Gravitational decoherence: a non relativistic spin 1/2 fermionic model

TL;DR

This paper develops a non-relativistic quantum model for gravitational decoherence of spin 1/2 fermions, including electromagnetic interactions, extending previous scalar boson models to more realistic fermionic matter.

Contribution

It introduces a new fermionic model for gravitational decoherence that incorporates electromagnetic coupling, addressing limitations of earlier scalar particle models.

Findings

The model describes gravitational decoherence effects on spin 1/2 particles.

Electromagnetic coupling influences decoherence regimes.

Differences between scalar and fermionic models are characterized.

Abstract

In a previous work [arXiv1905.01121] we have derived a quantum master equation for the dynamics of a scalar bosonic particle interacting with a weak, stochastic and classical gravitational field. As standard matter is made of fermions, such an equation should be suitably extended to describe more relevant experimental situations. Here we derive a non relativistic model for the gravitational decoherence of spin 1/2 particles. We enrich the treatment by considering also a coupling with an external classical electromagnetic field. We comment on the differences with the scalar bosonic model and we describe the regimes in which they become negligible.