What Weak Measurements and Weak Values Really Mean: Reply to Kastner

Foundations of Physics 47 (10):1261-1266 (2017)
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Abstract

Despite their important applications in metrology and in spite of numerous experimental demonstrations, weak measurements are still confusing for part of the community. This sometimes leads to unjustified criticism. Recent papers have experimentally clarified the meaning and practical significance of weak measurements, yet in Kastner, Kastner seems to take us many years backwards in the the debate, casting doubt on the very term “weak value” and the meaning of weak measurements. Kastner appears to ignore both the basics and frontiers of weak measurements and misinterprets the weak measurement process and its outcomes. In addition, she accuses the authors of Aharonov et al. in statements completely opposite to the ones they have actually made. There are many points of disagreement between Kastner and us, but in this short reply I will leave aside the ontology and focus mainly on the injustice in her criticism. I shall add some general comments regarding the broader theory of weak measurements and the two-state-vector formalism, as well as supporting experimental results. Finally, I will point out some recent promising results, which can be proven by projective measurements, without the need of employing weak measurements.

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Citations of this work

Weak Values and Quantum Properties.A. Matzkin - 2019 - Foundations of Physics 49 (3):298-316.
Anomalous Weak Values are Caused by Disturbance.Asger C. Ipsen - 2022 - Foundations of Physics 52 (1):1-18.
On the Quantum Mechanical Measurement Process.H. W. L. Naus - 2021 - Foundations of Physics 51 (1):1-13.

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References found in this work

Demystifying Weak Measurements.R. E. Kastner - 2017 - Foundations of Physics 47 (5):697-707.
Demystifying Weak Measurements.Ruth Kastner - 2017 - Foundations of Physics 47 (5):697-707.

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