Correlated random walks caused by dynamical wavefunction collapse
Correlated random walks caused by dynamical wavefunction collapse
Wavefunction collapse models modify Schrödinger’s equation so that it describes the collapse of a superposition of macroscopically distinguishable states as a dynamical process. This provides a basis for the resolution of the quantum measurement problem. An additional generic consequence of the collapse mechanism is that it causes particles to exhibit a tiny random diffusive motion. Here it is shown that for the continuous spontaneous localization (CSL) model—one of the most well developed collapse models—the diffusions of two sufficiently nearby particles are positively correlated. An experimental test of this effect is proposed in which random displacements of pairs of free nanoparticles are measured after they have been simultaneously released from nearby traps. The experiment must be carried out at sufficiently low temperature and pressure in order for the collapse effects to dominate over the ambient environmental noise. It is argued that these constraints can be satisfied by current technologies for a large region of the viable parameter space of the CSL model. The effect disappears as the separation between particles exceeds the CSL length scale. The test therefore provides a means of bounding this length scale.
Bedingham, D.J.
0536cbd1-dcde-42b1-9844-8b5daf3a798d
Ulbricht, H.
5060dd43-2dc1-47f8-9339-c1a26719527d
Bedingham, D.J.
0536cbd1-dcde-42b1-9844-8b5daf3a798d
Ulbricht, H.
5060dd43-2dc1-47f8-9339-c1a26719527d
Bedingham, D.J. and Ulbricht, H.
(2015)
Correlated random walks caused by dynamical wavefunction collapse.
Scientific Reports, 5, [13380].
(doi:10.1038/srep13380).
Abstract
Wavefunction collapse models modify Schrödinger’s equation so that it describes the collapse of a superposition of macroscopically distinguishable states as a dynamical process. This provides a basis for the resolution of the quantum measurement problem. An additional generic consequence of the collapse mechanism is that it causes particles to exhibit a tiny random diffusive motion. Here it is shown that for the continuous spontaneous localization (CSL) model—one of the most well developed collapse models—the diffusions of two sufficiently nearby particles are positively correlated. An experimental test of this effect is proposed in which random displacements of pairs of free nanoparticles are measured after they have been simultaneously released from nearby traps. The experiment must be carried out at sufficiently low temperature and pressure in order for the collapse effects to dominate over the ambient environmental noise. It is argued that these constraints can be satisfied by current technologies for a large region of the viable parameter space of the CSL model. The effect disappears as the separation between particles exceeds the CSL length scale. The test therefore provides a means of bounding this length scale.
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Correlated random walks...1411.6921
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Accepted/In Press date: 24 July 2015
e-pub ahead of print date: 25 August 2015
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Local EPrints ID: 418116
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/418116
ISSN: 2045-2322
PURE UUID: d29faff1-40e2-45de-bd08-c749860b98c1
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Date deposited: 22 Feb 2018 17:30
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:58
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Author:
D.J. Bedingham
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