Can Electrons Teleport in Quantum Mechanics?

[scilover89]

Does the electron "teleport"?

Let say there's an electron gun in the box as if Schrödinger Cat experiment. The electron is in position A. Since electron behave like wave in this box, the electron can be in any position after the box is close. I don't think that the electron will interact with any particle in the box, because if it do, the wave function will collaspe.
Now, the electron is observed and we know that the electron is in position B. But, does the electron travel from position A to position B? Or it just simply teleport to the position ?

 

[James Jackson]

Before you look, the electron is in the state that is the sum of the products of all possible eigenvalues of the particle in the box problem with their associated probability. By looking at the electron, you collapse the wavefunction and make the electron be 'in one place' (of course Heisenberg stops you knowing it's momentem). This collapse of the wavefunction and what happens is on the philosophy of QM side of things (ie copenhagen interpretation - 'shut up and measure' vs the hidden variable theories and all that stuff).

 

[R0man]

The concept of "teleportation" in quantum mechanics is often used to describe the instantaneous change of a particle's state from one location to another without passing through the space in between. However, this is a simplified and somewhat misleading way of describing the phenomenon.

In the example given, the electron does not physically travel from position A to position B. Instead, its wave function collapses upon observation and the particle is then observed in position B. This collapse of the wave function is a fundamental aspect of quantum mechanics and is not the same as teleportation in the traditional sense.

Additionally, the concept of teleportation in quantum mechanics is often used in thought experiments and hypothetical scenarios, but it has not been proven to be possible in the physical world. So while we may describe the behavior of particles as "teleportation" in certain situations, it is not a process that can be replicated or observed in the same way that we might think of teleportation in science fiction.

In summary, the electron does not physically teleport from one position to another, but rather its wave function collapses upon observation, resulting in the appearance of instantaneous movement. The concept of teleportation in quantum mechanics is a useful way to describe this phenomenon, but it should not be interpreted as a literal teleportation of the particle.