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Absolute zero is the zero of thermodynamic temperature, corresponding to $-273.15{}^{\circ }\mathrm{C}$. For a system with a nondegenerate ground state, equilibrium entropy approaches zero as temperature approaches absolute zero. This does not mean that every quantum degree of freedom loses its zero-point energy. The entropy statement and the operational unattainability of absolute zero require their respective physical assumptions.

The ground state of an even-even nucleus has $J^P=0^{+}$, and the emitted alpha particle also has $0^{+}$. In an alpha decay to daughter spin $J_Y$, addition of angular momentum permits total zero only when the relative orbital angular momentum is $L=J_Y$. Parity conservation gives $+1={\pi }_Y(-1{)}^L$, hence the daughter has natural parity, $0^{+},1^{-},2^{+},3^{-},\dots$. This rule does not itself restrict $J_Y$ to even integers. An even-$J$ sequence such as $0^{+},2^{+},4^{+}$ requires additional nuclear structure, for example a positive-parity ground-state nuclear rotational band.

An antiferromagnetic Ising model on a closed one-dimensional ring, with Ising spins $S_j=\pm 1$ and the displayed periodic boundary conditions. Every opposite neighboring pair minimizes its bond energy. An even ring admits two completely alternating ground states; an odd ring must contain at least one parallel pair, an example of geometric frustration.

Let ${\sigma }^2=\hslash /(2m\omega )$ and $g(x)=(2\pi {\sigma }^2{)}^{-1/2}{e}^{-x^2/(2{\sigma }^2)}$ be the quantum harmonic oscillator ground-state probability density. Put $p(a)={\int }_{-a}^{a}g(x)dx$. The first excited-state density is $x^{2}g(x)/{\sigma }^2$. Integration by parts, using $g^{\prime }=-xg/{\sigma }^2$, gives the first-order differenceThe bracket grows from zero to one, since its derivative is $2a^{2}g(a)/{\sigma }^2$. Thus the first-order predicted level gap for $H_0+\lambda H^{\prime }$ is $\hslash \omega [1-\lambda \{p(a)-2ag(a)\}/2]$. For every $\lambda >2$ it becomes negative at sufficiently large $a$.

For $\lambda >1$ the full potential has a central barrier and symmetric minima at $\pm a$. The unperturbed even ground state samples the central barrier more strongly than the odd excited state, whose node reduces its shift. This explains the perturbative tendency, but the negative predicted gap is a failure diagnostic of the first-order truncation. The exact one-dimensional ground state remains nodeless and below the first excited state; in a high symmetric barrier the actual pair has a small positive double-well tunneling splitting.

An atomic clock uses an atomic transition as a frequency reference for an oscillator; counting its calibrated cycles realizes a time interval. In a passive beam implementation, the chemical atoms are repeatedly prepared, interrogated and detected, while feedback control corrects the continuously running oscillator. The Ramsey separated oscillatory fields experiment explains how internal quantum phase becomes a measurable population signal.

The SI second fixes the unperturbed ground state hyperfine structure transition frequency of caesium-133 to exactly $9192631770\mathrm{Hz}$. This is a defining value for the ideal transition, rather than a guarantee that an operating apparatus has no shifts.^[ref]

The rest mass of a chemical atom in its ground state, a physical quantity expressed in SI mass units or the unified atomic mass unit. Here $m_i$ means the atomic mass of a neutral chemical atom of isotope $i$, not the mass of its bare atomic nucleus and not a population average.^[ref]

Atomic mass includes electrons and depends on nuclear binding energy; it is not just mass number times a universal nucleon mass. The atomic mass of neutral carbon-12 in its ground state is exactly $12\mathrm{u}$ by definition of the unified atomic mass unit. That exactness establishes the reference scale, rather than making the atomic masses of all isotopes exact integers in the same unit.

The BCS quasiparticle spectrum is the positive excitation energy obtained by diagonalizing the paired particle-hole block. Here the weak coupling shell model has $\Delta \ll {\Omega }_D$: the minimum lies inside the pairing shell, and states outside it cost more. To derive it for a uniform isotropic real $\Delta >0$, measure the normal-state energy from the chemical potential, ${\xi }_k={ϵ}_k-\mu$, and use the same sign convention as the BCS coherence factors:Its eigenvalues are ${\epsilon }_{\pm }=\pm E_k$, where $E_k=\sqrt{{\xi }_k^2+{\Delta }^2}$. The positive $E_k$ is the cost of creating a quasiparticle above the BCS ground state. The lower branch $-E_k$ is its particle-hole partner in this doubled matrix description, not an excitation that lowers the ground state energy without bound.

The location and value of the minimum follow directly:The unique minimum as a function of $\xi$ is $E(0)=\Delta$, at the normal-state Fermi surface. On an isotropic three-dimensional Fermi surface it occurs for every direction of $k$, rather than at a unique point of momentum space. Near that minimum,Farther away, $E(\xi )\simeq |\xi |$ when $\Delta \ll |\xi |\ll {\Omega }_D$. For the illustrative $\lambda =0.25$ example, a state at $\xi =\Delta$ costs $\sqrt{2}\Delta \simeq 1.03644\mathrm{meV}$ rather than the minimum $0.732871\mathrm{meV}$.

Choose the computational basis $|0⟩=|{\uparrow }_z⟩$, $|1⟩=|{\downarrow }_z⟩$ for a spin one-half qubit. On the Bloch sphere, let $\mathbf{n}=(\sin \theta \cos \varphi ,\sin \theta \sin \varphi ,\cos \theta )$ and use the normalized quantum stateThis is the $+1$ eigenstate of $\mathbf{n}\cdot \mathbf{\sigma }$, where $\mathbf{\sigma }$ are the Pauli matrices. To make it an instantaneous ground state, take the model Hamiltonian operator $H=-\Delta \mathbf{n}\cdot \mathbf{\sigma }/2$ with constant $\Delta >0$. Its energy eigenvalues are $-\Delta /2$ and $+\Delta /2$, so its spectral gap is $\Delta$ everywhere. The spin points along $\mathbf{n}$; this explicit convention fixes the sign of the Berry phase.

Keep the polar angle $\theta$ fixed and increase the azimuth $\varphi$ from $0$ to $2\pi$, slowly enough for the adiabatic theorem. The state vector written above is periodic in $\varphi$. Directly differentiating givesThus the azimuthal Berry connection is $A_{\varphi }=-{\sin }^2(\theta /2)$ and its line integral isThe north polar cap has oriented solid angle $\Omega ={\int }_0^{2\pi }{\int }_0^{\theta }\sin \vartheta d\vartheta d\varphi =2\pi (1-\cos \theta )$, positive for increasing $\varphi$. Reversing the loop reverses the Berry phase. The opposite spin eigenstate has the opposite Berry phase modulo $2\pi$.

At $\theta =60^{\circ }$, the solid angle is $\pi$ and the Berry phase is $-\pi /2$. At $\theta =90^{\circ }$, the solid angle is $2\pi$ and the Berry phase is $-\pi$. At $\theta =0$, the loop collapses and $\gamma =0$. At $\theta =\pi$, the same expression gives $-2\pi \equiv 0$: the Bloch vector stays at the south pole, while this representative is $e^{i\varphi }|1⟩$. Its winding is only a choice of global phase, so the physically relevant phase factor is again one. The displayed formula is a continuous, unwrapped representative, not a unique real-valued observable.

A plot of successive vibrational spacings against a vibrational index. Extrapolation toward zero spacing estimates a dissociation limit under an assumed spacing law. The integration bounds and whether the energy is measured from the potential minimum or vibrational ground state must be specified.

Consider two distinguishable, noninteracting two-level systems, each with energies $0$ and $\Delta >0$. Their four microstates $(0,0),(0,1),(1,0),(1,1)$ have total energies $0,\Delta ,\Delta ,2\Delta$. Thus the three energy macrostates have state degeneracies $1,2,1$. This is a stipulated finite model, not a measured material.

Set $q=e^{-\beta \Delta }$. The four individual Boltzmann factors are $1,q,q,q^2$, so the partition function and aggregate probabilities areEach of the two middle microstates has probability $q/Z$, while their shared energy macrostate has probability $2q/Z$.

At the temperature satisfying $\Delta =k_{B}T\ln 2$, the Boltzmann factor is $q=1/2$ and the partition function is $Z=9/4$. ThereforeThe middle energy is as likely as the ground state energy because its state degeneracy is twice as large. Yet each individual middle microstate is only half as likely as the ground state microstate. The diagram places the four energies beside their individual probabilities, then shows the sums within each macrostate.

The expected value of energy follows directly by weighting the three possible energies:At $q=1/2$ this is $2\Delta /3$. An individual energy measurement still returns $0$, $\Delta$ or $2\Delta$; the expected value describes the ensemble average, rather than a fourth possible measured energy.

For two individual microstates, the partition function cancels:At positive temperature, a higher-energy individual microstate is less probable, and equal-energy individual microstates are equally probable. For example, a gap $E_i-E_j=k_{B}T\ln 2$, using the natural logarithm, gives $p_i/p_j=1/2$. This comparison concerns individual microstates; a whole macrostate can contain several of them.

Changing the reference for energy leaves every probability unchanged. If all energies become $E_i^{\prime }=E_i+C$ for the same constant $C$, thenThe partition function itself changes, but its common factor cancels in the Boltzmann distribution. Thus choosing a ground state energy of zero simplifies calculations without changing populations. The expected value of energy shifts by $C$, as it must when its reference changes.

Keep the gap $\Delta$ fixed and vary positive temperature. With $x=k_{B}T/\Delta$, the Boltzmann factor is $q=e^{-1/x}$. In the four-microstate example, as $T\to 0^{+}$, $q\to 0$: the unique ground state has probability tending to one, and the other microstates have probabilities tending to zero. If several microstates instead shared the lowest energy, their state degeneracy would split that limiting population equally.

As $T\to \infty$ in this fixed finite model, all four individual Boltzmann factors tend to one, so all four individual microstates have probability tending to $1/4$. The three aggregate probabilities instead approachThe equal-population limit applies to this finite set of microstates. An infinite collection of microstates cannot all have the same positive normalized probability, so the statement cannot be extended to an unbounded energy spectrum. Real systems may also acquire additional accessible microstates as temperature rises.

The plotted crossing occurs at $x=1/\ln 2$, where $P(0)=P(\Delta )=4/9$. For larger positive temperatures, the middle macrostate is more probable than the lowest-energy macrostate, although the lowest-energy individual microstate remains more probable than either individual middle microstate. The expected value of energy rises from zero toward $\Delta$ in this finite model.

Consider $N$ noninteracting bosons in one internal quantum state, at thermal equilibrium in the three-dimensional harmonic oscillator potentialHere $m$ is the mass, the positive ${\omega }_i$ are angular frequencies, and $\bar{\omega }$ is their geometric mean. Measure the one-particle energy $ϵ$ and chemical potential $\mu$ from the ground-state energy. The quantum harmonic oscillator levels then have $ϵ=\hslash ({\omega }_x{n}_x+{\omega }_y{n}_y+{\omega }_z{n}_z)$ with nonnegative integer $n_i$ and reduced Planck constant $\hslash =h/(2\pi )$.

When $ϵ\gg \hslash {\omega }_i$, counting lattice points can be approximated by the volume of a tetrahedron in the positive octant of $(n_x,n_y,n_z)$:This is a density of states, with units of inverse energy. The factor $1/6$ is the unit tetrahedron volume; differentiating produces the factor $1/2$. Treat the single ground state separately: its macroscopic population would be lost by replacing every level with a smooth density of states.

For $k_{B}T\gg \hslash {\omega }_i$, integrate the Bose-Einstein distribution over excited energy eigenstates. As $\mu$ approaches zero from below, their maximum population isHere $k_B$ is the Boltzmann constant and $\zeta$ the Riemann zeta function. A short proof uses $1/(e^x-1)={\sum }_{\ell \ge 1}{e}^{-\ell x}$ and ${\int }_0^{\infty }{x}^2{e}^{-\ell x}dx=2/{\ell }^3$. The nonnegative terms permit exchanging summation and integration by Tonelli's theorem, giving ${\int }_0^{\infty }{x}^2/(e^x-1)dx=2\zeta (3)$. Near zero the integrand is proportional to $x$, so its integral converges. That finite excited-state capacity is the mechanism of Bose-Einstein condensation.

Set $N_{\mathrm{ex}}^{\mathrm{sat}}(T_c)=N$. Particle conservation gives, to this continuum accuracy,Above $T_c$, the macroscopic condensate fraction is zero and the chemical potential adjusts below zero. This cubic power belongs to a three-dimensional harmonic trap; it is not the homogeneous three-dimensional ideal gas exponent. For $N=10^5$, $\bar{\omega }/(2\pi )=100\mathrm{Hz}$ and $\zeta (3)\simeq 1.202056903$, the model gives $T_c\simeq 209.5\mathrm{nK}$. At $T=0.8T_c\simeq 167.6\mathrm{nK}$, $N_0/N=0.488$, or approximately $48800$ condensed bosons. These are chosen parameters and calculated values.

Finite $N$ gives a smooth crossover rather than a sharp phase transition. The exact ideal gas sum over excited quantum harmonic oscillator levels differs from the continuum integral, especially when $k_{B}T$ is not large relative to every $\hslash {\omega }_i$. A sharp trapped-gas limit takes $N\to \infty$, $\bar{\omega }\to 0$ with $N{\bar{\omega }}^3$ fixed and fixed frequency ratios. Interactions also alter the critical temperature, condensate fraction and release profile; a dilute gas can have appreciable interaction energy compared with the trap level spacing. The cubic law is a useful baseline, not a fit guaranteed for either 1995 experiment.

The number of nonnegative triples with $n_x+n_y+n_z=N$ is the stars-and-bars count $\left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{N+2}{2}\right)$. Including a two-state electron spin gives capacity $(N+1)(N+2)$. Filling non-interacting shells therefore uses capacities $2,6,12,\dots$, with shell energy $(N+3/2)\hslash \omega$ per electron. A partly filled shell has degenerate many-body ground states; rearranging its occupants is not a positive excitation energy.

From the normalized ground state annihilated by every $A_i$, the normalized Cartesian number states areThey have energy $\hslash \omega (n_1+n_2+n_3+3/2)$.

Hubbard-Stratonovich decoupling of an exponentially coupled Ising chain gives a scalar-field action with a nearest-neighbor gradient term and $U(m)=\tanh (\kappa /2)m^2/J-\log [2\cosh (2m+h)]$. Its continuum partition function is the Euclidean path integral of the displayed quantum particle. At zero field the potential can have two wells, but a finite barrier still permits quantum tunnelling and gives a unique symmetric ground state. The excitation gap produces a finite classical correlation length, so there is no finite-temperature spontaneous magnetization for fixed positive $\kappa$. One classical spatial coordinate becomes imaginary time; a $d$-dimensional classical model corresponds to a quantum model with $d-1$ spatial dimensions.

Suddenly shifting a quantum harmonic oscillator equilibrium from zero to a signed position $x_0$ leaves the old ground state unchanged at the instant of the quantum quench. The new annihilation operator is $a^{\prime }=a-\lambda$, with $\lambda =\sqrt{m\omega /(2\hslash )}{x}_0$, so $a^{\prime }|0⟩=-\lambda |0⟩$. In the translated energy eigenstates $|n^{\prime }⟩=e^{-ip{x}_0/\hslash }|n⟩$, the expansion isThe sign follows by translating the old vacuum by $-x_0$ before expanding it in the old Fock states. A Baker--Campbell--Hausdorff formula with central commutator separates the resulting exponential into creation and annihilation parts. Evolution with the shifted Hamiltonian preserves this coherent state, with $\alpha (t)={\alpha }_0{e}^{-i\omega t}$. Its mean occupation is $|{\alpha }_0{|}^2$ and its mean energy above the new potential minimum is $\hslash \omega (|{\alpha }_0{|}^2+1/2)$. Omitting $(-\lambda {)}^n$ in favour of $|\lambda {|}^n$ changes the state when $x_0>0$.

A concrete quantum quench experiment loaded a Bose-Einstein condensate of ${}^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ chemical atoms from a magnetic field trap into an optical lattice: three orthogonal $838\mathrm{nm}$ laser standing waves, with approximately $125\mu \mathrm{m}$ beam waists. An $80\mathrm{ms}$ loading ramp preceded a $50\mu \mathrm{s}$ increase in lattice depth. This suppressed quantum tunnelling while retaining each well's vibrational ground state. The switch preserved atom-number populations rather than freezing every motional degree of freedom.^[ref]

After variable hold times, releasing the traps and taking photon absorption images after $16\mathrm{ms}$ of flight revealed disappearance and return of interference peaks. Background-subtracted peak counts supplied a coherent fraction. Varying final depth tested the predicted revival period $h/U$; varying initial depth tested the collapse's sensitivity to atom-number statistics. Peak broadening outside counting windows and spatial variation of $U$ limited later signals.^[ref]

Here $U$ is the on-site interaction energy. The approximate isolated-well Hamiltonian operator $H=U\hat{n}(\hat{n}-1)/2$, with number operator $\hat{n}$, gives different quantum phases to its number states, which later rephase. This is a many-level realization of the distinction between fixed populations and changing quantum phases.^[ref]

The condition $[g_Z,P_0]=0$ makes a unique global ground state an eigenvector of every filtered term, but its termwise eigenvalues can exceed the corresponding minima. For example $h_{12}=|1⟩⟨1{|}_1+|0⟩⟨0{|}_2$ and $h_{23}=|1⟩⟨1{|}_3+2|1⟩⟨1{|}_2$ commute with their sum. Their sum is uniquely minimized by $|000⟩$, yet $h_{12}$ is lower on $|010⟩$. Filtering leaves these commuting terms unchanged, so it cannot force frustration freeness.

For the dimensionless quantum harmonic oscillator $H=-d^2/d{x}^2+x^2$, use the compactly supported trial ${\psi }_{\gamma }=\cos (\gamma x)$ on $|x|\le \pi /(2\gamma )$ and zero elsewhere, with $\gamma >0$. It is continuous and belongs to the oscillator energy quadratic form domain: its weak derivative is square-integrable even though its ordinary derivative jumps at the endpoints. Exact integration givesThe minimum occurs at ${\gamma }^4=({\pi }^2-6)/12$, giving the displayed upper bound, approximately $1.13572$, compared with exact ground state value $1$. This illustrates why Rayleigh-Ritz variational principle trials need the energy form domain rather than the smaller operator domain.