Entanglement and Decoherence

Book excerpt: Entanglement and (de-)coherence arguably define the central issues of concern in present day quantum information theory. Entanglement being a consequence of the quantum mechanical superposition principle for composite systems, a better understanding of the environment-induced destruction of coherent superposition states is required to devise novel strategies for harvesting quantum interference phenomena. The present book collects a series of advanced lectures on the theoretical foundations of this active research field, from mathematical aspects underlying quantum topology to mesoscopic transport theory. All lectures start out from an elementary level and proceed along a steep learning curve. This makes the material particularly suitable for student seminars on the more fundamental theoretical aspects of quantum information, and equally useful as supplementary reading for advanced lectures on this topic.