2017/01/10 by Pawel Blasiak, Paweł Błasiak, Blasiak, Pawel
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Quantum Computing Algorithms and Architecture #Quantum Information and Cryptography #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Quantum Physics (quant-ph) #quant-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1701.02552
14 pages, 2 figures
arxiv created 2017/01/10 · openalex publication_date 2017/01/10 · arxiv updated 2017/01/11 · openalex created_date 2017/01/26 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
It is said about quantum interference that "In reality, it contains the only mystery". Indeed, together with non-locality it is often considered as the characteristic feature of quantum theory which can not be explained in any classical way. In this work we are concerned with a restricted setting of a single particle propagating in multi-path interferometric circuits, that is physical realisation of a qudit. It is shown that this framework, including collapse of the wave function, can be simulated with classical resources without violating the locality principle. We present a local ontological model whose predictions are indistinguishable from the quantum case. 'Non-locality' in the model appears merely as an epistemic effect arising on the level of description by agents whose knowledge is incomplete. This result suggests that the real quantum mystery should be sought in the multi-particle behaviour, since single-particle interferometric phenomena are explicable in a classical manner.