The WF-Collapse (WF-C) is in general a nonlocal
phenomenon. Consider for example a one particle plane wave (large wave packet)
in nonrelativistic quantum mechanics:
the experimental particle location in one place is a WF-C that replaces the plane
wave by a new WF with zero location in all other places – it is because of
conservation of the number of particles. It means simultaneous prediction with
confidence of negative search results at any other far place where the particle
could have been detected before the WF-Collapse. Another example, much discussed in
the literature, is entanglement of two spin states of separated in space electrons: detecting the spin of one
particle leads to collapse of the two-particle wave function by replacing it with
a new wave function that describes definite spins of each of the two electrons
– it is because of conservation of the angular momentum of total spin. It means
exact prediction of the far particle spin. The reason of entanglement of the
two spin states is the initial two-particle wave function. Its collapse reveals
the result of that entanglement.
Nonlocality and action at distance in quantum mechanics is not a bit more
strange than the other more known nonclassical features of quantum reality such
as “the particle exists simultaneously in different places, particle-wave duality”
and the likes. All these “spooky” images are appearing in the classical world
only because the relations of the manifestations of quantum reality are described by inadequate
classical terms. The adequate description
of
quantum reality is by the Great Physical Idea of Wave Function. Its
wave-like essence is not just a math feature, but describes real
nonlocal nature
of quantum reality as medium in all the mentioned nonclassical effects
especially in the popular now phenomena of quantum entanglement. It
appears that quantum
medium really exists as basic natural phenomenon. It is observable at different
space
points. Those predictions are experimentally verifiable though in a new quantum probabilistic manner as predicted by the wave function by local experiments with
classical means and skillful classical hands
of the experimental physicists.
Hence quantum medium is predicted by quantum mechanics; it is
described by the wave function and it is observable by classical experiments in every point of space. This quantum medium is not local in
space and as such violates Einstein’s relativity. But at the physical
level of classical experimental results in general and particular in quantum entanglement phenomena Einstein’s relativity is necessarily exact. The nonlocality is a quantum effect. This
related to relativity duality is not spooky. Non-classical quantum mediation of the classical manifestations in entanglement phenomena is one of the
natural wonders of quantum mechanics.
Is the new idea “quantum medium” a useful one in quantum phenomenology?
Quantum Medium is something that parallels in the real world the math description by wave function; it is the predicted by quantum mechanics existing in 3-space nonlocal reality described by wave function. But in addition to the concept 'quantum reality' the new concept 'quantum medium' emphasizes the not classical mediating function of that reality between its classical manifestations at different locations in 3-space especially as it is in the phenomena of quantum entanglement. So, the answer to the above question is a likely “yes”.
Normal
0
MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
The idea of nonlocal Quantum Medium is formally
close to suggested by Einstein (EPR article) solution of quantum spookiness
problem by some ‘hidden physics’. But before claiming ultimate nonlocality in
quantum mechanics it seems worth to measure the speed v of the correlation
effect in quantum entanglement experiments – to see if it is not finite, though
much larger than the speed of light v >> c. Such measurements seem feasible by exact time
reading and distance measure in the entanglement correlation experiments.
Finite speed of information transfer by quantum medium, if confirmed indeed,
would be an almost full realization of Einstein’s EPR-idea by introduction of a
new, unknown in classical physics, concept of tachyonic medium in quantum
mechanics.
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
Normal
0
MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
Normal
0
MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
