How the result of a measurement of a component of the spin of a spin-1/2 particle can turn out to be 100

Yakir Aharonov, David Z. Albert, and Lev Vaidman
Phys. Rev. Lett. 60, 1351 – Published 4 April 1988
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Abstract

We have found that the usual measuring procedure for preselected and postselected ensembles of quantum systems gives unusual results. Under some natural conditions of weakness of the measurement, its result consistently defines a new kind of value for a quantum variable, which we call the weak value. A description of the measurement of the weak value of a component of a spin for an ensemble of preselected and postselected spin-(1/2 particles is presented.

  • Received 30 June 1987

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.60.1351

©1988 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Yakir Aharonov, David Z. Albert, and Lev Vaidman

  • Physics Department, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208
  • School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 69978, Israel

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Issue

Vol. 60, Iss. 14 — 4 April 1988

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