Does the Heisenberg uncertainty principle apply along the time dimension?

Ashmead, John

doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1956/1/012014

Cited by 3 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…In earlier work [3][4][5] we picked up the discussion with Heisenberg and asked happens if we force the issue: what happens if we assume that time should be treated as an observable/wave functions should extend a bit in time/paths should go into the future/past just as they do for space?…”

Section: Time As Observablementioning

confidence: 99%

A Renormalizable Model of Quantum Gravity

Ashmead

2024

Preprint

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We develop a renormalizable model of Quantum General Relativity (QGR). We do this by building on earlier work with quantum electrodynamics (QED). Working with the Feynman path integral (FPI) approach to QED, we generalize the paths from varying in space to varying in space and time. This gives the standard results plus dispersion in time of order attoseconds or left. Over longer times, the dispersion in time averages out, but at attosecond times it should be detectable with current technology. As an unexpected but welcome side-effect, the approach caused the usual loop integrals to be finite. Since the usual UV divergences are significantly harder to renormalize in QGR than in QED, and since using paths in time plus space is definitely more in keeping with the general spirit of GR, we here apply the same approach to QGR. We show that with an appropriate choice of gauge (trace-reversed de Donder gauge) we can extend the earlier results to include QGR. Sub-attosecond measurements of individual gravitons are not within our reach, but at least the ultraviolet divergences in QGR are contained in the same way. We have therefore a renormalizable model of QGR

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Section: Time As Observablementioning

confidence: 99%

A Renormalizable Model of Quantum Gravity

Ashmead

2024

Preprint

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“…In previous work we have looked at time dispersion in the single particle case [50] (paper A) and at the specific problems created in doing time-of-arrival measurements [51] (paper B). The investigation here extends this work to QED.…”

Section: Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The issues associated with the detection of a wave function in time were discussed at length in paper B [51]. To keep this work self-contained we give a summary.…”

Section: Detection Of the Wave Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Time dispersion in quantum electrodynamics

Ashmead

2023

J. Phys.: Conf. Ser.

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If we use the path integral approach, we can write quantum electrodynamics (QED) in a way that is manifestly relativistic. However the path integrals are confined to paths that are on mass-shell. What happens if we extend QED by computing the path integrals over all paths in energy momentum space, not only those on mass-shell? We use the requirement of covariance to do this in an unambiguous way. This gives a QED where the time/energy components appear in a way that is manifestly parallel to the space/momentum components: we have dispersion in time, entanglement in time, full equivalence of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle (HUP) in time to the HUP in space, and so on. Entanglement in time has the welcome side effect of eliminating the ultraviolet divergences. We recover standard QED in the long time limit. We predict effects at scales of attoseconds. With recent developments in attosecond physics and in quantum computing, these effects should be detectable. Since the predictions are unambiguous and testable the approach is falsifiable. Falsification would sharpen our understanding of the role of time in QED. Confirmation would have significant implications for attosecond physics, quantum computing and communications, and quantum gravity.

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“…In previous work we have looked at time dispersion in the single particle case [4] (paper A) and at the specific problems created in doing time-of-arrival measurements [5] (paper B). The investigation here extends this work to QED.…”

Section: Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

“…We use the other as a narrow gate in time, per above. 5. We arrange for this photon to scatter an electron via Coulomb scattering.…”

Section: Figure Of Meritmentioning

confidence: 99%

Time dispersion in quantum electrodynamics

Ashmead¹

2022

Preprint

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Quantum electrodynamics (QED) is often formulated in a way that appears fully relativistic. However since QED treats the three space dimensions as observables but time as a classical parameter, it is only partially relativistic. For instance, in the path integral formulation, the sum over paths includes paths that vary in space but not paths that vary in time. We apply covariance to extend QED to include time on the same basis as space. This implies dispersion in time, entanglement in time, full equivalence of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle (HUP) in time to the HUP in space, and so on. In the long time limit we recover standard QED. Further, entanglement in time has the welcome side effect of eliminating the ultraviolet divergences. We should see the effects at scales of attoseconds. With recent developments in attosecond physics and in quantum computing, these effects should now be visible. The results are therefore falsifiable. Since the promotion of time to an operator is done by a straightforward application of agreed and tested principles of quantum mechanics and relativity, falsification will have implications for those principles. Confirmation will have implications for attosecond physics, quantum computing and communications, and quantum gravity.

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Does the Heisenberg uncertainty principle apply along the time dimension?

Cited by 3 publications

References 44 publications

A Renormalizable Model of Quantum Gravity

A Renormalizable Model of Quantum Gravity

Time dispersion in quantum electrodynamics

Time dispersion in quantum electrodynamics

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