Bohmian Mechanics and The Quantum Sweeper Effect

[bohm2]

In his criticism of David Bohm’s causal interpretation of the quantum mechanical formalism, Isidor Rabi made the following statement in the 1950ies which is still shared by quite some researchers today:

"I do not see how the causal interpretation gives us any line to work on other than the use of the concepts of quantum theory. Every time a concept of quantum theory comes along, you can say yes, it would do the same thing as this in the causal interpretation. But I would like to see a situation where the thing turns around, when you predict something and we say, yes, the quantum theory can do it too. Although doubtlessly the project of a causal interpretation á la de Broglie–Bohm has gained momentum in recent years, with many of its results exhibiting more detailed illustrationsvia particle trajectories, in fact no experimental prediction unknown to orthodox quantum theory has yet arisen from this approach."​

In the present paper we discuss a finding based on a causal view of quantum mechanics that amounts to a new effect which has so far eluded orthodox quantum mechanics...

We have described the phenomenology of these quantum sweeper effects, including the bunching together of low counting rate particles within a very narrow spatial domain, or channel, respectively. However, we also stress that these results are in accordance with standard quantum mechanics, since we just used a re-labeling and re-drawing of the constituent parts of the usual quantum mechanical probability density currents. However, concerning the explicit phenomenological appearances due to the nonlinear structure of the probability density current in the respective domains for very low values of a, our subquantum model is better equipped to deal with these appearances explicitly.

The Quantum Sweeper Effect
http://arxiv.org/pdf/1502.04034.pdf

Extreme beam attenuation in double-slit experiments: Quantum and subquantum scenarios
http://arxiv.org/pdf/1406.1346v1.pdf

 

[Demystifier]

Even though the two formulations of quantum mechanics (standard and Bohmian) have identical measurable predictions, this paper demonstrates that in some cases the Bohmian approach is more illuminating.

Those interested to learn more about such cases can see the book:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/9814316393/?tag=pfamazon01-20

 

[Quantumental]

It's very interesting to see how the different models/interpretations of QM lead to different insights. If people had kept thinking of QM in the orthodox manner, I don't think a lot of these discoveries would be made.

 

[TrickyDicky]

Even though the two formulations of quantum mechanics (standard and Bohmian) have identical measurable predictions, this paper demonstrates that in some cases the Bohmian approach is more illuminating.

Could you perhaps summarize in a few sentences how the Bohmian approach with its quantum potential explains better the nonlinearities of the sweeper effect? And how is the Standard view compatible with those effects too?