Quantum-classical interactions and measurement: a consistent description using statistical ensembles on configuration space

TL;DR

This paper presents a formalism using statistical ensembles on configuration space to describe quantum-classical interactions and measurements consistently, addressing previous inconsistencies and illustrating with gravitational interactions.

Contribution

It introduces a canonical formalism for mixed quantum-classical systems that enables consistent measurement descriptions and interactions.

Findings

Formalism allows measurement of quantum systems by classical apparatus without inconsistencies

Describes gravitational interactions between classical and quantum particles

Provides a unified framework for quantum-classical dynamics

Abstract

We provide an overview of a canonical formalism that describes mixed quantum-classical systems in terms of statistical ensembles on configuration space, and discuss applications to measurement theory. It is shown that the formalism allows a general description of the measurement of a quantum system by a classical apparatus without running into inconsistencies. An example of classical and quantum particles interacting gravitationally is also given.