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What weak measurements and weak values really mean - Reply to Kastner
Despite their important applications in metrology and in spite of numerous
experimental demonstrations, weak measurements are still confusing for part of
the community. This sometimes leads to unjustified criticism. Recent papers
have experimentally clarified the meaning and practical significance of weak
measurements, yet in [R.E. Kastner, Found. Phys. 47, 697-707 (2017)], Kastner
seems to take us many years backwards in the debate, casting doubt on the very
term "weak value" and the meaning of weak measurements. Kastner appears to
ignore both the basics and frontiers of weak measurements and misinterprets the
weak measurement process and its outcomes. In addition, she accuses the authors
of [Y. Aharonov et al., Ann. Phys. 355, 258-268 (2015)] in statements
completely opposite to the ones they have actually made. There are many points
of disagreement between Kastner and us, but in this short reply I will leave
aside the ontology (which is indeed interpretational and far more complex than
that described by Kastner) and focus mainly on the injustice in her criticism.
I shall add some general comments regarding the broader theory of weak
measurements and the Two-State-Vector Formalism (TSVF), as well as supporting
experimental results. Finally, I will point out some recent promising results,
which can be proven by (strong) projective measurements, without the need of
employing weak measurements.Comment: Reply to arXiv:1702.04021 which criticizes our [Ann. Phys. 355,
258-268 (2015)]. Slightly revised version, Found. Phys. (2017
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