Work

Testing eigenstate decoherence hypothesis in a model of collisional decoherence

Year: 2021

Type: article

Abstract: The eigenstate decoherence hypothesis (EDH) asserts that each individual eigenstate of a large closed system is locally classical-like. We test this hypothesis for a heavy particle interacting with a gas of light particles. This system is paradigmatic for studies of the quantum-to-classical transition: the reduced state of the heavy particle is widely believed to rapidly loose any non-classical features due to the interaction with the gas. Yet, we find numerical evidence that the EDH is violated: certain eigenstates of this model are manifestly non-classical. Only the weak version of EDH referring to the majority (instead of the totality) of eigenstates holds.

Source: Europhysics Letters (EPL)

DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/134/60004

Authors: Ivan V. Dudinets, Igor Ermakov, Oleg Lychkovskiy

Institutions: Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Steklov Mathematical Institute

Language: English

Topic: Quantum Mechanics and Applications

Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: Russian Foundation for Basic Research

Awards: G2776956747, G7864412201