A quantum variant of Einstein's hole argument

Abstract

We extend Einstein's hole argument into the quantum domain, and argue that quantum observables for quasiclassical superpositional states of gravitational fields require additional information to be well-defined, namely, relative positions of the gravitational fields involved in superpositional states. As a consequence, for the definition of these quantum observables we need a common background. The observable is a transition probability in a simple double-slit experiment with partial gravitational measurement of position. It may be easily computed in non-relativistic Schroedinger theory with Newtonian potential.