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Electromagnetic Criticality as a Phase-Transition Mechanism for Wavefunction Collapse: Implications for Quantum Computing Errors

Hyowon Kim

Published Jan 1, 2026• 0 citations
Publisher
DOI
10.2139/ssrn.6318459

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Electromagnetic Criticality as a Phase-Transition Mechanism for Wavefunction Collapse: Implications for Quantum Computing Errors -Revised Manuscript-

Hyowon Kim

•Jan 1, 2026•0 citations

Electromagnetic Criticality as a Phase-Transition Mechanism for Wavefunction Collapse: Implications for Quantum Computing Errors

Hyowon Kim

We propose that wavefunction collapse is not an intrinsic probabilisticevent but a deterministic phase transition triggered by the local electromagnetic(EM) energy density exceeding a specific critical threshold(Ec). Unlike standard decoherence theory, which suppresses interference but failsto explain unique outcome selection, and unlike stochastic collapse models (e.g.,GRW, CSL) that rely on arbitrary noise fields, our framework identifies the ubiquitousEM field as the physical agent of collapse.We argue that the sudden, non-Gaussian error bursts frequently observedin superconducting qubits are not random anomalies but direct manifestations ofthis electromagnetic criticality. Specifically, we predict that collapse occurs onlywhen the coarse-grained EM energy density ρEM surpasses Ec, marking an abrupttransition from a coherent superposition to a definite particle state.To validate this hypothesis, we present three falsifiable experimental protocolsfeasible with current technology(1) EM-tuning in quantum processors to observe non-linear error spikes(2) Weak-laser double-slit experiments to detect the abrupt vanishing ofinterference patterns at specific intensity thresholds(3) EM-shielded null tests to demonstrate the preservation of macroscopicsuperposition in sub-critical environmentsThis model offers a falsifiable resolution to the measurement problem, bridgingthe gap between unitary quantum evolution and macroscopic reality through a clearthermodynamic criterion.

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This paper introduces a computational framework for analyzing wavefunction collapse, a crucial process in quantum information processing. We propose a model that explicitly incorporates temporal evolution of collapse states, enabling the simulation of phase transitions and emergent behavior. The framework's design leverages a novel approach to represent and manipulate wavefunction dynamics, aiming to improve our understanding of collapse and its impact on complex systems. We present a preliminary implementation demonstrating the framework's capacity to simulate simplified collapse scenarios and explore potential implications for quantum algorithms.

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The Dynamics of Discrete Fact: A Phase-Transition Theory of Wavefunction Collapse

Ahmed Hamid

Abstract The quantum measurement problem—the absence of any dynamical mechanism connecting continuous wavefunction evolution to discrete empirical outcomes—has persisted since the foundations of quantum theory. Decoherence explains interference suppression but cannot explain outcome selection: the diagonal density matrix remains an improper mixture until one outcome is actualized. We propose that collapse is a physical phase transition in the coupled system–apparatus field. The order parameter ψ, constructed as a coarse-grained collective coordinate of apparatus degrees of freedom, evolves under Ginzburg–Landau dynamicswith a symmetry-breaking potential. When the coherence pressure γ exceeds a critical threshold γc, the symmetric phase(superposition) becomes unstable and the field crystallizes into one of the discrete stable minima (eigenstates). We derive the critical coupling from microscopic system–apparatus Hamiltonians, obtaining γc ∼ (√Ng)−1 where N is the number of apparatus degrees of freedom and g is the coupling constant. This scaling explains why macroscopic apparatus collapse wavefunctions while microscopic interactions preserve coherence. The Born rule Pn = |cn|2 is preserved through this dynamical selection mechanism: attractor basin geometry under probability-conserving flow converts probabilistic weights into definite outcomes without altering the underlying probabilities. The theory yields four falsifiable predictions absent from standard quantum mechanics: critical slowing near γc, hysteresis in the collapse–recoherence cycle, metastable supercooled superpositions, and transient Jacobian spikes at the moment of collapse. We provide quantitative estimates for superconducting qubit readout, predicting collapsetimes of order 100 ns with critical slowing observable within current experimental precision. This framework provides a concrete existence proof, within a controlled effective-theory regime, that collapse dynamics can be constructed from standard quantum mechanics plus statistical mechanics, requiring no modification to the Schr¨odinger equation.

•Feb 6, 2026•0 citations
We propose that wavefunction collapse is not an intrinsic probabilisticevent but a deterministic phase transition triggered by the local electromagnetic(EM) energy density exceeding a specific critical threshold(Ec). Unlike standard decoherence theory, which suppresses interference but failsto explain unique outcome selection, and unlike stochastic collapse models (e.g.,GRW, CSL) that rely on arbitrary noise fields, our framework identifies the ubiquitousEM field as the physical agent of collapse.We argue that the sudden, non-Gaussian error bursts frequently observedin superconducting qubits are not random anomalies but direct manifestations ofthis electromagnetic criticality. Specifically, we predict that collapse occurs onlywhen the coarse-grained EM energy density ρEM surpasses Ec, marking an abrupttransition from a coherent superposition to a definite particle state.To validate this hypothesis, we present three falsifiable experimental protocolsfeasible with current technology(1) EM-tuning in quantum processors to observe non-linear error spikes(2) Weak-laser double-slit experiments to detect the abrupt vanishing ofinterference patterns at specific intensity thresholds(3) EM-shielded null tests to demonstrate the preservation of macroscopicsuperposition in sub-critical environmentsThis model offers a falsifiable resolution to the measurement problem, bridgingthe gap between unitary quantum evolution and macroscopic reality through a clearthermodynamic criterion.
This paper introduces a computational framework for analyzing wavefunction collapse, a crucial process in quantum information processing. We propose a model that explicitly incorporates temporal evolution of collapse states, enabling the simulation of phase transitions and emergent behavior. The framework's design leverages a novel approach to represent and manipulate wavefunction dynamics, aiming to improve our understanding of collapse and its impact on complex systems. We present a preliminary implementation demonstrating the framework's capacity to simulate simplified collapse scenarios and explore potential implications for quantum algorithms.
Abstract The quantum measurement problem—the absence of any dynamical mechanism connecting continuous wavefunction evolution to discrete empirical outcomes—has persisted since the foundations of quantum theory. Decoherence explains interference suppression but cannot explain outcome selection: the diagonal density matrix remains an improper mixture until one outcome is actualized. We propose that collapse is a physical phase transition in the coupled system–apparatus field. The order parameter ψ, constructed as a coarse-grained collective coordinate of apparatus degrees of freedom, evolves under Ginzburg–Landau dynamicswith a symmetry-breaking potential. When the coherence pressure γ exceeds a critical threshold γc, the symmetric phase(superposition) becomes unstable and the field crystallizes into one of the discrete stable minima (eigenstates). We derive the critical coupling from microscopic system–apparatus Hamiltonians, obtaining γc ∼ (√Ng)−1 where N is the number of apparatus degrees of freedom and g is the coupling constant. This scaling explains why macroscopic apparatus collapse wavefunctions while microscopic interactions preserve coherence. The Born rule Pn = |cn|2 is preserved through this dynamical selection mechanism: attractor basin geometry under probability-conserving flow converts probabilistic weights into definite outcomes without altering the underlying probabilities. The theory yields four falsifiable predictions absent from standard quantum mechanics: critical slowing near γc, hysteresis in the collapse–recoherence cycle, metastable supercooled superpositions, and transient Jacobian spikes at the moment of collapse. We provide quantitative estimates for superconducting qubit readout, predicting collapsetimes of order 100 ns with critical slowing observable within current experimental precision. This framework provides a concrete existence proof, within a controlled effective-theory regime, that collapse dynamics can be constructed from standard quantum mechanics plus statistical mechanics, requiring no modification to the Schr¨odinger equation.