The Quantum Zeno Paradox, 42 Years On

The term 'quantum Zeno paradox' or 'quantum Zeno effect' refers to the slowing down of the evolution of a quantum system as it is observed more and more frequently. In 1977, Misra and Sudarshan gave a theoretical demonstration of its existence. There has been disagreement regarding the definition of the effect and whether it is really a paradox, requiring new physics, or a consequence of ordinary quantum mechanics. The experiment of Itano, Heinzen, Bollinger and Wineland, published in 1990, is the one most often called a demonstration of the quantum Zeno effect. Some different interpretations are discussed.