Gravitationally Induced Quantum Decoherence of Macroscopic Objects

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2606.04099v1
• Date: Tue, 02 Jun 2026 18:04:28 GMT
• Title: Gravitationally Induced Quantum Decoherence of Macroscopic Objects
• Abstract summary: We formulate the gravitationally induced quantum decoherence of a massive object prepared in a spatial superposition.<n>In the nonrelativistic and quasi-static regime, the decoherence exponent can be written as a bilinear functional of the difference of the system stress-energy tensors.<n>We evaluate the resulting decoherence function for a dilute nonrelativistic gas modeled by finite wave packets and coarse-grained in time and space.
• Score: 0.9430947207126281
• License: http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/
• Abstract: We formulate the gravitationally induced quantum decoherence of a massive object prepared in a spatial superposition. Starting from linearized gravity coupled to a massive system particle and an environmental scalar field, we derive a closed-time-path influence functional governing the reduced system dynamics. In the nonrelativistic and quasi-static regime, the decoherence exponent can be written as a bilinear functional of the difference of the system stress-energy tensors and an effective noise kernel obtained by dressing the environmental stress-energy tensor correlator with graviton propagators. We then apply this framework to the Newtonian long-range gravitational interaction and evaluate the resulting decoherence function for a dilute nonrelativistic gas modeled by finite wave packets and coarse-grained in time and space. By performing controlled approximations, we obtain analytic expressions for the cumulative decoherence function and show that the dominant contribution is accumulated logarithmically over a broad range of distances, while remaining subdominant to conventional collisional decoherence under realistic conditions.

Related papers

• Monitored free fermions under periodic driving [42.078441758883635]
  We investigate periodically driven free-fermionic systems subjected to monitoring of the local particle density.<n>We use the nonlinear sigma-model (NLSM) to explain the long-wavelength physics of the time-dependent Hamiltonian.<n>Our results provide a unified analytical and numerical framework for understanding the effects of monitoring in time-modulated fermionic systems.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-08-22T08:10:12Z)
• Master equation for systems interacting with linearized gravity [0.0]
  We investigate the open quantum dynamics of a system of two masses interacting with an environment of linearized gravitational waves.<n>We show that the canonical variables obtained from the standard Lagrangian, expressed in terms of the Fermi normal coordinates, are not suitable for an effective description of the system.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-08-06T14:51:44Z)
• Far-field spatial coherence driven by lossy objects: first-principles approach unifying scattering of quantum light and thermal emission [51.56484100374058]
  We develop a first-principles framework based on the modified Langevin noise formalism to unify the scattering of quantum light and the intrinsic thermal emission of finite dissipative objects.<n>Applying this framework across optical regimes, we determine operational bounds for lossy quantum photonics.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-07-01T09:04:32Z)
• Scalar$-$Tensor Gravity as a Probe of Generalized Black Hole Entropy [0.0]
  We develop a geometric realization of a broad class of generalized black hole entropy functionals.<n>The resulting models feature a scale-dependent effective gravitational coupling.<n>The analysis establishes a unified and geometrically grounded connection between information$-$theoretic entropy proposals and gravitational field theory.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-05-18T15:30:35Z)
• Gravitationally induced wave-function collapse from dynamical bifurcation [0.0]
  We show that wave-function collapse emerges as a deterministic dynamical instability induced by gravitational self-interaction and regulated by short-distance repulsion.<n>The mechanism provides a controlled and quantitative realization of gravity-induced pathological localization, extending Schrdinger--Newton-type models.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-04-17T15:15:38Z)
• Quantum optomechanics of lossy bodies: general approach and structured squeezed vacuum effects [51.56484100374058]
  We investigate the overall optomechanical force experienced by a macroscopic lossy object in free space under external quantum illumination.<n>By driving the scattering field with an anisotropic, multimode squeezed vacuum state, the spatial profile of the electromagnetic quantum fluctuations can be engineered to exhibit broken rotational symmetry.<n>We establish a general formalism for macroscopic quantum optomechanics that operates beyond the constraints of thermal equilibrium.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-04-07T13:25:43Z)
• Symmetry-protected topology and deconfined solitons in a multi-link $\mathbb{Z}_2$ gauge theory [45.88028371034407]
  We study a $mathbbZ$ lattice gauge theory defined on a multi-graph with links that can be visualized as great circles of a spherical shell.<n>We show that this leads to state-dependent tunneling amplitudes underlying a phenomenon analogous to the Peierls instability.<n>By performining a detailed analysis based on matrix product states, we prove that charge deconfinement emerges as a consequence of charge-fractionalization.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-03-02T22:59:25Z)
• Identifiable learning of dissipative dynamics [25.409059056398124]
  We introduce I-OnsagerNet, a neural framework that learns dissipative dynamics directly from trajectories.<n>I-OnsagerNet extends the Onsager principle to guarantee that the learned potential is obtained from the stationary density.<n>Our approach enables us to calculate the entropy production and to quantify irreversibility, offering a principled way to detect and quantify deviations from equilibrium.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-10-28T07:57:14Z)
• Generalised fractional Rabi problem [35.18016233072556]
  Fractional quantum dynamics provides a natural framework to capture nonlocal temporal behavior and memory effects in quantum systems.<n>In this work, we analyze the physical consequences of fractional-order quantum evolution using a Green's function formulation based on the Caputo fractional derivative.<n>We find that even in the absence of external driving, the static Hamiltonian term induces non-trivial spin dynamics with damping features directly linked to the fractional temporal nonlocality.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-10-09T12:51:57Z)
• Real-time scattering and freeze-out dynamics in Rydberg-atom lattice gauge theory [19.249431983970567]
  We observe real-time scattering and freeze-out dynamics in (1+1)-dimensional U(1) gauge theory.<n>Our work establishes a high-resolution approach for probing non-perturbative gauge dynamics.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-08-08T18:36:20Z)
• Unveiling coherent dynamics in non-Markovian open quantum systems: exact expression and recursive perturbation expansion [44.99833362998488]
  We introduce a systematic framework to derive the effective Hamiltonian governing the coherent dynamics of non-Markovian open quantum systems.<n>Applying our framework to paradigmatic spin systems, we reveal how environmental correlations influence energy shifts and eigenbasis rotations.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-06-04T15:55:22Z)
• An Operational Quantum Field Theoretic Model for Gravitationally Induced Entanglement [0.0]
  We develop a quantum field-theoretic model of gravitationally induced entanglement between two massive objects in spatial superposition.<n>Using linearized quantum gravity in the static limit, we derive an effective Hamiltonian that induces entanglement between the field modes occupied by the masses.<n>We find that gravitationally induced entanglement leads to a decrease in visibility, consistent with previous nonrelativistic results.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-03-26T18:00:00Z)
• Decimation technique for open quantum systems: a case study with driven-dissipative bosonic chains [62.997667081978825]
  Unavoidable coupling of quantum systems to external degrees of freedom leads to dissipative (non-unitary) dynamics. We introduce a method to deal with these systems based on the calculation of (dissipative) lattice Green's function. We illustrate the power of this method with several examples of driven-dissipative bosonic chains of increasing complexity.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-02-15T19:00:09Z)
• On the decoherence effect of a stochastic gravitational perturbation on scalar matter and the possibility of its interferometric detection [0.0]
  We show how the master equation reproduces the results present in the literature by taking appropriate limits. We apply our model to a matter wave experiment, providing a formula for determining the magnitude of gravitational decoherence.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2019-12-29T21:08:44Z)

This list is automatically generated from the titles and abstracts of the papers in this site.

This site does not guarantee the quality of this site (including all information) and is not responsible for any consequences.