Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2301.07661 · Physical Review A

Linear-friction many-body equation for dissipative spontaneous wave-function collapse

Giovanni Di Bartolomeo, Matteo Carlesso, Kristian Piscicchia, Catalina Curceanu, Maaneli Derakhshani, Lajos Diósi

Published Jul 6, 2023• 10 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We construct and study the simplest universal dissipative Lindblad master equation for many-body systems with the purpose of a new dissipative extension of existing nonrelativistic theories of fundamental spontaneous decoherence and spontaneous wave function collapse in nature. It is universal as it is written in terms of second-quantized mass density $\stackrel{\ifmmode \hat{}\else \^{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\varrho}}$ and current $\stackrel{\ifmmode \hat{}\else \^{}\fi{}}{\mathbf{J}}$, thus making it independent of the material structure and its parameters. Assuming linear friction in the current, we find that the dissipative structure is strictly constrained. Following the general structure of our dissipative Lindblad equation, we derive and analyze the dissipative extensions of the two most known spontaneous wave function collapse models, the Di\'osi-Penrose and the continuous spontaneous localization models.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.108.012202

Related papers

Wave-functional formulation of dissipative CSL models

Y. M. P. Gomes

We formulate minimal and dissipative Continuous Spontaneous Localization (CSL) dynamics in the functional Schrödinger representation for a non-relativistic bosonic field. In this framework, the Fock-space state is encoded in a wave functional, and fixed particle-number wave functions are obtained by sector projection. For the minimal CSL coupling to the smeared mass density, this projection gives the standard nonlinear stochastic dynamics in each \(N\)-particle sector, with the collapse operator acting on the total smeared density of the configuration. This makes the amplification mechanism transparent and allows us to discuss sector superpositions, local probability balance, and the status of Bohmian equivariance at the wave-function level. We then consider a dissipative extension in which the collapse operator includes a smeared current contribution. The one-particle sector reproduces the expected dissipative CSL energy balance, while fixed many-body sectors contain additional collective momentum shifts and pair-mixing terms that are not reducible, in general, to independent one-particle contributions. Within a leading compact closure, the collective pair friction produces a non-extensive stationary mean kinetic energy: in three dimensions and for weak dissipation, $T_N^{\rm comp}\simeq 2T_β/N$, whereas the corresponding dilute energy remains extensive.

quant-pharXiv:2607.24853•Jul 28, 2026•0 citations

Quantum measurement-feedback models of friction beyond the diffusive limit and their connection to collapse models

Michael Gaida, Stefan Nimmrichter

We present and discuss a master equation blueprint for a generic class of quantum measurement-feedback-based models of friction. A desired velocity-dependent friction force is realized on average by random repeated applications of unsharp momentum measurements followed by immediate outcome-dependent momentum displacements. The master equations can describe arbitrarily strong measurement-feedback processes as well as the weak continuous limit resembling diffusion master equations of Caldeira-Leggett type. We show that the special case of linear friction can be equivalently represented by an average over random position measurements with squeezing and position displacements as feedback. In fact, the dissipative continuous spontaneous localization model of objective wave-function collapse realizes this representation for a single quantum particle. We reformulate a consistent many-particle generalization of this model and highlight the possibility of feedback-induced correlations between otherwise noninteracting particles.

arXiv:2304.05940•Physical Review A•Nov 8, 2023•2 citations

Collapse of the Wave Function: Irreversibility as a Fundamental Dynamical Principle

Abderrahim Lyoubi-Idrissi

The collapse of the wave function remains one of the deepest puzzles in quantum mechanics. The Schrödinger equation is unitary and time-reversal symmetric, yet measurement requires an additional postulate that is neither—and we have no physical explanation for why. Existing interpretations either deny that collapse is real (Many-Worlds), treat it as purely subjective (QBism), or add stochastic noise by hand without deriving it from fundamental principles (GRW, CSL). We demonstrate that collapse is a real physical process requiring fundamentally irreversible dynamics. No purely unitary, time-symmetric theory can account for the objective suppression of macroscopic superpositions—irreversibility must be built into the dynamics from the start. We introduce a minimal extension of quantum mechanics through coupling to a universal scalar field (the I-field) governed by an explicit time-asymmetric field equation. Collapse emerges objectively through deterministic dissipative dynamics, with no reference to observers, measurement devices, or stochastic noise. By integrating out the I-field degrees of freedom, we derive effective Lindblad dynamics for quantum systems. The collapse rate scales quadratically with system mass, ensuring microscopic quantum coherence remains intact while macroscopic superpositions are dynamically suppressed. Unlike stochastic collapse models (GRW/CSL), the mechanism is deterministic and produces no spontaneous heating. Unlike gravitational collapse proposals (Diósi-Penrose), it provides explicit field equations rather than heuristic arguments. Unlike environmental decoherence, the irreversibility is fundamental rather than effective. The theory respects relativistic causality and makes testable predictions for current and near-future experiments in matter-wave interferometry, optomechanical systems, and molecular interferometry. Observation of mass-dependent decoherence without accompanying stochastic heating would provide strong evidence for the I-field mechanism. The framework establishes irreversibility as a fundamental interaction rather than an emergent phenomenon, providing a unified physical origin for both wave function collapse and the quantum arrow of time.

•Jan 16, 2026•0 citations

Bounds on quantum collapse models from matter-wave interferometry: calculational details

Marko Toroš, Angelo Bassi

Abstract We present a simple derivation of the interference pattern in matter-wave interferometry predicted by a class of quantum master equations. We apply the obtained formulae to the following collapse models: the Ghirardi–Rimini–Weber (GRW) model, the continuous spontaneous localization (CSL) model together with its dissipative (dCSL) and non-Markovian generalizations (cCSL), the quantum mechanics with universal position localization (QMUPL), and the Diósi–Penrose (DP) model. We discuss the separability of the dynamics of the collapse models along the three spatial directions, the validity of the paraxial approximation, and the amplification mechanism. We obtain analytical expressions both in the far field and near field limits. These results agree with those already derived in the Wigner function formalism. We compare the theoretical predictions with the experimental data from two recent matter-wave experiments: the 2012 far-field experiment of Juffmann T et al (2012 Nat. Nanotechnol . 7 297–300) and the 2013 Kapitza–Dirac–Talbot–Lau (KDTL) near-field experiment of Eibenberger et al (2013 Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys . 15 14696–700). We show the region of the parameter space for each collapse model that is excluded by these experiments. We show that matter-wave experiments provide model-insensitive bounds that are valid for a wide family of dissipative and non-Markovian generalizations.

arXiv:1601.02931•Journal of Physics A Mathematical and Theoretical•Jan 31, 2018•77 citations

Dissipation in Lagrangian Formalism

Yoon Ayanajee Peiris Thelge

This thesis examines dissipative forces in physical systems in both microscopic and quantum level. The system-environment interaction is modeled by assuming that the environment is composed of simple harmonic oscillators and that there is a linear interaction between these oscillators and the system. The classical case is solved by determining the retarded Green’s function, which yields the equation of motion of the system. For quantum dissipation, the Lindblad master equation is used to describe the time evolution of the reduced density matrix of the system, and the propagator is investigated to identify important parameters, including the term of Newton's friction force.

•Apr 25, 2023•0 citations

Wigner–Lindblad Equations for Quantum Friction

Denys I. Bondar, Renán Cabrera, Andre G. Campos +2 more

Dissipative forces are ubiquitous and thus constitute an essential part of realistic physical theories. However, quantization of dissipation has remained an open challenge for nearly a century. We construct a quantum counterpart of classical friction, a velocity-dependent force acting against the direction of motion. In particular, a translationary invariant Lindblad equation is derived satisfying the appropriate dynamical relations for the coordinate and momentum (i.e., the Ehrenfest equations). Numerical simulations establish that the model approximately equilibrates. These findings significantly advance a long search for a universally valid Lindblad model of quantum friction and open opportunities for exploring novel dissipation phenomena.

arXiv:1412.1892•The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters•Apr 14, 2016•25 citations
We construct and study the simplest universal dissipative Lindblad master equation for many-body systems with the purpose of a new dissipative extension of existing nonrelativistic theories of fundamental spontaneous decoherence and spontaneous wave function collapse in nature. It is universal as it is written in terms of second-quantized mass density \ensuremathϱ\ifmmode^\elseˆ\fi\stackrel{\ifmmode \hat{}\else \^{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\varrho}}\ensuremathϱ\ifmmode^\elseˆ\fi​ and current J\ifmmode^\elseˆ\fi\stackrel{\ifmmode \hat{}\else \^{}\fi{}}{\mathbf{J}}J\ifmmode^\elseˆ\fi​, thus making it independent of the material structure and its parameters. Assuming linear friction in the current, we find that the dissipative structure is strictly constrained. Following the general structure of our dissipative Lindblad equation, we derive and analyze the dissipative extensions of the two most known spontaneous wave function collapse models, the Di'osi-Penrose and the continuous spontaneous localization models.
We formulate minimal and dissipative Continuous Spontaneous Localization (CSL) dynamics in the functional Schrödinger representation for a non-relativistic bosonic field. In this framework, the Fock-space state is encoded in a wave functional, and fixed particle-number wave functions are obtained by sector projection. For the minimal CSL coupling to the smeared mass density, this projection gives the standard nonlinear stochastic dynamics in each NNN-particle sector, with the collapse operator acting on the total smeared density of the configuration. This makes the amplification mechanism transparent and allows us to discuss sector superpositions, local probability balance, and the status of Bohmian equivariance at the wave-function level. We then consider a dissipative extension in which the collapse operator includes a smeared current contribution. The one-particle sector reproduces the expected dissipative CSL energy balance, while fixed many-body sectors contain additional collective momentum shifts and pair-mixing terms that are not reducible, in general, to independent one-particle contributions. Within a leading compact closure, the collective pair friction produces a non-extensive stationary mean kinetic energy: in three dimensions and for weak dissipation, TNcomp≃2Tβ/NT_N^{\rm comp}\simeq 2T_β/NTNcomp​≃2Tβ​/N, whereas the corresponding dilute energy remains extensive.
We present and discuss a master equation blueprint for a generic class of quantum measurement-feedback-based models of friction. A desired velocity-dependent friction force is realized on average by random repeated applications of unsharp momentum measurements followed by immediate outcome-dependent momentum displacements. The master equations can describe arbitrarily strong measurement-feedback processes as well as the weak continuous limit resembling diffusion master equations of Caldeira-Leggett type. We show that the special case of linear friction can be equivalently represented by an average over random position measurements with squeezing and position displacements as feedback. In fact, the dissipative continuous spontaneous localization model of objective wave-function collapse realizes this representation for a single quantum particle. We reformulate a consistent many-particle generalization of this model and highlight the possibility of feedback-induced correlations between otherwise noninteracting particles.
The collapse of the wave function remains one of the deepest puzzles in quantum mechanics. The Schrödinger equation is unitary and time-reversal symmetric, yet measurement requires an additional postulate that is neither—and we have no physical explanation for why. Existing interpretations either deny that collapse is real (Many-Worlds), treat it as purely subjective (QBism), or add stochastic noise by hand without deriving it from fundamental principles (GRW, CSL). We demonstrate that collapse is a real physical process requiring fundamentally irreversible dynamics. No purely unitary, time-symmetric theory can account for the objective suppression of macroscopic superpositions—irreversibility must be built into the dynamics from the start. We introduce a minimal extension of quantum mechanics through coupling to a universal scalar field (the I-field) governed by an explicit time-asymmetric field equation. Collapse emerges objectively through deterministic dissipative dynamics, with no reference to observers, measurement devices, or stochastic noise. By integrating out the I-field degrees of freedom, we derive effective Lindblad dynamics for quantum systems. The collapse rate scales quadratically with system mass, ensuring microscopic quantum coherence remains intact while macroscopic superpositions are dynamically suppressed. Unlike stochastic collapse models (GRW/CSL), the mechanism is deterministic and produces no spontaneous heating. Unlike gravitational collapse proposals (Diósi-Penrose), it provides explicit field equations rather than heuristic arguments. Unlike environmental decoherence, the irreversibility is fundamental rather than effective. The theory respects relativistic causality and makes testable predictions for current and near-future experiments in matter-wave interferometry, optomechanical systems, and molecular interferometry. Observation of mass-dependent decoherence without accompanying stochastic heating would provide strong evidence for the I-field mechanism. The framework establishes irreversibility as a fundamental interaction rather than an emergent phenomenon, providing a unified physical origin for both wave function collapse and the quantum arrow of time.
Abstract We present a simple derivation of the interference pattern in matter-wave interferometry predicted by a class of quantum master equations. We apply the obtained formulae to the following collapse models: the Ghirardi–Rimini–Weber (GRW) model, the continuous spontaneous localization (CSL) model together with its dissipative (dCSL) and non-Markovian generalizations (cCSL), the quantum mechanics with universal position localization (QMUPL), and the Diósi–Penrose (DP) model. We discuss the separability of the dynamics of the collapse models along the three spatial directions, the validity of the paraxial approximation, and the amplification mechanism. We obtain analytical expressions both in the far field and near field limits. These results agree with those already derived in the Wigner function formalism. We compare the theoretical predictions with the experimental data from two recent matter-wave experiments: the 2012 far-field experiment of Juffmann T et al (2012 Nat. Nanotechnol . 7 297–300) and the 2013 Kapitza–Dirac–Talbot–Lau (KDTL) near-field experiment of Eibenberger et al (2013 Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys . 15 14696–700). We show the region of the parameter space for each collapse model that is excluded by these experiments. We show that matter-wave experiments provide model-insensitive bounds that are valid for a wide family of dissipative and non-Markovian generalizations.
This thesis examines dissipative forces in physical systems in both microscopic and quantum level. The system-environment interaction is modeled by assuming that the environment is composed of simple harmonic oscillators and that there is a linear interaction between these oscillators and the system. The classical case is solved by determining the retarded Green’s function, which yields the equation of motion of the system. For quantum dissipation, the Lindblad master equation is used to describe the time evolution of the reduced density matrix of the system, and the propagator is investigated to identify important parameters, including the term of Newton's friction force.
Dissipative forces are ubiquitous and thus constitute an essential part of realistic physical theories. However, quantization of dissipation has remained an open challenge for nearly a century. We construct a quantum counterpart of classical friction, a velocity-dependent force acting against the direction of motion. In particular, a translationary invariant Lindblad equation is derived satisfying the appropriate dynamical relations for the coordinate and momentum (i.e., the Ehrenfest equations). Numerical simulations establish that the model approximately equilibrates. These findings significantly advance a long search for a universally valid Lindblad model of quantum friction and open opportunities for exploring novel dissipation phenomena.