Decohering quantum statistics: Suppression of BEC

TL;DR

This paper discusses how environment-induced decoherence can suppress Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) by classicalizing quantum statistics, introducing a modified criterion involving environmental friction.

Contribution

It introduces a novel perspective that environmental decoherence can suppress BEC by classicalizing quantum indistinguishability, extending the phase-space density criterion.

Findings

Decoherence suppresses quantum statistics in open systems.

A modified BEC criterion includes environmental friction effects.

Classicalization of quantum statistics affects BEC conditions.

Abstract

It is argued that the environment induced decoherence between spatially separated parts of the wavefunction for an open quantum system also classicalizes the quantum statistics which is based on indistinguishability. This may imply a suppression of the BEC upon dilution with, e.g., isotopic fermions, in that the usual phase-space density criterion $n\Lambda^3 >$ 2.612 is supplemented by the condition $n\Lambda^3 > \hbar\gamma/\sqrt{4\pi}k_BT$, $\gamma$ being the friction coefficient subtended by the environment, i.e., the fermions in this case. PACS 03.75.Gg, 03.75.Hh, 03.75.Kk