Quantum Zeno effect by indirect measurement: The effect of the detector

Abstract

We study the quantum Zeno effect in the case of indirect measurement, where the detector does not interact directly with the unstable system. Expanding on the model of Koshino and Shimizu [Phys. Rev. Lett., 92, 030401, (2004)] we consider a realistic Hamiltonian for the detector with a finite bandwidth. We also take explicitly into account the position, the dimensions and the uncertainty in the measurement of the detector. Our results show that the quantum Zeno effect is not expected to occur, except for the unphysical case where the detector and the unstable system overlap.