Generalized stochastic Schroedinger equations for state vector collapse

Abstract

A number of authors have proposed stochastic versions of the Schrödinger equation, either as effective evolution equations for open quantum systems or as alternative theories with an intrinsic collapse mechanism. We discuss here two directions for generalization of these equations. First, we study a general class of norm preserving stochastic evolution equations, and show that even after making several specializations, there is an infinity of possible stochastic Schrödinger equations for which state vector collapse is provable. Second, we explore the problem of formulating a relativistic stochastic Schrödinger equation, using a manifestly covariant equation for a quantum field system based on the interaction picture of Tomonaga and Schwinger. The stochastic noise term in this equation can couple to any local scalar density that commutes with the interaction energy density, and leads to collapse onto spatially localized eigenstates. However, as found in a similar model by Pearle, the equation predicts an infinite rate of energy nonconservation proportional to ${\delta }^3(\vec{0})$, arising from the local double commutator in the drift term.

24 pages Plain TeX. Minor changes, some new references. To appear in Journal of Physics A

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• Continuous quantum measurement and Itô formalism
• Measurements continuous in time and a posteriori states in quantum
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