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arXiv:1603.04430 · Journal of Physics Conference Series

Probing a gravitational cat state: Experimental Possibilities

Maaneli Derakhshani, Charis Anastopoulos, B. L. Hu

Published Mar 1, 2016• 39 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

This is a progress report on a preliminary feasibility study of experimental setups for preparing and probing a gravitational cat state [1].
DOI
10.1088/1742-6596/701/1/012015

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Using as a testbed the recently proposed "gravcat" experimental scheme in [1], we compare the properties of gravitational cat states in three descriptions: (1) canonical quantum theory (CQT) combined with the Newtonian limit of GR, (2) objective collapse theories (OCTs) extended to the regime of semiclassical Newtonian gravity, and (3) OCTs extended to incorporate quantized Newtonian gravity. For the CQT approach, we follow the treatment of Hu and Anastopoulos in [2]. For the OCTs, we consider the GRW, CSL, DP, and Karolyhazy theories, based on the semiclassical approaches of Derakhshani [3] and Tilloy-Diosi [4], respectively, and we consider the most straightforward extension of the aforementioned OCTs to the regime of quantized Newtonian gravity. We show that the gravitational cat scheme can, in principle, experimentally discriminate the quantum jumps in gravitational cat states predicted by the CQT approach and the quantized-gravity OCTs (which we show make effectively the same predictions as each other), from the predictions of the semiclassical-gravitational OCTs. We also show that the GRW and Karolyhazy versions of semiclassical gravity (based on Derakhshani's approach) make distinctly different predictions from the CSL and DP versions of semiclassical gravity (based either on Derakhshani's approach or the Tilloy-Diosi approach).

arXiv:1609.01711•Sep 6, 2016•5 citations
This document presents a critical peer review of the manuscript “Probing a gravitational cat state: Experimental possibilities” (arXiv:1603.04430v1).The analysis identifies fundamental conceptual and theoretical flaws in the definition, interpretation, and proposed probing of so-called gravitational cat states. Starting from standard non-relativistic quantum mechanics coupled to Newtonian gravity, it is shown explicitly that a quantum superposition of a massive source does not generate a quantum superposition of the gravitational field. The gravitational interaction is fully determined by the classical mass density derived from the wave function modulus squared, and all observable quantities reduce to expectation values and classical correlation functions. The review demonstrates that the promotion of the Newtonian force and gravitational potential to operator status is unjustified, that the notion of a gravitational field cat state is a misuse of quantum language, and that the analogy with quantum optical models such as the Jaynes–Cummings Hamiltonian is physically incorrect. Explicit appendices provide a direct derivation from the source wave function and show the absence of gravitational field superposition at both the dynamical and observable levels. It is concluded that the manuscript does not define a consistent quantum state of the gravitational field, does not identify experimentally discriminating observables between classical and quantized gravity, and relies on phenomenological assumptions without variational or ontological closure. The results should therefore be interpreted within semiclassical gravity, and claims of gravitational field superposition are
Abstract We extend our earlier work [1] on probing a gravitational cat state (gravcat) to the quantum superposition of two gravcats in an exemplary model and in Bose–Einstein condensates (BEC). In addition to its basic theoretical values in gravitational quantum physics and macroscopic quantum phenomena, this investigation can provide some theoretical support to experimental proposals for measuring gravity-induced entanglement and the quantum nature of perturbative gravity. In the first part we consider cat states generated by double-well potentials. A pair of gravcats, each approximated as a two-level system, is characterized by gravity - induced Rabi oscillations , and by gravity - induced entanglement of its energy eigenstates. In the second part we turn to a (non-relativistic) quantum field theory description and derive a gravitational Gross – Pitaevsky equation for gravcats formed in BEC. Using a mathematical analogy to quantum rotors, we explore the properties of the two-gravcat system for BECs, its physical consequences and observational possibilities. Finally we discuss our results in comparison to predictions of alternative quantum theories, and we explain their implications.
Using as a testbed the recently proposed "gravcat" experimental scheme in [1], we compare the properties of gravitational cat states in three descriptions: (1) canonical quantum theory (CQT) combined with the Newtonian limit of GR, (2) objective collapse theories (OCTs) extended to the regime of semiclassical Newtonian gravity, and (3) OCTs extended to incorporate quantized Newtonian gravity. For the CQT approach, we follow the treatment of Hu and Anastopoulos in [2]. For the OCTs, we consider the GRW, CSL, DP, and Karolyhazy theories, based on the semiclassical approaches of Derakhshani [3] and Tilloy-Diosi [4], respectively, and we consider the most straightforward extension of the aforementioned OCTs to the regime of quantized Newtonian gravity. We show that the gravitational cat scheme can, in principle, experimentally discriminate the quantum jumps in gravitational cat states predicted by the CQT approach and the quantized-gravity OCTs (which we show make effectively the same predictions as each other), from the predictions of the semiclassical-gravitational OCTs. We also show that the GRW and Karolyhazy versions of semiclassical gravity (based on Derakhshani's approach) make distinctly different predictions from the CSL and DP versions of semiclassical gravity (based either on Derakhshani's approach or the Tilloy-Diosi approach).