Observation of relativistic Bohmian dynamics

Abstract:Bohmian mechanics, also referred to as the de Broglie-Bohm pilot-wave theory, represents a deterministic and nonlocal interpretation of quantum mechanics. Central to this framework is a description of quantum motion in terms of particle trajectories, whose reconciliation with relativity remains a fundamental challenge. Although relativistic guidance laws have been proposed, their predicted dynamics has remained experimentally untested. Here we use weak measurements in a single-photon interferometer to jointly reconstruct the photon energy and momentum weak values and the associated relativistic velocity field. The reconstructed average trajectories agree with theoretical predictions. Near destructive interference, the flow exhibits local reconstructed velocities exceeding the speed of light and negative values of the effective squared-mass parameter. Our results establish an experimental basis for investigating the physical meaning of quantum trajectories and their role in describing motion in relativistic spacetime.

11 pages, 7 figures. Updated version

arXiv:2509.11609 [quant-ph]

(or arXiv:2509.11609v2 [quant-ph] for this version)

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2509.11609 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite

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