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arXiv:1103.1236 · Physical Review A

Testing spontaneous localization theories with matter-wave interferometry

Stefan Nimmrichter, Klaus Hornberger, Philipp Haslinger, Markus Arndt

Published Apr 27, 2011• 98 citations
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Abstract

We propose to test the theory of continuous spontaneous localization (CSL) in an all-optical time-domain Talbot-Lau interferometer for clusters with masses exceeding ${10}^{6} $ amu. By assessing the relevant environmental decoherence mechanisms, as well as the growing size of the particles relative to the grating fringes, we argue that it will be feasible to test the quantum superposition principle in a mass range excluded by recent estimates of the CSL effect.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.83.043621

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We propose to test the theory of continuous spontaneous localization (CSL) in an all-optical time-domain Talbot-Lau interferometer for clusters with masses exceeding 106{10}^{6} 106 amu. By assessing the relevant environmental decoherence mechanisms, as well as the growing size of the particles relative to the grating fringes, we argue that it will be feasible to test the quantum superposition principle in a mass range excluded by recent estimates of the CSL effect.
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The continuous spontaneous localization (CSL) model is one of the most promising approaches to address the wave function collapse problem in the measurement process of standard quantum mechanics. In this work, the effect of the CSL model on a Bragg atom interferometer was investigated. A Bragg interferometer achieving high fringe contrast of 99%\%% has been demonstrated, maintaining this performance level at interrogation time up to T=60 msT=60~\mathrm{ms}T=60 ms. The primary factors responsible for fringe contrast loss in the atom interferometer were systematically analyzed and corrected. This improvement established a new upper limit of λCSL=1.27×10−5 s−1λ_{\rm CSL}=1.27\times10^{-5}~\mathrm{s}^{-1}λCSL​=1.27×10−5 s−1 at rC=10−5 mr_C=10^{-5}~\mathrm{m}rC​=10−5 m for the CSL collapse rate, representing approximately 4 times enhancement over previous atom-interferometric constraints.
We propose a mechanism for testing the theory of collapse models such as continuous spontaneous localization (CSL) by examining the parametric heating rate of a trapped nanosphere. The random localizations of the center of mass for a given particle predicted by the CSL model can be understood as a stochastic force embodying a source of heating for the nanosphere. We show that by utilizing a Paul trap to levitate the particle and optical cooling, it is possible to reduce environmental decoherence to such a level that CSL dominates the dynamics and contributes the main source of heating. We show that this approach allows measurements to be made on the time scale of seconds and that the free parameter ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{\mathrm{csl}}$ which characterizes the model ought to be testable to values as low as ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}12}$ Hz.
Wave function collapse models postulate a fundamental breakdown of the quantum superposition principle at the macroscale. Therefore, experimental tests of collapse models are also fundamental tests of quantum mechanics. Here, we compute the upper bounds on the collapse parameters, which can be inferred by the gravitational wave detectors LIGO, LISA Pathfinder, and AURIGA. We consider the most widely used collapse model, the continuous spontaneous localization (CSL) model. We show that these experiments exclude a huge portion of the CSL parameter space, the strongest bound being set by the recently launched space mission LISA Pathfinder. We also rule out a proposal for quantum-gravity-induced decoherence.