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arXiv:2501.07632 · Physica Scripta

Magnetic field fluctuations induced decoherence of a diamagnetic nanosphere

Ruiyun Zhang, Martine Schut, Anupam Mazumdar

Published Sep 19, 2025• 2 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Abstract This paper provides a simple derivation of the decoherence rate for a diamagnetic nanoparticle in the presence of fluctuations of the magnetic field in a thermal environment. Diamagnetic levitation is one of the key techniques for trapping, cooling, and creating a macroscopic quantum spatial superposition in many experiments. It is widely applied in many theoretical and experimental endeavours to test fundamental physics in matter-wave interferometers. To estimate the decoherence rate originating from magnetic-field fluctuations, we use the fluctuation-dissipation theorem. We show that our resulting decoherence rate expression is analogous to that of a dielectric material interacting with the electric field component of the background field; however, it is often relatively suppressed due to the material properties.

DOI
10.1088/1402-4896/ae0986

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Abstract This paper provides a simple derivation of the decoherence rate for a diamagnetic nanoparticle in the presence of fluctuations of the magnetic field in a thermal environment. Diamagnetic levitation is one of the key techniques for trapping, cooling, and creating a macroscopic quantum spatial superposition in many experiments. It is widely applied in many theoretical and experimental endeavours to test fundamental physics in matter-wave interferometers. To estimate the decoherence rate originating from magnetic-field fluctuations, we use the fluctuation-dissipation theorem. We show that our resulting decoherence rate expression is analogous to that of a dielectric material interacting with the electric field component of the background field; however, it is often relatively suppressed due to the material properties.
In this paper, we will provide a complete derivation of the decoherence rate for a magnetic nanoparticle in quantum superposition in the presence of the fluctuating electromagnetic field in a thermal background by using the fluctuation-dissipation theorem in the long-wavelength limit. The long-wavelength limit assumes that the superposition size is much smaller than the wavelength of the electromagentic filed fluctuations. We will extend this computation to two diamagnetic nanoparticles kept in quantum superposition adjacent to each other. We will also show how the drag force on a single nanoparticle arises from external electromagnetic-field fluctuations, and compare our results with those for the nanoparticle's dielectric properties.
In this paper, we will show how random fluctuations in the magnetic field will jitter the paths of a matter-wave interferometer randomly, hence, decohere the quantum superposition. To create a large spatial superposition with nanoparticles, we envisage embedding a spin in a nanoparticle as a defect and applying an inhomogeneous magnetic field as in a Stern-Gerlach type experiment to create a macroscopic quantum superposition. Such matter-wave interferometers are the cornerstone for many new fundamental advancements in physics; particularly, adjacent matter-wave interferometers can use entanglement features to test physics beyond the Standard Model, test the equivalence principle, improve quantum sensors, and test the quantum nature of spacetime in a lab. In particular, we will use white and flicker noise to study the decoherence and constrain the parameters keeping in mind ambient temperatures suitable for superconducting wires embedded on a chip. We will show that to obtain a tiny spatial superposition of a nanometer separation, Δx∼O(10−9)Δx \sim {\cal O} (10^{-9})Δx∼O(10−9)m and to minimize decoherence, Γ≤O(ω02π)Γ\leq {\cal O}(\frac{ω_0}{2π})Γ≤O(2πω0​​), where ΓΓΓ is the decoherence and ω0ω_0ω0​ is the frequency of the oscillator, we will need current fluctuations to be δI/I≤O(10−8)δI/I\leq {\cal O}(10^{-8})δI/I≤O(10−8), which is not impossible to obtain in superconducting wire arrangements. For such tiny fluctuations, we demonstrate that the Humpty-Dumpty problem in a matter-wave interferometer arising from a mismatch in position and momentum does not cause a loss in contrast.
Matter-wave interferometry with nanoparticles will enable the development of quantum sensors capable of probing ultraweak fields with unprecedented applications for fundamental physics. The high sensitivity of such devices, however. makes them susceptible to several noise and decoherence sources and, as such, can operate only when sufficient isolation from the environment is achieved. It is thus imperative to model and characterize the interaction of nanoparticles with the environment and to estimate its deleterious effects. This paper will aim to study the decoherence of the matter-wave interferometer due to dipole-dipole interactions, which is one of the unavoidable channels for decoherence, even for a neutral micro-crystal. We will use the scattering model for decoherence, characterized by the differential cross section, in order to obtain simple expressions for the decoherence rate due to dipole-dipole interactions in the short- and long-wavelength limits that can be readily applied to estimate the available coherence time. We will conclude by applying the formulas we obtained to estimate the dipole-dipole decoherence rate for the quantum gravity-induced entanglement of masses protocol and discuss if the effects should be mitigated.
Optically levitated nanoparticles are ideal experimental testbeds for investigating macroscopic superpositions and microscopic thermodynamics. Integrating such levitated nanoparticles with photonic structures can enable strong coupling between their center-of-mass motion and guided photonic modes, facilitating enhanced control and probing of their motion. When coupling a particle to a photonic structure, such as a waveguide, the effects of fluctuations become prominent at nanoscales. In this work, we analyze the classical and quantized center-of-mass motion of a polarizable particle interacting with the fluctuations of the electromagnetic field in the presence of a medium. We derive a position localization master equation for the particle's quantized center of mass, and examine its classical center-of-mass momentum diffusion, elucidating correspondences between classical and quantum Brownian motion of polarizable particles near media. We study the decoherence rate of the particle in the presence of a planar surface as a function of temperature and distance from the surface, comparing it to common sources of decoherence. Our results are pertinent to experiments aimed at preparing levitated nanospheres in macroscopic quantum states and investigating their Brownian dynamics.
Starting from a quantum Langevin equation (QLE) of a charged particle coupled to a heat bath in the presence of an external magnetic field, we present a fully dynamical calculation of the susceptibility tensor. In a different ‘equilibrium approach’, we further evaluate the position autocorrelation function by using the Gibbs ensemble. This quantity is shown to be related to the imaginary part of the dynamical susceptibility, thereby validating the fluctuation–dissipation theorem in the context of dissipative diamagnetism. Finally, we present an overview of coherence-to-decoherence transition in the realm of dissipative diamagnetism at zero temperature. The analysis underscores the importance of the details of the relevant physical quantity, as far as coherence-to-decoherence transition is concerned.