Testing macroscopic realism through high-mass interferometry

TL;DR

This paper introduces a quantum witness for high-mass matter-wave interferometers to test macroscopic realism, proposing an experiment that can demonstrate violations of macrorealistic assumptions with large molecules and nanoparticles.

Contribution

It presents a novel quantum witness tailored for high-mass interferometry and demonstrates its potential to experimentally challenge macrorealism.

Findings

Strong violation of macrorealistic quantum-witness inequality predicted

Experimental setup using absorptive laser gratings proposed

Evidence of physics beyond macrorealism for large molecules and nanoparticles

Abstract

We define a quantum witness for high-mass matter-wave interferometers that allows us to test fundamental assumptions of macroscopic realism. We propose an experimental realisation using absorptive laser gratings and show that such systems can strongly violate a macrorealistic quantum-witness equality. The measurement of the witness can therefore provide clear evidence of physics beyond macrorealism for macromolecules and nanoparticles.