Semiclassical Coulomb field

TL;DR

This paper investigates how collective Coulomb field modes influence decoherence and time reversal symmetry breaking in a non-relativistic electron gas, identifying key length scales and modes involved.

Contribution

It calculates the contributions of Coulomb field modes to decoherence and symmetry breaking, highlighting the role of plasma collective modes and the quantum-classical transition scale.

Findings

Zero-sound and plasmon modes dominate decoherence effects.

Quantum-classical transition length scale is near the Thomas-Fermi screening length.

Extension of modes to Fock-space suggests optimal pointer states.

Abstract

The contribution of different modes of the Coulomb field to decoherence and to the dynamical breakdown of the time reversal invariance is calculated in the one-loop approximation for non-relativistic electron gas. The dominant contribution was found to come from the usual collective modes in the plasma, namely the zero-sound and the plasmon oscillations. The length scale of the quantum-classical transition is found to be close to the Thomas-Fermi screening length. It is argued that the extension of these modes to the whole Fock-space yield optimal pointer states.