On the Alleged Locality in the Schrödinger Picture. Comment on Vedral, V. Locality in the Schrödinger Picture of Quantum Mechanics. Physics 2024, 6, 793–800

In his recent paper, Vlatko Vedral claims that the Schrödinger picture can describe quantum systems as locally as the Heisenberg picture, relying on a product notation for the density matrix. Here, I refute that claim. I show that the so-called ‘local factors’ in the product notation do not correspond to individual systems and therefore fail to satisfy Einsteinian locality. Furthermore, the product notation does not track where local gates are applied. Finally, I expose internal inconsistencies in the argument: if, as is also stated, the Schrödinger-picture locality ultimately depends on the explicit bookkeeping of all operations, then the explanatory power of the product notation is de facto undermined.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Physics
Published
2025-04-09
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/physics7020011
Primary Topic
Quantum Mechanics and Applications
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

On the Alleged Locality in the Schrödinger Picture. Comment on Vedral, V. Locality in the Schrödinger Picture of Quantum Mechanics. Physics 2024, 6, 793–800

Charles Alexandre Bédard
Physics
Quantum Mechanics and Applications
article

On the Alleged Locality in the Schrödinger Picture. Comment on Vedral, V. Locality in the Schrödinger Picture of Quantum Mechanics. Physics 2024, 6, 793–800

Charles Alexandre Bédard
article en

Abstract

In his recent paper, Vlatko Vedral claims that the Schrödinger picture can describe quantum systems as locally as the Heisenberg picture, relying on a product notation for the density matrix. Here, I refute that claim. I show that the so-called ‘local factors’ in the product notation do not correspond to individual systems and therefore fail to satisfy Einsteinian locality. Furthermore, the product notation does not track where local gates are applied. Finally, I expose internal inconsistencies in the argument: if, as is also stated, the Schrödinger-picture locality ultimately depends on the explicit bookkeeping of all operations, then the explanatory power of the product notation is de facto undermined.

PhysicsVol. 7(2)
École de Technologie Supérieure (CA)
National Science Foundation, University of Oxford, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung, Hasler Stiftung, Mitacs, Wolfson College, University of Oxford
Openalex Percentile: Top 94%
Quantum Mechanics and Applications
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.