Abstract
While quantum reality can be probed through measurements, the Two-State Vector Formalism (TSVF) reveals a subtler reality prevailing between measurements. Under special pre- and post-selections, odd physical values emerge. This unusual picture calls for a deeper study. Instead of the common, wave-based picture of quantum mechanics, we suggest a new, particle-based perspective: Each particle possesses a definite location throughout its evolution, while some of its physical variables (characterized by deterministic operators, some of which obey nonlocal equations of motion) are carried by “mirage particles” accounting for its unique behavior. Within the time interval between pre- and post-selection, the particle gives rise to a horde of such mirage particles, of which some can be negative. What appears to be “no-particle”, known to give rise to interaction-free measurement, is in fact a self-canceling pair of positive and negative mirage particles, which can be momentarily split and cancel out again. Feasible experiments can give empirical evidence for these fleeting phenomena. In this respect, the Heisenberg ontology is shown to be conceptually advantageous compared to the Schrödinger picture. We review several recent advances, discuss their foundational significance and point out possible directions for future research.
Highlights
For many years, the Two-State Vector Formalism (TSVF) [1,2,3] has been unearthing more and more hidden aspects of quantum reality never conceived before
The latter constitute a “weak reality” which offers a deeper understanding of quantum reality and how it is related to the classical one [8,9,10]
A negative value of some operator A implies that when we couple weakly to A, the sign of the interaction term is flipped. This physical understanding is attached to all nega-particles, but in [13], an interesting alternative was proposed: under two plausible consistency conditions, all strange weak values can be interpreted as complex conditional probabilities corresponding to counterfactual scenarios
Summary
The Two-State Vector Formalism (TSVF) [1,2,3] has been unearthing more and more hidden aspects of quantum reality never conceived before. Such values can be extraordinary, very large, very small or even complex, lying outside the spectrum of the measured operator A [9,10,11,12,13,14] These weak values manifest themselves as effective interaction terms between the pre- and post-selected systems (and any other system coupled to it weakly enough) [15]. They prevail between rather than upon quantum measurements, thereby being inaccessible to direct inference via the standard measurement techniques.
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