Continuous spontaneous localization model
The continuous spontaneous localization model is a spontaneous collapse model in quantum mechanics, proposed in 1989 by Philip Pearle. and finalized in 1990 Gian Carlo Ghirardi, Philip Pearle and Alberto Rimini.
Introduction
The most widely studied among the dynamical reduction models is the CSL model. Building on the Ghirardi-Rimini-Weber model, the CSL model describes the collapse of the wave function as occurring continuously in time, in contrast to the Ghirardi-Rimini-Weber model.Some of the key features of the model are:
- The localization takes place in position, which is the preferred basis in this model.
- The model does not significantly alter the dynamics of microscopic systems, while it becomes strong for macroscopic objects: the amplification mechanism ensures this scaling.
- It preserves the symmetry properties of identical particles.
- It is characterized by two parameters: and, which are respectively the collapse rate and the correlation length of the model.
Dynamical equation
The CSL dynamical equation for the wave function is stochastic and non-linear:Here is the Hamiltonian describing the quantum mechanical dynamics, is a reference mass taken equal to that of a nucleon,, and the noise field has zero average and correlation equal towhere denotes the stochastic average over the noise. Finally, we writewhere is the mass density operator, which readswhere and are, respectively, the second quantized creation and annihilation operators of a particle of type with spin at the point of mass. The use of these operators satisfies the conservation of the symmetry properties of identical particles. Moreover, the mass proportionality implements automatically the amplification mechanism. The choice of the form of ensures the collapse in the position basis.The action of the CSL model is quantified by the values of the two phenomenological parameters and. Originally, the Ghirardi-Rimini-Weber model proposed s at m, while later Adler considered larger values: s for m, and s for m. Eventually, these values have to be bounded by experiments.
From the dynamics of the wave function one can obtain the corresponding master equation for the statistical operator :Once the master equation is represented in the position basis, it becomes clear that its direct action is to diagonalize the density matrix in position. For a single point-like particle of mass, it readswhere the off-diagonal terms, which have, decay exponentially. Conversely, the diagonal terms, characterized by, are preserved. For a composite system, the single-particle collapse rate should be replaced with that of the composite systemwhere is the Fourier transform of the mass density of the system.
Experimental tests
Contrary to most other proposed solutions of the measurement problem, collapse models are experimentally testable. Experiments testing the CSL model can be divided in two classes: interferometric and non-interferometric experiments, which respectively probe direct and indirect effects of the collapse mechanism.Interferometric experiments
Interferometric experiments can detect the direct action of the collapse, which is to localize the wavefunction in space. They include all experiments where a superposition is generated and, after some time, its interference pattern is probed. The action of CSL is a reduction of the interference contrast, which is quantified by the reduction of the off-diagonal terms of the statistical operatorwhere denotes the statistical operator described by quantum mechanics, and we defineExperiments testing such a reduction of the interference contrast are carried out with cold-atoms, molecules, entangled diamonds and mechanical oscillators.Similarly, one can also quantify the minimum collapse strength to solve the measurement problem at the macroscopic level. Specifically, an estimate can be obtained by requiring that a superposition of a single-layered graphene disk of radius m collapses in less than s.
Non-interferometric experiments
Non-interferometric experiments consist in CSL tests, which are not based on the preparation of a superposition. They exploit an indirect effect of the collapse, which consists in a Brownian motion induced by the interaction with the collapse noise. The effect of this noise amounts to an effective stochastic force acting on the system, and several experiments can be designed to quantify such a force. They include:Radiation emission from charged particles. If a particle is electrically charged, the action of the coupling with the collapse noise will induce the emission of radiation. This result is in net contrast with the predictions of quantum mechanics, where no radiation is expected from a free particle. The predicted CSL-induced emission rate at frequency for a particle of charge is given by:where is the vacuum dielectric constant and is the light speed. This prediction of CSL can be tested by analyzing the X-ray emission spectrum from a bulk Germanium test mass.Heating in bulk materials. A prediction of CSL is the increase of the total energy of a system. For example, the total energy of a free particle of mass in three dimensions grows linearly in time according to where is the initial energy of the system. This increase is effectively small; for example, the temperature of a hydrogen atom increases by K per year considering the values s and m. Although small, such an energy increase can be tested by monitoring cold atoms. and bulk materials, as Bravais lattices, low temperature experiments, neutron stars and planetsDiffusive effects. Another prediction of the CSL model is the increase of the spread in position of center-of-mass of a system. For a free particle, the position spread in one dimension readswhere is the free quantum mechanical spread and is the CSL diffusion constant, defined aswhere the motion is assumed to occur along the axis; is the Fourier transform of the mass density. In experiments, such an increase is limited by the dissipation rate. Assuming that the experiment is performed at temperature, a particle of mass, harmonically trapped at frequency, at equilibrium reaches a spread in position given bywhere is the Boltzmann constant. Several experiments can test such a spread. They range from cold atom free expansion, nano-cantilevers cooled to millikelvin temperatures, gravitational wave detectors, levitated optomechanics, torsion pendula.