Schr\"odinger's Cheshire Cat: A tabletop experiment to measure the Di\'osi-Penrose collapse time and demonstrate Objective Reduction (OR)

TL;DR

This paper proposes a tabletop experiment to test the Diosi-Penrose objective reduction model by observing superpositions of small mirrors and measuring their collapse times under ambient conditions.

Contribution

It introduces a novel experimental setup using small mirrors in superposition to test collapse times predicted by the Diosi-Penrose model, employing techniques suitable for laboratory conditions.

Findings

Design of a symmetrical apparatus to detect collapse independent of decoherence

Method to displace large masses by small distances to observe collapse

Potential to measure collapse times consistent with the Diosi-Penrose model

Abstract

For nearly 100 years, the paradox of Schr\"odinger's Cat has remained unresolved. Why does the world we live in appear classical despite being composed of quantum particles governed by the Schr\"odinger wave equation? Lajos Di\'osi and Roger Penrose propose the wavefunction collapses because it describes two incompatible space-times, demonstrating an inconsistency between quantum mechanics and general relativity. To avoid this paradox, collapse must occur within Heisenberg's time-energy uncertainty limit. Subatomic particles with low mass, and correspondingly low energy, collapse in years, while superposed cats would collapse almost instantaneously. We propose a table-top experiment to put two small mirrors into superposition and observe them collapse in a time consistent with the Di\'osi-Penrose model. We employ two techniques to perform this experiment in ambient laboratory conditions. Most experiments separate a small mass by a large distance. In contrast, we displace a large mass by a small distance where the self-energy follows an inverse square law with correspondingly high collapse times. We further use a symmetrical apparatus, where a break in symmetry indicates collapse independent of decoherence.