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QUANTUM MECHANICS Quantum Measurements

QUANTUM MECHANICS Quantum Measurements. Quantum measurement problem Schrodinger’s cat Possible interpretations. Schrodinger Wave Equation: Describes movement of quantum waves -> DETERMINISTIC. Wave height squared is probability of particle detection (Born).

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QUANTUM MECHANICS Quantum Measurements

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  1. QUANTUM MECHANICS Quantum Measurements • Quantum measurement problem • Schrodinger’s cat • Possible interpretations

  2. Schrodinger Wave Equation: Describes movement of quantum waves -> DETERMINISTIC Wave height squared is probability of particle detection (Born) QUANTUM MEASUREMENT PROBLEM • Before Measurement • – Only probability known • After Measurement • – `Exact’ result known • How to describe measurement • process in quantum mechanics?

  3. E.g. Position measurement of a subject “Collapse of the Wavefunction” at instant of measurement Process not described by Schrodinger equation of subject

  4. Schrodinger’s Cat in a box Radioactive atom has probability ½ of decay IF atom decays, cat is poisoned Before we observe, cat’s quantum wave is ½ Alive ½ Dead with equal probability Before we look, cat is neither dead nor alive!

  5. Interpretations… Standard interpretation used today: Other interpretations: COPENHAGEN (Bohr) Observer causes wavefunction collapse Problems: Observer made of atoms, must obey QM No objective reality MANY WORLDS (Everett) Each possible result realised in a different universe Problems: Untestable Cannot know the past

  6. DECOHERENCE (Zurek) Include measuring device and environment in quantum system HIDDEN VARIABLES (Einstein) Yet undiscovered quantities determine objective reality Einstein: "I think that a particle must have a separate reality independent of the measurements….I like to think that the moon is there even if I am not looking at it!”

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