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de Barros JA, Holik F. Ontological indistinguishability as a central tenet of quantum theory. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci 2023; 381:20220100. [PMID: 37517445 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2022.0100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Quantum indistinguishability directly relates to the philosophical debate on the notions of identity and individuality. They are crucial for our understanding of multipartite quantum systems. Furthermore, the correct interpretation of this feature of quantum theory has implications that transcend fundamental science and philosophy, given that quantum indistinguishability is a resource in quantum information theory. Most of the conceptual analysis of quantum indistinguishability is restricted to studying the permutational invariance of quantum states, the concomitant quantum statistics and their entanglement. Here, we analyse the role of indistinguishability and non-individuality in other areas of quantum theory. We start by analysing how a very peculiar use of indistinguishability underlies Feynman's rules for summing amplitudes in interference phenomena. Next, we study how quantum indistinguishability is underestimated in several topics of debate in the quantum physics literature, such as the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen argument, Bell's inequalities and the Bell-Kochen-Specker theorem. Finally, we argue that an ontology of truly indistinguishable entities can serve as a basis for a quantum ontology that can give interesting answers to the interpretational problems of quantum mechanics. We claim that, in addition to superposition, contextuality and entanglement, indistinguishability (understood in a robust ontological sense) is one of the central features of quantum physics. This article is part of the theme issue 'Identity, individuality and indistinguishability in physics and mathematics'.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A de Barros
- School of Liberal Studies, San Francisco State University, 1900 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - F Holik
- Instituto de Física La Plata (CONICET-UNLP), Calle 113 entre 64 y 64 S/N, 1900 La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Shi H, Milotti E, Bartalucci S, Bazzi M, Bertolucci S, Bragadireanu AM, Cargnelli M, Clozza A, De Paolis L, Di Matteo S, Egger JP, Elnaggar H, Guaraldo C, Iliescu M, Laubenstein M, Marton J, Miliucci M, Pichler A, Pietreanu D, Piscicchia K, Scordo A, Sirghi DL, Sirghi F, Sperandio L, Vazquez Doce O, Widmann E, Zmeskal J, Curceanu C. Experimental search for the violation of Pauli exclusion principle: VIP-2 Collaboration. Eur Phys J C Part Fields 2018; 78:319. [PMID: 29706795 PMCID: PMC5910465 DOI: 10.1140/epjc/s10052-018-5802-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The VIolation of Pauli exclusion principle -2 experiment, or VIP-2 experiment, at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso searches for X-rays from copper atomic transitions that are prohibited by the Pauli exclusion principle. Candidate direct violation events come from the transition of a 2p electron to the ground state that is already occupied by two electrons. From the first data taking campaign in 2016 of VIP-2 experiment, we determined a best upper limit of [Formula: see text] for the probability that such a violation exists. Significant improvement in the control of the experimental systematics was also achieved, although not explicitly reflected in the improved upper limit. By introducing a simultaneous spectral fit of the signal and background data in the analysis, we succeeded in taking into account systematic errors that could not be evaluated previously in this type of measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- H. Shi
- INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Via E. Fermi 40, Frascati, 00044 Rome, Italy
- Stefan-Meyer-Institut für Subatomare Physik, Boltzmanngasse 3, 1090 Wien, Austria
- Present Address: Institut für Hochenergiephysik der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Nikolsdorfer Gasse 18, 1050 Wien, Austria
| | - E. Milotti
- Dipartimento di Fisica, INFN-Sezione di Trieste, Università di Trieste, Via Valerio, 2, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - S. Bartalucci
- INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Via E. Fermi 40, Frascati, 00044 Rome, Italy
| | - M. Bazzi
- INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Via E. Fermi 40, Frascati, 00044 Rome, Italy
| | - S. Bertolucci
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 6/2, Bologna, Italy
| | - A. M. Bragadireanu
- INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Via E. Fermi 40, Frascati, 00044 Rome, Italy
- IFIN-HH, Institutul National Pentru Fizica si Inginerie Nucleara Horia Hulubbei, Reactorului 30, Magurele, Romania
| | - M. Cargnelli
- INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Via E. Fermi 40, Frascati, 00044 Rome, Italy
- Stefan-Meyer-Institut für Subatomare Physik, Boltzmanngasse 3, 1090 Wien, Austria
| | - A. Clozza
- INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Via E. Fermi 40, Frascati, 00044 Rome, Italy
| | - L. De Paolis
- INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Via E. Fermi 40, Frascati, 00044 Rome, Italy
| | - S. Di Matteo
- UMR 6251, IPR (Institut de Physique de Rennes), CNRS, Université de Rennes, 35000 Rennes, France
| | - J.-P. Egger
- Institut de Physique, Université de Neuchâtel, 1 Rue A.-L. Breguet, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - H. Elnaggar
- Debye Institute for Nanomaterial Science, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80.000 , 3508 TA Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - C. Guaraldo
- INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Via E. Fermi 40, Frascati, 00044 Rome, Italy
| | - M. Iliescu
- INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Via E. Fermi 40, Frascati, 00044 Rome, Italy
| | - M. Laubenstein
- INFN, Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, S.S. 17/bis, 67010 Assergi, AQ Italy
| | - J. Marton
- INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Via E. Fermi 40, Frascati, 00044 Rome, Italy
- Stefan-Meyer-Institut für Subatomare Physik, Boltzmanngasse 3, 1090 Wien, Austria
| | - M. Miliucci
- INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Via E. Fermi 40, Frascati, 00044 Rome, Italy
| | - A. Pichler
- INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Via E. Fermi 40, Frascati, 00044 Rome, Italy
- Stefan-Meyer-Institut für Subatomare Physik, Boltzmanngasse 3, 1090 Wien, Austria
| | - D. Pietreanu
- INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Via E. Fermi 40, Frascati, 00044 Rome, Italy
- IFIN-HH, Institutul National Pentru Fizica si Inginerie Nucleara Horia Hulubbei, Reactorului 30, Magurele, Romania
| | - K. Piscicchia
- INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Via E. Fermi 40, Frascati, 00044 Rome, Italy
- Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche Enrico Fermi, Piazza del Viminale 1, 00183 Rome, Italy
| | - A. Scordo
- INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Via E. Fermi 40, Frascati, 00044 Rome, Italy
| | - D. L. Sirghi
- INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Via E. Fermi 40, Frascati, 00044 Rome, Italy
- IFIN-HH, Institutul National Pentru Fizica si Inginerie Nucleara Horia Hulubbei, Reactorului 30, Magurele, Romania
| | - F. Sirghi
- INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Via E. Fermi 40, Frascati, 00044 Rome, Italy
- IFIN-HH, Institutul National Pentru Fizica si Inginerie Nucleara Horia Hulubbei, Reactorului 30, Magurele, Romania
| | - L. Sperandio
- INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Via E. Fermi 40, Frascati, 00044 Rome, Italy
| | - O. Vazquez Doce
- INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Via E. Fermi 40, Frascati, 00044 Rome, Italy
- Present Address: Excellence Cluster Universe, Technische Universität München, Boltzmannstraße 2, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - E. Widmann
- Stefan-Meyer-Institut für Subatomare Physik, Boltzmanngasse 3, 1090 Wien, Austria
| | - J. Zmeskal
- INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Via E. Fermi 40, Frascati, 00044 Rome, Italy
- Stefan-Meyer-Institut für Subatomare Physik, Boltzmanngasse 3, 1090 Wien, Austria
| | - C. Curceanu
- INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Via E. Fermi 40, Frascati, 00044 Rome, Italy
- IFIN-HH, Institutul National Pentru Fizica si Inginerie Nucleara Horia Hulubbei, Reactorului 30, Magurele, Romania
- Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche Enrico Fermi, Piazza del Viminale 1, 00183 Rome, Italy
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