On Fine's Resolution of the EPR-Bell Problem

The aim of this paper is to provide an introduction to Fine's interpretation of quantum mechanics and to show how it can solve the EPR-Bell problem. In the real spin-correlation experiments the detection/emission inefficiency is usually ascribed to independent random detection errors, and treated by the enhancement hypothesis. In Fine's interpretation the detection inefficiency is an effect not only of the random errors in the analyzer + detector equipment, but is also the manifestation of a pre-settled (hidden) property of the particles. I present one of Fine's 2×2 prism models for the EPR experiment and compare it with the recent experimental results. In the second part of the paper I prove the existence of a wide class of n×n prism models with reasonable detection/emission efficiencies, satisfying the usually required symmetries. Contrary to the common persuasion, the efficiencies in these models do not necessarily tend to zero if n.     

Why error-prone quantum measurements have outcomes

To solve the quantum measurement problem it is necessary to construct quantum mechanical models of measurement interactions to show why properly conducted measurements always yield definite outcomes. The main barrier to a solution has been the interpretive principle that a quantum system has a definite value for an observable only if it may be described by a quantum eigenstate of the corresponding operator. I have recently proposed a solution to the measurement problem based on alternative interpretive principles. The present paper defends this proposal against recent criticisms which seek to show that it fails to solve the problem unless quantum measurements meet highly idealized conditions which no actual measurement could hope to meet. Several models of error-prone measurements are shown to lead to definite outcomes, and a general defense of the appropriateness of these models is sketched.     

The insolubility proof of the quantum measurement problem

Modern insolubility proofs of the measurement problem in quantum mechanics not only differ in their complexity and degree of generality, but also reveal a lack of agreement concerning the fundamental question of what constitutes such a proof. A systematic reworking of the (incomplete) 1970 Fine theorem is presented, which is intended to go some way toward clarifying the issue.     

Quantum logical solution to the measurement problem of quantum mechanics

In this paper I propose a reformulation and solution of the measurement problem of quantum mechanics. The reformulation depends on a quantum logical interpretation of quantum mechanics, broadly construed. The solution depends on a theorem about partial Boolean algebras which is proved here.     

“Incerto Tempore, Incertisque Loci”: Can We Compute the Exact Time at Which a Quantum Measurement Happens?

Without addressing the measurement problem (i. e., what causes the wave function to “collapse,” or to ”branch,” or a history to become realized, or a property to actualize), I discuss the problem of the timing of the quantum measurement: Assuming that in an appropriate sense a measurement happens, when precisely does it happen? This question can be posed within most interpretations of quantum mechanics. By introducing the operator M, which measures whether or not the quantum measurement has happened, I suggest that, contrary to what is often claimed, quantum mechanics does provide a precise answer to this question, although a somewhat surprising one.     

Binding Quantum Matter and Space-Time,Without Romanticism

Understanding the emergence of a tangible 4-dimensional space-time from a quantum theory of gravity promises to be a tremendously difficult task. This article makes the case that this task may not have to be carried. Space-time as we know it may be fundamental to begin with. I recall the common arguments against this possibility and review a class of recently discovered models bypassing the most serious objection. The generic solution of the measurement problem that is tied to semiclassical gravity as well as the difficulty of the alternative make it a reasonable default option in the absence of decisive experimental evidence.     

Quantum One Go Computation and the Physical Computation Level of Biological Information Processing

By extending the representation of quantum algorithms to problem-solution interdependence, the unitary evolution part of the algorithm entangles the register containing the problem with the register containing the solution. Entanglement becomes correlation, or mutual causality, between the two measurement outcomes: the string of bits encoding the problem and that encoding the solution. In former work, we showed that this is equivalent to the algorithm knowing in advance 50% of the bits of the solution it will find in the future, which explains the quantum speed up. Mutual causality between bits of information is also equivalent to seeing quantum measurement as a many body interaction between the parts of a perfect classical machine whose normalized coordinates represent the qubit populations. This “hidden machine” represents the problem to be solved. The many body interaction (measurement) satisfies all the constraints of a nonlinear Boolean network “together and at the same time”—in one go—thus producing the solution.     

The Quantum Speed up as Advanced Cognition of?the?Solution

Solving a problem requires a problem solving step (deriving, from the formulation of the problem, the solution algorithm) and a computation step (running the algorithm). The latter step is generally oblivious of the former. We unify the two steps into a single physical interaction: a many body interaction in an idealized classical framework, a measurement interaction in the quantum framework. The many body interaction is a useful conceptual reference. The coordinates of the moving parts of a perfect machine are submitted to a relation representing problem-solution interdependence. Moving an “input” part nondeterministically produces a solution through a many body interaction. The kinematics and the statistics of this problem solving mechanism apply to quantum computation—once the physical representation is extended to the oracle that produces the problem. Configuration space is replaced by phase space. The relation between the coordinates of the machine parts now applies to a set of variables representing the populations of the qubits of a quantum register during reduction. The many body interaction is replaced by the measurement interaction, which changes the population variables from the values before to the values after measurement (and the forward evolution into the backward evolution, the same unitary transformation but ending with the state after measurement). Quantum computation is reduction on the solution of the problem under the problem-solution interdependence relation. The speed up is explained by a simple consideration of time-symmetry, it is the gain of information about the solution due to backdating, to before running the algorithm, a time-symmetric part of the reduction on the solution. This advanced cognition of the solution reduces the solution space to be explored by the algorithm. The quantum algorithm takes the time taken by a classical algorithm that knows in advance 50% of the information acquired by reading the solution (i.e. by measuring the content of the computer register at the end of the quantum algorithm). From another standpoint, the notion that a computation process is condensed into a single physical interaction explains the fact that we perceive many things at the same time in the introspective “present” (the instant of the interaction in the classical case, the time interval spanned by backdated reduction in the quantum case).     

On DNA Molecules as Quantum Measurement Devices

In this letter we reconsider the proposal of Ref. [1] about a quantum measurement performed by a DNA molecule in aqueous solution as a tool for illustrating specific difficulties of some approach to quantum measurement problem. Our main result is that, when the interaction of DNA and enzymes with aqueous environment is properly kept into account, no real problem appears for any specific model.     

Properties of modified quantum dynamics

The general nature of the dynamics that can be described by an equation for the density matrix of nonrelativistic quantum systems previously proposed by us [1] is studied. It is shown that it leads to an experimentally observed constraint on the states of the microscopic and quasi-macroscopic systems by states that can be described by more or less localized wave packets in phase space and replaces the ordinary spreading of these packets by statistically deterministic transitions between corresponding states. This makes possible a purely dynamic solution of the problem of the classical object and of the problem of measurement in quantum mechanics.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 5, pp. 63–67, May, 1976.I wish to express my deep appreciation to Prof. V. G. Bagrov for his interest in the study and for criticism.     

Measurement: It ain't over till it's over

Elby (1993) has raised certain problems that appear to be devastating for modal interpretations of quantum mechanics, but do not arise for Bohm's pilot wave theory. Here I show that the features Elby identifies as objectionable in my version of the modal interpretation have their counterpart in Bohm's theory. To the extent that Bohm's theory works as a no collapse solution to the measurement problem - and I think it does - so does my modal interpretation.     

Sense and nonsense in the renormalization-scheme-dependence problem

I discuss in detail the issues involved in the renormalization-scheme-dependence problem in perturbative QCD. The problem is not to find a good universal scheme; nor is it a question of how to make coefficients small. The problem is that finite-order results depend on the choice of scheme, even though it is “arbitrary” (in that the exact result is scheme independent). Only the “principle of minimal sensitivity” approach gets to the heart of the problem, and attempts to reconcile this contradiction. I explain the motivation for this approach, defend it against recent criticisms, and explain to what extent it provides a solution to the problem.     

针对天空背景亮度测量的弱信号检测

天空亮度分布在大气光学领域有着重要的应用.随着天空亮度测量仪器的迅速发展,对测量的精度和工作稳定性的要求也越来越高.为了提高测量仪器的动态测量范围,需要实现对探测器输出的弱信号的高精度测量.讨论了用高精度运算放大器对弱信号进行放大滤波处理,并采用一种低噪声高精度△-∑型模数转换器(ADC)来解决探测器中弱信号高精度测量...     

利用Σ-Δ型模数转换器解决光辐射定标中弱信号测量的设计难题

随着光学遥感仪器的迅速发展,要求光谱辐射定标技术具有前所未有的高精度和长期测量的稳定性。基于探测器的新一代辐射定标技术可以满足这一需求。多波段绝对辐亮度标准探测器是辐射定标技术中的核心仪器,这种光学遥感仪器在野外、机载和星载高精度辐射定标中具有广阔的应用前景。在多波段绝对辐亮度标准探测器的设计中,需要实现对低电平微弱信号的高精度测量,这种测量通常需要采用可编程增益放大器对信号进行放大,但它不仅会引入测量误差,而且还会增加系统的复杂性。通过采用一种低噪声高精度Δ Σ型模数转换器(ADC),解决了多波段绝对辐亮度标准探测器中弱信号高精度测量的设计难题,为光辐射精确计量领域中经常面临的低电平弱信号的高精度检测提供了一种有效的途径。     

Small-phase solution to the phase-retrieval problem

A solution to the phase-retrieval problem when the unknown phase is small is presented. The solution specifies the even and odd parts of the unknown phase in two separate equations. The odd part requires a single intensity measurement, and the even part requires two measurements. Phase diversity is used for the second measurement, and computer simulations are given.     

The Status of Determinism in Proofs of the Impossibility of a Noncontextual Model of Quantum Theory

In order to claim that one has experimentally tested whether a noncontextual ontological model could underlie certain measurement statistics in quantum theory, it is necessary to have a notion of noncontextuality that applies to unsharp measurements, i.e., those that can only be represented by positive operator-valued measures rather than projection-valued measures. This is because any realistic measurement necessarily has some nonvanishing amount of noise and therefore never achieves the ideal of sharpness. Assuming a generalized notion of noncontextuality that applies to arbitrary experimental procedures, it is shown that the outcome of a measurement depends deterministically on the ontic state of the system being measured if and only if the measurement is sharp. Hence for every unsharp measurement, its outcome necessarily has an indeterministic dependence on the ontic state. We defend this proposal against alternatives. In particular, we demonstrate why considerations parallel to Fine’s theorem do not challenge this conclusion.     

Why Quantum Theory is Possibly Wrong

Quantum theory is a tremendously successful physical theory, but nevertheless suffers from two serious problems: the measurement problem and the problem of interpretational underdetermination. The latter, however, is largely overlooked as a genuine problem of its own. Both problems concern the doctrine of realism, but pull, quite curiously, into opposite directions. The measurement problem can be captured such that due to scientific realism about quantum theory common sense anti-realism follows, while theory underdetermination usually counts as an argument against scientific realism. I will also consider the more refined distinctions of ontic and epistemic realism and demonstrate that quantum theory in its most viable interpretations conflicts with at least one of the various realism claims. A way out of the conundrum is to come to the bold conclusion that quantum theory is, possibly, wrong (in the realist sense).