Experimental realization of the quantum box problem

2003/10/14 by K. J. Resch, Jeff S. Lundeen, J. S. Lundeen +2 · 4 citations
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates #Quantum Information and Cryptography #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #quant-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.physleta.2004.02.042

published as Physics Letters A, 324 vol.2-3, 125 (2004). · 5 pages, 4 figures

arxiv created 2003/10/14 · openalex publication_date 2004/02/27 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

The three-box problem is a gedankenexperiment designed to elucidate some interesting features of quantum measurement and locality. A particle is prepared in a particular superposition of three boxes, and later found in a different (but nonorthogonal) superposition. It was predicted that appropriate "weak" measurements of particle position in the interval between preparation and post-selection would find the particle in two different places, each with certainty. We verify these predictions in an optical experiment and address the issues of locality and of negative probability.

Citations

• Quantum mechanics, local realistic theories, and Lorentz-invariant realistic theories
• Extracting Joint Weak Values with Local, Single-Particle Measurements
• Simulating physics with computers

Cited by

• Extracting Joint Weak Values with Local, Single-Particle Measurements
• Measurements of non local weak values
• Complex weak values in quantum measurement
• Pedagogical Review of Quantum Measurement Theory with an Emphasis on Weak Measurements