lett. A 374, 3619 (2010), arxiv: 0908.4373
• Nicolas C. Menicucci, Xian Ma, Timothy C. Ralph, "Arbitrarily large continuous-variable cluster states from a single quantum nondemolition gate," Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 250503 (2010), arxiv: 1002.4094
• Mile Gu, Christian Weedbrook, Nicolas C. Menicucci, Timothy C. Ralph, Peter van Loock, "Quantum Computing with Continuous-Variable Clusters," Phys. Rev. A 79, 062318 (2009), arxiv: 0903.3233
• Steven T. Flammia, Nicolas C. Menicucci, Oliver Pfister, "The Optical Frequency Comb as a One-Way Quantum Computer," J. Phys. B 42, 114009 (2009), arxiv: 0811.2799
• Nicolas C. Menicucci, Steven T. Flammia, Olivier Pfister, "One-Way Quantum Computing in the Optical Frequency Comb," Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 130501 (2008), arxiv: 0804.4468
• Greg Ver Steeg, Nicolas C. Menicucci, "Entangling Power of an Expanding Universe," Phys. Rev. D 79, 044027 (2009), arxiv: 0711.3066
• Hussain Zaidi, Nicolas C. Menicucci, Steven T. Flammia, Russell Bloomer, Matthew Pysher, Olivier Pfister, "Entangling the optical frequency comb: simultaneous generation of multiple 2x2 and 2x3 continuous-variable cluster states in a single optical parametric oscillator," Laser Physics 18(5):659, May 2008, arxiv: 0710.4980
• Nicolas C. Menicucci, G. J. Milburn, "A Single Trapped Ion as a Time-Dependent Harmonic Oscillator," Phys. Rev. A 76, 052105 (2007), arxiv: 0704.0135
• Nicolas C. Menicucci, Steven T. Flammia, Hussain Zaidi, Olivier Pfister, "Ultracompact Generation of Continuous-Variable Cluster States," Phys. Rev. A 76, 010302(R) (2007), arxiv: quant-ph/0703096
• Nicolas C. Menicucci, Peter van Loock, Mile Gu, Christian Weedbrook, Timothy C. Ralph, Michael A. Nielsen, "Universal Quantum Computation with Continuous-Variable Cluster States," Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 110501 (2006), arxiv: quant-ph/0605198
• S. Prasad, N. C. Menicucci, "Fisher Information With Respect to Cumulants," IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory 50, 638-642 (2004), arxiv: physics/0212035
• N. C. Menicucci, Carlton M. Caves, "Local Realistic Model for the Dynamics of Bulk-Ensemble NMR Information Processing," Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 167901 (2002), arxiv: quant-ph/0111152
• Nicolas C. Menicucci, S. Jay Olson, and Gerard J. Milburn, "Clocks and Relationalism in the Thermal Time Hypothesis," arxiv: 1108.0883
• Eric G. Cavalcanti and Nicolas C. Menicucci, "Verifiable nonlinear quantum evolution implies failure of density matrices to represent proper mixtures," arxiv: 1004.1219
• Nicolas C. Menicucci and Gerard J. Milburn, "Spatial correlation functions for the collective degrees of freedom of many trapped ions," arxiv: 0704.0135

Seminars

• "Unified graphical calculus for Gaussian pure states," University of Virginia
• "Optical Continuous-Variable Cluster States," University of Virginia
• "Relationalism and the Thermal Time Hypothesis: clocks and the emergence of a metric notion of time," Relativistic Quantum Information Theory Workshop, The University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
• "Optical Continuous-Variable Cluster States," California Institute of Technology
• "Optical Continuous-Variable Cluster States," The University of British Columbia
• "The Preparation Problem," Relativistic Quantum Information Workshop, Brisbane, Australia
• "The thermal time hypothesis for finite-dimensional systems: clocks, reference frames, and Tolman's relation," Relativistic Quantum Information Workshop, Brisbane, Australia.
• "Arbitrarily large continuous-variable cluster states from a single QND gate," Quantum Communication, Measurement and Computation (QCMC) 2010, Brisbane, Australia.
• "Quantum Computation with Arbitrary-Dimensional Systems," Macquarie University
• "Entangling Power of an Expanding Universe" (Physics Department Colloquium), The University of Queensland
• "Unified Graphical Calculus for All Gaussian Pure States," Coogee Workshop on Quantum Information Theory, Sydney, Australia
• "Optical Continuous-Variable Cluster States," Quantum Information and Control in Queensland Conference, Cairns, Australia
• "The Bloch Representation of Quantum States with D>2," The University of Queensland
• PIRSA:07120024, "Entangling Power of an Expanding Universe," Young Researchers Conference