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In an ontological model of a quantum system, a preparation of $|\psi ⟩$ gives a probability distribution ${\mu }_{\psi }$ over a physical state $\lambda$. A fixed quantum measurement has response probabilities ${\xi }_j(\lambda )\ge 0$ with ${\sum }_j{\xi }_j=1$, reproducing the Born rule after averaging over ${\mu }_{\psi }$. The PBR theorem says that, assuming preparation independence and the quantum predictions, distributions for distinct pure states cannot overlap with positive probability. Thus the quantum state is determined by the physical state in the psi-ontic model sense.

Preparation independence says that separately prepared systems have independent physical states: a product preparation is represented by the product of their individual ontic distributions. This is an assumption about the underlying physical states, not merely a statement that experimental preparation choices are independent. The excluded psi-epistemic model hypothesis is that the same physical state can occur with positive probability for two different pure-state preparations. The theorem neither excludes additional hidden variables nor claims that every interpretation which speaks of information is ruled out without these assumptions.

For the two given qubit preparations, consider the following PBR exclusion measurement for zero and plus, written in the ordered basis $00,01,10,11$:Direct inner products show that these four vectors are an orthonormal basis. Each labelled vector is orthogonal to the correspondingly labelled product preparation, so the associated projective measurement satisfiesThis is an example of antidistinguishable quantum states: every outcome excludes one possible preparation, although the preparations cannot be perfectly distinguished.

To prove the contradiction without requiring deterministic quantum measurement responses, choose a common dominating measure for ${\mu }_0,{\mu }_{+}$ and write their densities $m_0,m_{+}$. If they overlap, $\nu (\lambda )=\min (m_0,m_{+})$ has mass $\epsilon >0$. By preparation independence, every one of the four product densities dominates $\nu ({\lambda }_1)\nu ({\lambda }_2)$. Its total mass is ${\epsilon }^2$. The zero Born rule probability for outcome $xy$ implies that its nonnegative response ${\xi }_{xy}({\lambda }_1,{\lambda }_2)$ vanishes almost everywhere for its matching preparation, hence also under this common product measure. All four responses would then vanish on a set of positive measure, contradicting their sum being one. Therefore ${\mu }_0$ and ${\mu }_{+}$ are mutually singular.

For the second pair, group the $2n$ independent preparations into two blocks of $n$. Define $|{\Psi }_i⟩=|{\psi }_i{⟩}^{\otimes n}$. The tensor-power reduction of PBR overlap givesEach block therefore has an effective two-dimensional Hilbert space. Explicitly,are orthonormal and $|{\Psi }_2⟩=(|e_0⟩+|e_1⟩)/\sqrt{2}$. Embed the four-vector exclusion basis above into the tensor product of these two block spaces. To obtain a complete quantum measurement on all $2n$ qubits, add the orthogonal complement of that four-dimensional subspace to one of its four projectors. All four allowed preparations lie in the subspace, so the four forbidden probabilities remain zero.

If the single-copy preparation distributions overlap with common mass $\epsilon >0$, their $2n$-fold products all dominate the common measure ${\nu }^{\otimes 2n}$ of mass ${\epsilon }^{2n}>0$. The same zero-response contradiction now applies to the four block preparations. ThusThe argument is exact for the ideal devices specified in the question; no finite experimental resolution or noisy overlap bound is assumed.

An ontological model of a quantum system is psi-epistemic if some pair of distinct pure states has preparation measures with nonzero overlap. The same physical state can then be compatible with either preparation. This precise measure-overlap definition is stronger than merely interpreting a wave function as information or a computational tool.

An ontological model of a quantum system is psi-ontic if distinct pure states have mutually singular preparation distributions. The physical state then determines which pure quantum state was prepared, almost surely in the pairwise sense. Extra underlying variables may still exist. The PBR theorem establishes this conclusion under preparation independence and exact quantum predictions.

Under preparation independence, an ontological model of a quantum system reproducing exact quantum quantum measurement probabilities cannot assign overlapping preparation measures to distinct pure states. An exclusion quantum measurement on independent copies makes every outcome impossible for one possible preparation; a common ontic region would require every response to vanish there. Thus the conclusion is a psi-ontic model, not a blanket exclusion of hidden variables or all informational interpretations.