Violation of Heisenberg's error-disturbance relation by Stern-Gerlach measurements

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that the original Stern-Gerlach measurements violate Heisenberg's error-disturbance relation, indicating that such violations are more common than previously believed, challenging traditional interpretations of quantum measurement limits.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence from historical data showing violations of Heisenberg's EDR, expanding understanding of quantum measurement uncertainties.

Findings

Original Stern-Gerlach data violate Heisenberg's EDR

Violations are more widespread than previously thought

Supports recent theoretical developments on EDR violations

Abstract

Although Heisenberg's uncertainty principle is represented by a rigorously proven relation about intrinsic indeterminacy in quantum states, Heisenberg's error-disturbance relation (EDR) has been commonly believed as another aspect of the principle. However, recent developments of quantum measurement theory made Heisenberg's EDR testable to observe its violations. Here, we study the EDR for Stern-Gerlach measurements. In a previous report [arXiv:1910.07929], it has been pointed out that their EDR is close to the theoretical optimal. The present note reports that even the original Stern-Gerlach experiment in 1922, the available experimental data show, violates Heisenberg's EDR. The results suggest that Heisenberg's EDR is more ubiquitously violated than it has long been supposed.