dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaDecoherence of matter waves by thermal emission of radiation
| Authors | Lucia Hackermueller, Klaus Hornberger, Bjoern Brezger, Anton Zeilinger, Markus Arndt |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | quant-ph/0402146 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0402146 |
| DOI | 10.1038/nature02276 |
| Journal | Nature 427, 711-714 (2004) |
Abstract
Emergent quantum technologies have led to increasing interest in decoherence - the processes that limit the appearance of quantum effects and turn them into classical phenomena. One important cause of decoherence is the interaction of a quantum system with its environment, which 'entangles' the two and distributes the quantum coherence over so many degrees of freedom as to render it unobservable. Decoherence theory has been complemented by experiments using matter waves coupled to external photons or molecules, and by investigations using coherent photon states, trapped ions and electron interferometers. Large molecules are particularly suitable for the investigation of the quantum-classical transition because they can store much energy in numerous internal degrees of freedom; the internal energy can be converted into thermal radiation and thus induce decoherence. Here we report matter wave interferometer experiments in which C70 molecules lose their quantum behaviour by thermal emission of radiation. We find good quantitative agreement between our experimental observations and microscopic decoherence theory. Decoherence by emission of thermal radiation is a general mechanism that should be relevant to all macroscopic bodies.
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"abstract": "Emergent quantum technologies have led to increasing interest in decoherence\n- the processes that limit the appearance of quantum effects and turn them into\nclassical phenomena. One important cause of decoherence is the interaction of a\nquantum system with its environment, which \u0027entangles\u0027 the two and distributes\nthe quantum coherence over so many degrees of freedom as to render it\nunobservable. Decoherence theory has been complemented by experiments using\nmatter waves coupled to external photons or molecules, and by investigations\nusing coherent photon states, trapped ions and electron interferometers. Large\nmolecules are particularly suitable for the investigation of the\nquantum-classical transition because they can store much energy in numerous\ninternal degrees of freedom; the internal energy can be converted into thermal\nradiation and thus induce decoherence. Here we report matter wave\ninterferometer experiments in which C70 molecules lose their quantum behaviour\nby thermal emission of radiation. We find good quantitative agreement between\nour experimental observations and microscopic decoherence theory. Decoherence\nby emission of thermal radiation is a general mechanism that should be relevant\nto all macroscopic bodies.",
"arxiv_id": "quant-ph/0402146",
"authors": [
"Lucia Hackermueller",
"Klaus Hornberger",
"Bjoern Brezger",
"Anton Zeilinger",
"Markus Arndt"
],
"categories": [
"quant-ph"
],
"doi": "10.1038/nature02276",
"journal_ref": "Nature 427, 711-714 (2004)",
"title": "Decoherence of matter waves by thermal emission of radiation",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0402146"
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