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Non-representative Quantum Mechanical Weak Values

Svensson, Bengt E Y LU (2015) In Foundations of Physics 45(12). p.1645-1656
Abstract
The operational definition of a weak value for a quantum mechanical system involves the limit of the weak measurement strength tending to zero. I study how this limit compares to the situation for the undisturbed (no weak measurement) system. Under certain conditions, which I investigate, this limit is discontinuous in the sense that it does not merge smoothly to the Hilbert space description of the undisturbed system. Hence, in these discontinuous cases, the weak value does not represent the undisturbed system. As a result, conclusions drawn from such weak values regarding the properties of the studied system cannot be upheld. Examples are given.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Quantum Cheshire cat, interferometers, Mach-Zehnder, Weak trace criterion, Non-representative limit, Weak value
in
Foundations of Physics
volume
45
issue
12
pages
1645 - 1656
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000363272400009
  • scopus:84945479836
ISSN
0015-9018
DOI
10.1007/s10701-015-9951-0
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c5d3eaa2-b1c3-4d46-b021-e280be1a95fa (old id 8195173)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:44:03
date last changed
2024-04-10 09:41:16
@article{c5d3eaa2-b1c3-4d46-b021-e280be1a95fa,
  abstract     = {{The operational definition of a weak value for a quantum mechanical system involves the limit of the weak measurement strength tending to zero. I study how this limit compares to the situation for the undisturbed (no weak measurement) system. Under certain conditions, which I investigate, this limit is discontinuous in the sense that it does not merge smoothly to the Hilbert space description of the undisturbed system. Hence, in these discontinuous cases, the weak value does not represent the undisturbed system. As a result, conclusions drawn from such weak values regarding the properties of the studied system cannot be upheld. Examples are given.}},
  author       = {{Svensson, Bengt E Y}},
  issn         = {{0015-9018}},
  keywords     = {{Quantum Cheshire cat; interferometers; Mach-Zehnder; Weak trace criterion; Non-representative limit; Weak value}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{1645--1656}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Foundations of Physics}},
  title        = {{Non-representative Quantum Mechanical Weak Values}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10701-015-9951-0}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s10701-015-9951-0}},
  volume       = {{45}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}