On quantum entanglement, counterfactuals, causality and dispositions
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On quantum entanglement, counterfactuals, causality and dispositions Tomasz Bigaj1
Received: 5 January 2016 / Accepted: 20 December 2016 © The Author(s) 2017. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com
Abstract The existence of non-local correlations between outcomes of measurements in quantum entangled systems strongly suggests that we are dealing with some form of causation here. An assessment of this conjecture in the context of the collapse interpretation of quantum mechanics is the primary goal of this paper. Following the counterfactual approach to causation, I argue that the details of the underlying causal mechanism which could explain the non-local correlations in entangled states strongly depend on the adopted semantics for counterfactuals. Several relativistically-invariant interpretations of spatiotemporal counterfactual conditionals are discussed, and the corresponding causal stories describing interactions between parts of an entangled system are evaluated. It is observed that the most controversial feature of the postulated causal connections is not so much their non-local character as a peculiar type of circularity that affects them. Keywords Entanglement · Counterfactuals · Non-locality · Causation · Measurement · Dispositions · Relativity
1 Introduction: entanglement and non-local correlations The phenomenon of quantum entanglement does not cease to intrigue and inspire scientifically-oriented philosophers. The discovery of entangled systems has made a lasting impression on our understanding of the inner workings of the world at the fundamental level. Many authors insist that the ubiquity of quantum entanglement
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Tomasz Bigaj [email protected] Institute of Philosophy, University of Warsaw, Ul. Krakowskie Przedmiescie 3, 00-047 Warsaw, Poland
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Synthese
forces us to revise some of the basic concepts with which we attempt to describe the fundamental features of reality. Among these affected are the notions of locality, separability, individuality, causality, property and relation. Furthermore, it is quite common for contemporary metaphysicians of the naturalistic stripe to use arguments from quantum entanglement in strictly philosophical debates, such as discussions on the status of the laws of nature and modality, or on reduction and emergence.1 In this essay I am going to limit myself to discussing some metaphysical consequences of the existence of perfect non-local correlations, which are one of the most recognizable features of entangled states. My primary goal will be to investigate possible causal explanations of this phenomenon, and to ascertain what amendments to the ordinary concept of causation have to be made in order for these explanations to be successful. An entangled state of two or more quantum systems is formally defined as a state which cannot be factorized into the product of individual states. A generic example of an entangled state of two particles can look like this: (1.1)
√1 2
(|0|0 + |1|1),
where |0 and |1 are two orthogonal vector
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