Phys. Rev. A 64, 032101 (2001) [4 pages]Quantum measurement and decoherenceReceived 6 July 2000; revised 23 October 2000; published 8 August 2001 Distribution functions defined in accordance with the quantum theory of measurement are combined with results obtained from the quantum Langevin equation to discuss decoherence in quantum Brownian motion. Closed form expressions for wave packet spreading and the attenuation of coherence of a pair of wave packets are obtained. The results are exact within the context of linear passive dissipation. It is shown that, contrary to widely accepted current belief, decoherence can occur at high temperature in the absence of dissipation. Expressions for the decoherence time with and without dissipation are obtained that differ from those appearing in earlier discussions. © 2001 The American Physical Society URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevA.64.032101
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevA.64.032101
PACS:
03.65.Yz, 05.30.-d, 05.40.Jc
See AlsoComment: Dominique Gobert, Jan von Delft, and Vinay Ambegaokar, Comment on “Quantum measurement and decoherence”, Phys. Rev. A 70, 026101 (2004). Reply: G. W. Ford and R. F. O’Connell, Reply to “Comment on ‘Quantum measurement and decoherence’ ”, Phys. Rev. A 70, 026102 (2004). |
|
About | Terms and Conditions | Subscriptions | Search | Help
Use of the American Physical Society websites and journals implies that the user has read and agrees to our Terms and Conditions and any applicable Subscription Agreement. Physical Review®, Physical Review Letters®, Reviews of Modern Physics®, and Physical Review Special Topics® are trademarks of the American Physical Society.