Killing Horizons Decohere Quantum Superpositions
Daine L. Danielson, Gautam Satishchandran, Robert M. Wald

TL;DR
This paper demonstrates that any stationary quantum superposition near a Killing horizon will decohere due to the exchange of soft gravitons or photons, with implications for understanding quantum coherence in curved spacetimes.
Contribution
It generalizes the decoherence mechanism to all spacetimes with Killing horizons, showing the universal role of soft horizon radiation in quantum decoherence.
Findings
Decoherence occurs in any spacetime with a Killing horizon.
Soft gravitons/photons carry 'which path' information causing decoherence.
Decoherence times are estimated for Rindler and de Sitter horizons.
Abstract
We recently showed that if a massive (or charged) body is put in a quantum spatial superposition, the mere presence of a black hole in its vicinity will eventually decohere the superposition. In this paper we show that, more generally, decoherence of stationary superpositions will occur in any spacetime with a Killing horizon. This occurs because, in effect, the long-range field of the body is registered on the Killing horizon which, we show, necessitates a flux of "soft horizon gravitons/photons" through the horizon. The Killing horizon thereby harvests "which path" information of quantum superpositions and will decohere any quantum superposition in a finite time. It is particularly instructive to analyze the case of a uniformly accelerating body in a quantum superposition in flat spacetime. As we show, from the Rindler perspective the superposition is decohered by "soft…
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Taxonomy
TopicsQuantum Electrodynamics and Casimir Effect · Experimental and Theoretical Physics Studies · Spanish Philosophy and Literature
