English

Consistent Quantum States over Spacetime without a Common Quantum Process

Quantum Physics 2026-07-28 v1

Abstract

Determining whether multiple record-conditioned quantum descriptions admit a single underlying process is a central consistency problem for quantum states over spacetime (QSOSTs) and relational quantum descriptions. Yet causally agnostic interferometry accesses only a lower-dimensional QSOST projection, which inevitably leaves some process degrees of freedom unresolved. We combine branch-resolved QSOST interferometry with positive-process lifting and semidefinite convex duality to characterize this gluing problem. We prove that every positive-weight QSOST branch has a unique least positive lift and reduce both settingwise and common-process realizability to deterministic-process domination. Using this criterion, we construct a minimal bipartite-qubit example with two record settings and two outcomes in the definite causal order ABA\prec B: each setting is separately realizable, and both share the same complete unconditional QSOST, yet no single deterministic process realizes them jointly. The separation has the exact visibility threshold η=1/2\eta =1/\sqrt{2} , admits a sparse witness involving eight interferometric quadratures, and persists for full-rank processes. These results establish an operational boundary between QSOST consistency and global process consistency, and provide a practical framework for testing whether multiple quantum perspectives can share one standard-quantum process.

Cite

@article{arxiv.2607.25899,
  title  = {Consistent Quantum States over Spacetime without a Common Quantum Process},
  author = {Jianqi Sheng},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2607.25899},
  year   = {2026}
}