Related papers: Quantum Superpositions Cannot be Epistemic
A simple minimalist argument is given for why some correlations between quantum systems boggle our classical intuition. The argument relies on two elementary physical assumptions, and recovers the standard experimentally-testable Bell…
Given a finite set of linearly independent quantum states, an observer who examines a single quantum system may sometimes identify its state with certainty. However, unless these quantum states are orthogonal, there is a finite probability…
We will argue that a phenomenological analysis of consciousness, similar to that of Husserl, shows that the effects of phenomenal qualities shape our perception of the world. It also shows the way the physical and mathematical sciences…
Quantum theory is known to be nonlocal in the sense that separated parties can perform measurements on a shared quantum state to obtain correlated probability distributions, which cannot be achieved if the parties share only classical…
Different ensembles of quantum states can have the same average nonpure state. Distinguishing between such constructions, via different mixing procedures of the same nonpure quantum state, is known to entail signaling. In parallel,…
Coherent superpositions are one of the hallmarks of quantum mechanics and are vital for any quantum mechanical device to outperform the classically achievable. Generically, superpositions are verified in interference experiments, but…
We consider fundamental limits on the detectable size of macroscopic quantum superpositions. We argue that a full quantum mechanical treatment of system plus measurement device is required, and that a (classical) reference frame for phase…
Physical superpositions exist both in classical and in quantum physics. However, what is exactly meant by 'superposition' in each case is extremely different. In this paper we discuss some of the multiple interpretations which exist in the…
It is known that "quantum non locality", leading to the violation of Bell's inequality and more generally of classical local realism, can be attributed to the conjunction of two properties, that we call here elementary locality and…
We exhibit an orthogonal set of product states of two three-state particles that nevertheless cannot be reliably distinguished by a pair of separated observers ignorant of which of the states has been presented to them, even if the…
Quantum mechanics marks a radical departure from the classical understanding of Nature, fostering an inherent randomness which forbids a deterministic description; yet the most fundamental departure arises from something different. As shown…
We first prove that ontological models of the quantum state which are capable of reproducing the Born probability rule and fall in the class of $\psi$-epistemic models are inconsistent with the Sch{\"o}dinger time evolution. We then model…
The debate on the nature of quantum probabilities in relation to Quantum Non Locality has elevated Quantum Mechanics to the level of an "Operational Epistemic Theory". In such context the quantum superposition principle has an extraneous…
Quantum superposition, a cornerstone of quantum mechanics, enables systems to exist in multiple states simultaneously, giving rise to probabilistic outcomes. In quantum information science, conditional entropy has become a key metric for…
It is known that the global state of a composite quantum system can be completely determined by specifying correlations between measurements performed on subsystems only. Despite the fact that the quantum correlations thus suffice to…
Every quantum state can be represented as a probability distribution over the outcomes of an informationally complete measurement. But not all probability distributions correspond to quantum states. Quantum state space may thus be thought…
The extravagances of quantum mechanics never fail to enrich daily the debate around natural philosophy. Entanglement, non-locality, collapse, many worlds, many minds, and subjectivism have challenged generations of thinkers. Its approach…
Observations or measurements taken of a quantum system (a small number of fundamental particles) are inherently random. If the state of the system depends on unknown parameters, then the distribution of the outcome depends on these…
Classical limits of quantum systems are shown to lead to different conceptions of spaces different from the classical one underlying the process of quantization of such systems. The accent is put in situations where traces of…
A novel interpretation of the quantum mechanical superposition is put forward. Quantum systems scan all possible available states and switch randomly and very rapidly among them. The longer they remain in a given state, the larger the…