While the linearity of the Schrödinger equation and the superposition principle are fundamental to quantum mechanics, so are the backaction of measurements and the resulting nonlinearity. It is remarkable, therefore, that the wave equation of systems in continuous interaction with some reservoir, which may be a measuring device, can be cast into a linear form, even after the degrees of freedom of the reservoir have been eliminated. The superposition principle still holds for the stochastic wave function of the observed system and exact analytical solutions are possible in sufficiently simple cases. We discuss here the coupling to Markovian reservoirs appropriate for homodyne, heterodyne, and photon counting measurements. For these we present a derivation of the linear stochastic wave equation from first principles and analyze its physical content.

• Received 25 April 1994

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.50.5242