Quantum nonlocality and entanglement

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concepts of quantum nonlocality and entanglement, exploring their definitions, implications, and the relationship between wave function collapse and nonlocality. Participants engage with interpretations of quantum mechanics (QM) and the principles of relativistic quantum field theory (QFT).

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant references Wikipedia, stating that entanglement is necessary but not sufficient for nonlocality, questioning whether wave function collapse can be considered nonlocal without quantum entanglement.
  • Another participant proposes that an electron's wave function can be viewed as a large entangled state, where qubits represent the electron's presence at different points in space, suggesting that wave function collapse reflects a non-local state among these qubits.
  • A subsequent reply acknowledges the nonlocality of wave function collapse but notes that some interpretations of QM do not involve collapse, indicating that certain entangled states exhibit nonlocality independently of collapse.
  • One participant emphasizes the distinction between "long-ranged" correlations and nonlocal interactions, arguing that the collapse assumption contradicts the principles of relativistic QFT, which they assert is crucial to countering the EPR criticism.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the relationship between wave function collapse and nonlocality, with no consensus reached on the interpretations of quantum mechanics or the implications for relativistic QFT.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the importance of definitions and interpretations in discussing nonlocality and entanglement, indicating that assumptions about wave function collapse and the nature of correlations may vary significantly among different theoretical frameworks.

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An electron's wave function can be thought of as being a large entangled state, with a qubit at each point in space that is 1 if the electron is present and 0 otherwise. The qubits are entangled such that only one of them will be 1 at a time (assuming just a single electron is present). Then the "collapse of the wavefunction" translates to "collapse of the large non-local state between all the is-electron-here qubits".
 
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Spar said:
But isn't wave function collapse nonlocal without any quantum entanglement?
Yes, but there are interpretations of QM without collapse. Some entangled states show that there is some kind of nonlocality even without the collapse.
 
It should, however, be stressed that you have "nonlocal" (I'd rather say, "long-ranged") correlations but, according to standard relativistic QFT, no nonlocal interactions. That's of utmost importance to really debunk the original EPR criticism. A collapse assumption is directly contradicting this important principle and thus is inconsistent with the most successful physical theory ever, which is relativistic local QFT.
 

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