Question

What are some experimental verifications of Born's rule in quantum mechanics?

Answer 1

Born's rule (square of the modulus) has been verified experimentally numerous times. However, only the overall averages have been verified. For example if the prediction is 60% probability, then over large number of trials, the average outcome will approach the predicted value of 60%. This has been verified by measuring particle spin at angle A relative to the angle of its previously known spin angle. The prediction is square of cos(A/2). These predictions have also been verified with entangled pairs (Bell's state) where the same spin prediction is square of sin(A/2).

What has not been verified is whether the outcomes are due to independent probability, or they are guided by some balancing mechanism.

Hope it helps you.

Answer 2

Explanation:

1. The first experiment describes a precision test for Born rule for probabilities in quantum mechanics. The quadratic nature of the Born probability expression entails that interference occurs in pairs of paths. We tested the correctness of Born rule by testing for the presence or absence of genuine three-path interference using single photons and a triple slit aperture. The consequences of a detection of even a small three-way interference in the quantum mechanical null prediction are tremendous. A non-zero result would mean that quantum mechanics is only approximate; in the same way that the double slit experiment proves that classical physics is only an approximation to the true law of nature. This would give us an important hint on how to generalize quantum mechanics and open a new window to the world. In this talk, I will show results that bound the possible violation of Born’s rule and multi-path interference in quantum mechanics