In this work we suggest a technically simple experimental realization of a continuous phase transition (with critical parameters determined by Heisenberg uncertainty relation), or, metaphorically speaking, Magellan strait, from the Great, Pacific ocean of the photon trajectories superposition detection into the Atlantic ocean of the photon trajectories statistical mixture detection in well-known experiment of the single photon interference (at double slit diaphragm or beam splitter). This phase transition or self-collapse can be considered as the spontaneous (non-dynamical) breaking (effective hiding) of the unitary symmetry (superposition) of quantum mechanical dynamics as an especial case of the general formalism of the spontaneous symmetry breaking. All this admits a consistent model of the detection or measurement procedure in the general case.
In this work we suggest a technically simple experimental realization of a continuous phase transition (with critical parameters determined by Heisenberg uncertainty relation), or, metaphorically speaking, Magellan strait, from the Great, Pacific ocean of the photon trajectories superposition detection into the Atlantic ocean of the photon trajectories statistical mixture detection in well-known experiment of the single photon interference (at double slit diaphragm or beam splitter). This phase transition or self-collapse can be considered as the spontaneous (non-dynamical) breaking (effective hiding) of the unitary symmetry (superposition) of quantum mechanical dynamics as an especial case of the general formalism of the spontaneous symmetry breaking. All this admits a consistent model of the detection or measurement procedure in the general case.
In this work we suggest a technically simple experimental realization of a continuous phase transition (with critical parameters determined by Heisenberg uncertainty relation), or, metaphorically speaking, Magellan strait, from the Great, Pacific ocean of the photon trajectories superposition detection into the Atlantic ocean of the photon trajectories statistical mixture detection in well-known experiment of the single photon interference (at double slit diaphragm or beam splitter). This phase transition or self-collapse can be considered as the spontaneous (non-dynamical) breaking (effective hiding) of the unitary symmetry (superposition) of quantum mechanical dynamics as an especial case of the general formalism of the spontaneous symmetry breaking. All this admits a consistent model of the detection or measurement procedure in the general case.
In this work we theoretically consider possibilities of the detection of single photon quantum superposition if before detection by photo plate only one superposition arm can directly quantum dynamically interact with two-level quantum systems appropriate for corresponding non-disturbing stimulated emission or absorption. If photo plate is relatively close or if life time of the excited state is relatively large (so that there is no excited state decay before detection) this photo plate will effectively detect interference effects, i.e. superposition. (Exactly quantum dynamically here is an entangled state of the super-system, photon and two two-level systems. But it can be effectively consistently approximated by superposition of the photon only.) If photo plate is relatively distant or if life time of the excited state is relatively short (so that there is excited state decay and new spontaneously emitted photon appearance before detection) this photo plate will effectively detect interference effects (absence, i.e. superposition absence. (Exactly quantum dynamically here is an entangled state of the super-system, initial photon, two two-level systems and new photon. But it can be effectively consistently approximated by entangled state of super-system, initial photon and new photon, but not on the superposition of the initial photon only.) All this can be very interesting for discussion of the quantum detection, i.e. measurement procedure (as unique, Magellan straight| between Atlantic ocean of the classical macroscopic decoherent phenomena and Great, Pacific ocean of the microscopic quantum superposition (entanglement) phenomena).
In this work spontaneous (non-dynamical) breaking (effective hiding) of the unitary quantum mechanical dynamical symmetry (superposition) is considered. It represents an especial but very interesting case of the general formalism of the spontaneous symmetry breaking (effective hiding). Conceptual analogies with spontaneous breaking of the gauge symmetry in Weinberg-Sallam's electro-weak interaction are pointed out. Also, consequences of the spontaneous superposition breaking in the measurement process are discussed. Measurement can be considered as a typical Landau's continuous phase transition with spontaneous superposition breaking (effective hiding) effectively corresponding to collapse. Here critical values of the order parameters are determined by Heisenberg's uncertainty relations.
Developing an earlier proposal (Ne'eman, Damnjanovic, etc), we show herein that there is a Landau continuous phase transition from the exact quantum dynamics to the effectively classical one, occurring via spontaneous superposition breaking (effective hiding), as a special case of the corresponding general formalism (Bernstein). Critical values of the order parameters for this transition are determined by Heisenberg's indeterminacy relations, change continuously, and are in excellent agreement with the recent and remarkable experiments with Bose condensation. It is also shown that such a phase transition can sucessfully model self-collapse (self-decoherence), as an effective classical phenomenon, on the measurement device. This then induces a relative collapse (relative decoherence) as an effective quantum phenomenon on the measured quantum object by measurement. We demonstrate this (including the case of Bose-Einstein condensation) in the well-known cases of the Stern-Gerlach spin measurement, Bell's inequality and the recently discussed quantum superposition on a mirror a la Marshall et al. These results provide for a proof that quantum mechanics, in distinction to all absolute collapse and hidden-variable theories, is local and objective. There now appear no insuperable obstacles to solving the open problems in quantum theory of measurement and foundation of quantum mechanics, and strictly within the standard quantum-mechanical formalism. Simply put, quantum mechanics is a field theory over the Hilbert space, the classical mechanics characteristics of which emerge through spontaneous superposition breaking.
In this work we theoretically consider few variations of remarkable experiment of the single photon interference at beam splitter (without and with photon trajectories detection) where as a realistic photon trajectories detector a pair of identical simple two-level quantum systems, practically two atoms is used. Mentioned experiments (realizable by contemporary experimental techniques) clearly imply within standard quantum mechanical formalism that detectors can be microscopic, even atomic systems. Moreover, mentioned experiments admit unambiguous analysis of the existence or non-existence of the entanglement between detected quantum system (photon) and detector (pair of two-level systems) or, metaphorically speaking, Schrodinger cat effect. Since mentioned detection and entanglement existence is based at stimulated emission of the photon they can be considered as elementary form of the well-known laser technique. For this reason it can be expected that the future real experiments will confirm existence of the entanglement between photon and detector within detection procedure or non-existence of the absolute collapse.
In this work we suggest four simple, realistic experiments in which existence of the quantum entanglement between single photon and photon trajectory detector (Schrodinger cat effect) can be definitely testified. Mentioned experiments represent different variations of the well-known experiment of single photon interference at beam splitter. Here photon trajectory (micro) detector is represented by two simple quantum two-level systems, practically two atoms (first in excited and second in ground state) placed at only one, e.g. reflected photon trajectory. In final experiment, after first interaction between photon (in superposition state which is result of the previous, first interaction between photon and beam splitter) and detector, photon is redirected back by two total mirrors. It implies new, second interaction between photon and detector and later between photon and beam splitter. If after mentioned first interaction photon-detector entanglement exists, then after second mentioned interaction there is only one outcome at beam splitter. But if, after mentioned first interaction statistical mixture of reflected and transmitted photon exists, then after second mentioned interaction there are two outcomes at beam splitter. Results of suggested experiments can have very important role in never ending Galileian dialogue on the quantum mechanics foundation problem.