Bifurcation in Quantum Measurement

Abstract

We present a generic model of (non-destructive) quantum measurement. Being formulated within reversible quantum mechanics, the model illustrates a mechanism of a measurement process --- a transition of the measured system to an eigenstate of the measured observable. The model consists of a two-level system $μ$ interacting with a larger system $A$, consisting of smaller subsystems. The interaction is modelled as a scattering process. Restricting the states of $A$ to product states leads to a bifurcation process: In the limit of a large system $A$, the initial states of $A$ that are efficient in leading to a final state are divided into two separated subsets. For each of these subsets, $μ$ ends up in one of the eigenstates of the measured observable. The probabilities obtained in this branching confirm the Born rule.

A revised version that includes a more general presentation of the model (in Sect. 4) and a larger revision of the Introduction