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arXiv:1610.07169 · Foundations of Physics

Interaction-Free Effects Between Distant Atoms

Yakir Aharonov, Eliahu Cohen, Avshalom C. Elitzur, Lee Smolin

Published Dec 8, 2017• 19 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

A Gedanken experiment is presented where an excited and a ground-state atom are positioned such that, within the former's half-life time, they exchange a photon with 50% probability. A measurement of their energy state will therefore indicate in 50% of the cases that no photon was exchanged. Yet other measurements would reveal that, by the mere possibility of exchange, the two atoms have become entangled. Consequently, the "no exchange" result, apparently precluding entanglement, is non-locally established between the atoms by this very entanglement. This quantum-mechanical version of the ancient Liar Paradox can be realized with already existing transmission schemes, with the addition of Bell's theorem applied to the no-exchange cases. Under appropriate probabilities, the initially-excited atom, still excited, can be entangled with additional atoms time and again, or alternatively, exert multipartite nonlocal correlations in an interaction free manner. When densely repeated several times, this result also gives rise to the Quantum Zeno effect, again exerted between distant atoms without photon exchange. We discuss these experiments as variants of interaction-free-measurement, now generalized for both spatial and temporal uncertainties. We next employ weak measurements for elucidating the paradox. Interpretational issues are discussed in the conclusion, and a resolution is offered within the Two-State Vector Formalism and its new Heisenberg framework.

DOI
10.1007/s10701-017-0127-y

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A Gedanken experiment is presented where an excited and a ground-state atom are positioned such that, within the former's half-life time, they exchange a photon with 50% probability. A measurement of their energy state will therefore indicate in 50% of the cases that no photon was exchanged. Yet other measurements would reveal that, by the mere possibility of exchange, the two atoms have become entangled. Consequently, the "no exchange" result, apparently precluding entanglement, is non-locally established between the atoms by this very entanglement. This quantum-mechanical version of the ancient Liar Paradox can be realized with already existing transmission schemes, with the addition of Bell's theorem applied to the no-exchange cases. Under appropriate probabilities, the initially-excited atom, still excited, can be entangled with additional atoms time and again, or alternatively, exert multipartite nonlocal correlations in an interaction free manner. When densely repeated several times, this result also gives rise to the Quantum Zeno effect, again exerted between distant atoms without photon exchange. We discuss these experiments as variants of interaction-free-measurement, now generalized for both spatial and temporal uncertainties. We next employ weak measurements for elucidating the paradox. Interpretational issues are discussed in the conclusion, and a resolution is offered within the Two-State Vector Formalism and its new Heisenberg framework.
In this work we theoretically consider quantum Zeno effect for entangled (correlated) quantum states. (Our physical systems and calculations are simpler than it is case in remarkable work on entanglement protection via Zeno effect by Maniscalco et all. But Maniscalco et all and our final conclusions are the same.) Firstly, we demonstrate well-known quantum Zeno effect by frequent decay detection for single, simple, two-level quantum system, with stable, ground quantum state and one non-stable, excited quantum state which can decay, by photon emission, in the ground state. (In this case, by frequent decay detections, system stands in the excited state.) Further, we consider single photon with energy equivalent to energy difference between excited and ground energy level of mentioned system. After interaction with a half-silvered mirror, mentioned photon is in a quantum superposition of the reflected and transmitted quantum state or trajectory. Mentioned trajectories are directed toward two identical, but distant, mentioned simple two-level systems both of which are initially (before interaction with photon) in ground state. Immediately after interaction with photon (photon absorption) two two-level systems are described by entangled (correlated) quantum state ( (excited, ground) + (ground, excited) , symbolically). We prove that in this case, by frequent decay detections on both systems, mentioned two two-level systems are described by initial entangled (correlated) quantum state ( (excited, ground) +(ground, excited)).
Entanglement and nonlocality are studied in the framework of pre-/postselected ensembles with the aid of weak measurements and the two-state-vector formalism. In addition to the EPR–Bohm experiment, we revisit the Hardy and Cheshire Cat experiments, whose entangled pre- or postselected states give rise to curious phenomena. We then turn to even more peculiar phenomenon suggesting “emerging correlations” between independent preand postselected ensembles of particles. This can be viewed as a quantum violation of the classical “pigeonhole principle.” Introduction It is seldom acknowledged that seven years before the celebrated Bell paper [1], Bohm and Aharonov [2] published an analysis of the EPR paradox [3]. They suggested an experimental setup, based on Compton scattering, for testing nonlocal correlations between the polarizations of two annihilation photons. In 1964, Bell proposed his general inequality, thereby excluding local realism. During the same time, Aharonov et al. constructed the foundations of a time-symmetric formalism of quantum mechanics [4]. While Bell's proof utilizes entanglement to demonstrate nonlocal correlations,wewill describe inwhat follows the emergence of nonlocal correlations between product states. For this purpose, however, we shall invoke weak measurements of pre- and postselected ensembles. In classical mechanics, initial conditions of position and velocity for every particle fully determine the time evolution of the system. Therefore, trying to impose an additional final condition would lead either to redundancy or to inconsistency with the initial conditions. This is radically different in quantum mechanics. Because of the uncertainty principle, an initial state vector does not fully determine, in general, the outcome of a future measurement. However, adding a final (backward-evolving) state vector results in a more complete description of the quantum system in between these two boundary conditions, which has a bearing on the determination of measurement outcomes. The basis for this time-symmetric formulation of quantum mechanics was laid down by Aharonov, Bergman, and Lebowitz (ABL), who derived a symmetric probability rule concerning measurements performed on systems, while taking into account the final state of the system, in addition to the usual initial state [4].
Summary form only given.Using the complementary wave-like and particle-like natures of photons, one can make interaction-free measurements (IFM)-the presence of an object can be determined with no photons being absorbed. By using an application of the quantum Zeno effect (weakly and repeatedly testing for the object's presence so that the otherwise coherent evolution of the interrogating photon is inhibited), we have demonstrated the feasibility of IFMs with an efficiency of >85%, higher than that possible in the original IFM scheme, where, at most, half of the measurements could be interaction free. We also investigate various interaction-free imaging systems, demonstrate imaging with a resolution <5 /spl mu/m, and define the limits to these systems. We also discuss in which sense interaction-free measurements really are not.
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In this work we suggest a variant of the remarkable Wheeler's delayed choice gedanken experiment. In our experiment, single photon described by a superposition state with two terms dynamically interacts with an atom. Preparation of the atom in any of two excited states can be realized practically in the last moment before interaction. For atom in the first excited state there is practically none dynamical interaction between atom and photon so that the interference effects on the photon can be detected later by a photo plate. For atom in the second excited state dynamical interaction between photon and atom causes certainly the stimulated emission of a new photon that moves coherently with the first photon. Both photons do a super-system described by an entangled quantum state. But in this case photo plate, that realizes simultaneously sub-systemic measurement at any photon, does not detect interference effects. We suggest a simple explanation of given as well as original variant of the delayed choice experiment in full agreement with standard quantum mechanical formalism.