Physical limitations on quantum nonlocality in the detection of photons emitted from positron-electron annihilation

Abstract

Recent experimental measurements of the time interval between detection of the two photons emitted in positron-electron annihilation have indicated that collapse of the spatial part of the photon's wave function, due to detection of the other photon, does not occur. Although quantum nonlocality actually occurs in photons produced through parametric down-conversion, the recent experiments give strong evidence against measurement-induced instantaneous spatial localization of high-energy $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ photons. A quantum-mechanical analysis of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen problem is presented, which may help to explain the observed differences between photons produced through parametric down-conversion and photons produced through positron-electron annihilation. The results are found to concur with the recent experiments involving $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ photons.