Pointer basis induced by collisional decoherence

TL;DR

This paper investigates how pointer states emerge in a quantum particle undergoing collisional decoherence, showing they are localized solitons evolving classically, with their statistical weights determined by initial state projections.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of pointer state formation as localized solitons and links their dynamics to classical equations, using the orthogonal unraveling method.

Findings

Pointer states are exponentially localized solitonic wave functions.

These states evolve according to classical equations of motion.

Statistical weights are projections of the initial state onto the pointer basis.

Abstract

We study the emergence and dynamics of pointer states in the motion of a quantum test particle affected by collisional decoherence. These environmentally distinguished states are shown to be exponentially localized solitonic wave functions which evolve according to the classical equations of motion. We explain their formation using the orthogonal unraveling of the master equation, and we demonstrate that the statistical weights of the arising mixture are given by projections of the initial state onto the pointer basis.