Negative Kinetic Energy Between Past and Future State Vectors

TL;DR

This paper explores how measurement errors can produce unphysical values, such as negative kinetic energy, which are interpreted as weak values between past and future states, revealing new insights into quantum processes.

Contribution

It introduces the concept that unphysical measurement outcomes can form consistent patterns and demonstrates negative kinetic energy as a weak value in quantum measurements.

Findings

Negative kinetic energy observed in experiments

Unphysical measurement values can be part of consistent patterns

Weak values reveal classically forbidden quantum phenomena

Abstract

An analysis of errors in measurement yields new insight into classically forbidden quantum processes. In addition to "physical" values, a realistic measurement can yield "unphysical" values; we show that in {\it sequences} of measurements, the "unphysical" values can form a consistent pattern. An experiment to isolate a particle in a classically forbidden region obtains a negative value for its kinetic energy. It is the {\it weak value} of kinetic energy between past and future state vectors.