1212.2601 (Ovidiu Cristinel Stoica)

Quantum Measurement and Initial Conditions    [PDF]

Ovidiu Cristinel Stoica

It is shown that for any given measurement settings, only some of all possible initial conditions of the observed system are compatible with those of the measurement apparatus. This remains true in the standard formulations of quantum mechanics, both when we consider that the measurement process takes place unitarily, and when we assume non-unitary collapse. It also remains true for hidden variable theories, both deterministic and stochastic. For deterministic (including unitary) theories the condition of compatibility between the initial conditions of the observed system with those of the measurement apparatus applies indefinitely back in time. Indeterministic processes are less strict, and the condition is required to apply only starting with the most recent reset of the initial conditions. But the most recent collapse can be pushed back in time indefinitely, as shown by the delayed choice experiments.

View original: http://arxiv.org/abs/1212.2601