Kvanttipiikki

Kvanttipiikki is a Finnish term used in popular science and some physics education to describe a spike-like phenomenon observed in quantum systems. The term combines kvantti (quantum) and piikki (spike or peak). It is not a formal scientific name, but a folk term used to discuss abrupt, transient changes in measurement outcomes or sensor signals that are tied to quantum effects.

In practice, kvanttipiikki refers to sudden, short-lived increases in detection probability, count rates, or in the amplitude of a quantum observable. It can appear in photon-counting experiments as brief bursts of detections, or in solid-state qubits as telegraph-like switching between states. The underlying mechanisms may involve quantum jumps, tunneling events, or the back-action of measurement on the system.

The term is common in Finnish science communication and classroom settings but is not standard in formal quantum theory literature. It is sometimes used to illustrate stochasticity and discreteness in quantum measurements, or to draw attention to the need for statistical analysis when interpreting single-shot experiments.

See also quantum jump, quantum measurement, stochastic process, quantum optics, single-photon detector; it is sometimes related to discussions of telegraph noise or random telegraph signals in solid-state physics.