Applied Physics Research

Advantages of Probability Amplitude Over Probability Density in Quantum Mechanics

Y. Kurihara, Nhi My Uyen Quach

Published Mar 17, 2015• 2 citations

Abstract

We discuss reasons why a probability amplitude, which becomes a probability density after squaring, is considered as one of the most basic ingredients of quantum mechanics. First, the Heisenberg/Schrödinger equation, an equation of motion in quantum mechanics, describes a time evolution of the probability amplitude rather than of a probability density. There may be reasons why dynamics of a physical system are described by amplitude. In order to investigate one role of the probability amplitude in quantum mechanics, specialized codeword-transfer experiments are designed using classical information theory. Within this context, quantum mechanics based on probability amplitude provides the following: i) a minimum error of the codeword transfer; ii) this error is independent of coding parameters; and iii) nontrivial and nonlocal correlation can be realized. These are considered essential advantages of the probability amplitude over the probability density.

DOI: 10.5539/apr.v7n2p66

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