Renninger's Thought Experiment: Implications for Quantum Ontology and for Quantum Mechanic's Interpretation

Abstract

It is argued that the conclusions obtained by Renninger (Zeitschrift fur Physik 136, 251 (1953)), by means of an interferometer thought experiment, have important implications for a number of still ongoing discussions about quantum mechanics (QM). To these belong the ontology underlying QM, Bohr's complementarity principle, the significance of QM's wave function, the "elements of reality" introduced by Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen (EPR), and Bohm's version of QM (BQM). A slightly extended setup is used to make a physical prediction at variance with the mathematical prediction of QM. An english translation of Renninger's paper, which was originally published in german language, follows the present paper. This should facilitate access to that remarkable, apparently overlooked and forgotten, paper.