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

arXiv:quant-ph/0205036 · Physical Review C

Macroscopic quantum superpositions in highly excited strongly interacting many-body systems

S. Yu. Kun, Luis Benet, L.T. Chadderton, Walter Greiner, F. Haas

Published Jan 31, 2003• 7 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We demonstrate a breakdown in the macroscopic (classical-like) dynamics of wave-packets in complex microscopic and mesoscopic collisions. This breakdown manifests itself in coherent superpositions of the rotating clockwise and anticlockwise wave-packets in the regime of strongly overlapping many-body resonances of the highly-excited intermediate complex. These superpositions involve $\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{4}$ many-body configurations so that their internal interactive complexity dramatically exceeds all of those previously discussed and experimentally realized. The interference fringes persist over a time-interval much longer than the energy relaxation-redistribution time due to the anomalously slow phase randomization (dephasing). Experimental verification of the effect is proposed.

DOI
10.1103/physrevc.67.011604

Related papers

Effect of phase relaxation on quantum superpositions in complex collisions

Luis Benet, S. Yu. Kun, Qi Wang

We study the effect of phase relaxation on coherent superpositions of rotating clockwise and anticlockwise wave packets in the regime of strongly overlapping resonances of the intermediate complex. Such highly excited deformed complexes may be created in binary collisions of heavy ions, molecules, and atomic clusters. It is shown that phase relaxation leads to a reduction of the interference fringes, thus mimicking the effect of decoherence. This reduction is crucial for the determination of the phase-relaxation width from the data on the excitation function oscillations in heavy-ion collisions and bimolecular chemical reactions. The difference between the effects of phase relaxation and decoherence is discussed.

arXiv:quant-ph/0503046•Physical Review C•Jun 16, 2006•4 citations

Quantum-classical correspondence in microscopic and mesoscopic complex collisions

S. Yu. Kun, Alexei Vagov, Walter Greiner

We propose a novel method to study quantum-classical correspondence in complex, e.g., heavy-ion, atomic, molecular, and atomic cluster collisions. The many-body rotating wave packets are formed spontaneously and their stability is due to the slow decoherence between highly excited strongly overlapping states of the intermediate complex. The phenomenon is illustrated by analyzing the ${}^{12}{\mathrm{C}+}^{24}\mathrm{Mg}$ collision. The significant deviations from the random-matrix theory are reproduced in terms of the macroscopically rotating molecule formed in this collision.

Physical Review C•Dec 20, 2000•9 citations

Quantum-classical transition for an analog of the double-slit experiment in complex collisions: Dynamical decoherence in quantum many-body systems

Luis Benet, L.T. Chadderton, S. Yu. Kun +1 more

We study coherent superpositions of clockwise and anticlockwise rotating intermediate complexes with overlapping resonances formed in bimolecular chemical reactions. Disintegration of such complexes represents an analog of a famous double-slit experiment. The time for disappearance of the interference fringes is estimated from heuristic arguments related to fingerprints of chaotic dynamics of a classical counterpart of the coherently rotating complex. Validity of this estimate is confirmed numerically for the $\mathrm{H}+{\mathrm{D}}_{2}$ chemical reaction. Thus we demonstrate the quantum-classical transition in temporal behavior of highly excited quantum many-body systems in the absence of external noise and coupling to an environment.

arXiv:quant-ph/0610091•Physical Review A•Jun 20, 2007•1 citation

Mesoscopic superposition and sub-Planck-scale structure in molecular wave packets

Suranjana Ghosh, Aravind Chiruvelli, J. Banerji +1 more

We demonstrate the possibility of realizing sub-Planck-scale structures in the mesoscopic superposition of molecular wave packets involving vibrational levels. The time evolution of the wave packet, taken here as the SU(2) coherent state of the Morse potential describing hydrogen iodide molecules, produces macroscopic-quantum-superposition-like states, responsible for the above phenomenon. We investigate the phase-space dynamics of the coherent state through the Wigner function approach and identify the interference phenomena behind the sub-Planck-scale structures. The optimal parameter ranges are specified for observing these features.

arXiv:quant-ph/0507082•Physical Review A•Jan 30, 2006•38 citations

Flashing coherently rotating carbon sticks in $^{24}$Mg+$^{24}$Mg collision

Meishan Zhao, S. Yu. Kun, Olivier Merlo +3 more

The present discussion rises a number of the questions. For example, is rotational coherence of large molecules necessarily destroyed in the conventionally statistical limit of structureless non-selective continuum (for fixed total spin and parity values) under the conditions of complete intramolecular energy redistribution and vibrational dephasing in the regime of strong ro-vibrational coupling? For the slow cross-symmetry phase relaxation, quantum coherent superpositions of a large number of complex configurations with, e.g., many different total angular momenta produce image of a rotation of macroscopic object with classically fixed (single) total angular momentum. Suppose that the quantum coherent superpositions involving a very large number of different good quantum numbers play a role, in a hidden form, in a formation of macroscopic world. Then why these quantum superpositions are so stable against quick aging/decay of ordered complex structures preventing or slowing down tendencies towards uniform occupation of the available phase space as prescribed by the random matrix theory? And what kind of complex macroscopic phenomena may reveal traces of partially coherent quantum superpositions involving a huge number of quantum-mechanically different integrals of motion behind of what is referred to as conservation laws in classical physics employed for the description of the macroscopic world?

arXiv:1309.6386•Sep 25, 2013•0 citations

Decoherence scenarios from microscopic to macroscopic superpositions

Walter T. Strunz, Fritz Haake

Environment induced decoherence entails the absence of quantum interference phenomena from the macroscopic world. The loss of coherence between superposed wave packets is a dynamical process the speed of which depends on the packet separation: The farther the packets are apart, the faster they decohere. The precise temporal course depends on the relative size of the time scales of decoherence and other processes taking place in the open system and its environment. We use the exactly solvable model of a harmonic oscillator coupled to a bath of harmonic oscillators to illustrate various decoherence scenarios: These range from exponential golden-rule decay for microscopic superpositions, system-specific decay for larger separations in a crossover regime, and finally the universal interaction-dominated decoherence for ever more macroscopic superpositions investigated in great generality in the accompanying Paper I [W. T. Strunz, F. Haake, and D. Braun, Phys. Rev. A $67,$ $022101$ (2003)].

arXiv:quant-ph/0205108•Physical Review A•Feb 6, 2003•38 citations
We demonstrate a breakdown in the macroscopic (classical-like) dynamics of wave-packets in complex microscopic and mesoscopic collisions. This breakdown manifests itself in coherent superpositions of the rotating clockwise and anticlockwise wave-packets in the regime of strongly overlapping many-body resonances of the highly-excited intermediate complex. These superpositions involve \ensuremath∼104\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{4}\ensuremath∼104 many-body configurations so that their internal interactive complexity dramatically exceeds all of those previously discussed and experimentally realized. The interference fringes persist over a time-interval much longer than the energy relaxation-redistribution time due to the anomalously slow phase randomization (dephasing). Experimental verification of the effect is proposed.
We study the effect of phase relaxation on coherent superpositions of rotating clockwise and anticlockwise wave packets in the regime of strongly overlapping resonances of the intermediate complex. Such highly excited deformed complexes may be created in binary collisions of heavy ions, molecules, and atomic clusters. It is shown that phase relaxation leads to a reduction of the interference fringes, thus mimicking the effect of decoherence. This reduction is crucial for the determination of the phase-relaxation width from the data on the excitation function oscillations in heavy-ion collisions and bimolecular chemical reactions. The difference between the effects of phase relaxation and decoherence is discussed.
We propose a novel method to study quantum-classical correspondence in complex, e.g., heavy-ion, atomic, molecular, and atomic cluster collisions. The many-body rotating wave packets are formed spontaneously and their stability is due to the slow decoherence between highly excited strongly overlapping states of the intermediate complex. The phenomenon is illustrated by analyzing the 12C+24Mg{}^{12}{\mathrm{C}+}^{24}\mathrm{Mg}12C+24Mg collision. The significant deviations from the random-matrix theory are reproduced in terms of the macroscopically rotating molecule formed in this collision.
We study coherent superpositions of clockwise and anticlockwise rotating intermediate complexes with overlapping resonances formed in bimolecular chemical reactions. Disintegration of such complexes represents an analog of a famous double-slit experiment. The time for disappearance of the interference fringes is estimated from heuristic arguments related to fingerprints of chaotic dynamics of a classical counterpart of the coherently rotating complex. Validity of this estimate is confirmed numerically for the H+D2\mathrm{H}+{\mathrm{D}}_{2}H+D2​ chemical reaction. Thus we demonstrate the quantum-classical transition in temporal behavior of highly excited quantum many-body systems in the absence of external noise and coupling to an environment.
We demonstrate the possibility of realizing sub-Planck-scale structures in the mesoscopic superposition of molecular wave packets involving vibrational levels. The time evolution of the wave packet, taken here as the SU(2) coherent state of the Morse potential describing hydrogen iodide molecules, produces macroscopic-quantum-superposition-like states, responsible for the above phenomenon. We investigate the phase-space dynamics of the coherent state through the Wigner function approach and identify the interference phenomena behind the sub-Planck-scale structures. The optimal parameter ranges are specified for observing these features.
Flashing coherently rotating carbon sticks in 24^{24}24Mg+24^{24}24Mg collision
The present discussion rises a number of the questions. For example, is rotational coherence of large molecules necessarily destroyed in the conventionally statistical limit of structureless non-selective continuum (for fixed total spin and parity values) under the conditions of complete intramolecular energy redistribution and vibrational dephasing in the regime of strong ro-vibrational coupling? For the slow cross-symmetry phase relaxation, quantum coherent superpositions of a large number of complex configurations with, e.g., many different total angular momenta produce image of a rotation of macroscopic object with classically fixed (single) total angular momentum. Suppose that the quantum coherent superpositions involving a very large number of different good quantum numbers play a role, in a hidden form, in a formation of macroscopic world. Then why these quantum superpositions are so stable against quick aging/decay of ordered complex structures preventing or slowing down tendencies towards uniform occupation of the available phase space as prescribed by the random matrix theory? And what kind of complex macroscopic phenomena may reveal traces of partially coherent quantum superpositions involving a huge number of quantum-mechanically different integrals of motion behind of what is referred to as conservation laws in classical physics employed for the description of the macroscopic world?
Environment induced decoherence entails the absence of quantum interference phenomena from the macroscopic world. The loss of coherence between superposed wave packets is a dynamical process the speed of which depends on the packet separation: The farther the packets are apart, the faster they decohere. The precise temporal course depends on the relative size of the time scales of decoherence and other processes taking place in the open system and its environment. We use the exactly solvable model of a harmonic oscillator coupled to a bath of harmonic oscillators to illustrate various decoherence scenarios: These range from exponential golden-rule decay for microscopic superpositions, system-specific decay for larger separations in a crossover regime, and finally the universal interaction-dominated decoherence for ever more macroscopic superpositions investigated in great generality in the accompanying Paper I [W. T. Strunz, F. Haake, and D. Braun, Phys. Rev. A 67,67,67, 022101022101022101 (2003)].