What are the quantum states in a system?

1 Answer
Feb 19, 2015

For any given attribute of a quantum system (e.g., position), said #hat X# the variable (i.e., observable) identifying such attribute, a quantum state is a "formula" describing all "possible states" of the observable, that is all possible "sharp values" of the variable, that have been identified through measurements.

So, a quantum state is NEVER an objective physical state, as it ALWAYS depends from the experimenter's information collected from the observation (i.e., measurement) of the system.

Thus, said #hat x_1 … hat x_n# the "basis states" that form the observable's spectrum of a quantum system, a quantum state can be written as a wave function:

#vec psi = c_1 hat x_1 + c_2 hat x_2 + … + c_n hat x_n#

Therefore, in the case of an observed (i.e., measured) quantum system, a quantum state "embodies" the results of a series of experiments conducted on it, where for each possible state of the system (the basis states #hat x_1, … hat x_n#) it gives the probability to occur at a given time from the start of the experiment (the complex coefficients #c_1, … c_n#).

As a definition, the term "quantum state" can be used to refer to both either any of the basis states of a system (#hat x_1, … hat x_n#) or their superposition (#vec psi#).