Considerations on the Relativity of Quantum Irrealism

Abstract

The study of quantum resources in the relativistic limit has attracted attention over the last couple of decades, mostly due to the observation that the spin-momentum entanglement is not Lorentz covariant. In this work, we take the investigations of relativistic quantum information a step further, bringing the foundational question of realism to the discussion. In particular, we examine whether Lorentz boosts can affect quantum irrealism—an instance related to the violations imposed by quantum mechanics onto a certain notion of realism. To this end, we adopt as a theoretical platform a model of a relativistic particle traveling through a Mach–Zehnder interferometer. We then compare the quantum irrealism assessed from two different inertial frames in relative motion. In consonance with recent findings in the context of quantum reference frames, our results suggest that the notion of physical realism is not absolute.

Keywords

• quantum irrealism
• Wigner rotation
• special relativity