Superluminal local operations in quantum field theory: A ping-pong ball test

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that localized operations in both quantum and classical relativistic field theories can produce superluminal effects, challenging the notion that such phenomena are exclusive to quantum scenarios.

Contribution

It reveals that superluminal effects from localized operations are present in classical field theory, not just quantum, questioning assumptions about causality in localized measurements.

Findings

Localized rotations can cause superluminal effects in classical fields

Superluminal effects are not unique to quantum field theory

Impossible measurement scenarios are also classical phenomena

Abstract

It is known that in quantum field theory, localized operations, e.g.\ given by unitary operators in local observable algebras, may lead to non-causal, or superluminal, state changes within their localization region. In this article, it is shown that both in quantum field theory as well as in classical relativistic field theory, there are localized operations which correspond to ``instantaneous'' spatial rotations (leaving the localization region invariant) leading to superluminal effects within the localization region. This shows that ``impossible measurement scenarios'' which have been investigated in the literature, and which rely on the presence of localized operations that feature superluminal effects within their localization region, do not only occur in quantum field theory, but also in classical field theory. This article is part of a Special Issue on the 'Physics of Time Travel' in the journal Universe, edited by A. Alonso-Serrano, S. Schuster, J. Santiago and M. Visser.