wavefunction collapse

The phenomenon in which a wavefunction — initially in a superposition of several different possible eigenstates — appears to reduce to a single one of those states after interaction with an observer: the reduction of the physical possibilities into a single possibility as seen by an observer.

Noun

  1. The phenomenon in which a wavefunction — initially in a superposition of several different possible eigenstates — appears to reduce to a single one of those states after interaction with an observer: the reduction of the physical possibilities into a single possibility as seen by an observer.

Forms

wavefunction collapses

Synonyms

state vector collapse

Related

measurement problem quantum measurement problem uncertainty principle