Semi-classical limit and minimum decoherence in the Conditional Probability Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

TL;DR

This paper explores how the Conditional Probability Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, which uses physical clocks instead of abstract time, can approximate standard quantum mechanics and predicts a minimum level of decoherence.

Contribution

It demonstrates that semi-classical clocks enable the recovery of standard quantum mechanics and calculates the minimum decoherence in this framework.

Findings

Approximate recovery of standard Quantum Mechanics using semi-classical clocks

Calculation of minimum decoherence predicted by the interpretation

Insight into non-unitary effects due to physical clocks

Abstract

The Conditional Probability Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics replaces the abstract notion of time used in standard Quantum Mechanics by the time that can be read off from a physical clock. The use of physical clocks leads to apparent non-unitary and decoherence. Here we show that a close approximation to standard Quantum Mechanics can be recovered from conditional Quantum Mechanics for semi-classical clocks, and we use these clocks to compute the minimum decoherence predicted by the Conditional Probability Interpretation.