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

Does the Gravitational Field Follow the Quantum State or Its Expectation Value? A Tunable-Probability Page-Geilker Experiment

Koorosh Karimi

Published Sep 4, 2026• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Matter-wave interferometry has confirmed the superposition principle for objects as large as fullerenes and, most recently, nanoparticles of thousands of atoms. Because every massive object sources a gravitational field, a long-standing question follows: does the gravitational field of a delocalized quantum system track the realized quantum state, or the probability-weighted expectation value of its mass distribution (semiclassical gravity)? We first revisit a distant-observer thought experiment in which gravitational which-path information appears to threaten complementarity, and summarize its modern resolution, which turns the apparent paradox into an argument for the quantization of the gravitational field. We then propose a variant of the 1981 Page–Geilker experiment that generalizes a protocol of Kent: the position of a macroscopic source mass is controlled by a quantum random trigger whose firing probability p is continuously tunable, a precision gravimeter monitors the local field, and an otherwise identical run with a classical pseudo-random trigger serves as a control. For no-collapse semiclassical gravity we derive, for a repeated protocol with reset, the field offset in intervals without a release and the suppression of the gravimeter step at quantum-triggered releases; both depend on p, whereas every event-sourced theory predicts a p-independent, event-following field, and the control run cancels systematics that scale with the release rate. Order-of-magnitude estimates indicate that a superconducting gravimeter and a 100–1000 kg source can bound the fraction of “counterfactual” mass that gravitates at the 10−3 level as a function of p. We state which hypotheses the experiment can falsify, why decoherence restricts its scope to no-collapse semiclassical theories, and how the design could be migrated to mesoscopic masses, where the question remains open. Version 2 (September 2026) of a manuscript first written in June 2026. 10 pages, 1 table, 44 references. Also submitted to arXiv (quant-ph, cross-list gr-qc).

DOI
10.5281/zenodo.22301648

Related papers

State-Dependent Gravitational Self-Interaction in Mesoscopic Quantum Superpositions ✔ Precise, conservative, reviewer-safe ✔ Matches the PDF content exactly ✔ Ideal for Zenodo + later journal submission

Morris, Jamie

This work presents numerical and theoretical evidence for a testable regime in which semiclassical Schrödinger–Newton dynamics predict a state-dependent gravitational self-interaction in mesoscopic quantum systems. Using large-scale Split-Step Fourier Method (SSFM) simulations, we identify a mass window (≈10⁻¹¹–10⁻¹⁰ kg) where quantum coherence and gravitational self-interaction coexist without immediate decoherence. In this regime, the gravitational self-energy depends smoothly on the spatial structure of the quantum state, leading to a differential phase evolution between superposition states with identical external potentials but different mass-density distributions. The predicted phase signal scales as m² and reaches experimentally relevant magnitudes (Δφ ≈ 10⁻³ rad) for millisecond evolution times, making the effect accessible to next-generation matter-wave and optomechanical interferometry. The work systematically validates the numerical approach, demonstrates energy conservation and convergence of the nonlinear dynamics, identifies a stable “breathing-mode” regime near 10⁻¹⁰ kg, and isolates the gravitational origin of the effect via null tests with the Schrödinger–Newton term removed. This preprint makes no claim regarding spacetime engineering, geometry manipulation, or violations of the equivalence principle. It is explicitly framed as a falsifiable test of semiclassical gravity in a previously inaccessible experimental regime. Confirmation or null detection would provide strong constraints on Schrödinger–Newton–type models and inform the ongoing search for the correct quantum–gravity interface.

•Dec 15, 2025•0 citations

Post-Newtonian Constraints on Semiclassical Gravity with Quantum Superpositions

Hollis Williams

Semiclassical gravity, in which a classical spacetime is sourced by the quantum expectation value of the stress-energy tensor, is a standard framework for describing the gravitational interaction of quantum matter. In the nonrelativistic limit this approach leads to the Schrödinger-Newton equation, which is often assumed to be consistent at least in the weak-field regime. In this work, we reexamine this assumption for spatial quantum superpositions of massive particles. We show that, when the quantum state is properly normalized, no modification of the Newtonian gravitational potential arises at leading order. However, at first post-Newtonian order the semiclassical coupling generically produces state-dependent contributions involving the mass density and the mass current of the superposition. These terms have a parametric scaling which is different from that of the corresponding relativistic corrections and which does not have Planck mass suppression. Our results therefore impose a strong post-Newtonian consistency constraint on deterministic semiclassical gravity, indicating that sourcing the metric solely by expectation values is insufficient to recover a consistent relativistic weak-field expansion.

gr-qcCross-listedarXiv:2512.18617•Dec 23, 2025

Ghirardi-Rimini-Weber model with massive flashes

Antoine Tilloy

I introduce a modification of the Ghirardi-Rimini-Weber (GRW) model in which the flashes (or space-time collapse events) source a classical gravitational field. The resulting semiclassical theory of Newtonian gravity preserves the statistical interpretation of quantum states of matter in contrast with mean field approaches. It can be seen as a discrete version of recent proposals of consistent hybrid quantum classical theories. The model is in agreement with known experimental data and introduces new falsifiable predictions: (1) single particles do not self-interact, (2) the $1/r$ gravitational potential of Newtonian gravity is cut off at short ($\ensuremath{\lesssim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}7}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{m}$) distances, and (3) gravity makes spatial superpositions decohere at a rate inversely proportional to that coming from the vanilla GRW model. Together, the last two predictions make the model experimentally falsifiable for all values of its parameters.

arXiv:1709.03809•Physical review. D/Physical review. D.•Jan 23, 2018•20 citations

Gravitational Attraction from Accumulated Decoherence

John Dangelo

TITLE:Gravitational Activation from Accumulated Decoherence: A PhenomenologicalFramework with Testable Predictions We present a phenomenological framework in which classical gravitationalsourcing emerges from irreversibly accumulated decoherence. The centralvariable is the accumulated decoherence parameter D, constructed as amonotone, partition-dependent functional of purity loss underGorini-Kossakowski-Lindblad-Sudarshan (GKLS) open-system dynamics. The framework introduces a critical distinction between gravitationalresponse and gravitational activation. All quantum systems — includingcoherent superpositions — respond universally to existing gravitationalfields, preserving the weak equivalence principle. However, the capacityto source a classical gravitational field is conditioned on accumulateddecoherence: only systems with sufficient D contribute to the gravitationalpotential. This directed structure resolves conceptual tensions betweenquantum coherence and classical geometry without modifying unitary dynamicsor the Schrodinger equation. Gravitational activation is modelled via a Hill-function sigmoid mapping Dto an effective sourcing fraction, controlled by two phenomenologicalparameters: a characteristic decoherence scale D* and a sharpness exponentn. An optional nonlinear feedback mechanism (the Bootstrap Closure) couplesgravitational activation back into the decoherence rate, producing a sharpcrossover — the Quantum Curie Point — at which the system transitionsrapidly from negligible to full gravitational sourcing. We provide numerical estimates of D for five candidate experimental systemsspanning 60 orders of magnitude in mass, from isolated electrons to LIGOtest masses and cosmological horizons. All estimates yield physicallysensible results: coherent laboratory systems show negligible activation,while macroscopic classical objects are deeply in the fully activated regime. Three classes of testable predictions are identified: (1) a mesoscopicpressure-sweep protocol for levitated nanoparticles in which gravitationalsourcing is predicted to exhibit a pressure-dependent suppression below acritical vacuum threshold; (2) constraints on the framework parameters fromBig Bang nucleosynthesis helium abundance, requiring gravitational couplingto be within 20% of Newton’s constant by t ~ 1 second; and (3) potentialmodifications to compact object formation if the activation timescaleexceeds the dynamical collapse timescale. The framework is phenomenologically closed, empirically constrainable,and falsifiable through existing and near-future experimental platformsin mesoscopic optomechanics and matter-wave interferometry. LICENSE:Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) RELATED IDENTIFIERS (optional — add if/when available): - Entropy-Referenced Cosmology: Operational time from coarse-grained entropy production (D’Angelo & D’Angelo, in preparation)- Decoherence-Gravitation Equivalence and the Bootstrapping of Classical Spacetime (D’Angelo & D’Angelo, in preparation) NOTES:This is a preprint deposited for priority timestamp. The work was conductedindependently by the PACES Research Group. Correspondence: jpaces33@gmail.com

•Feb 16, 2026•0 citations

Quantum effects in weak gravitational fields: towards tabletop tests of quantum gravity

Elmira Sayabekova

This study explores quantum effects in weak gravitational fields with the aim of identifying feasible pathways towards tabletop tests of quantum gravity. Using numerical simulations of matter-wave interference for nanoparticles with masses between and kg, we investigate how environmental and fundamental decoherence mechanisms shape observable signatures. The results reveal a mass-dependent reduction in interference visibility, dropping from near unity at kg to below 0.2 at kg. Coherence times were found to exceed one second for particles lighter than 10^(-16) kg under cryogenic ultra-high-vacuum conditions, but decreased to sub-millisecond scales for kg particles at room temperature, confirming thermal radiation as the dominant source of decoherence. In parallel, collapse models such as CSL predict additional suppression of visibility for interrogation times of 0.1 s, particularly for masses above kg, enabling discrimination between environmental and intrinsic decoherence mechanisms. These findings underscore the necessity of maintaining ultra-high vacuum and cryogenic environments to detect gravitationally induced quantum phases, thereby providing a practical framework for near-future interferometry experiments. While the present work is limited to phenomenological models and simulated data, it establishes a roadmap for extending investigations to heavier mass regimes, incorporating realistic noise sources, and testing alternative collapse scenarios.

Technobius physics.•Sep 14, 2025•0 citations

Wave-Mechanical Gravity: A Unified Theoretical and Experimental Programme

YOUNG HO GOH

This volume presents three companion papers forming a unified theoretical and experimental programme for a wave-mechanical account of gravitational motion. Paper 29 develops the theoretical framework in which gravitational motion emerges from constructive-interference maximum migration of de Broglie matter waves in a density-dependent refractive-index field. The gravitational field is expressed as an effective refractive-index field n(r) derived from the Schwarzschild metric. Feynman’s path-integral formalism establishes that all non-stationary paths are eliminated by oscillatory phase cancellation, and that the surviving constructive-interference maximum shifts toward regions of higher mass density. The argument proceeds through four interconnected stages — the gravitational refractive-index field, asymmetric phase accumulation, probability-density redistribution, and physical-motion identification — completed by two theorems and one derived result. The framework recovers GR geodesics in the geometric-optics limit, requires no hidden variables, and generates five classes of experimentally discriminating predictions. Paper 77 identifies slit-material mass density as an untested variable in matter-wave interferometry. The standard single-slit formula Δy ≈ λL/a contains no density term; as a result, density has never been systematically varied as an independent parameter in a century of matter-wave experiments. This paper explains the historical absence through the structural logic of theory-determined observation and the Copenhagen prohibition on mechanism questions, establishes that electrons and fullerene C₆₀ constitute a sufficient two-point experimental programme spanning six orders of magnitude in mass, specifies a three-layer control protocol to exclude slit-width artefacts, and analyses what each possible outcome establishes for the completeness of the standard formalism. Paper 78 develops a three-dimensional experimental matrix introducing slit thickness as a third independently variable parameter alongside particle species and slit-material density. The 5×5×3 design of 75 independent measurements has a random-coincidence probability of approximately 1/1,728,000. The paper derives the quantitative scaling prediction for the thickness dimension (Δx ∝ d, ratio 1:3:6 across three thickness levels), specifies a three-layer thickness control protocol, and analyses the inferential structure of partial as well as full confirmation. The experiment begins with a single laboratory session: electron diffraction through five FIB-fabricated slits of ranked density at 50 nm thickness.

•May 4, 2026•0 citations
Matter-wave interferometry has confirmed the superposition principle for objects as large as fullerenes and, most recently, nanoparticles of thousands of atoms. Because every massive object sources a gravitational field, a long-standing question follows: does the gravitational field of a delocalized quantum system track the realized quantum state, or the probability-weighted expectation value of its mass distribution (semiclassical gravity)? We first revisit a distant-observer thought experiment in which gravitational which-path information appears to threaten complementarity, and summarize its modern resolution, which turns the apparent paradox into an argument for the quantization of the gravitational field. We then propose a variant of the 1981 Page–Geilker experiment that generalizes a protocol of Kent: the position of a macroscopic source mass is controlled by a quantum random trigger whose firing probability p is continuously tunable, a precision gravimeter monitors the local field, and an otherwise identical run with a classical pseudo-random trigger serves as a control. For no-collapse semiclassical gravity we derive, for a repeated protocol with reset, the field offset in intervals without a release and the suppression of the gravimeter step at quantum-triggered releases; both depend on p, whereas every event-sourced theory predicts a p-independent, event-following field, and the control run cancels systematics that scale with the release rate. Order-of-magnitude estimates indicate that a superconducting gravimeter and a 100–1000 kg source can bound the fraction of “counterfactual” mass that gravitates at the 10−3 level as a function of p. We state which hypotheses the experiment can falsify, why decoherence restricts its scope to no-collapse semiclassical theories, and how the design could be migrated to mesoscopic masses, where the question remains open. Version 2 (September 2026) of a manuscript first written in June 2026. 10 pages, 1 table, 44 references. Also submitted to arXiv (quant-ph, cross-list gr-qc).
This work presents numerical and theoretical evidence for a testable regime in which semiclassical Schrödinger–Newton dynamics predict a state-dependent gravitational self-interaction in mesoscopic quantum systems. Using large-scale Split-Step Fourier Method (SSFM) simulations, we identify a mass window (≈10⁻¹¹–10⁻¹⁰ kg) where quantum coherence and gravitational self-interaction coexist without immediate decoherence. In this regime, the gravitational self-energy depends smoothly on the spatial structure of the quantum state, leading to a differential phase evolution between superposition states with identical external potentials but different mass-density distributions. The predicted phase signal scales as m² and reaches experimentally relevant magnitudes (Δφ ≈ 10⁻³ rad) for millisecond evolution times, making the effect accessible to next-generation matter-wave and optomechanical interferometry. The work systematically validates the numerical approach, demonstrates energy conservation and convergence of the nonlinear dynamics, identifies a stable “breathing-mode” regime near 10⁻¹⁰ kg, and isolates the gravitational origin of the effect via null tests with the Schrödinger–Newton term removed. This preprint makes no claim regarding spacetime engineering, geometry manipulation, or violations of the equivalence principle. It is explicitly framed as a falsifiable test of semiclassical gravity in a previously inaccessible experimental regime. Confirmation or null detection would provide strong constraints on Schrödinger–Newton–type models and inform the ongoing search for the correct quantum–gravity interface.
Semiclassical gravity, in which a classical spacetime is sourced by the quantum expectation value of the stress-energy tensor, is a standard framework for describing the gravitational interaction of quantum matter. In the nonrelativistic limit this approach leads to the Schrödinger-Newton equation, which is often assumed to be consistent at least in the weak-field regime. In this work, we reexamine this assumption for spatial quantum superpositions of massive particles. We show that, when the quantum state is properly normalized, no modification of the Newtonian gravitational potential arises at leading order. However, at first post-Newtonian order the semiclassical coupling generically produces state-dependent contributions involving the mass density and the mass current of the superposition. These terms have a parametric scaling which is different from that of the corresponding relativistic corrections and which does not have Planck mass suppression. Our results therefore impose a strong post-Newtonian consistency constraint on deterministic semiclassical gravity, indicating that sourcing the metric solely by expectation values is insufficient to recover a consistent relativistic weak-field expansion.
I introduce a modification of the Ghirardi-Rimini-Weber (GRW) model in which the flashes (or space-time collapse events) source a classical gravitational field. The resulting semiclassical theory of Newtonian gravity preserves the statistical interpretation of quantum states of matter in contrast with mean field approaches. It can be seen as a discrete version of recent proposals of consistent hybrid quantum classical theories. The model is in agreement with known experimental data and introduces new falsifiable predictions: (1) single particles do not self-interact, (2) the 1/r1/r1/r gravitational potential of Newtonian gravity is cut off at short ($\ensuremath{\lesssim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}7}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{m}$) distances, and (3) gravity makes spatial superpositions decohere at a rate inversely proportional to that coming from the vanilla GRW model. Together, the last two predictions make the model experimentally falsifiable for all values of its parameters.
TITLE:Gravitational Activation from Accumulated Decoherence: A PhenomenologicalFramework with Testable Predictions We present a phenomenological framework in which classical gravitationalsourcing emerges from irreversibly accumulated decoherence. The centralvariable is the accumulated decoherence parameter D, constructed as amonotone, partition-dependent functional of purity loss underGorini-Kossakowski-Lindblad-Sudarshan (GKLS) open-system dynamics. The framework introduces a critical distinction between gravitationalresponse and gravitational activation. All quantum systems — includingcoherent superpositions — respond universally to existing gravitationalfields, preserving the weak equivalence principle. However, the capacityto source a classical gravitational field is conditioned on accumulateddecoherence: only systems with sufficient D contribute to the gravitationalpotential. This directed structure resolves conceptual tensions betweenquantum coherence and classical geometry without modifying unitary dynamicsor the Schrodinger equation. Gravitational activation is modelled via a Hill-function sigmoid mapping Dto an effective sourcing fraction, controlled by two phenomenologicalparameters: a characteristic decoherence scale D* and a sharpness exponentn. An optional nonlinear feedback mechanism (the Bootstrap Closure) couplesgravitational activation back into the decoherence rate, producing a sharpcrossover — the Quantum Curie Point — at which the system transitionsrapidly from negligible to full gravitational sourcing. We provide numerical estimates of D for five candidate experimental systemsspanning 60 orders of magnitude in mass, from isolated electrons to LIGOtest masses and cosmological horizons. All estimates yield physicallysensible results: coherent laboratory systems show negligible activation,while macroscopic classical objects are deeply in the fully activated regime. Three classes of testable predictions are identified: (1) a mesoscopicpressure-sweep protocol for levitated nanoparticles in which gravitationalsourcing is predicted to exhibit a pressure-dependent suppression below acritical vacuum threshold; (2) constraints on the framework parameters fromBig Bang nucleosynthesis helium abundance, requiring gravitational couplingto be within 20% of Newton’s constant by t ~ 1 second; and (3) potentialmodifications to compact object formation if the activation timescaleexceeds the dynamical collapse timescale. The framework is phenomenologically closed, empirically constrainable,and falsifiable through existing and near-future experimental platformsin mesoscopic optomechanics and matter-wave interferometry. LICENSE:Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) RELATED IDENTIFIERS (optional — add if/when available): - Entropy-Referenced Cosmology: Operational time from coarse-grained entropy production (D’Angelo & D’Angelo, in preparation)- Decoherence-Gravitation Equivalence and the Bootstrapping of Classical Spacetime (D’Angelo & D’Angelo, in preparation) NOTES:This is a preprint deposited for priority timestamp. The work was conductedindependently by the PACES Research Group. Correspondence: jpaces33@gmail.com
This study explores quantum effects in weak gravitational fields with the aim of identifying feasible pathways towards tabletop tests of quantum gravity. Using numerical simulations of matter-wave interference for nanoparticles with masses between and kg, we investigate how environmental and fundamental decoherence mechanisms shape observable signatures. The results reveal a mass-dependent reduction in interference visibility, dropping from near unity at kg to below 0.2 at kg. Coherence times were found to exceed one second for particles lighter than 10^(-16) kg under cryogenic ultra-high-vacuum conditions, but decreased to sub-millisecond scales for kg particles at room temperature, confirming thermal radiation as the dominant source of decoherence. In parallel, collapse models such as CSL predict additional suppression of visibility for interrogation times of 0.1 s, particularly for masses above kg, enabling discrimination between environmental and intrinsic decoherence mechanisms. These findings underscore the necessity of maintaining ultra-high vacuum and cryogenic environments to detect gravitationally induced quantum phases, thereby providing a practical framework for near-future interferometry experiments. While the present work is limited to phenomenological models and simulated data, it establishes a roadmap for extending investigations to heavier mass regimes, incorporating realistic noise sources, and testing alternative collapse scenarios.
This volume presents three companion papers forming a unified theoretical and experimental programme for a wave-mechanical account of gravitational motion. Paper 29 develops the theoretical framework in which gravitational motion emerges from constructive-interference maximum migration of de Broglie matter waves in a density-dependent refractive-index field. The gravitational field is expressed as an effective refractive-index field n(r) derived from the Schwarzschild metric. Feynman’s path-integral formalism establishes that all non-stationary paths are eliminated by oscillatory phase cancellation, and that the surviving constructive-interference maximum shifts toward regions of higher mass density. The argument proceeds through four interconnected stages — the gravitational refractive-index field, asymmetric phase accumulation, probability-density redistribution, and physical-motion identification — completed by two theorems and one derived result. The framework recovers GR geodesics in the geometric-optics limit, requires no hidden variables, and generates five classes of experimentally discriminating predictions. Paper 77 identifies slit-material mass density as an untested variable in matter-wave interferometry. The standard single-slit formula Δy ≈ λL/a contains no density term; as a result, density has never been systematically varied as an independent parameter in a century of matter-wave experiments. This paper explains the historical absence through the structural logic of theory-determined observation and the Copenhagen prohibition on mechanism questions, establishes that electrons and fullerene C₆₀ constitute a sufficient two-point experimental programme spanning six orders of magnitude in mass, specifies a three-layer control protocol to exclude slit-width artefacts, and analyses what each possible outcome establishes for the completeness of the standard formalism. Paper 78 develops a three-dimensional experimental matrix introducing slit thickness as a third independently variable parameter alongside particle species and slit-material density. The 5×5×3 design of 75 independent measurements has a random-coincidence probability of approximately 1/1,728,000. The paper derives the quantitative scaling prediction for the thickness dimension (Δx ∝ d, ratio 1:3:6 across three thickness levels), specifies a three-layer thickness control protocol, and analyses the inferential structure of partial as well as full confirmation. The experiment begins with a single laboratory session: electron diffraction through five FIB-fabricated slits of ranked density at 50 nm thickness.