3 research outputs found
Impulsive quantum measurements: restricted path integral versus von Neumann collapse
The relation between the restricted path integral approach to quantum
measurement theory and the commonly accepted von Neumann wavefunction collapse
postulate is presented. It is argued that in the limit of impulsive
measurements the two approaches lead to the same predictions. The example of
repeated impulsive quantum measurements of position performed on a harmonic
oscillator is discussed in detail and the quantum nondemolition strategies are
recovered in both the approaches.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure
Dynamics of Quantum Collapse in Energy Measurements
The influence of continuous measurements of energy with a finite accuracy is
studied in various quantum systems through a restriction of the Feynman
path-integrals around the measurement result. The method, which is equivalent
to consider an effective Schr\"odinger equation with a non-Hermitian
Hamiltonian, allows one to study the dynamics of the wavefunction collapse. A
numerical algorithm for solving the effective Schr\"odinger equation is
developed and checked in the case of a harmonic oscillator. The situations, of
physical interest, of a two-level system and of a metastable quantum-well are
then discussed. In the first case the Zeno inhibition observed in quantum
optics experiments is recovered and extended to nonresonant transitions, in the
second one we propose to observe inhibition of spontaneous decay in mesoscopic
heterostructures. In all the considered examples the effect of the continuous
measurement of energy is a freezing of the evolution of the system proportional
to the accuracy of the measurement itself.Comment: 20 pages with figures, compressed and uuencoded ps fil