Related papers: Time, classical and quantum
For quantum effects $a$ and $b$ we define the $a$-evolution of $b$ at time $t$ denoted by $b(t\mid a)$. We interpret $b(t\mid a)$ as the influence that $a$ has on $b$ at time $t$ when $a$ occurs, but is not measured at time $t=0$. Using…
We review two approaches to the definition of the Hilbert space and evolution in mechanical theories with local time-reparametrization invariance, which are often used as toy models of quantum gravity. The first approach is based on the…
The understanding of time and dynamics can be elucidated by examining the concept of entanglement in quantum theory. This particular perspective on time is referred to as the timeless approach, which posits that the universe exists in a…
The conventional phase space of classical physics treats space and time differently, and this difference carries over to field theories and quantum mechanics (QM). In this paper, the phase space is enhanced through two main extensions.…
Time of arrival in quantum mechanics is discussed in two versions: the classical axiomatic "time of arrival operator" introduced by J. Kijowski and the EEQT method. It is suggested that for free particles the two methods may lead to the…
Time symmetry in quantum mechanics, where the current quantum state is determined jointly by both the past and the future, offers a more comprehensive description of physical phenomena. This symmetry facilitates both forward and backward…
Space-time is one of the most essential, yet most mysterious concepts in physics. In quantum mechanics it is common to understand time as a marker of instances of evolution and define states around all the space but at one time; while in…
We describe the time evolution of quantum systems in a classical background space-time by means of a covariant derivative in an infinite dimensional vector bundle. The corresponding parallel transport operator along a timelike curve $\cC$…
We have previously presented a version of the Weak Equivalence Principle for a quantum particle as an exact analog of the classical case, based on the Heisenberg picture analysis of free particle motion. Here, we take that to a full…
This contribution analyses the classical laws of motion by means of an approach relating time and entropy. We argue that adopting the notion of change of states as opposed to the usual derivation of Newton's laws in terms of fields a…
Familiar textbook quantum mechanics assumes a fixed background spacetime to define states on spacelike surfaces and their unitary evolution between them. Quantum theory has changed as our conceptions of space and time have evolved. But…
The problem of time is a deep paradox in our physical description of the world. According to Aristotle's relational theory, time is a measure of change and does not exist on its own. In contrast, quantum mechanics, just like Newtonian…
The nonadiabatic geometric phase in a time dependent quantum evolution is shown to provide an intrinsic concept of time having dual properties relative to the external time. A nontrivial extension of the ordinary quantum mechanics is thus…
A self-adjoint dynamical time operator is introduced in Dirac's relativistic formulation of quantum mechanics and shown to satisfy a commutation relation with the Hamiltonian analogous to that of the position and momentum operators. The…
The meaning of time in an open quantum system is considered under the assumption that both, system and environment, are quantum mechanical objects. The Hamilton operator of the system is non-Hermitian. Its imaginary part is the time…
"Time" has different meanings in classical general relativity and in quantum theory. While all choices of a time function yield the same local classical geometries, quantum theories built on different time functions are not unitarily…
We study the problem of computing the probability for the time-of-arrival of a quantum particle at a given spatial position. We consider a solution to this problem based on the spectral decomposition of the particle's (Heisenberg) state…
The use of a relational time in quantum mechanics is a framework in which one promotes to quantum operators all variables in a system, and later chooses one of the variables to operate like a ``clock''. Conditional probabilities are…
When compared to quantum mechanics, classical mechanics is often depicted in a specific metaphysical flavour: spatio-temporal realism or a Newtonian "background" is presented as an intrinsic fundamental classical presumption. However, the…
By considering (non-relativistic) quantum mechanics as it is done in practice in particular in condensed-matter physics, it is argued that a deterministic, unitary time evolution within a chosen Hilbert space always has a limited scope,…