Past of a particle in an entangled state

DOI10.1142/S0219749917400196MaRDI QIDQ4584386zbMATHWikidataFDO

Authors Dilip Paneru, Eliahu Cohen

Publication date 3 September 2018

Published in International Journal of Quantum Information (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1709.07728

zbMATH Keywords

entanglementweak valuesquantum nonlocalitypast of a quantum particle

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Quantum measurement theory, state operations, state preparations (81P15) Quantum coherence, entanglement, quantum correlations (81P40) Quantum state estimation, approximate cloning (81P50)

Abstract: Vaidman has proposed a controversial criterion for determining the past of a single quantum particle based on the "weak trace" it leaves. We here consider more general examples of entangled systems and analyze the past of single, as well as pairs of entangled pre- and postselected particles. Systems with non-trivial time evolution are also analyzed. We argue that in these cases, examining only the single-particle weak trace provides information which is insufficient for understanding the system as a whole. We therefore suggest to examine, alongside with the past of single particles, also the past of pairs, triplets and eventually the entire system, including higher-order, multipartite traces in the analysis. This resonates with a recently proposed top-down approach by Aharonov, Cohen and Tollaksen for understanding the structure of correlations in pre- and postselected systems.

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Cites work

• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 6675295 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 2102224 (Why is no real title available?)
• Quantum to Classical Transitions via Weak Measurements and Post-Selection
• Quantum weak values and logic: an uneasy couple
• Revisiting Hardy's paradox: Counterfactual statements, real measurements, entanglement and weak values
• Two-state vector formalism and quantum interference

Cited in

(4)

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• Asking photons where they have been in plain language
• Is the past determined?
• Time-symmetry and topology of the Aharonov–Bohm effect

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