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Avshalom C. Elitzur

Publications and source records attributed to Avshalom C. Elitzur.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Quantum nonlocal correlations of anomalous weak values

Violations of Bell inequalities are a hallmark of entanglement, with only entangled states capable of exceeding classical bounds in standard Bell tests. Here we analyze anomalous weak values of the CHSH-Bell operator in pre- and post-selected (PPS) quantum ensembles, using them to define separability-constrained bounds on Bell-type nonlocal correlations in the presence of post-selection. Fixing the overlap between the pre- and post-selected states, we compare three scenarios: unrestricted boundary states, one separable boundary state, and both boundary states separable. For each case, we derive both the maximal weak value for a fixed Bell operator and the maximal bound obtained by further optimizing over all CHSH operators. Our results show that post-selection and entanglement are distinct operational resources: post-selection alone can enhance correlations, but entanglement is necessary to exceed the corresponding separable PPS bounds, and their combination yields the strongest attainable correlations. Thus the separable PPS bound plays the role of a post-selected separability benchmark, distinct from the standard Bell bound. We further show that the enhancement beyond the separable bound closely tracks the concurrence of the states that optimize the bounds, identifying entanglement as the source of the additional correlation strength. Finally, we show that nonlocal weak values provide post-selected entanglement witnesses, and we give a constructive protocol that detects every pure two-qubit source state with nonzero concurrence in the ideal state-adapted setting, even in regimes where the corresponding standard CHSH entanglement test is inconclusive. More broadly, our results motivate hybrid protocols that combine post-selection and entanglement, with possible applications to improved quantum sensing, weak-value amplification, and quantum information processing.

quant-ph↗

Survival acceleration

Relativistic time dilation implies that an accelerating excited atom would have its lifetime prolonged in the lab frame. In this paper, we demonstrate a complementary effect: Longer-lived excited atoms turn out to have been accelerated. We propose the following experiment. An excited atom is prepared in a superposition of momenta. Due to relativistic time dilation, in the lab frame, the decay rate of components with higher momentum is diminished. As time passes without the atom emitting a photon, higher-momentum components become more probable. This results in a time-dependent shift of the expectation value of momentum. Taking into account first-order relativistic corrections, we calculate the force and acceleration undergone by the atom due to the fact that it did not emit a photon.

quant-ph↗

Time-symmetry and topology of the Aharonov-Bohm effect

The Aharonov-Bohm (AB) effect has been highly influential in fundamental and applied physics. Its topological nature commonly implies that an electron encircling a magnetic flux source in a field-free region must close the loop in order to generate an observable effect. In this Letter, we study a variant of the AB effect that apparently challenges this concept. The significance of weak values and nonlocal equations of motion is discussed as part of the analysis, shedding light on and connecting all these fundamental concepts.

quant-ph↗

Realism and Causality II: Retrocausality in Energetic Causal Sets

We describe a new form of retrocausality, which is found in the behaviour of a class of causal set theories, called energetic causal sets (ECS). These are discrete sets of events, connected by causal relations. They have three orders: (1) a birth order, which is the order in which events are generated; this is a total order which is the true causal order, (2) a dynamical partial order, which prescribes the flows of energy and momentum amongst events, (3) an emergent causal order, which is defined by the geometry of an emergent Minkowski spacetime, in which the events of the causal sets are embedded. However, the embedding of the events in the emergent Minkowski spacetime may preserve neither the true causal order in (1), nor correspond completely with the microscopic partial order in (2). We call this disordered causality, and we here demonstrate its occurrence in specific ECS models. This is the second in a series of papers centered around the question: Should we accept violations of causality as a lesser price to pay in order to keep realist formulations of quantum theory? We begin to address this in the first paper [1] and continue here by giving an explicit example of an ECS model in the classical regime, in which causality is disordered.

gr-qc↗

Realism and causality I: Pilot wave and retrocausal models as possible facilitators

Of all basic principles of classical physics, realism should arguably be the last to be given up when seeking a better interpretation of quantum mechanics. We examine the de Broglie-Bohm pilot wave theory as a well developed example of a realistic theory. We present three challenges to a naive reading of pilot-wave theory, each based on a system of several entangled particles. With the help of a coarse graining of pilot wave theory into a discrete system, we show how these challenges can be answered. However this comes with a cost. In the description of individual systems, particles appear to scatter off empty branches of the wave function as if they were particles, and conversely travel through particles as if they were waves. More generally, the "particles" of pilot wave theory are led by the guidance equation to move in ways no classical particle would, involving apparent violations of the principles of inertia and momentum conservation.We next argue that the aforementioned cost can be avoided within a retrocausal model. In the proposed version of the pilot wave theory, the particle is guided by a combination of advanced and retarded waves. The resulting account for quantum physics seems to have greater heuristic power, it demands less damage to intuition, and moreover provides some general hints regarding spacetime and causality. This is the first of two papers. In the second [1] we show that, in the context of an explicit model, retrocausality, with respect to an effective, emergent spacetime metric, can coexist with a strict irreversibility of causal processes.

quant-ph↗

Nonlocal Quantum Erasure of Phase Objects

The Franson interference is a fourth order interference effect, which unlike the better known Hong-Ou-Mandel interference, does not require the entangled photon pairs to be present at the same space-time location for interference to occur - it is nonlocal. Here, we use a modified Franson interferometer to experimentally demonstrate the nonlocal erasure and correction of an image of a phase-object taken through coincidence imaging. This non-local quantum erasure technique can have several potential applications such as phase corrections in quantum imaging and microscopy and also user authentication of two foreign distant parties.

quant-ph↗

The Weak Reality that Makes Quantum Phenomena more Natural: Novel Insights and Experiments

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.

quant-ph↗

Interaction-Free Ghost-Imaging of Structured Objects

Quantum - or classically correlated - light can be employed in various ways to improve resolution and measurement sensitivity. In an "interaction-free" measurement, a single photon can be used to reveal the presence of an object placed within one arm of an interferometer without being absorbed by it. This method has previously been applied to imaging. With a technique known as "ghost imaging", entangled photon pairs are used for detecting an opaque object with significantly improved signal-to-noise ratio while preventing over-illumination. Here, we integrate these two methods to obtain a new imaging technique which we term "interaction-free ghost-imaging" that possesses the benefits of both techniques. While maintaining the image quality of conventional ghost-imaging, this new technique is also sensitive to phase and polarisation changes in the photons introduced by a structured object. Furthermore, thanks to the "interaction-free" nature of this new technique, it is possible to reduce the number of photons required to produce a clear image of the object (which could be otherwise damaged by the photons) making this technique superior for probing light-sensitive materials and biological tissues.

quant-ph↗

Anomalous Weak Values Emerging from Strong Interactions between Light and Matter

Some predictions regarding pre- and post-selected states are far-reaching, thereby requiring validation with standard quantum measurements in addition to the customary weak measurements used so far, as well as other advanced techniques. We go further pursuing this goal, proposing two thought experiments which incorporate novel yet feasible validation methods of unconventional light-matter interactions. An excited atom traverses a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) under a special combination of pre- and post-selection. In the first experiment, photons emitted by the superposed atom, after being hit by two laser beams, are individually counted. Despite the interaction having definitely taken place, the numbers of photons emitted from each arm of the MZI are predicted, at the ensemble level, to be different from those expected with standard stimulated emission. In the second experiment, the atom spontaneously emits a photon while still in the MZI. This photon later serves as a strong measurement of the atom's energy upon hitting a photographic plate. The experiment is repeated to enable an interference effect of the emitted photons. Interestingly, the latter gives the appearance that the photons have been emitted by the atom from a position much farther from the two MZI arms L and R, as if in a "phantom arm" R'. These experiments also emphasize the key role of anomalous weak values in determining light-matter interactions. In fact, they present a straightforward realization of an entity we term counter-particles, namely pre- and post-selected states acting as if they have negative physical variables such as mass and energy. The novel verification methods we suggest for testing these predictions resemble weak measurements in some aspects, yet result from definite atomic transitions verified by the detected photons.

quant-ph↗

Nonlocal Position Changes of a Photon Revealed by Quantum Routers

Since its publication, Aharonov and Vaidman's three-box paradox has undergone three major advances: i). A non-counterfactual scheme by the same authors in 2003 with strong rather than weak measurements for verifying the particle's subtle presence in two boxes. ii) A realization of the latter by Okamoto and Takeuchi in 2016. iii) A dynamic version by Aharonov et al. in 2017, with disappearance and reappearance of the particle. We now combine these advances together. Using photonic quantum routers the particle acts like a quantum "shutter." It is initially split between Boxes A, B and C, the latter located far away from the former two. The shutter particle's whereabouts can then be followed by a probe photon, split in both space and time and reflected by the shutter in its varying locations. Measuring the former is expected to reveal the following time-evolution: The shutter particle was, with certainty, in boxes A+C at t1, then only in C at t2, and finally in B+C at t3. Another branch of the split probe photon can show that boxes A+B were empty at t2. A Bell-like theorem applied to this experiment challenges any alternative interpretation that avoids disappearance-reappearance in favor of local hidden variables.

quant-ph↗

Interaction-Free Effects Between Distant Atoms

A Gedanken experiment is presented where an excited and a ground-state atom are positioned such that, within the former's half-life time, they exchange a photon with 50% probability. A measurement of their energy state will therefore indicate in 50% of the cases that no photon was exchanged. Yet other measurements would reveal that, by the mere possibility of exchange, the two atoms have become entangled. Consequently, the "no exchange" result, apparently precluding entanglement, is non-locally established between the atoms by this very entanglement. This quantum-mechanical version of the ancient Liar Paradox can be realized with already existing transmission schemes, with the addition of Bell's theorem applied to the no-exchange cases. Under appropriate probabilities, the initially-excited atom, still excited, can be entangled with additional atoms time and again, or alternatively, exert multipartite nonlocal correlations in an interaction free manner. When densely repeated several times, this result also gives rise to the Quantum Zeno effect, again exerted between distant atoms without photon exchange. We discuss these experiments as variants of Interaction-Free-Measurement, now generalized for both spatial and temporal uncertainties. We next employ weak measurements for elucidating the paradox. Interpretational issues are discussed in the conclusion, and a resolution is offered within the Two-State Vector Formalism and its new Heisenberg framework.

quant-ph↗

Unveiling the curtain of superposition: Recent gedanken and laboratory experiments

What is the true meaning of quantum superposition? Can a particle genuinely reside in several places simultaneously? These questions lie at the heart of this paper which presents an updated survey of some important stages in the evolution of the three-boxes paradox, as well as novel conclusions drawn from it. We begin with the original thought experiment of Aharonov and Vaidman, and proceed to its non-counterfactual version. The latter was recently realized by Okamoto and Takeuchi using a quantum router. We then outline a dynamic version of this experiment, where a particle is shown to "disappear" and "re-appear" during the time evolution of the system. This surprising prediction based on self-cancellation of weak values is directly related to our notion of Quantum Oblivion. Finally, we present the non-counterfactual version of this disappearing-reappearing experiment. Within the near future, this last version of the experiment is likely to be realized in the lab, proving the existence of exotic hitherto unknown forms of superposition. With the aid of Bell's theorem, we prove the inherent nonlocality and nontemporality underlying such pre- and post-selected systems, rendering anomalous weak values ontologically real.

quant-ph↗

The Case of the Disappearing (and Re-Appearing) Particle

A novel prediction is derived by the Two-State-Vector-Formalism (TSVF) for a particle superposed over three boxes. Under appropriate pre- and postselections, and with tunneling enabled between two of the boxes, it is possible to derive not only one, but three predictions for three different times within the intermediate interval. These predictions are moreover contradictory. The particle (when looked for using a projective measurement) seems to disappear from the first box where it would have been previously found with certainty, appearing instead within the third box, to which no tunneling is possible, and later re-appearing within the second. It turns out that local measurement (i.e. opening one of the boxes) fails to indicate the particle's presence, but subtler measurements performed on the two boxes together reveal the particle's nonlocal modular momentum spatially separated from its mass. Another advance of this setting is that, unlike other predictions of the TSVF that rely on weak and/or counterfactual measurements, the present one uses actual projective measurements. This outcome is then corroborated by adding weak measurements and the Aharonov-Bohm effect. The results strengthen the recently suggested time-symmetric Heisenberg ontology based on nonlocal deterministic operators. They can be also tested using the newly developed quantum router.

quant-ph↗

The Too-Late-Choice Experiment: Bell's Proof within a Setting where the Nonlocal Effect's Target is an Earlier Event

In the EPR experiment, each measurement addresses the question "What spin value has this particle along this orientation?" The outcome then proves that the spin value has been affected by the distant experimenter's choice of spin orientation. We propose a new setting where the question is reversed: "What is the orientation along which this particle has this spin value?" It turns out that the orientation is similarly subject to nonlocal effects. To enable the reversal, each particle's interaction with a beam-splitter at t1 leaves its spin orientation superposed. Then at t2, the experimenter selects an "up" or "down" spin value for this yet-undefined orientation. Only after the two particles undergo this procedure, the two measurements are completed, each particle having its spin value along a definite orientation. By Bell's theorem, it is now the "choice" of orientation that must be nonlocally transmitted between the particles upon completing the measurement. This choice, however, has preceded the experimenter's selection. This seems to lend support for the time-symmetric interpretations of QM, where retrocausality plays a significant role. We conclude with a brief comparison between these interpretations and their traditional alternatives, Copenhagen, Bohmian mechanics and the Many Worlds Interpretation.

quant-ph↗

Can a Future Choice Affect a Past Measurement's Outcome?

An EPR experiment is studied where each particle within the entangled pair undergoes a few weak measurements (WMs) along some pre-set spin orientations, with the outcomes individually recorded. Then the particle undergoes one strong measurement along an orientation chosen at the last moment. Bell-inequality violation is expected between the two final measurements within each EPR pair. At the same time, statistical agreement is expected between these strong measurements and the earlier weak ones performed on that pair. A contradiction seemingly ensues: (i) Bell's theorem forbids spin values to exist prior to the choice of the orientation measured; (ii) A weak measurement is not supposed to determine the outcome of a successive strong one; and indeed (iii) Almost no disentanglement is inflicted by the WMs; and yet (iv) The outcomes of weak measurements statistically agree with those of the strong ones, suggesting the existence of pre-determined values, in contradiction with (i). Although the conflict can be solved by mere mitigation of the above restrictions, the most reasonable resolution seems to be that of the Two-State-Vector Formalism (TSVF), namely, that the choice of the experimenter has been encrypted within the weak measurement's outcomes, even before the experimenters themselves know what their choice will be.

quant-ph↗

Voices of Silence, Novelties of Noise: Oblivion and Hesitation as Origins of Quantum Mysteries

Among the (in)famous differences between classical and quantum mechanics, quantum counterfactuals seem to be the most intriguing. At the same time, they seem to underlie many quantum oddities. In this article, we propose a simple explanation for counterfactuals, on two levels. Quantum Oblivion (QO) is a fundamental type of quantum interaction that we prove to be the origin of quantum counterfactuals. It also turns out to underlie several well-known quantum effects. This phenomenon is discussed in the first part of the article, yielding some novel predictions. In the second part, a hypothesis is offered regarding the unique spacetime evolution underlying QO, termed Quantum Hesitation (QH). The hypothesis invokes advanced actions and interfering weak values, as derived first by the Two-State-Vector Formalism (TSVF). Here too, weak values are argued to underlie the familiar "strong" quantum values. With these, an event that appears to have never occurred can exert causal effects and then succumb to QO by another time-evolution involving negative weak values that eliminate them. We conclude with briefly discussing the implications of these ideas on the nature of time.

quant-ph↗

The hidden geometry of electromagnetism

Nearly all field theories suffer from singularities when particles are introduced. This is true in both classical and quantum physics. Classical field singularities result in the notorious self-force problem, where it is unknown how the dynamics of a particle change when the particle interacts with its own (self) field. Self-force is a pressing issue and an active research topic in gravitational phenomena, as well as a source of controversies in classical electromagnetism. In this work, we study a hidden geometrical structure manifested by the electromagnetic field-lines that has the potential of eliminating all singularities from classical electrodynamics. We explore preliminary results towards a consistent way of treating both self- and external fields.

physics.class-ph↗

Quantum Oblivion: A Master Key for Many Quantum Riddles

A simple quantum interaction is analyzed, where the paths of two superposed particles asymmetrically cross, while a detector set to detect an interaction between them remains silent. Despite this negative result, the particles' states leave no doubt that a peculiar interaction has occurred: One particle's momentum changes while the other's remains unaffected, in apparent violation of momentum conservation. Revisiting the foundations of the quantum measurement process offers the resolution. Prior to the macroscopic recording of no interaction, a brief Critical Interval prevails, during which the particles and the detector's pointer form a subtle entanglement which immediately dissolves. It is this self-cancellation, henceforth "Quantum Oblivion (QO)," that lies at the basis of some well-known intriguing quantum effects. Such is Interaction-Free Measurement (IFM) [1] and its more paradoxical variants, like Hardy's Paradox [2] and the Quantum Liar Paradox [3]. Even the Aharonov-Bohm (AB) effect [4] and weak measurement [5] turn out to belong to this group. We next study interventions within the Critical Interval that produce some other peculiar effects. Finally we discuss some of the conceptual issues involved. Under the time-resolution of the Critical Interval, some nonlocal phenomena turn out to be local. Momentum is conserved due to the quantum uncertainties inflicted by the particle-pointer interaction, which sets the experiment's final boundary condition.

quant-ph↗