Is a recently proposed experiment to demonstrate quantum behavior for optically levitated nanospheres feasible?

TL;DR

This paper assesses the feasibility of a recent experiment aiming to observe quantum behavior in optically levitated nanospheres, concluding it is feasible for nanometer-scale spheres but unlikely for larger micro-scale systems due to cosmological effects.

Contribution

It provides a feasibility analysis of a proposed quantum behavior experiment for nanomechanical systems considering cosmological effects, highlighting scale-dependent limitations.

Findings

Cosmological effects do not hinder the experiment at the nanoscale.

The experiment is feasible for 50 nm radius nanospheres.

Larger micro-scale systems are likely unsuitable for such experiments.

Abstract

A recently proposed experiment considers the possibility of reaching regimes where quantum behavior might be observed in nanomechanical systems. This proposed experiment is examined here for feasibility on the basis of results of earlier studies identifying a boundary separating obligatory classical behavior from quantum behavior based on effects dependent on large scale properties of the universe. Calculations indicate that cosmologically induced effects leading to a quantum to classical transition will not interfere with the proposed experiment at the level at which it is described. Thus, this experiment may be expected to be able to succeed for the case of nanomechanical systems such as the 50 nanometer radius spheres under consideration; however, the success of similar experiments for larger micro scale systems may be ruled out.