dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaDo we really understand quantum mechanics?
| Authors | Franck Laloe |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | quant-ph/0209123 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0209123 |
| DOI | 10.1119/1.1356698 |
| Journal | American Journal of Physics 69 (2001) 655 - 701 |
Abstract
This article presents a general discussion of several aspects of our present understanding of quantum mechanics. The emphasis is put on the very special correlations that this theory makes possible: they are forbidden by very general arguments based on realism and local causality. In fact, these correlations are completely impossible in any circumstance, except the very special situations designed by physicists especially to observe these purely quantum effects. Another general point that is emphasized is the necessity for the theory to predict the emergence of a single result in a single realization of an experiment. For this purpose, orthodox quantum mechanics introduces a special postulate: the reduction of the state vector, which comes in addition to the Schrodinger evolution postulate. Nevertheless, the presence in parallel of two evolution processes of the same object (the state vector) maybe a potential source for conflicts; various attitudes that are possible to avoid this problem are discussed in this text. After a brief historical introduction, recalling how the very special status of the state vector has emerged in quantum mechanics, various conceptual difficulties are introduced and discussed. The Einstein Podolsky Rosen (EPR) theorem is presented with the help of a botanical parable, in a way that emphasizes how deeply the EPR reasoning is rooted into what is often called "scientific method''. In another section the GHZ argument, the Hardy impossibilities, as well as the BKS theorem are introduced in simple terms.
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"abstract": "This article presents a general discussion of several aspects of our present\nunderstanding of quantum mechanics. The emphasis is put on the very special\ncorrelations that this theory makes possible: they are forbidden by very\ngeneral arguments based on realism and local causality. In fact, these\ncorrelations are completely impossible in any circumstance, except the very\nspecial situations designed by physicists especially to observe these purely\nquantum effects. Another general point that is emphasized is the necessity for\nthe theory to predict the emergence of a single result in a single realization\nof an experiment. For this purpose, orthodox quantum mechanics introduces a\nspecial postulate: the reduction of the state vector, which comes in addition\nto the Schrodinger evolution postulate. Nevertheless, the presence in parallel\nof two evolution processes of the same object (the state vector) maybe a\npotential source for conflicts; various attitudes that are possible to avoid\nthis problem are discussed in this text. After a brief historical introduction,\nrecalling how the very special status of the state vector has emerged in\nquantum mechanics, various conceptual difficulties are introduced and\ndiscussed. The Einstein Podolsky Rosen (EPR) theorem is presented with the help\nof a botanical parable, in a way that emphasizes how deeply the EPR reasoning\nis rooted into what is often called \"scientific method\u0027\u0027. In another section\nthe GHZ argument, the Hardy impossibilities, as well as the BKS theorem are\nintroduced in simple terms.",
"arxiv_id": "quant-ph/0209123",
"authors": [
"Franck Laloe"
],
"categories": [
"quant-ph"
],
"doi": "10.1119/1.1356698",
"journal_ref": "American Journal of Physics 69 (2001) 655 - 701",
"title": "Do we really understand quantum mechanics?",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0209123"
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