We consider a classical analogue of the well known quantum two-slit experiment. Charged particles are scattered on flat screen with two slits and hit the second screen. We show that the probability distribution on the second screen when both slits are open is not given by the sum of distributions for each slit separately, but has an extra interference term that is given with the quantum rule of the addition of probabilistic alternatives. We show that the proposed classical model has a context dependence and could be adequately described with contextual formalism.
In this study, we solve analytically the Schrodinger equation for a macroscopic quantum oscillator as a central system coupled to two environmental micro-oscillating particles. Then, the double-slit interference patterns are investigated in two limiting cases, considering the limits of uncertainty in the position probability distribution. Moreover, we analyze the interference patterns based on a recent proposal called stochastic electrodynamics with spin. Our results show that when the quantum character of the macro-system is decreased, the diffraction pattern becomes more similar to a classic…
Two-particle correlated interference in reflection: extending the quantum-classical boundary via a macroscopic quantum superposition insensitive to decoherence
We report observations of Ramsey interferences and spin echoes from electron spins inside a levitating macroscopic particle. The experiment is realized using nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers hosted in a micron-sized diamond stored in a Paul trap both under atmospheric conditions and under vacuum. Spin echoes are used to show that the Paul trap preserves the coherence time of the embedded electron spins for more than microseconds. Conversely, the NV spin is employed to demonstrate high angular stability of the diamond even under vacuum. These results are significant steps towards strong coupling o…
Macro-realism is a fundamental feature of classical world that contradicts with the quantum theory. An elegant method of testing macrorealism is to apply the Leggett-Garg inequality (LGI), but the non-invasivity of measurement is challenging in practice. In this work, we report the LGI violation of path observable in a composite interference experiment with coherent light. Experiment results confirm the occurrence of destructive interference providing per se as evidence of macro-realism violation. And by using an exact weak measurement model in the present experiment, the advantage that the vi…
Quantum phenomena appear in a macroscopic scale in Bose-Einstein condensates. The Gross-Pitaevskii (GP) equation describes the dynamics of the weakly interacting Bose-Einstein condensates. The GP equation has a form of the Schroedinger equation with self-interaction. The coupled Gross-Pitaevskii equations are used to describe some mixtures of Bose-Einstein condensates. In this paper, we will show some numerical results of coupled Gross-Pitaevskii equations without self-interaction, which has a form of nonlinearly-coupled Schroedinger equations. We demonstrate that the macroscopic oscillation a…
Certifying Macroscopic Quantum Mechanics via Hypothesis Testing with Finite Data
ICFO – Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology（光子科学研究所，巴塞罗那科技研究院）；Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information of the Austrian Academy of Sciences（奥地利科学院量子光学与量子信息研究所）；ICREA – Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats（加泰罗尼亚研究与高等学院）
For systems analogous to a linear harmonic oscillator, the simplest way to characterize the state is by a covariance matrix containing the symmetrically-ordered moments of operators analogous to position and momentum. We show that using Stokes-like detectors without direct access to either position or momentum, the estimation of the covariance matrix of a macroscopic signal is still possible using interference with a classical noisy and low-intensity reference. Such a detection technique will allow to estimate macroscopic quantum states of electromagnetic radiation without a coherent high-inte…
We study the dynamics of a macroscopic superconducting qubit coupled to two independent non-stationary reservoirs by using time-dependent perturbation theory. We show that an equilibrium environment surpasses the coherent evolution of the macroscopic qubit completely. When the qubit couples to two different reservoirs, exemplifying a non-equilibrium environment, the short-time dynamics is affected by the interference between two reservoirs, implying the non-additivity of effects of two reservoirs. The non-additivity can be traced back to a non-Markovian effect, even though two reservoirs are i…
We assess the most macroscopic matter-wave experiments to date as to the extent to which they probe the quantum-classical boundary by demonstrating interference of heavy molecules and cold atomic ensembles. To this end, we consider a rigorous Bayesian test protocol for a parametrized set of hypothetical modifications of quantum theory, including well-studied spontaneous collapse models, that destroy superpositions and reinstate macrorealism. The range of modification parameters ruled out by the measurement events quantifies the macroscopicity of a quantum experiment, while the shape of the pos…
We investigate the feasibility of observing matter-wave interference of a micron-sized charged particle by putting it into a quantum superposition of states with a distinguishable separation. In the proposed method, an atomic ion is confined in a linear Paul trap along with the massive charged particle so that we can make use of the extensive toolbox of experimental techniques developed to control quantum states of trapped ions, and to manipulate their motions with high fidelity operations. This approach provides a stringent test of the predictions of dynamical reduction models of delocalised …
The quantum coherence of electronic quasiparticles underpins many of the emerging transport properties of conductors at small scales. Novel electronic implementations of quantum optics devices are now available with perspectives such as 'flying' qubit manipulations. However, electronic quantum interferences in conductors remained up to now limited to propagation paths shorter than $30\,μ$m, independently of the material. Here we demonstrate strong electronic quantum interferences after a propagation along two $0.1\,$mm long pathways in a circuit. Interferences of visibility as high as $80\%$ a…
Leggett-Garg (LG) tests for macrorealism were originally designed to explore quantum coherence on the macroscopic scale. Interference experiments and systems modelled by harmonic oscillators provide useful examples of situations in which macroscopicity has been approached experimentally and are readily turned into LG tests for a single dichotomic variable Q. Applying this approach to the double-slit experiment in which a non-invasive measurement at the slits is included, we exhibit LG violations. We find that these violations are always accompanied by destructive interference. The converse is …
Whether quantum physics is universally valid is an open question with far-reaching implications. Intense research is therefore invested into testing the quantum superposition principle with ever heavier and more complex objects. Here we propose a radically new, experimentally viable route towards studies at the quantum-to-classical borderline by probing the orientational quantum revivals of a nanoscale rigid rotor. The proposed interference experiment testifies a macroscopic superposition of all possible orientations. It requires no diffraction grating, uses only a single levitated particle, a…
When is decoherence "effectively irreversible"? Here we examine this central question of quantum foundations using the tools of quantum computational complexity. We prove that, if one had a quantum circuit to determine if a system was in an equal superposition of two orthogonal states (for example, the $|$Alive$\rangle$ and $|$Dead$\rangle$ states of Schrödinger's cat), then with only a slightly larger circuit, one could also $\mathit{swap}$ the two states (e.g., bring a dead cat back to life). In other words, observing interference between the $|$Alive$\rangle$and $|$Dead$\rangle$ states is a…
Macroscopic Quantum Interference of the Center-of-Mass Motion of Levitated Superconducting Microparticles enabled by Magnetic Higher-Order Traps
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona（巴塞罗那自治大学）；Chalmers University of Technology（查尔姆斯理工大学）；Karlsruhe Institute of Technology（卡尔斯鲁厄理工学院）；Stockholm University（斯德哥尔摩大学）；Nordita, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University（北欧理论天体物理学研究所，瑞典皇家理工学院与斯德哥尔摩大学联合）；Institut de Science et d’Ingénierie Supramoléculaires, UMR No. 7006, CNRS, University of Strasbourg（超分子科学与工程学院，法国国家科学研究中心第7006联合研究实验室，斯特拉斯堡大学）
The population decay due to a small opening in an otherwise closed cavity supporting chaotic classical dynamics displays a quantum correction on top of the classical exponential form, a pure manifestation of quantum coherence that acquires a universal form and can be explained by path interference. Being coherent, such enhancement is prone to decoherence effects due to the coupling of the system to an external environment. We study this interplay between incoherent and coherent quantum corrections to decay by evaluating, within a Caldeira-Legget scenario, off-diagonal contributions to the deco…
We create a multi-partite entangled state by storing a single photon in a crystal that contains many large atomic ensembles with distinct resonance frequencies. The photon is re-emitted at a well-defined time due to an interference effect analogous to multi-slit diffraction. We derive a lower bound for the number of entangled ensembles based on the contrast of the interference and the single-photon character of the input, and we experimentally demonstrate entanglement between over two hundred ensembles, each containing a billion atoms. In addition, we illustrate the fact that each individual e…
We irradiated an rf-SQUID qubit with large-amplitude and high frequency electromagnetic field. Population transitions between macroscopic distinctive quantum states due to Landau-Zener transitions at energy-level avoided crossings were observed. The qubit population on the excited states as a function of flux detuning and microwave power exhibits interference patterns. Some novel features are found in the interference and a model based on rate equations can well address the features.
We investigate duality in entanglement of a bipartite multi-photon system generated from a coherent state of light. The system can exhibit polarization entanglement if the two parts are distinguished by their parity, or parity entanglement if the parts are distinguished by polarization. It was shown in [PRL 110, 140404 (2013)] that this phenomenon can be exploited as a method to test indistinguishability of two particles and it was conjectured that one can also test indistinguishability of macroscopic systems. We propose a setup to test this conjecture. Contrary to the previous studies using t…
Matter-wave interferometry with solids is highly susceptible to minute fluctuations of environmental fields, including gravitational effects from distant sources. Hence, experiments require a degree of shielding that is extraordinarily challenging to achieve in realistic terrestrial or even space-based set-ups. Here, we design protocols that exploit the spatial correlations that are inherent in perturbations due to distant sources to reduce significantly their impact on the visibility of interference patterns. We show that interference patterns that are robust to such type of noise can be enco…
Exploring the quantum behaviour of macroscopic objects provides an intriguing avenue to study the foundations of physics and to develop a suite of quantum-enhanced technologies. One prominent path of study is provided by quantum optomechanics which utilizes the tools of quantum optics to control the motion of macroscopic mechanical resonators. Despite excellent recent progress, the preparation of mechanical quantum superposition states remains outstanding due to weak coupling and thermal decoherence. Here we present a novel optomechanical scheme that significantly relaxes these requirements al…
