A Bohmian view on quantum decoherence
Year: 2003
Type: preprint
Abstract: The effects of decoherence in interference phenomena are analyzed by defining a new class of quantum trajectories associated to the reduced density matrix of the system. In particular, this analysis is illustrated here by the double–slit experiment, a paradigm of quantum interference. As is well–known, in this experiment, the interference arises from the possibility for a particle to follow two different paths, from each slit to the detector. Within our trajectory description, based on Bohmian mechanics, we show that decoherence does not ensure that the particle motion related to one of those pathways is unaffected by the other one. Quantum mechanically decoherence suppresses the interference produced by the coherent superposition of the partial waves corresponding to each pathway. This gives rise to a classical–like intensity pattern, i.e. identical to that directly obtained from the sum of the intensities associated to those partial waves. However, the topology of the trajectories here defined reveals that the particle motion is strongly influenced by both pathways even in the case of full decoherence. 1
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Ángel S. Sanz, F. Borondo
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2963980226