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arXiv:2603.25335

The quantum mechanics of experiments

Jürg Fröhlich, Alessandro Pizzo

quant-phmath-phSubmitted Mar 26, 2026• Announced Mar 27, 2026• 0 citations• Revised Jul 13, 2026 (v2)
v1 · Mar 26, 2026v2 · Jul 13, 2026
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Abstract

This note starts with a recapitulation of what people call the ``Measurement Problem'' of Quantum Mechanics (QM). The dissipative nature of the quantum-mechanical time-evolution of averages of states over large ensembles of identical isolated systems consisting of matter interacting with the radiation field is discussed and shown to correspond to a stochastic time-evolution of states of individual systems. The importance of dissipation for the successful completion of measurements is highlighted. To conclude, a solution of the ``Measurement Problem'' is sketched in an idealized model of a double-slit experiment.

Comments
17 pages, submitted for publication in a special volume dedicated to Israel Michael Sigal

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This note starts with a recapitulation of what people call the Measurement Problem'' of Quantum Mechanics (QM). The dissipative nature of the quantum-mechanical time-evolution of averages of states over large ensembles of identical isolated systems consisting of matter interacting with the radiation field is discussed and shown to correspond to a stochastic time-evolution of states of individual systems. The importance of dissipation for the successful completion of measurements is highlighted. To conclude, a solution of the Measurement Problem'' is sketched in an idealized model of a double-slit experiment.
The postulates of von Neumann and Lüders concerning measurements in quantum mechanics are discussed and criticized in the context of a simple model proposed by Gisin. The main purpose of our paper is to analyze some mathematical aspects of that model and to draw some general lessons on the so-called ``measurement problem'' in quantum mechanics pointing towards the need to introduce general principles that determine the law for the stochastic time evolution of states of individual physical systems.
It is argued that the Schrödinger equation does not yield a correct description of the quantum-mechanical time evolution of states of isolated (open) systems featuring events. A precise general law for the time evolution of states replacing the Schrödinger equation is formulated within the so-called ETH-Approach to Quantum Mechanics. This law eliminates the infamous "measurement problem." Our general results are illustrated by an analysis of simple models describing a very heavy atom coupled to the quantized radiation field in a limit where the speed of light tends to infinity. The discussion of these models is the main subject of our paper.
Abstract It is argued that the Schrödinger equation does not yield a correct description of the quantum-mechanical time evolution of states of isolated physical systems featuring events. A general statistical law replacing unitary Schrödinger evolution of states is then formulated within the so-called ETH-Approach to Quantum Mechanics. This law eliminates the infamous “measurement problem.” Our general concepts and results are illustrated by an analysis of simple models describing a very heavy atom coupled to the quantized radiation field. In the limit where the speed of light tends to infinity these models can be treated quite explicitly.
We attempt to contribute some novel points of view to the "foundations of quantum mechanics", using mathematical tools from "quantum probability theory" (such as the theory of operator algebras). We first introduce an abstract algebraic framework for the formulation of mathematical models of physical systems that is general enough to encompass classical and quantum mechanical models. After a short discussion on the properties of classical systems (realism and determinism), we move on to the study of a general class of quantum-mechanical models of physical systems and explain what some of the key problems in a quantum theory of observations and measurements are. In the last part of our essay, we attempt to elucidate the roles played by entanglement between a system and its environment and of information loss in understanding "decoherence" and "dephasing", which are key mechanisms in a quantum theory of measurements and experiments. We also discuss the problem of "time in quantum mechanics" and sketch an answer to the question when an experiment can be considered to have been completed successfully.
Endeavoring to formulate an exhaustive solution to the measurement problem in view of the theory of decoherence leads to a better understanding of the status of the collapse and of the emergence of classicality, thanks to a precise definition of the measurement and some new vocabulary to speak about quantum mechanics. Considering the latter as a probabilistic theory all along allows us to avoid the usual probability problem of the many-worlds interpretations. A thorough verification of the consistency of quantum mechanics at all scales is proposed, as well as a discussion of what can be deemed an observer.