Here we present the time-bidirectional state formalism (TBSF) unifying in a general manner the standard quantum mechanical formalism with no postselection and the time-symmetrized two-state (density) vector formalism, which deals with postselected states. In the proposed approach, a quantum particle's state, called a time-bidirectional state, is equivalent to a joined state of two particles propagating in opposite time directions. For a general time-bidirectional state, we derive outcome probabilities of generalized measurements, as well as mean and weak values of Hermitian observables. We also show how the obtained expressions reduce to known ones in the special cases of no postselection and generalized two-state (density) vectors. Then we develop tomography protocols based on mutually unbiased bases and a symmetric informationally complete positive operator-valued measure, allowing experimental reconstruction of an unknown single-qubit time-bidirectional state. Finally, we employ the developed techniques for tracking of a qubit's time-reversal journey in a quantum teleportation protocol realized with a cloud-accessible noisy superconducting quantum processor. The obtained results justify an existence of a postselection-induced qubit's proper time arrow, which is different from the time arrow of a classical observer, and demonstrate capabilities of the TBSF for exploring quantum phenomena brought forth by a postselection in the presence of noise.
Here we present the time-bidirectional state formalism (TBSF) unifying in a general manner the standard quantum mechanical formalism with no postselection and the time-symmetrized two-state (density) vector formalism, which deals with postselected states. In the proposed approach, a quantum particle's state, called a time-bidirectional state, is equivalent to a joined state of two particles propagating in opposite time directions. For a general time-bidirectional state, we derive outcome probabilities of generalized measurements, as well as mean and weak values of Hermitian observables. We also show how the obtained expressions reduce to known ones in the special cases of no postselection and generalized two-state (density) vectors. Then we develop tomography protocols based on mutually unbiased bases and a symmetric informationally complete positive operator-valued measure, allowing experimental reconstruction of an unknown single-qubit time-bidirectional state. Finally, we employ the developed techniques for tracking of a qubit's time-reversal journey in a quantum teleportation protocol realized with a cloud-accessible noisy superconducting quantum processor. The obtained results justify an existence of a postselection-induced qubit's proper time arrow, which is different from the time arrow of a classical observer, and demonstrate capabilities of the TBSF for exploring quantum phenomena brought forth by a postselection in the presence of noise.
This study proposes a time-symmetric framework for quantum measurement that restores microscopic reversibility at the level of the dynamical description while remaining compatible with causality and thermodynamic consistency. Instead of invoking a stochastic wavefunction collapse, the measurement process is modeled as a bidirectional informational update between a forward-evolving state and a backward-propagating effect, governed by a completely positive generator and its adjoint. Within this operator-based formalism, pre- and post-selected statistics are treated on an equal footing, yielding a unified description of both. The proposed scheme rigorously preserves complete positivity, normalization, and the no-signalling principle, and it is shown to satisfy Spohn's inequality for the associated quantum Markov semigroup, thereby ensuring non-negative entropy production within this setting. The framework admits a direct experimental interpretation across a range of scenarios, including weak measurements, EPR-Bell tests, homodyne detection, and photon counting. Furthermore, in the classical limit, the bidirectional update is demonstrated to reduce to the well-established Kalman filter and Rauch-Tung-Striebel (RTS) smoother used in classical estimation theory. These results support the view that the apparent temporal asymmetry of quantum measurement arises not from fundamental dynamical irreversibility, but from informational conditioning, specifically, the one-sided way in which measurement outcomes are incorporated into our description. In this sense, the arrow of time in measurement theory may be understood as an arrow of information.
Abstract We discuss how systems which evolve manifestly asymmetrically in time can be described within the framework of the time-symmetrized quantum mechanics. An obvious case of asymmetry arises when a pure state evolves into a mixed state via effectively non-unitary evolution. A two-state method for finding the intermediate probability in postselected systems under such evolution is developed and the time-symmetry aspects of the method are explicitly considered. A specific feature is the existence of the so-called second scenario in which the state originating from the postselection measurement evolves under different evolution superoperator than the state from the preselection measurement. The evolution of the second scenario is explicitly defined. We illustrate the method with two characteristic examples: the spontaneous deexcitation of atoms and the systems approaching thermal equilibrium. We consider the systems with two energy levels and calculate the time-symmetrized probability of finding the system in excited state, under general preselection and postselection conditions. The consequences of the asymmetry of the time evolution on this probability are discussed. It is demonstrated that the arrow of time can be reconstructed in some special cases of postselected systems, while, for a general system, this is not the case.
We present a general formalism for characterizing 2-time quantum states, describing pre- and postselected quantum systems. The most general 2-time state is characterized by a ``density vector'' that is independent of measurements performed between the preparation and postselection. We provide a method for performing tomography of an unknown 2-time density vector. This procedure, which cannot be implemented by weak or projective measurements, brings new insight to the fundamental role played by Kraus operators in quantum measurements. Finally, after showing that general states and measurements are isomorphic, we show that any measurement on a 2-time state can be mapped to a measurement on a preselected bipartite state.
Weak values, emerging from weak measurements in pre- and postselection, exhibit complex-valued properties, enabling the direct characterization of quantum systems. However, conventional weak values do not account for system evolution, restricting their capability to capture quantum dynamical information. To overcome this limitation, we introduce the process weak value (PWV), which incorporates quantum evolution between observables during pre- and postselection. By establishing a connection between PWVs and the matrix elements of unitary operators, we develop a theoretical framework for the direct characterization of quantum processes. Our experimental validation encompasses single-photon and two-photon unitary processes, as well as non-Hermitian parity-time symmetric quantum processes. Compared to standard quantum process tomography, our method reduces the required bases for state preparation and measurements while circumventing complex reconstruction algorithms, enhancing efficiency and scalability. Our PWV formalism opens avenues for broader foundational investigations of weak measurements and enables efficient applications in characterizing sophisticated quantum processes.
We suggest a new technique for bidirectional quantum teleportation (BQT) that combines coherent-state encoding with discrete-time quantum walks to allow two users to communicate quantum information simultaneously. Our method enables Alice and Bob to simultaneously teleport quantum states to one another within a single protocol, as compared to unidirectional teleportation, which only transmits quantum states in one direction. To allow for a qubit-like representation and fidelity analysis using Bloch vector formalism, the quantum information is encoded using non-orthogonal coherent states that are converted into an orthonormal basis of even and odd Schrödinger cat states. Four different quantum walk steps, each acting on a three-part quantum system made up of position and coin spaces, drive the teleportation process. We use density matrix overlaps in the even-odd basis to derive closed-form formulas for teleportation fidelity in both directions analytically. Using the SeQUeNCe discrete-event simulator, we simulate large-scale quantum network settings with realistic limitations, including photon loss, memory decoherence, entanglement swapping degradation, and various channel capacities in order to evaluate the potential of our approach. We evaluate quantum memory utilization, throughput, and end-to-end fidelity in various network topologies and scenarios. Our findings demonstrate that BQT allows symmetric communication with strong fidelity, particularly in high-capacity and large-scale network situations, but requires a greater resource overhead than unidirectional protocols. The hybrid framework developed in this study offers a scalable and analytically simple solution for next-generation quantum communication systems by combining discrete-time quantum evolution with continuous-variable state encoding.
We demonstrate that quantum instruments can provide a unified operational foundation for quantum theory. Since these instruments directly correspond to laboratory devices, this foundation provides an alternate, more experimentally grounded, perspective from which to understand the elements of the traditional approach. We first show that in principle all measurable probabilities and correlations can be expressed entirely in terms of quantum instruments without the need for conventional quantum states or observables. We then show how these states and observables reappear as derived quantities by conditioning joint detection probabilities on the first or last measurement in a sequence as a preparation or a postselection. Both predictive and retrodictive versions of states and observables appear in this manner, as well as more exotic bidirectional and interdictive states and observables that cannot be easily expressed using the traditional approach. We also revisit the conceptual meaning of the Heisenberg and Schr\"odinger pictures of time evolution as applied to the various derived quantities, illustrate how detector loss can be included naturally, and discuss how the instrumental approach fully generalizes the time-symmetric two-vector approach of Aharonov et al. to any realistic laboratory situation.