Gravitational time dilation induced decoherence during spontaneous emission

TL;DR

This paper explores how gravitational time dilation causes decoherence in quantum superpositions during spontaneous emission, highlighting the dependence on reference frames and the potential to enhance decoherence with time-delayed feedback.

Contribution

It specifically analyzes gravitational time dilation-induced decoherence in spontaneous emission, revealing frame dependence and methods to amplify the effect.

Findings

Decoherence depends on the reference frame due to time dilation effects.

Changing light field direction affects quantum superposition coherence.

Time-delayed feedback can increase gravitationally induced decoherence.

Abstract

We investigate decoherence of quantum superpositions induced by gravitational time dilation and spontaneous emission between two atomic levels. It has been shown that gravitational time dilation can be an universal decoherence source. Here, we consider decoherence induced by gravitational time dilation only in the situation of spontaneous emission. Then, we obtain that the coherence of particle's position state depends on reference frame due to the time dilation changing the distinguishability of emission photon from two positions of particle. Changing the direction of light field can also result in the difference about the coherence of quantum superpositions. For observing the decoherence effect mainly due to gravitational time dilation, time-delayed feedback can be utilized to increase the decoherence of particle's superpositions.