The treatment of time in quantum mechanics is still an important and challenging open question in the foundation of the theory. This book describes the problems, and the attempts and achievements in defining, formalizing and measuring different time quantities in quantum theory, such as the parametric (clock) time, tunneling times, decay times, dwell times, delay times, arrival times or jump times. This multiauthored book, written as an introductory guide for the non-initiated as well as a useful source of information for the expert, covers many of the open questions. A brief historical overview is to be found in the introduction. It is followed by 12 chapters devoted to conceptual and theoretical investigations as well as experimental issues in quantum-mechanical time measurements. This unique monograph should attract physicists as well as philosophers of science working in the foundations of quantum physics.

Klappentext

Time and quantum mechanics have, each of them separately, captivated s- entists and laymen alike, as shown by the abundance of popular publications on "time" or on the many quantum mysteries or paradoxes. We too have been seduced by these two topics, and in particular by their combination. Indeed, the treatment of time in quantum mechanics is one of the important and challenging open questions in the foundations of quantum theory. This book describes the problems, and the attempts and achievements in de?ning, formalizing and measuring di?erent time quantities in quantum theory, such as the parametric (clock) time, tunneling times, decay times, dwell times, delay times, arrival times or jump times. The theoretical analysis of several of these quantities has been controversial and is still subject to debate. For example, there are literally hundreds of research papers on the tunneling time. In fact, the standard recipe to link the observables and the formalism does not seem to apply, at least in an obvious manner, to time observables. This has posed the challenge of extending the domain of ordinary quantum mechanics.

Inhalt

Characteristic Times in One-Dimensional Scattering.- The Time-Energy Uncertainty Relation.- Jump Time and Passage Time: The Duration of a Quantum Transition.- Bohm Trajectory Approach to Timing Electrons.- Decoherent Histories for Space-Time Domains.- Quantum Traversal Time and Path Integrals.- Quantum Clocks and Stopwatches.- The Local Larmor Clock, Partial Densities of States, and Mesoscopic Physics.- "Standard" Quantum Mechanical Approach to Times of Arrival.- Experimental Issues in Quantum-Mechanical Time Measurement.- Microwave Experiments on Tunneling Time.- The Two-State Vector Formalism of Quantum Mechanics.