Using an Atom Interferometer to Infer Gravitational Entanglement Generation

Carney, Daniel; Müller, Holger; Taylor, Jacob M.

doi:10.1103/prxquantum.2.030330

Cited by 72 publications

(89 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…The system studied in [27] consists of a large particle (A) trapped in a harmonic potential and an atom (B) trapped in a double-well potential as shown in Figure 1. The double-well potential localizes the atom to two positions allowing an effective description of the spatial degree of freedom as a two-level system that we call a two-level test mass (TLTM).…”

Section: Revivals Due To a Coherent Interactionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In their recent work [27], Carney, Müller and Taylor propose an interesting interferometric scheme for testing the ability of the gravitational interaction to act as a quantum channel under what appear to be significantly reduced experimental constraints. Notably, their proposal makes use of a light test mass in a double-well potential that is gravitationally interacting with a very heavy source mass which, however, does not need to be prepared in a pure quantum state, thus enabling the use of even larger and more massive particles.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Notably, their proposal makes use of a light test mass in a double-well potential that is gravitationally interacting with a very heavy source mass which, however, does not need to be prepared in a pure quantum state, thus enabling the use of even larger and more massive particles. The central claim of [27] is that under very reasonable assumptions a model of gravity, in which the interaction is mediated by a classical channel, can not produce the collapse and revival dynamics in the interferometric contrast of the test mass generated by a quantum gravitational interaction. Even more remarkably, the signature of the quantum interaction is enhanced by a finite temperature of the heavy source mass, facilitating the discrimination of the two cases.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this work, we explicitly construct a local operations and classical communications (LOCC) channel between a harmonic oscillator and a particle in a double-well potential, that is fully compatible with the conditions of the proof in [27] and reproduces the collapseand-revival dynamics in the interferometric signal. This allows us to identify the error in the proof and leads us to the conclusion that the protocol presented in [27] does not constitute a sufficient test to determine the nature of the gravitational interaction. We then proceed to discuss certain tests of LOCC models and analyse the consequences of such LOCC models for the physics of black holes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

On the Significance of Interferometric Revivals for the Fundamental Description of Gravity

2022

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We show that an interaction between a harmonic oscillator and a two-level test mass (TLTM) mediated by a local operations and classical communication (LOCC) channel produces a signature that in (D. Carney et al., PRX Quantum 2, 030330 (2021)) is claimed to be exclusively reserved for channels that can transmit quantum information. We provide an explicit example based on a measurement-and-feedback channel, explain where the proof of Carney et al. fails, discuss to what degree setups of this type can test the nature of the gravitational interaction and remark on some fundamental implications that an LOCC model of gravity may have in black hole physics.

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Section: Revivals Due To a Coherent Interactionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

On the Significance of Interferometric Revivals for the Fundamental Description of Gravity

2022

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“…See also [69] for related ideas applied to quantum optomechanic experiments. Atom interferometry also provides interesting techniques for the detection of gravitational waves [70], and gravitationally induced entanglement can in principle be detected by employing novel quantum information-based sensing protocols robust to thermal noise [71]. In parallel, several proposals to observe macroscopic superpositions in quantum optomechanics have been made (see for example [72,73]), and experiments are advancing towards reaching the quantum mechanical regime for massive objects [74,75]; it is conceivable that, in the near future, experimentalists will be able to build Feynman's original gedanken experiment [76], as the one shown in Figure 1, and access the gravitational field of quantum matter.…”

Section: Entanglement and Decoherencementioning

confidence: 99%

Can We Detect the Quantum Nature of Weak Gravitational Fields?

et al. 2021

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A theoretical framework for the quantization of gravity has been an elusive Holy Grail since the birth of quantum theory and general relativity. While generations of scientists have attempted to find solutions to this deep riddle, an alternative path built upon the idea that experimental evidence could determine whether gravity is quantized has been decades in the making. The possibility of an experimental answer to the question of the quantization of gravity is of renewed interest in the era of gravitational wave detectors. We review and investigate an important subset of phenomenological quantum gravity, detecting quantum signatures of weak gravitational fields in table-top experiments and interferometers.

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Gravitationally induced decoherence vs space-time diffusion: testing the quantum nature of gravity

Oppenheim,

Sparaciari,

Šoda

et al. 2023

Nat Commun

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We consider two interacting systems when one is treated classically while the other system remains quantum. Consistent dynamics of this coupling has been shown to exist, and explored in the context of treating space-time classically. Here, we prove that any such hybrid dynamics necessarily results in decoherence of the quantum system, and a breakdown in predictability in the classical phase space. We further prove that a trade-off between the rate of this decoherence and the degree of diffusion induced in the classical system is a general feature of all classical quantum dynamics; long coherence times require strong diffusion in phase-space relative to the strength of the coupling. Applying the trade-off relation to gravity, we find a relationship between the strength of gravitationally-induced decoherence versus diffusion of the metric and its conjugate momenta. This provides an experimental signature of theories in which gravity is fundamentally classical. Bounds on decoherence rates arising from current interferometry experiments, combined with precision measurements of mass, place significant restrictions on theories where Einstein’s classical theory of gravity interacts with quantum matter. We find that part of the parameter space of such theories are already squeezed out, and provide figures of merit which can be used in future mass measurements and interference experiments.

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Using an Atom Interferometer to Infer Gravitational Entanglement Generation

Cited by 72 publications

References 51 publications

On the Significance of Interferometric Revivals for the Fundamental Description of Gravity

On the Significance of Interferometric Revivals for the Fundamental Description of Gravity

Can We Detect the Quantum Nature of Weak Gravitational Fields?

Gravitationally induced decoherence vs space-time diffusion: testing the quantum nature of gravity

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