Overview

Quantum information theory started as the backdrop for quantum computing and is often considered only in relation to this technology, which is still in its infancy. But quantum information theory is only partly about quantum computing. While much of the interest in this field is spurred by the possible use of quantum computers for code breaking using fast factoring algorithms, to a physicist interested in deeper issues, it presents an entirely new set of questions based on an entirely different way of looking at the quantum world. This thesis is an exploration of several topics in quantum information theory. But it is also more than this. This thesis explores the new paradigm brought about by quantum information theory---that of physics as the flow of information. The thesis consists of three main parts. The first part describes my work on continuous-variable cluster states, a new platform for quantum computation. This begins with background material discussing classical and quantum computation and emphasizing the physical underpinnings of each, followed by a discussion of two recent unorthodox models of quantum computation. These models are combined into an original proposal for quantum computation using continuous-variable cluster states, including a proposed optical implementation. These are followed by a mathematical result radically simplifying the optical construction. Subsequent work simplifies this connection even further and provides a constructive proposal for scalable generation of large-scale cluster states---necessary if there is to be any hope of using this method in practical quantum computation. Experimental implementation is currently underway by my collaborators at The University of Virginia. The second part describes my work related to the physics of trapped ions, starting with an overview of the basic theory of linear ion traps. Although ion traps are often discussed in terms of their potential use for quantum computation, my work looks at their potential for use as generic quantum systems over which the experimenter has exquisite control and which can be used to simulate other quantum systems and also study generic quantum phenomena. This is followed by a proposal for using a trapped ion as a time-dependent harmonic oscillator---a quantum system that is common in theoretical literature but of which few laboratory examples are known. A second project studies the way that quantum fluctuations in the vibrational state of a chain of ions influence correlations in optical measurements made on the ions. The final part looks at quantum information theory in a relativistic setting. An introduction discusses the interface between quantum information theory and relativity in general, including the nonclassical notion of entanglement and the peculiar features of curved-space quantum field theory. An original gedankenexperiment combines these ideas and examines whether entanglement---a quantum information-theoretic concept and physical resource---can be used to distinguish universes of different curvature in a situation where local measurements would show no difference. These three parts are followed by a personal (and possibly controversial) conclusion, which describes my fascination with---and ultimately my reason for pursuing---studies in quantum information theory.

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