The Meaning of Protective Measurements
Yakir Aharonov, Jeeva Anandan, Lev Vaidman

TL;DR
Protective measurements enable the measurement of a single quantum system's properties, including the wavefunction, by employing a protection mechanism, and this paper clarifies their interpretation and addresses misconceptions.
Contribution
This paper analyzes protective measurements, arguing they measure the quantum state itself rather than the protective potential, clarifying misunderstandings and defending their significance.
Findings
Protective measurements can measure the quantum state of a single system.
They do not merely reveal the protective potential.
The paper clarifies misconceptions about protective measurements.
Abstract
Protective measurements, which we have introduced recently, allow to measure properties of the state of a single quantum system and even the Schr\"odinger wave itself. These measurements require a protection, sometimes due to an additional procedure and sometimes due to the potential of the system itself. The analysis of the protective measurements is presented and it is argued, contrary to recent claims, that they measure the quantum state and not the protective potential. Some other misunderstandings concerning our proposal are clarified.
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Taxonomy
TopicsQuantum Mechanics and Applications
