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Coherence-Driven Effective Gravity in Open Quantum Systems

Kenneth Cairampoma

Published May 2, 2026• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The relationship between quantum coherence and gravity remains an open question. In this work, we explore an effective description in which gravitational coupling is modulated by coherence properties of quantum systems.
DOI
10.5281/zenodo.19987355

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Abstract We discuss effects of loss of coherence in low energy quantum systems caused by or related to gravitation, referred to as gravitational decoherence. These effects, resulting from random metric fluctuations, for instance, promise to be accessible by relatively inexpensive table-top experiments, way before the scales where true quantum gravity effects become important. Therefore, they can provide a first experimental view on gravity in the quantum regime. We will survey models of decoherence induced both by classical and quantum gravitational fluctuations; it will be manifest that a clear understanding of gravitational decoherence is still lacking. Next we will review models where quantum theory is modified, under the assumption that gravity causes the collapse of the wave functions, when systems are large enough. These models challenge the quantum-gravity interplay, and can be tested experimentally. In the last part we have a look at the state of the art of experimental research. We will review efforts aiming at more and more accurate measurements of gravity ( G and g ) and ideas for measuring conventional and unconventional gravity effects on nonrelativistic quantum systems.
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Quantum mechanics and the theory of gravity are presently not compatible. A particular question is whether gravity causes decoherence. Several models for gravitational decoherence have been proposed, not all of which can be described quantum mechanically. Since quantum mechanics may need to be modified, one may question the use of quantum mechanics as a calculational tool to draw conclusions from the data of experiments concerning gravity. Here we propose a general method to estimate gravitational decoherence in an experiment that allows us to draw conclusions in any physical theory where the no-signalling principle holds, even if quantum mechanics needs to be modified. As an example, we propose a concrete experiment using optomechanics. Our work raises the interesting question whether other properties of nature could similarly be established from experimental observations alone-that is, without already having a rather well-formed theory of nature to make sense of experimental data.
We propose an interferometric set-up that utilizes the concept of quantum coherence to provide quantum signatures of gravity. The gravitational force comes into nontrivial play due to the existence of an extra mass in the set-up that transforms an incoherent state to a coherent state. The implication uses the fact that quantum coherence at a certain site cannot be altered by local actions at a separate site. The ability to transform an incoherent state to a coherent one in the presence of gravitational field provides a signature of quantumness of gravity. We also observe that the results remain unaltered in presence of a nontrivial quantity of depolarising noise.