Detecting continuous spontaneous localisation with charged bodies in a Paul trap

TL;DR

This paper proposes an experiment using a Paul trap to detect potential effects of continuous spontaneous localisation (CSL), a quantum gravity-related model, by observing heating in charged macroscopic objects, aiming to improve sensitivity significantly.

Contribution

It introduces a novel experimental approach to test CSL effects with charged objects in a Paul trap, potentially surpassing current sensitivity limits.

Findings

CSL could be observed with a 1 cm ion trap at ultra-low pressure

Detection method involves optical interferometry of charged particles

Experiment could extend sensitivity to CSL by many orders of magnitude

Abstract

Continuous spontaneous localisation (CSL) is a model that captures the effects of a class of extensions to quantum theory which are expected to result from quantum gravity, and is such that wavefunction collapse is a physical process. The rate of such a process could be very much lower than the upper bounds set by searches to date, and yet still modify greatly the interpretation of quantum mechanics and solve the quantum measurement problem. Consequently experiments are sought to explore this. We describe an experiment that has the potential to extend sensitivity to CSL by many orders of magnitude. The method is to detect heating of the motion of charged macroscopic objects confined in a Paul trap. We discuss the detection and the chief noise sources. We find that CSL with standard parameters could be observed using a vibration-isolated ion trap of size 1 cm at ultra-low pressure, with optical interferometric detection.