General-relativistic particle trajectories via quantum mechanical weak values and the Schwarzschild-Alcubierre spacetime

We show that the average trajectories of relativistic quantum particles in Schwarzschild spacetime, obtained via quantum mechanical weak measurements of momentum and energy, are equivalent to the predicted flow lines of probability current in curved spacetime quantum theory. We subsequently demonstrate that these trajectories correspond exactly to classical null geodesics in a hybrid Schwarzschild-Alcubierre spacetime. This threefold equivalence demonstrates how quantum theory in curved spacetime can be formulated via operationally defined measurements, and that such a theory may be interpreted deterministically, in the spirit of hidden-variable models such as Bohmian mechanics, through the novel connection to an underlying ``guiding metric.''

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Publication Details

Journal
Physical review. A/Physical review, A
Published
2025-05-02
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.111.052201
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Quantum Mechanics and Applications
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.25

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article

General-relativistic particle trajectories via quantum mechanical weak values and the Schwarzschild-Alcubierre spacetime

Joshua Foo, Timothy C. Ralph, Cameron Bellamy
1 citations
Physical review. A/Physical review, A
Quantum Mechanics and Applications
1.25
article

General-relativistic particle trajectories via quantum mechanical weak values and the Schwarzschild-Alcubierre spacetime

Joshua Foo, Timothy C. Ralph, Cameron Bellamy
article en
1 citations

Abstract

We show that the average trajectories of relativistic quantum particles in Schwarzschild spacetime, obtained via quantum mechanical weak measurements of momentum and energy, are equivalent to the predicted flow lines of probability current in curved spacetime quantum theory. We subsequently demonstrate that these trajectories correspond exactly to classical null geodesics in a hybrid Schwarzschild-Alcubierre spacetime. This threefold equivalence demonstrates how quantum theory in curved spacetime can be formulated via operationally defined measurements, and that such a theory may be interpreted deterministically, in the spirit of hidden-variable models such as Bohmian mechanics, through the novel connection to an underlying ``guiding metric.''

Physical review. A/Physical review, AVol. 111(5)
Stevens Institute of Technology (US), The University of Queensland (AU), Centre for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology (AU)
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology, Australian Research Council
Openalex Percentile: Top 22%
Quantum Mechanics and Applications
1.25
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