Related papers: Uncollapsing the wavefunction
We present the quantum measurement problem as a serious physics problem. Serious because without a resolution, quantum theory is not complete, as it does not tell how one should - in principle - perform measurements. It is physical in the…
A new, realist interpretation of the quantum measurement processes is given. In this scenario a quantum measurement is a non-equilibrium phase transition in a ``resonant cavity'' formed by the entire physical universe including all its…
This paper critically considers the main interpretations of the wave function and offers an interpretation in which wave function is a consequence of subquantum processes taking place at the level of the organization of matter which…
The spread of the wave-function, or quantum uncertainty, is a key notion in quantum mechanics. At leading order, it is characterized by the quadratic moments of the position and momentum operators. These evolve and fluctuate independently…
An effective description of microscopic measurements is given, in which the precise moment of probing is not determined. Within this scenario we propose a scheme that relies on an "attempt" to make a forbidden simultaneous measurement of…
We consider a continuous measurement of a two-level system (double-dot) by weakly coupled detector (tunnel point contact nearby). While usual treatment leads to the gradual system decoherence due to the measurement, we show that the…
Although quantum mechanics is one of our most successful physical theories, there has been a long-standing debate about the interpretation of the wave function---the central object of the theory. Two prominent views are that (i) it…
On the basis of a proposed model of wave function collapse, we investigate spontaneous localization of a quantum state. The model is similar to the Ghirardi-Rimini-Weber model, while we postulate the localization functions to depend on the…
It is claimed in another paper that the collapse of a quantum mechanical wave function is more than invariant, it is trans-representational. It must occur along a fully invariant surface. The obvious surface available for this purpose is…
In general, a quantum measurement yields an undetermined answer and alters the system to be consistent with the measurement result. This process maps multiple initial states into a single state and thus cannot be reversed. This has…
Is wave function collapse a prediction of the Schr\"odinger equation? This unusual problem is explored in an enlarged framework of interpretation, where quantum dynamics is considered exact and its interpretation is extended to include…
We experimentally demonstrate the nonlocal reversal of a partial-collapse quantum measurement on two-photon entangled state. Both the partial measurement and the reversal operation are implemented in linear optics with two displaced Sagnac…
Central to quantum theory, the wavefunction is the complex distribution used to completely describe a quantum system. Despite its fundamental role, it is typically introduced as an abstract element of the theory with no explicit definition.…
Wave-particle duality is one of the most striking and counter-intuitive features of quantum mechanics, illustrating that two incompatible observables cannot be measured simultaneously with arbitrary precision. In this work, we…
The space quantization induced by a Stern-Gerlach experiment is normally explained by invoking the ``collapse of the wave function.'' This is a rather mysterious idea; it would be better to explain the Stern-Gerlach results without using…
If a quantum experiment includes random processes, then the results of repeated measurements can appear consistent with irreversible decoherence even if the system's evolution prior to measurement was reversible and unitary. Two thought…
Theories of spontaneous wavefunction collapse offer an explanation of the possible breakdown of quantum mechanics for macroscopic systems. However, the challenge of resolving predicted collapse signatures above background noise has…
Quantum mechanics is an outstandingly successful description of nature, underpinning fields from biology through chemistry to physics. At its heart is the quantum wavefunction, the central tool for describing quantum systems. Yet it is…
A physical theory without interpretation is mathematics. Since there are no paradoxes in science, only incorrect interpretations of phenomena or inadequate theories, it is necessary to use a consistent interpretation of quantum mechanics…
A framework for wave function collapse models that is symmetric under time reversal is presented. Within this framework there are equivalent pictures of collapsing wave functions evolving in both time directions. The backwards-in-time Born…