TY - JOUR
T1 - Measurement of time of arrival in quantum mechanics
AU - Aharonov, Y.
AU - Oppenheim, J.
AU - Popescu, S.
AU - Reznik, B.
AU - Unruh, W. G.
PY - 1998
Y1 - 1998
N2 - It is argued that the time of arrival cannot be precisely defined and measured in quantum mechanics. By constructing explicit toy models of a measurement, we show that for a free particle it cannot be measured more accurately then [Formula Presented] where [Formula Presented] is the initial kinetic energy of the particle. With a better accuracy, particles reflect off the measuring device, and the resulting probability distribution becomes distorted. It is shown that a time-of-arrival operator cannot exist, and that approximate time-of-arrival operators do not correspond to the measurements considered here.
AB - It is argued that the time of arrival cannot be precisely defined and measured in quantum mechanics. By constructing explicit toy models of a measurement, we show that for a free particle it cannot be measured more accurately then [Formula Presented] where [Formula Presented] is the initial kinetic energy of the particle. With a better accuracy, particles reflect off the measuring device, and the resulting probability distribution becomes distorted. It is shown that a time-of-arrival operator cannot exist, and that approximate time-of-arrival operators do not correspond to the measurements considered here.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0000000130&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevA.57.4130
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevA.57.4130
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AN - SCOPUS:0000000130
SN - 1050-2947
VL - 57
SP - 4130
EP - 4139
JO - Physical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
JF - Physical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
IS - 6
ER -