English

Coexistence does not imply joint measurability

Quantum Physics 2013-11-26 v3

Abstract

One of the hallmarks of quantum theory is the realization that distinct measurements cannot in general be performed simultaneously, in stark contrast to classical physics. In this context the notions of coexistence and joint measurability are employed to analyze the possibility of measuring together two general quantum observables, characterizing different degrees of compatibility between measurements. It is known that two jointly measurable observables are always coexistent, and that the converse holds for various classes of observables, including the case of observables with two outcomes. Here we resolve, in the negative, the open question whether this equivalence holds in general. Our resolution strengthens the notions of coexistence and joint measurability by showing that both are robust against small imperfections in the measurement setups.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1307.6986,
  title  = {Coexistence does not imply joint measurability},
  author = {David Reeb and Daniel Reitzner and Michael M. Wolf},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1307.6986},
  year   = {2013}
}

Comments

3 pages, 1 figure; close to published version

R2 v1 2026-06-22T00:58:19.188Z