On the role of entanglement in Schrödinger’s cat paradox

• Authors: Stefan Rinner , Ernst Werner
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

In this paper we re-investigate the core of Schrödinger’s “cat paradox”. We argue that one has to distinguish clearly between superpositions of macroscopic cat states |☺〉 + |☹〉 and superpositions of entangled states |☺, ↑〉 + |☹, ↓〉 which comprise both the state of the cat (☺=alive, ☹=dead) and the radioactive substance (↑=not decayed, ↓=decayed). It is shown, that in the case of the cat experiment recourse to decoherence or other mechanisms is not necessary in order to explain the absence of macroscopic superpositions. Additionally, we present modified versions of two quantum optical experiments as experimenta crucis. Applied rigorously, quantum mechanical formalism reduces the problem to a mere pseudo-paradox.

Keywords

EN

foundations of quantum mechanics; philosophy of science

Discipline

• 01.70.+w: Philosophy of science
• 03.65.Ca: Formalism
• 03.65.Ta: Foundations of quantum mechanics; measurement theory(for optical tests of quantum theory, see 42.50.Xa)
• 03.65.Ud: Entanglement and quantum nonlocality (e.g. EPR paradox, Bell's inequalities, GHZ states, etc.)(for entanglement production and manipulation, see 03.67.Bg; for entanglement measures, witnesses etc., see 03.67.Mn; for entanglement in Bose-Einstein condensates, see 03.75.Gg)

• Publisher: De Gruyter Open
• Journal: Open Physics
• Year: 2008
• Volume: 6
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 178-183

Dates

published

1 - 3 - 2008

online

26 - 3 - 2008

Contributors

author

Stefan Rinner

• Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany

author

Ernst Werner

• Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany

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Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/s11534-008-0021-5