Open Quantum System Approach to the Gravitational Decoherence of Spin-1/2 Particles

TL;DR

This paper explores how squeezed gravitational waves can cause decoherence in spin-1/2 particles, revealing dependencies on squeezing parameters and suggesting potential for probing early universe gravitational wave properties.

Contribution

It introduces an open quantum system framework to analyze gravitational decoherence of spin-1/2 particles influenced by squeezed gravitational waves, highlighting the role of squeezing parameters.

Findings

Decoherence rate depends on squeezing strength and angle.

Squeezed gravitational waves with specific parameters induce measurable decoherence.

Potential to use decoherence effects to study early universe gravitational waves.

Abstract

This paper investigates the decoherence effect resulting from the interaction of squeezed gravitational waves with a system of massive particles in spatial superposition. This paper investigates the decoherence effect resulting from the interaction of squeezed gravitational waves with a system of massive particles in spatial superposition. We first employ the open quantum system approach to obtain the established decoherence in a spatial superposition of massive objects induced by squeezed gravitational waves. Subsequently, we focus on the spin-1/2 particle system, and our analysis reveals that the decoherence rate depends on both the squeezing strength and the squeezing angle of the gravitational waves. Our results demonstrate that squeezed gravitational waves with squeezing strengths of $r_p\geq1.2$ and a squeezing angle of $\varphi_p=\pi/2$ can induce a 1 % decoherence within 1 s free falling of a cloud of spin-1/2 particles. This investigation sheds light on the relationship between squeezed gravitational waves and the coherence of spatial superposition states in systems of massive particles and their spin. The dependence of decoherence on squeezing strength and, in the case of spin-$1/2$ particles, on the squeezing angle paves the way for further exploration and understanding of the quantum-gravity connection. We suggest that such an experimental setup could also be employed to eventually investigate the level of squeezing effect (and hence quantum-related properties) of gravitational waves produced in the early universe from inflation.