Time-Asymmetric Quantum Model Attributes Superposition to Neglected Temporal History
The paper proposes that apparent quantum weirdness stems from omitting a system's temporal past, not from fundamental indeterminacy. It draws on relational QM and recent photon experiments to argue for time-asymmetric evolution. Evidence is still theoretical; direct tests are proposed but not yet performed.
The model reframes the cat paradox by treating quantum states as paths through an explicit time coordinate that standard Schrödinger evolution discards after measurement. Calculations show that retaining the full temporal record eliminates the need for collapse postulates while reproducing observed interference fringes in delayed-choice experiments. Sample size in the supporting simulations reached 10^6 discrete time steps with exact diagonalization of a 12-qubit Hamiltonian; the key limitation remains the absence of a closed experimental test distinguishing the approach from decoherence theory.
Standard Copenhagen and many-worlds interpretations treat time as an external parameter, yet relational quantum mechanics and quantum gravity programs have long flagged this as inconsistent with general relativity. The new work synthesizes those critiques with concrete operator ordering that encodes "haunting" by prior measurements, yielding falsifiable shifts in weak-value statistics. Cross-check against 2023 experiments on entangled photons at Vienna confirms the predicted asymmetry in forward versus backward time correlations.
If validated, the framework would redirect quantum foundations funding toward time-resolved tomography rather than ever-larger superposition demonstrations. Next steps include tabletop tests using superconducting circuits with tunable memory effects, budgeted at under $2 million and scheduled for data collection by 2027.
Sources (2)
- [1]Primary Source(https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.01234)
- [2]Supporting Source(https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-05892-1)