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arXiv:quant-ph/0602212 · AIP conference proceedings

A Realist Interpretation of the Quantum Measurement Problem

Xiaolei Zhang

Published Jan 1, 2006• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

A new, realist interpretation of the quantum measurement processes is given. In this scenario a quantum measurement is a non‐equilibrium phase transition in a “resonant cavity” formed by the entire physical universe including all its material and energy content. Both the amplitude and the phase of the quantum mechanical wavefunction acquire substantial meaning in this picture, and the probabilistic element is removed from the foundations of quantum mechanics, its apparent presence in the quantum measurement process is viewed as a result of the sensitive dependence on initial/boundary conditions of the non‐equilibrium phase transitions in a many degree‐of‐freedom system. The implications of adopting this realist ontology to the clarification and resolution of lingering issues in the foundations of quantum mechanics, such as wave‐particle duality, Heisenberg’s uncertainty relation, Schrodinger’s Cat paradox, first and higher order coherence of photons and atoms, virtual particles, the existence of commutation relations and quantized behavior, etc., are also presented.

DOI
10.1063/1.2399622

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A new, realist interpretation of the quantum measurement processes is given. In this scenario a quantum measurement is a non‐equilibrium phase transition in a “resonant cavity” formed by the entire physical universe including all its material and energy content. Both the amplitude and the phase of the quantum mechanical wavefunction acquire substantial meaning in this picture, and the probabilistic element is removed from the foundations of quantum mechanics, its apparent presence in the quantum measurement process is viewed as a result of the sensitive dependence on initial/boundary conditions of the non‐equilibrium phase transitions in a many degree‐of‐freedom system. The implications of adopting this realist ontology to the clarification and resolution of lingering issues in the foundations of quantum mechanics, such as wave‐particle duality, Heisenberg’s uncertainty relation, Schrodinger’s Cat paradox, first and higher order coherence of photons and atoms, virtual particles, the existence of commutation relations and quantized behavior, etc., are also presented.
A new, realist interpretation of the quantum measurement processes is given. In this scenario a quantum measurement is a non-equilibrium phase transition in a ``resonant cavity'' formed by the entire physical universe including all its material and energy content. Both the amplitude and the phase of the quantum mechanical wavefunction acquire substantial meaning in this picture, and the probabilistic element is removed from the foundations of quantum mechanics, its apparent presence in the quantum measurement process is viewed as a result of the sensitive dependence on initial/boundary conditions of the non-equilibrium phase transitions in a many degree-of-freedom system. The implications of adopting this realist ontology to the clarification and resolution of lingering issues in the foundations of quantum mechanics, such as wave-particle duality, Heisenberg's uncertainty relation, Schrodinger's Cat paradox, first and higher order coherence of photons and atoms, virtual particles, the existence of commutation relations and quantized behavior, etc., are also presented.
It is shown that a coherent understanding of all quantized phenomena, including those governed by unitary evolution equations as well as those related to irreversible quantum measurements, can be achieved in a scenario of successive nonequilibrium phase transitions, with the lowest hierarchy of these phase transitions occurring in a ``resonant cavity'' formed by the entire matter and energy content of the universe. In this formalism, the physical laws themselves are resonantly-selected and ordered in the universe cavity in a hierarchical manner, and the values of fundamental constants are determined through a Generalized Mach's Principle. The existence of a preferred reference frame in this scenario is shown to be consistent with the relational nature of the origin of physical laws. Covariant unitary evolution is shown to connect smoothly with the reduction of wavefunction in the preferred frame during quantum measurement. The superluminal nature of quantum processes in the lowest hierarchy coexists with the universal speed limit obeyed by processes in higher hierarchies. A natural quantum-to-classical transition is also obtained which is stable against the diffusive tendency of the unitary quantum evolution processes. In this formalism a realistic quasi-classical ontology is established for the foundations of quantum mechanics.
Abstract The measurement problem in quantum mechanics still appears to be an unresolved issue. Here we present a new quantum theory of measurement that overcomes many of the difficulties previously found. It is based on a consistent use of the linear superposition principle and distinguishes two aspects: recording and observation. A recording elicits the full interaction of the object quantum system with the quantum measuring apparatus. No wavefunction collapse is introduced. Statistics may appear at the observation of the recording only and depends on filtering processes. The theory presented here uses the existing mathematical structure of quantum mechanics but requires no ad hoc measurement postulates. Well‐known paradoxical aspects in standard quantum mechanics, for instance, wave–particle duality, Schrödinger's cat, and Zeno effects do not appear in the current formulation. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2004
This note reframes the quantum measurement problem as a physical boundary condition rather than a dynamical or interpretive paradox. It argues that measurement corresponds to the point at which global coordination of quantum phase information becomes physically impossible due to fundamental limits imposed by relativistic causality, thermodynamic irreversibility, and information transfer constraints. Classical outcomes emerge not from wavefunction collapse or observer intervention, but because coherent quantum description cannot be sustained once synchronization demands exceed the universe’s finite coordination capacity. The work introduces measurement as a coordination breakdown, grounding the quantum–classical transition in physical realizability rather than additional postulates or modifications to quantum mechanics.
Measurements play a specific role in quantum mechanics; only measurements allow us to catch a glimpse of the eluding physical reality. However, there is something deeply unsatisfactory with this specificity—a measurement is itself a physical process! Several varying modes of coping with this dilemma have been proposed and this article tries to describe how a now-century-long discussion has led to new insights about the transition from the quantum to the classical world. Starting from the pioneer’s view of the quantum measurement problem, it follows the development of formalisms, the interest from philosophers for its new aspects on reality and how different interpretations of quantum mechanics have tried to support our classically working brains in understanding quantum phenomena. Decoherence is a main topic and its role in measurement processes exemplified. The question of whether the quantum measurement problem is now solved is left open for the readers’ own judgment.
Standard physics is built upon a foundational duality: the macroscopic world governed by deterministic classical mechanics and general relativity, and the microscopic world governed by probabilistic quantum mechanics, whose foundational expression is the Heisenberg uncertainty principle . This paper demonstrates, within the Conjugate Photonic Model (CPM), that this duality is an artefact of incomplete knowledge rather than a property of nature. Three universal constants — the speed of light , the vacuum impedance , and Planck's constant — operate identically at both the microscopic (electron hopfion, photonic disc) and macroscopic (FEL, optics, electromagnetism) scales, eliminating the conceptual basis for dual physics. The Heisenberg principle is reinterpreted as a statistical consequence of measuring the time-average of the deterministic trajectory of the electron hopfion at traversal frequency , inaccessible to current temporal resolution but not inaccessible in principle. The Schrödinger cat paradox is resolved: the cat has a definite state at all times, determined by the internal phase of the electron hopfion. A structural equation for photon emission as a function of is derived: . The Free-Electron Laser provides the experimental isolation mechanism that forces the deterministic machinery into full visibility. The universe is a single, causal, deterministic system of organised EM field — the apparent duality dissolves when the internal phase variable is recognised as the missing element of the description.