Leggett-Garg tests of macrorealism: checks for noninvasiveness and generalizations to higher-order correlators
File(s)NIMcheck(arxiv).pdf (258.04 KB)
Accepted version
OA Location
Author(s)
Halliwell, JJ
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
In the tests for macrorealism proposed by Leggett and Garg, the temporal correlation functions of a dichotomic variable Q must be measured in a noninvasive way to rule out alternative classical explanations of Leggett-Garg inequality violations. Ideal negative measurements in which a null result is argued to be a noninvasive determination of the system's state are often used. From a quantum-mechanical perspective, such a measurement collapses the wave function and will therefore typically be found to be invasive under any experimental check. Here, a simple modified ideal negative measurement protocol is described for measuring the correlation functions, which is argued to be noninvasive from both classical and quantum perspectives and hence the noninvasiveness can then be checked experimentally, thereby permitting a quantitative measure of the degree of clumsiness of the measurement. It is also shown how this procedure may be extended to measure higher-order correlation functions, and a number of higher-order conditions for macrorealism are derived.
Date Issued
2019-02-19
Date Acceptance
2019-02-19
Citation
Physical Review A, 2019, 99 (2)
ISSN
1050-2947
Publisher
American Physical Society
Journal / Book Title
Physical Review A
Volume
99
Issue
2
Copyright Statement
©2019 American Physical Society
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000459199600004&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Optics
Physics, Atomic, Molecular & Chemical
Physics
MACROSCOPIC REALISM
QUANTUM
INEQUALITIES
FLUX
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN 022119