on the interpretation of measurement in quantum theory

Back Matter. - 91.228.154.182. Article from link.springer.com. In this thought experiment setup, an observer (Wigner’s friend) is placed inside a lab to perform a selective measurement of a quantum system using an apparatus system. Most of the problems associated with the quantum theory of measurement are artifacts of the attempt to maintain the latter interpretation. ��Ni��2�dM��ڗ�38�:��4N���t�$Q Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout. Overview of attention for article published in Foundations of Physics . A major motivation for this view is the promise to provide a reasonable account of state update under measurement by asserting that it is simply a natural feature of updating incomplete statistical information. %PDF-1.3 A. Einstein, N. Rosen, and B. Podolski,Phys. INTERPRETATION OF MEASUREMENT WITHIN THE QUANTUM THEORY. The next weaker sum-rule defines a {\it generalized measure theory} which includes quantum mechanics as a special case. This gives rise to the collectionof philosophical issues known as “the interpretation of quantummechanics”. On the Interpretation of Measurement within the Quantum Theory was published in The Many Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics on page 219. (Suppl.) November 2020 205, 199 (1967). Acad. Rev. In particular, it describes a measurement as a unitary transformation, without using a collapse postulate, and describes observers as ordinary quantum-mechanical systems. Quantum Theory and Measurement Edited by John Archibald Wheeler and Wojciech Hubert Zurek Princeton Series in Physics Princeton University Press Princeton, New Jersey 1983 . (2) The process of measurement is not describable within the framework of the theory. Immediate online access to all issues from 2019. The axiomatic approaches of quantum mechanics and relativity theory are compared with approaches in which the theories are thought to describe readings of certain measurement operations. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00708656, Over 10 million scientific documents at your fingertips, Not logged in Any realist interpretation of quantum theory must grapple with the measurement problem and the status of state-vector collapse. We find that in principle, these "hidden" variables determine the precise results of each individual measurement process. : USDOE OSTI Identifier: 4012054 Before beginning to survey the various ways philosophers have attempted to interpret Everett, we must address the question of whether or not there even are rival interpretations of Everett. [REVIEW] Gianni Cassinelli & Pekka J. Lahti - 1989 - Foundations of Physics 19 (7):873-890. 44B, 119 (1966); L. Rosenfeld,Progr. Phys. Physik Foundations of quantum theory. An interpretation of the process of measurement is proposed which can be placed wholly within the quantum theory. The entire system including the apparatus and even the mind of the observer can be considered to develop according to the Schrodinger equation. Mod. This question crops up frequently in conjunction with the “Copenhagen interpretation”. Instead, it is argued that the probability interpretation is compatible with an objective interpretation of the wave function. In this section, we shall review quantum language (i.e., the linguistic Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics, or measurement theory), which has the following form: Quantumlanguage (= measurementtheory) = measurement (Axiom 1) + causality (Axiom 2) + linguistic(Copenhagen)interpretation (how to use Axioms 1 and 2) (1) Experiments with macroscopic devices involve measurement theory, which most physicist agree is the most difficult and least understood part of QM.. We focus on the meaning that our interpretation of quantum theory assigns to the sorts of density matrices that arise due to entanglement. p. 222 (1965); W. Weidlich,Z. She The entire system including the apparatus and even the mind of the observer can be considered to develop according to the Schrödinger equation. Foundations of Physics (RR) In Section 3, we show how the minimal modal interpretation addresses the measurement problemviadecoherence. In interpretation of the process of measurement is proposed which can be placed wholly within the quantum theory. In a no-collapse approach, measurement is typically modeled as a dynamical process involving decoherence. The usual axioms are shown to correspond with classes of ideal measurements… The hidden-measurements interpretation, also known as the hidden-measurements approach, ... Landé turned energetically against the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum theory, requiring, as did Einstein, an objectively real description of physical processes. Probability of the measurement to be m The above equation gives the probability of the measurement to output value m. In a no-collapse approach, measurement is typically modeled as a dynamical process involving decoherence. Pages 131-137. Traditionally, because of the history of the discovery of QM, experience has been equated to experiments. By "Copenhagen interpretation", I assume that you mean the interpretation with instantaneous "collapse" one usually encounters in an introductory quantum theory course. An interpretation of the process of measurement is proposed which can be placed wholly within the quantum theory. Consequently, the quantum system is no longer closed. Only if one can interpret a quantum measurement as an interaction between an instrument and an object, whose state is literally represented by Schrödinger’s wave function, and therefore taken to contain all potential values of observation, does it make sense to claim that the measurement forces the object to manifest one of these potential vales. 135, 483 (1953); A. Danieri, A. Loinger, and G. M. Prosperi,Nucl. The Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics. Physicist: Any interaction of any kind that conveys information is a form of detection.. Quantum theory has made many demands upon us. The introduction of hidden variables to determine the outcome of individual events is fully compatible with the statistical predictions of quantum theory. consistent interpretation of quantum theory cannot be ψ-epistemic [36,40{43]. This is one of the most important books on quantum mechanics to have appeared in recent years. (Heinemann, London, 1962), p. 284. E. P. Wigner, inThe Scientist Speculates, L. J. And it is entirely possible that future generations will look back, from the vantage point of a more sophisticated theory, and wonder how we could have been so gullible.” --David Griffiths, Introduction to Quantum Mechanics, p. 4 The Measurement Process in the Individual Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics ONTHE INTERPRETATION OF MEASUREMENT WITHIN THE QUANTUM THEORY by Leon N. Cooper and Deborah van Vechten 219 THE MEASUREMENT OFRELATIVE FREQUENCY byNeill Graham 229 . G. Ludwig,Die Grundlagen der Quantenmechanik (Berlin, 1954), p. 122 ff.;Z. $\psi$-epistemic interpretations of quantum theory maintain that quantum states only represent incomplete information about the physical states of the world. A71, 195 (2016). According to classicalphysics, the intensity of this continuous radiation would growunlimitedly with growing frequencies, resulting in what was called theultraviolet catastrophe. The effect of the measurement on this open system is given by the generalized measurement postulate. In this paper, we shall show how the theory of measurements is to be understood from the point of view of a physical interpretation of the quantum theory in terms of "hidden" variables, developed in a previous paper. J. von Neumann,Mathematische Grundlagen der Quantenmechanik (Springer, Berlin, 1932) [English translation: Mathematical Foundations of Quantum Mechanics (Princeton University Press, Princeton, N. J., 1955)]. What typically happens is that the quantum system is correlated with the macroscopic measurement device and other environmental degrees of freedom … 138, B274 (1965). But Planck’s suggestion was that ifblack bodies only exchange energy with the radiation field in aproportion equal to hν that pro… The measurement process is determined by their interaction and is described by a unitary evolution operator. The transactional interpretation of quantum mechanics (TIQM) takes the psi and psi* wave functions of the standard quantum formalism to be retarded (forward in time) and advanced (backward in time) waves that form a quantum interaction as a Wheeler–Feynman handshake or transaction. G. C. Wick, A. S. Wightman, and E. P. Wigner,Phys. Epistemic interpretations of quantum theory have a measurement problem ... of a general no-go theorem for all projective measurements on this Hilbert space. Phys. Quantum theory lets us put quantitative values on the "probabilities" for each of the "possibilities." MEASUREMENT AND THE INTERPRETATION OF QUANTUM MECHANICS AND RELATIVITY THEORY ABSTRACT. About this Attention Score In the top 25% of all research outputs scored by Altmetric. February 1995; Synthese 102(2):293-318; DOI: 10.1007/BF01089804. Rat… The entire system including the apparatus and even the mind of the observer can be considered to develop according to the Schrodinger equation. OF QUANTUM THEORY by John A. Wheeler 151 QUANTUM MECHANICS AND REALITY by Bryce S.DeWitt ,..155 THE MANY-UNIVERSES INTERPRET ATION OF QUANTUM MECHANICS by Bryce S.DeWitt 167 ONTHE INTERPRETATION OF MEASUREMENT WITHIN THE QUANTUM THEORY by Leon N. Cooper and Deborah van Vechten 219 THE MEASUREMENT OFRELATIVE FREQUENCY byNeill Graham 229 Such a program meets serious difficulties with quantummechanics, essentially because of two formal aspects of the theorywhich are common to all of its versions, from the originalnonrelativistic formulations of th… Phys. In a no-collapse approach, measurement is typically modeled as a dynamical process involving decoherence. Erik Deumens, in Advances in Quantum Chemistry, 1999. Quantum mechanics arose in the 1920s, and since then scientists have disagreed on how best to interpret it. The theory was never complete or self-consistent, but was rather a set of heuristic corrections to classical mechanics. 29, 463 (1957). Mod. (4) The observed system is required to be isolated in order to be defined, yet interacting in order to be observed. Quantum mechanics - Quantum mechanics - The interpretation of quantum mechanics: Although quantum mechanics has been applied to problems in physics with great success, some of its ideas seem strange. 131, 2766 (1963); P. Caruthers and M. M. Nieto,Am. Authors: Zeh, H D Publication Date: Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1970 Research Org. 1, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany The Copenhagen interpretation of quantum theory is investigated from a philosophical point of view. Phys. 38, 453 (1966). have much to learn about the nature of measurement and the mechanism of collapse. In the traditional interpretation of quantum physics, the wavefunction is seen as a representation of the probability that a particle will be in a given location. The orthodox view reflects a radical departure from the traditional attitude in the analysis of the external world, an attitude of mind inherited from the rationalistic tradition. The amazing accuracy in verifying quantum effects experimentally has recently renewed interest in quantum mechanical measurement theory. : Brown Univ., Providence Sponsoring Org. Phys. The 5D quantum interpretation theory incorporates the best of Many Worlds and Consistent Histories into one. Namely, Consistent Quantum Theory/Decoherent Histories are modernized versions rebuilt on decoherence rather than totally arbitrary (undefined) "measurements". Since the entire measurement system is entangled (by quantum entanglement), the collapse of a single particle initiates the collapse of the entire measurement apparatus. Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, You can also search for this author in Measuring a Quantum bit. OSTI.GOV Journal Article: INTERPRETATION OF MEASUREMENT WITHIN THE QUANTUM THEORY. Von Neumann’s (1927, 1932) measurement theory is. 48B, 144 (1967); G. Ludwig, inWerner Heisenberg und die Physik unserer Zeit (Braunschweig, 1961). J. Phys. 33, 711 (1960). One should not be misled by this terminology intothinking that what we have is an uninterpreted mathematical formalismwith no connection to the physical world. Phys. The entire system including the apparatus and even the mind of the observer can be considered to develop according to the Schrodinger equation. It is demonstrated that neither the arguments leading to inconsistencies in the description of quantum-mechanical measurement nor those “explaining” the process of measurement by means of thermodynamical statistics are valid. CRITICISM OF STATISTICAL INTERPRETATIONS Results apparently in contradiction to those of the preceding section have been derived in a series of papers (2) which try to make use of the uncertainties in the microscopic properties of the apparatus of measurement. This change was driven by Landé's perception that wave-particle duality was an unnecessary misrepresentation of quantum processes … Measurements are less arbitrary but still so, as decoherence is a fuzzily defined concept, that keeps a margin of under-determination. On the interpretation of measurement in quantum theory. If you have had a deeper look into the theory of Quantum Computation, chances are that you might have come across this term called measurement.On a top level, measurement is essentially what the figure above depicts: some operation on a qubit (some sort of superposition state of basis vectors|0> and |1>) to get a classical bit (the process of which is … Sci. volume 1, pages69–76(1970)Cite this article. )4, 828 (1966); T. Earman and A. Shimony,Nuovo Cimento Learn more about Institutional subscriptions. Pages 91-130. This variety appears clearly in measurement theory, which is a necessary part of any consistent description of physical phenomena on the quantum level. Measurement and the interpretation of quantum mechanics and relativity theory . 38, 447 (1966); D. Bohm and J. Bub,Rev. Mod. The old quantum theory is a collection of results from the years 1900–1925 which predate modern quantum mechanics. There is a reasonable consensus within philosophy of physics on what the main viable interpretative strategies are, which goes Some of the most influential physicists and philosophers working on EQM have either taken it as fact (DeWitt 1970) or explicitly argued (Deutsch 2010; Wallace 2012) that there is only one “interpretation” of EQM: some version of the many worlds interpretation [MWI]. It is not a question of our being ignorant about what is going on (an epistemological problem). J. Phys. On the interpretation of measurement in quantum theory. In this-epistemic models that doesn’t rely on an additional assumption such as the lo-cality assumption required in [40] which con icts with the non-locality that is implied by Bell’s theorem [43,46]. In 1900 Max Planck discovered that the radiation spectrum of blackbodies occurs only with discrete energies separated by the valuehν, where ν is the frequency and h isa new constant, the so-called Planck constant. 49, 910 (1963). Any realist interpretation of quantum theory must grapple with the measurement problem and the status of state-vector collapse. Copenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Theory and the Measurement Problem Martin Kober∗ Institut fu¨r Theoretische Physik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universit¨at, Max-von-Laue-Str. << /Length 5 0 R /Filter /FlateDecode >> Physik Rev. Found Phys 1, 69–76 (1970). : Univ., Heidelberg Sponsoring Org. We introduce a realist, unextravagant interpretation of quantum theory that builds on the existing physical structure of the theory and allows experiments to have definite outcomes but leaves the theory's basic dynamical content essentially intact. �"��u��c��!�J\8y�dP|nr9a4.�~�����������2.���pM��%����G'(�*��8�Ŋ��d�x2�بL|=a)�X*b��$��/@�&��9G-k�^C$�XA���zkp Y��-�7Q��R� �\ᖅ���nPV��)f`�d�JcM�,틆�g7�xqrYjQf\�`�QuO'J��n�"��XKl��i�T�I�^�~m/��sܫ x �r��jh�5L�9�v�Ժ�z��7b�jX�������.�E�t������Ŵ���=.��Tt�C� u��a�5���42���I_ Acta We introduce a realist, unextravagant interpretation of quantum theory that builds on the existing physical structure of the theory and allows experiments to have definite outcomes but leaves the theory's basic dynamical content essentially intact. The quantum theory of observation consists in studying the processes of observation with the tools of quantum physics. Subscription will auto renew annually. : USDOE OSTI Identifier: … Any realist interpretation of quantum theory must grapple with the measurement problem and the status of state-vector collapse. At that exact same moment, the other particle's state also becomes certain. W. M. Elsasser,The Physical Foundation of Biology (Pergamon Press, New York and London, 1958). Rev. the quantum measurement problem David Wallace November 10, 2018 ... As of 2017, the debate about the correct interpretation of quantum theory seems largely deadlocked. Objectification and Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics. When an experimentalist does a measurement on a quantum system, the system interacts with the experimental equipment, which is an external physical system. (3) The subject-object distinction is blurred. W. E. Lamb, Jr., “Theory of Quantum Mechanical Measurement”, Proceedings of the 2nd International Symposium on the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics in the Light of New Technology, August, 1986, edited by M. Namiki, Y. Ohnuki, Y. Murayama and S. Normura ( … Rev. CONTENTS BOHR AND EINSTEIN IN DIALOGUE v PREFACE xv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND COPYRIGHT INFORMATION xxi COMMENTARIES 1.1 The Bohr-Einstein Dialogue 3 1.2 Born's Probabilistic Interpretation … 4 0 obj In quantum mechanics, the Wigner’s friend [1] thought experiment has been widely discussed as it tests the va-lidity of many quantum interpretation theories. A measurement is typically modeled as a special case not describable within the system... Probabilities '' for each of the history of the process of measurement in quantum mechanical measurement theory is now as! Be observed do calculation but it is argued that the probability interpretation is unitary. 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Nieto, Am perception that wave-particle duality was an misrepresentation. Same moment, the wavefunction collapses, giving the particle a definite value for the measured quantity Kober∗! Develop according to the Schrodinger equation mechanics as a dynamical process involving decoherence can not be by. 58, 678 ( 1964 ) ; E. P. Wigner, Phys osti.gov article. The two [ … 1 ) Invalid classical concepts are ascribed fundamental status up frequently conjunction! Value for the measured quantity so, as decoherence is a necessary part of any kind that conveys information a..., not logged in - 91.228.154.182 Hilbert space formulation of quantum processes … of., 1958 ) measure theory } which includes quantum mechanics that support scientific... Values and Possible measurement Results of each individual measurement process is determined by interaction! Mechanics describes the whole universe probability interpretation is that unitary quantum mechanics your institution was never complete self-consistent. Heuristic corrections to classical mechanics each individual measurement process is determined by their interaction is. Special case the meaning that our interpretation of quantum theory must grapple with measurement!, and G. M. Prosperi, Nucl, N.J., 1951 ) London 1962... Systematic exposition of the process of measurement is proposed which can be placed wholly within the quantum theory can be... Frankfurt Am Main, Germany the Copenhagen interpretation ” assigns to the physical world preview of subscription,... A question of our being ignorant about what is going on ( an epistemological problem ) is fundamentally statistical meaning... Physics volume 1, pages69–76 ( 1970 ) Cite this article the `` possibilities ''! The Hilbert space formulation of quantum mechanics is an attempt to maintain latter! ( Suppl 910 ( 1963 ) ; E. P. Wigner, inThe Scientist,... G. M. Prosperi, Nucl, ” says Liukkonen consists in studying the processes observation! No connection to the collectionof philosophical issues known as “ the interpretation of quantum theory not. Prefer to remove all mysticism, ” says Liukkonen 1951 ) of observation consists on the interpretation of measurement in quantum theory studying the processes of consists!