Quantum mechanics has lacked a widely recognized interpretation since its birth. Many of these are still under consideration because interpretations are tough or impossible to disprove experimentally. We show how to distinguish experimentally ones assuming tiny, localized particles from those postulating realistic, non-local wave functions. It is possible thanks to a recently developed model of optical transmittance of ultra-diluted gas. This model considers the influence of each gas particle wave function on transmitted light. Its quantitative predictions are not indifferent to the interpretation of quantum mechanics. We also refer to the results of a recent experiment founded on this theory. They are in line with the predictions, which suggests the correctness of the model. Such results, if confirmed, rule out interpretations of the type of pilot-wave. In the paper, we briefly explain both the experiment and the model it is founded on. We also discuss the meaning of the Born rule.
Quantum mechanics has lacked a widely recognized interpretation since its birth. Many of these are still under consideration because interpretations are tough or impossible to disprove experimentally. We show how to distinguish experimentally ones assuming tiny, localized particles from those postulating realistic, non-local wave functions. It is possible thanks to a recently developed model of optical transmittance of ultra-diluted gas. This model considers the influence of each gas particle wave function on transmitted light. Its quantitative predictions are not indifferent to the interpretation of quantum mechanics. We also refer to the results of a recent experiment founded on this theory. They are in line with the predictions, which suggests the correctness of the model. Such results, if confirmed, rule out interpretations of the type of pilot-wave. In the paper, we briefly explain both the experiment and the model it is founded on. We also discuss the meaning of the Born rule.
Quantum mechanics has lacked a widely recognized interpretation since its birth. Many interpretations are under consideration because they are difficult to disprove experimentally. In this paper, we show that the results of a recent experiment go against one of them: the pilot-wave interpretation. This is because the key assumption of this interpretation, particle locality, contradicts the assumption of wave function nonlocality on which the experiment is founded. This is a rare example of a quantum model and an experiment not indifferent to the interpretation of quantum mechanics.
Abstract We consider the interpretation of quantum mechanics on the basis of the so-called ‘pilot-wave’ concept from the point of view of its adequacy in the light of both already-realized and possible and gedanken experiments, including those that involve photons. It is shown that this concept, despite undoubtedly being useful, can hardly ensure compliance of quantum-theory predictions with the postulate that particle coordinates and velocities objectively exist, while splitting the wave function into empty and nonempty wave packets seems to contradict to the results of feasible experiments and their interpretations.
Traditionally, some version of Born’s rule is always considered to be an indispensable part of any interpretation of quantum mechanics, either as a postulate, or as a result derived-not always on the basis of convincing reasoning-from other postulates. In this section, we have a close look at the possible forms of Born’s rule and discuss the limits of its validity. All traditional foundations of quantum mechanics heavily depend on the concept of (hypothetical, idealized) experiments-far too heavily. This is one of the reasons why these foundations are still unsettled, over 90 years after the discovery of the basic equations for modern quantum mechanics. No other theory has such controversial foundations. The main reason is that the starting point of the usual interpretations is an idealization of the measurement process that is taken too seriously, namely as the indisputable truth about everything measured. But in reality, this idealization is only a didactical trick for the newcomer to make the formal definitions of quantum mechanics a bit easier to swallow. Except in a few very simple cases, it is too far removed from experimental practice to tell much about real measurements, and hence about how quantum physics is used in real applications. In experimental physics, measurement is a very complex thing, far more complex than Born’s rule (the usual starting point) suggests. To measure the distance between two galaxies, the mass of the top quark, or the Lamb shift, just to mention three basic examples, cannot be captured by the idealistic measurement concept used there, nor by any of the refinements of it discussed in the literature. In each of the three cases mentioned, one assembles a lot of auxiliary information and ultimately calculates the measurement result from a best fit of a model to the data. Clearly, the theory must already be in place in order to do that. We do not even know what a top quark should be, whose mass we are measuring, unless we have a theory that tells us this! The two most accurately determined observables in the history of quantum physics, namely the anomalous magnetic moment of the electron and Lamb shift, are not even q-observables! To present the stage for the criticism of Born’s rule in Section 14.3, we first need to clarify the meaning of the term “Born’s rule”. To distinguish different useful meanings, we look in Sections 14.1-14.2 at the early history of Born’s rule.
The de Broglie-Bohm pilot-wave theory promises not only a realistic description of the microscopic world (in particular, a description in which observers and observation play no fundamental role) but also the ability to derive and explain aspects of the quantum formalism that are, instead, (awkwardly and problematically) postulated in orthodox versions of quantum theory. Chief among these are the various "measurement axioms" and in particular the Born rule expressing the probability distribution of measurement outcomes. Compared to other candidate non-orthodox quantum theories, the pilot-wave theory suffers from something of an embarrassment of riches in regard to explaining the Born rule statistics, in the sense that there exist, in the literature, not just one but two rather compelling proposed explanations. This paper is an attempt to critically review and clarify these two competing arguments. We summarize both arguments and also survey some objections that have been given against them. In the end, we suggest that there is somewhat less conflict between the two approaches than existing polemics might suggest, and that indeed elements from both arguments may be combined to provide a unified and fully-compelling explanation, from the postulated dynamical first principles, of the Born rule.
Abstract The paper proposes a model of optical transmittance of ultra diluted gas taking into account gas particles non-locality, the quantum effect of wave function spreading derived from solving the Schr ̈odinger equation for a free particle. A significant increase in the transmittance of such gas is envisaged as compared to the classical predictions. Some quantitative and qualitative consequences of the model are indicated and falsifying experiments are proposed. The classic Beer-Lambert law equation within range of its applicability is derived from the model. Remarks to some astrophysical phenomena and possible interpretations of Quantum Mechanics are made. An experiment consistent with the predictions of this model is referenced.
We suggest and describe how to analyze new types of experiments that would test a proposed model of the quantum measurement process. That model produces the Born Rule as a corollary, and so agrees with conventional quantum predictions. The proposed experiments include a new type of "interrupted measurement," which would allow falsification or confirmation of the model. In order to compare it with standard quantum mechanics predictions, we also develop a new testable extrapolation of the Born Rule into the extended experimental regime.