Renninger's Gedankenexperiment, the collapse of the wave function in a rigid quantum metamaterial and the reality of the quantum state vector.
Sci Rep
; 8(1): 9608, 2018 Jun 25.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-29941874
A popular interpretation of the "collapse" of the wave function is as being the result of a local interaction ("measurement") of the quantum system with a macroscopic system ("detector"), with the ensuing loss of phase coherence between macroscopically distinct components of its quantum state vector. Nevetheless as early as in 1953 Renninger suggested a Gedankenexperiment, in which the collapse is triggered by non-observation of one of two mutually exclusive outcomes of the measurement, i.e., in the absence of interaction of the quantum system with the detector. This provided a powerful argument in favour of "physical reality" of (nonlocal) quantum state vector. In this paper we consider a possible version of Renninger's experiment using the light propagation through a birefringent quantum metamaterial. Its realization would provide a clear visualization of a wave function collapse produced by a "non-measurement", and make the concept of a physically real quantum state vector more acceptable.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Sci Rep
Año:
2018
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Reino Unido
Pais de publicación:
Reino Unido