Macroscopic superposition states in isolated quantum systems

DOI10.1007/S10701-021-00477-2zbMATH Open1479.81017arXiv2011.11661OpenAlexW3108733440MaRDI QIDQ2243045FDOQ2243045

Stephen D. H. Hsu, Roman V. Buniy

Publication date: 10 November 2021

Published in: Foundations of Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: For any choice of initial state and weak assumptions about the Hamiltonian, large isolated quantum systems undergoing Schrodinger evolution spend most of their time in macroscopic superposition states. The result follows from von Neumann's 1929 Quantum Ergodic Theorem. As a specific example, we consider a box containing a solid ball and some gas molecules. Regardless of the initial state, the system will evolve into a quantum superposition of states with the ball in macroscopically different positions. Thus, despite their seeming fragility, macroscopic superposition states are ubiquitous consequences of quantum evolution. We discuss the connection to many worlds quantum mechanics.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/2011.11661

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zbMATH Keywords

quantum mechanicsdecoherencequantum foundations

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

General and philosophical questions in quantum theory (81P05) Quantum measurement theory, state operations, state preparations (81P15) Closed and approximate solutions to the Schrödinger, Dirac, Klein-Gordon and other equations of quantum mechanics (81Q05) Many-body theory; quantum Hall effect (81V70) Relativistic cosmology (83F05) Relations between spectral theory and ergodic theory, e.g., quantum unique ergodicity (58J51) Open systems, reduced dynamics, master equations, decoherence (81S22)

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Cited In (7)

• Macroscopic quantum mechanics: The coherent and squeezed transformations in superconductivity
• ANOMALOUS QUANTUM STATES IN FINITE MACROSCOPIC SYSTEMS
• Title not available (Why is that?)
• Time evolution of typical pure states from a macroscopic Hilbert subspace
• Entanglement and quantum superposition of a macroscopic-macroscopic system
• Extreme quantum entanglement in a superposition of macroscopically distinct states
• Quantum hair and black hole information

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