Time-Dependent Quantum Weak Values: Decay Law for Post-Selected States

Abstract

Weak measurements offer new insights into the behavior of quantum systems. Combined with post-selection, quantum mechanics predicts a range of new experimentally testable phenomena. In this paper I consider weak measurements performed on time-dependent pre- and post-selected ensembles, with emphasis on the decay of excited states. The results show that the standard exponential decay law is a limiting case of a more general law that depends on both the time of post-selection and the choice of final state. The generalized law is illustrated for two interesting choices of post-selection.

7 pages, research paper, revised to incorporate some introductory background on the subject