dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaRelational Description of the Measurement Process in Quantum Field Theory
| Authors | Rodolfo Gambini, Rafael A. Porto |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | quant-ph/0205027 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0205027 |
| DOI | 10.1088/1367-2630/4/1/358 |
| Journal | NewJ.Phys.4:58,2002 |
Abstract
We have recently introduced a realistic, covariant, interpretation for the reduction process in relativistic quantum mechanics. The basic problem for a covariant description is the dependence of the states on the frame within which collapse takes place. A suitable use of the causal structure of the devices involved in the measurement process allowed us to introduce a covariant notion for the collapse of quantum states. However, a fully consistent description in the relativistic domain requires the extension of the interpretation to quantum fields. The extension is far from straightforward. Besides the obvious difficulty of dealing with the infinite degrees of freedom of the field theory, one has to analyze the restrictions imposed by causality concerning the allowed operations in a measurement process. In this paper we address these issues. We shall show that, in the case of partial causally connected measurements, our description allows us to include a wider class of causal operations than the one resulting from the standard way for computing conditional probabilities. This alternative description could be experimentally tested. A verification of this proposal would give a stronger support to the realistic interpretations of the states in quantum mechanics.
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"abstract": "We have recently introduced a realistic, covariant, interpretation for the\nreduction process in relativistic quantum mechanics. The basic problem for a\ncovariant description is the dependence of the states on the frame within which\ncollapse takes place. A suitable use of the causal structure of the devices\ninvolved in the measurement process allowed us to introduce a covariant notion\nfor the collapse of quantum states. However, a fully consistent description in\nthe relativistic domain requires the extension of the interpretation to quantum\nfields. The extension is far from straightforward. Besides the obvious\ndifficulty of dealing with the infinite degrees of freedom of the field theory,\none has to analyze the restrictions imposed by causality concerning the allowed\noperations in a measurement process. In this paper we address these issues. We\nshall show that, in the case of partial causally connected measurements, our\ndescription allows us to include a wider class of causal operations than the\none resulting from the standard way for computing conditional probabilities.\nThis alternative description could be experimentally tested. A verification of\nthis proposal would give a stronger support to the realistic interpretations of\nthe states in quantum mechanics.",
"arxiv_id": "quant-ph/0205027",
"authors": [
"Rodolfo Gambini",
"Rafael A. Porto"
],
"categories": [
"quant-ph",
"gr-qc"
],
"doi": "10.1088/1367-2630/4/1/358",
"journal_ref": "NewJ.Phys.4:58,2002",
"title": "Relational Description of the Measurement Process in Quantum Field Theory",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0205027"
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