Experimental test of the ``special state theory of quantum measurement

DOI10.3390/E14040665zbMATH Open1296.81034arXiv1310.2602OpenAlexW1994048810MaRDI QIDQ406048FDOQ406048

Authors: Lawrence S. Schulman 

Publication date: 8 September 2014

Published in: Entropy (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: An experimental test of the "special state" theory of quantum measurement is proposed. It should be feasible with present-day laboratory equipment and involves a slightly elaborated Stern-Gerlach setup. The "special state" theory is conservative with respect to quantum mechanics, but radical with respect to statistical mechanics, in particular regarding the arrow of time. In this article background material is given on both quantum measurement and statistical mechanics aspects. For example, it is shown that future boundary conditions would not contradict experience, indicating that the fundamental equal-a-priori-probability assumption at the foundations of statistical mechanics is far too strong (since future conditioning reduces the class of allowed states). The test is based on a feature of this theory that was found necessary in order to recover standard (Born) probabilities in quantum measurements. Specifically, certain systems should have "noise" whose amplitude follows the long-tailed Cauchy distribution. This distribution is marked by the occasional occurrence of extremely large signals as well as a non-self-averaging property. The proposed test is a variant of the Stern-Gerlach experiment in which protocols are devised, some of which will require the presence of this noise, some of which will not. The likely observational schemes would involve the distinction between detection and non-detection of that "noise". The signal to be detected (or not) would be either single photons in the visible and UV range or electric fields (and related excitations) in the neighborhood of the ends of the magnets.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1310.2602

Recommendations

• Experimental tests of Bell inequalities
• Proposed Experimental Tests of the Bell-Kochen-Specker Theorem
• A state-independent test of the Kochen–Specker theorem
• KOCHEN–SPECKER THEOREM AND EXPERIMENTAL TEST ON HIDDEN VARIABLES
• Experimental tests of general quantum theories
• Tests of Bell inequalities
• Experimental test of the majorization uncertainty relation with mixed states
• Testing Bell inequalities with photon-subtracted Gaussian states
• Experimental test of CHSH inequality for non-maximally entangled states

zbMATH Keywords

Cauchy distributionarrow of timeretrocausalityspecial statestests of quantum mechanics

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Quantum measurement theory, state operations, state preparations (81P15) Alternative quantum mechanics (including hidden variables, etc.) (81Q65) Experimental work for problems pertaining to quantum theory (81-05)

Cites Work

• Title not available (Why is that?)
• Consistent histories and the interpretation of quantum mechanics
• Title not available (Why is that?)
• Title not available (Why is that?)
• Linear decay in multilevel quantum systems
• Title not available (Why is that?)
• Observational line broadening and the duration of a quantum jump

Cited In (8)

• The universe remembers no wavefunction collapse
• Proposed Experimental Tests of the Bell-Kochen-Specker Theorem
• A theory of quantum (statistical) measurement
• The post-determined block universe
• General tracking control of arbitrary \(N\)-level quantum systems using piecewise time-independent potentials
• Looking for the source of change
• Special states demand a force for the observer
• A state-independent test of the Kochen–Specker theorem

This page was built for publication: Experimental test of the ``special state theory of quantum measurement

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q406048)