Quantum superpositions of a mirror for experimental tests for nonunitary Newtonian gravity

TL;DR

This paper calculates the expected outcomes of a quantum superposition experiment involving a mirror, testing a non-unitary gravity model, and finds that effects are undetectable with current technology but show unique signatures in certain parameter ranges.

Contribution

It provides an explicit calculation of a mirror superposition experiment within a non-unitary gravity model, highlighting potential observable signatures beyond existing collapse models.

Findings

No detectable effect with current experimental parameters.

The model shows unique signatures in certain parameter regimes.

Offers a way to observe non-unitary gravity effects in a realistic setting.

Abstract

Aim of this work is to calculate explicitly the result of the experiment of superposition of a mirror in the Michelson photon cavities interferometric device proposed by Marshall, Simon, Penrose and Bownmeester, as expected within a recently proposed model of non-unitary self-gravity inducing localization. As for other proposals of modifications of Quantum Mechanics in a non-unitary sense, aimed to account for both unitary evolution and irreversible collapse, like in the famous Ghirardi-Rimini-Weber and Pearle's models, it turns out that, for the experimental parameters proposed, no effect is detectable at all. It is pointed out that the enhancing properties of matter granularity does not substantially change this conclusion. Parameters have also been exploratively varied in a certain range beyond the proposed values. It is shown that within `sensible' parameters, that are not yet attainable within current technology, the model exhibits a peculiar signature with respect to other collapse models as far as parameters space is explored. Besides, the calculation offers a way to see non-unitary gravity at work in a quasi-realistic setting.