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

A proposal for the experimental detection of CSL induced random walk

Ulbricht, Hendrik

Published Dec 3, 2014• 44 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

Continuous Spontaneous Localization (CSL) is one possible explanation for dynamically induced collapse of the wave-function during a quantum measurement. The collapse is mediated by a stochastic non-linear modification of the Schrödinger equation. A consequence of the CSL mechanism is an extremely tiny violation of energy-momentum conservation, which can, in principle, be detected in the laboratory via the random diffusion of a particle induced by the stochastic collapse mechanism. In a paper in 2003, Collett and Pearle investigated the translational CSL diffusion of a sphere, and the rotational CSL diffusion of a disc, and showed that this effect dominates over the ambient environmental noise at low temperatures and extremely low pressures (about ten-thousandth of a pico-Torr). In the present paper, we revisit their analysis and argue that this stringent condition on pressure can be relaxed, and that the CSL effect can be seen at the pressure of about a pico-Torr. A similar analysis is provided for diffusion produced by gravity-induced decoherence, where the effect is typically much weaker than CSL. We also discuss the CSL induced random displacement of a quantum oscillator. Lastly, we propose possible experimental set-ups justifying that CSL diffusion is indeed measurable with the current technology.

Related papers

A proposal for the experimental detection of CSL induced random walk

Sayantani Bera, Bhawna Motwani, Tejinder P. Singh +1 more

Continuous Spontaneous Localization (CSL) is one possible explanation for dynamically induced collapse of the wave-function during a quantum measurement. The collapse is mediated by a stochastic non-linear modification of the Schrödinger equation. A consequence of the CSL mechanism is an extremely tiny violation of energy-momentum conservation, which can, in principle, be detected in the laboratory via the random diffusion of a particle induced by the stochastic collapse mechanism. In a paper in 2003, Collett and Pearle investigated the translational CSL diffusion of a sphere, and the rotational CSL diffusion of a disc, and showed that this effect dominates over the ambient environmental noise at low temperatures and extremely low pressures (about ten-thousandth of a pico-Torr). In the present paper, we revisit their analysis and argue that this stringent condition on pressure can be relaxed, and that the CSL effect can be seen at the pressure of about a pico-Torr. A similar analysis is provided for diffusion produced by gravity-induced decoherence, where the effect is typically much weaker than CSL. We also discuss the CSL induced random displacement of a quantum oscillator. Lastly, we propose possible experimental set-ups justifying that CSL diffusion is indeed measurable with the current technology.

arXiv:1409.8204•Scientific Reports•Jan 7, 2015•58 citations

Correlated random walks caused by dynamical wavefunction collapse

Daniel Bedingham, Hendrik Ulbricht

Wavefunction collapse models modify Schrödinger's equation so that it describes the collapse of a superposition of macroscopically distinguishable states as a dynamical process. This provides a basis for the resolution of the quantum measurement problem. An additional generic consequence of the collapse mechanism is that it causes particles to exhibit a tiny random diffusive motion. Here it is shown that for the continuous spontaneous localization (CSL) model---one of the most well developed collapse models---the diffusions of two sufficiently nearby particles are positively correlated. An experimental test of this effect is proposed in which random displacements of pairs of free nanoparticles are measured after they have been simultaneously released from nearby traps. The experiment must be carried out at sufficiently low temperature and pressure in order for the collapse effects to dominate over the ambient environmental noise. It is argued that these constraints can be satisfied by current technologies for a large region of the viable parameter space of the CSL model. The effect disappears as the separation between particles exceeds the CSL length scale. The test therefore provides a means of bounding this length scale.

arXiv:1411.6921•Nov 25, 2014•0 citations

Correlated random walks caused by dynamical wavefunction collapse

Daniel Bedingham, Hendrik Ulbricht

Wavefunction collapse models modify Schrödinger's equation so that it describes the collapse of a superposition of macroscopically distinguishable states as a dynamical process. This provides a basis for the resolution of the quantum measurement problem. An additional generic consequence of the collapse mechanism is that it causes particles to exhibit a tiny random diffusive motion. Here it is shown that for the continuous spontaneous localization (CSL) model—one of the most well developed collapse models—the diffusions of two sufficiently nearby particles are positively correlated. An experimental test of this effect is proposed in which random displacements of pairs of free nanoparticles are measured after they have been simultaneously released from nearby traps. The experiment must be carried out at sufficiently low temperature and pressure in order for the collapse effects to dominate over the ambient environmental noise. It is argued that these constraints can be satisfied by current technologies for a large region of the viable parameter space of the CSL model. The effect disappears as the separation between particles exceeds the CSL length scale. The test therefore provides a means of bounding this length scale.

Scientific Reports•Aug 25, 2015•2 citations

Dissipative Continuous Spontaneous Localization (CSL) model

Andrea Smirne, Angelo Bassi

Collapse models explain the absence of quantum superpositions at the macroscopic scale, while giving practically the same predictions as quantum mechanics for microscopic systems. The Continuous Spontaneous Localization (CSL) model is the most refined and studied among collapse models. A well-known problem of this model, and of similar ones, is the steady and unlimited increase of the energy induced by the collapse noise. Here we present the dissipative version of the CSL model, which guarantees a finite energy during the entire system's evolution, thus making a crucial step toward a realistic energy-conserving collapse model. This is achieved by introducing a non-linear stochastic modification of the Schrödinger equation, which represents the action of a dissipative finite-temperature collapse noise. The possibility to introduce dissipation within collapse models in a consistent way will have relevant impact on the experimental investigations of the CSL model, and therefore also on the testability of the quantum superposition principle.

arXiv:1408.6446•Scientific Reports•Aug 5, 2015•61 citations

Collapse-induced orientational localization of rigid rotors [Invited]

Björn Schrinski, Benjamin A. Stickler, Klaus Hornberger

We show how the ro-translational motion of anisotropic particles is affected by the model of continuous spontaneous localization (CSL), the most prominent hypothetical modification of the Schrödinger equation restoring realism on the macroscale. We derive the master equation describing collapse-induced spatio-orientational decoherence and demonstrate how it leads to linear- and angular-momentum diffusion. Since the associated heating rates scale differently with the CSL parameters, the latter can be determined individually by measuring the random motion of a single levitated nanorotor.

arXiv:1702.00181•Journal of the Optical Society of America B•Apr 13, 2017•33 citations

Toward an energy-conserving model of spontaneous wavefunction collapse

Andrea Smirne, Angelo Bassi

Collapse models explain the absence of quantum superpositions at the macroscopic scale, while giving practically the same predictions as quantum mechanics for microscopic systems. The Continuous Spontaneous Localization (CSL) model is the most refined and studied among collapse models. A well-known problem of this model, and of similar ones, is the steady and unlimited increase of the energy induced by the collapse noise. Here we present the dissipative version of the CSL model, which guarantees a finite energy during the entire system's evolution, thus making a crucial step toward a realistic energy-conserving collapse model. This is achieved by introducing a non-linear stochastic modification of the Schrodinger equation, which represents the action of a dissipative finite-temperature collapse noise. The possibility to introduce dissipation within collapse models in a consistent way will have relevant impact on the experimental investigations of the CSL model, and therefore also on the testability of the quantum superposition principle.

•Aug 27, 2014•2 citations
Continuous Spontaneous Localization (CSL) is one possible explanation for dynamically induced collapse of the wave-function during a quantum measurement. The collapse is mediated by a stochastic non-linear modification of the Schrödinger equation. A consequence of the CSL mechanism is an extremely tiny violation of energy-momentum conservation, which can, in principle, be detected in the laboratory via the random diffusion of a particle induced by the stochastic collapse mechanism. In a paper in 2003, Collett and Pearle investigated the translational CSL diffusion of a sphere, and the rotational CSL diffusion of a disc, and showed that this effect dominates over the ambient environmental noise at low temperatures and extremely low pressures (about ten-thousandth of a pico-Torr). In the present paper, we revisit their analysis and argue that this stringent condition on pressure can be relaxed, and that the CSL effect can be seen at the pressure of about a pico-Torr. A similar analysis is provided for diffusion produced by gravity-induced decoherence, where the effect is typically much weaker than CSL. We also discuss the CSL induced random displacement of a quantum oscillator. Lastly, we propose possible experimental set-ups justifying that CSL diffusion is indeed measurable with the current technology.
Continuous Spontaneous Localization (CSL) is one possible explanation for dynamically induced collapse of the wave-function during a quantum measurement. The collapse is mediated by a stochastic non-linear modification of the Schrödinger equation. A consequence of the CSL mechanism is an extremely tiny violation of energy-momentum conservation, which can, in principle, be detected in the laboratory via the random diffusion of a particle induced by the stochastic collapse mechanism. In a paper in 2003, Collett and Pearle investigated the translational CSL diffusion of a sphere, and the rotational CSL diffusion of a disc, and showed that this effect dominates over the ambient environmental noise at low temperatures and extremely low pressures (about ten-thousandth of a pico-Torr). In the present paper, we revisit their analysis and argue that this stringent condition on pressure can be relaxed, and that the CSL effect can be seen at the pressure of about a pico-Torr. A similar analysis is provided for diffusion produced by gravity-induced decoherence, where the effect is typically much weaker than CSL. We also discuss the CSL induced random displacement of a quantum oscillator. Lastly, we propose possible experimental set-ups justifying that CSL diffusion is indeed measurable with the current technology.
Wavefunction collapse models modify Schrödinger's equation so that it describes the collapse of a superposition of macroscopically distinguishable states as a dynamical process. This provides a basis for the resolution of the quantum measurement problem. An additional generic consequence of the collapse mechanism is that it causes particles to exhibit a tiny random diffusive motion. Here it is shown that for the continuous spontaneous localization (CSL) model---one of the most well developed collapse models---the diffusions of two sufficiently nearby particles are positively correlated. An experimental test of this effect is proposed in which random displacements of pairs of free nanoparticles are measured after they have been simultaneously released from nearby traps. The experiment must be carried out at sufficiently low temperature and pressure in order for the collapse effects to dominate over the ambient environmental noise. It is argued that these constraints can be satisfied by current technologies for a large region of the viable parameter space of the CSL model. The effect disappears as the separation between particles exceeds the CSL length scale. The test therefore provides a means of bounding this length scale.
Wavefunction collapse models modify Schrödinger's equation so that it describes the collapse of a superposition of macroscopically distinguishable states as a dynamical process. This provides a basis for the resolution of the quantum measurement problem. An additional generic consequence of the collapse mechanism is that it causes particles to exhibit a tiny random diffusive motion. Here it is shown that for the continuous spontaneous localization (CSL) model—one of the most well developed collapse models—the diffusions of two sufficiently nearby particles are positively correlated. An experimental test of this effect is proposed in which random displacements of pairs of free nanoparticles are measured after they have been simultaneously released from nearby traps. The experiment must be carried out at sufficiently low temperature and pressure in order for the collapse effects to dominate over the ambient environmental noise. It is argued that these constraints can be satisfied by current technologies for a large region of the viable parameter space of the CSL model. The effect disappears as the separation between particles exceeds the CSL length scale. The test therefore provides a means of bounding this length scale.
Collapse models explain the absence of quantum superpositions at the macroscopic scale, while giving practically the same predictions as quantum mechanics for microscopic systems. The Continuous Spontaneous Localization (CSL) model is the most refined and studied among collapse models. A well-known problem of this model, and of similar ones, is the steady and unlimited increase of the energy induced by the collapse noise. Here we present the dissipative version of the CSL model, which guarantees a finite energy during the entire system's evolution, thus making a crucial step toward a realistic energy-conserving collapse model. This is achieved by introducing a non-linear stochastic modification of the Schrödinger equation, which represents the action of a dissipative finite-temperature collapse noise. The possibility to introduce dissipation within collapse models in a consistent way will have relevant impact on the experimental investigations of the CSL model, and therefore also on the testability of the quantum superposition principle.
We show how the ro-translational motion of anisotropic particles is affected by the model of continuous spontaneous localization (CSL), the most prominent hypothetical modification of the Schrödinger equation restoring realism on the macroscale. We derive the master equation describing collapse-induced spatio-orientational decoherence and demonstrate how it leads to linear- and angular-momentum diffusion. Since the associated heating rates scale differently with the CSL parameters, the latter can be determined individually by measuring the random motion of a single levitated nanorotor.
Collapse models explain the absence of quantum superpositions at the macroscopic scale, while giving practically the same predictions as quantum mechanics for microscopic systems. The Continuous Spontaneous Localization (CSL) model is the most refined and studied among collapse models. A well-known problem of this model, and of similar ones, is the steady and unlimited increase of the energy induced by the collapse noise. Here we present the dissipative version of the CSL model, which guarantees a finite energy during the entire system's evolution, thus making a crucial step toward a realistic energy-conserving collapse model. This is achieved by introducing a non-linear stochastic modification of the Schrodinger equation, which represents the action of a dissipative finite-temperature collapse noise. The possibility to introduce dissipation within collapse models in a consistent way will have relevant impact on the experimental investigations of the CSL model, and therefore also on the testability of the quantum superposition principle.