Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026
09:23
Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators
Published on: May 30, 2014
An information-theoretic principle implies that any discrete physical theory is classical
Corsin Pfister1, Stephanie Wehner
1Centre for Quantum Technologies, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117543, Singapore. mail@corsinpfister.com
Nature Communications
|May 16, 2013
Summary
Nature
Area of Science:
- Quantum physics
- Foundations of physics
Background:
- The possibility of a discrete nature of reality, with finite states, has been debated.
- Quantum mechanics posits infinite pure states for physical systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a physical argument for why quantum state spaces must be infinite.
- To rule out discrete, non-classical theories of physics.
Main Methods:
- Postulation of a principle: no information gain implies no disturbance.
- Analysis of the implications of this principle on discrete theories.
Main Results:
- A strong physical argument is presented for infinite pure states in quantum theory.
- Discrete, non-classical theories are shown to be impossible, even with approximate postulates.
- Generalizations allowing super-quantum correlations, like Popescu-Rohrlich boxes, are excluded.
Conclusions:
- The fundamental nature of physical reality is argued to necessitate infinite states.
- Classical theories are the only possible discrete theories.
- The findings have implications for the limits of non-local correlations.
Related Concept Videos
04:08The Uncertainty Principle
Werner Heisenberg considered the limits of how accurately one can measure properties of an electron or other microscopic particles. He determined that there is a fundamental limit to how accurately one can measure both a particle’s position and its momentum simultaneously. The more accurate the measurement of the momentum of a particle is known, the less accurate the position at that time is known and vice versa. This is what is now called the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. He mathematically...
02:12The Wave Nature of Light
The nature of light has been a subject of inquiry since antiquity. In the seventeenth century, Isaac Newton performed experiments with lenses and prisms and was able to demonstrate that white light consists of the individual colors of the rainbow combined together. Newton explained his optics findings in terms of a "corpuscular" view of light, in which light was composed of streams of extremely tiny particles traveling at high speeds according to Newton's laws of motion.
01:16Models, Theories, and Laws
Scientists frequently use models to help them comprehend a specific collection of phenomena. In physics, a model is a condensed version of a physical system that is too complex to study thoroughly. One such example is the light wave model; unlike water waves, light waves are typically invisible to us. Nonetheless, it is helpful to think of light as being composed of waves, since investigations show that light behaves like water waves. Since it is impossible to visually see what is genuinely...
01:26Classification of Systems-I
Linearity is a system property characterized by a direct input-output relationship, combining homogeneity and additivity.
Homogeneity dictates that if an input x(t) is multiplied by a constant c, the output y(t) is multiplied by the same constant. Mathematically, this is expressed as:
Homogeneity dictates that if an input x(t) is multiplied by a constant c, the output y(t) is multiplied by the same constant. Mathematically, this is expressed as:
02:39Emission Spectra
When solids, liquids, or condensed gases are heated sufficiently, they radiate some of the excess energy as light. Photons produced in this manner have a range of energies, and thereby produce a continuous spectrum in which an unbroken series of wavelengths is present.
01:12Classical Mechanics
Classical mechanics provides a mathematical description of the motion of bodies under the influence of forces. A key principle within this field is the work-energy theorem, which establishes a bridge between the net work done on an object and its kinetic energy.The work-energy theorem states that the net work done on a particle by all the forces acting on it equals the change in its kinetic energy.In simple terms, the work-energy theorem is a method to analyze the effects of forces on an...