Abstract
It is shown that the elementary indistinguishability properties of partially polarized mixtures are consistent only with the conventional Hilbert space model of quantum mechanics and a few exotic alternatives. This applies even in low dimensions where quantum logic and Gleason’s theorem give either weak or no constraints. The experimental methods for eliminating the exotic cases (which include quaternionic and octonionic variants of quantum mechanics) are described.
- Received 7 January 1994
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.50.2108
©1994 American Physical Society
