Quantum gravitational decoherence from fluctuating minimal length and deformation parameter at the Planck scale.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 34294717.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-021-24711-7 and PMC identifier 8298405.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Schemes of gravitationally induced decoherence are being actively investigated as possible mechanisms for the quantum-to-classical transition. Here, we introduce a decoherence process due to quantum gravity effects. We assume a foamy quantum spacetime with a fluctuating minimal length coinciding on average with the Planck scale. Considering deformed canonical commutation relations with a fluctuating deformation parameter, we derive a Lindblad master equation that yields localization in energy space and decoherence times consistent with the currently available observational evidence. Compared to other schemes of gravitational decoherence, we find that the decoherence rate predicted by our model is extremal, being minimal in the deep quantum regime below the Planck scale and maximal in the mesoscopic regime beyond it. We discuss possible experimental tests of our model based on cavity optomechanics setups with ultracold massive molecular oscillators and we provide preliminary estimates on the values of the physical parameters needed for actual laboratory implementations.