A Classical Switched LC/LR Circuit Modeling the Quantum Zeno and Anti-Zeno Effects

TL;DR

This paper models quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno effects using a rapidly switched LC/LR circuit, demonstrating how classical systems can exhibit behaviors analogous to quantum phenomena through simple, idealized circuit dynamics.

Contribution

It introduces a classical circuit model that captures quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno effects, highlighting their potential universality across physics.

Findings

Capacitor remains uncharged with negligible initial current.

Capacitor discharges faster than exponential decay with dominant initial current.

Intermediate behaviors suggest links to other quantum effects.

Abstract

Generalizing a recent analysis, we model the quantum Zeno and anti-Zeno effects with a quickly switched, ideal LC/LR circuit, in the limiting case of it alternating very many times between its short LC and even shorter LR regime. If the initial current is arranged to be negligible, the capacitor turns out never to discharge. If the initial current is made dominant, this capacitor discharges, and faster than the exponential decay to which it limits. The existence and simplicity of these phases in such a rudimentary model indicates that the corresponding effects are ubiquitous throughout physics, both quantum and classical. In turn, the parameter space of this model contains intermediate phases in which the circuit exhibits behaviors that seem to foreshadow other quantum effects of some interest.