Experimental bounds on collapse models from gravitational wave detectors

Matteo Carlesso, Angelo Bassi, Paolo Falferi, and Andrea Vinante
Phys. Rev. D 94, 124036 – Published 23 December 2016

Abstract

Wave function collapse models postulate a fundamental breakdown of the quantum superposition principle at the macroscale. Therefore, experimental tests of collapse models are also fundamental tests of quantum mechanics. Here, we compute the upper bounds on the collapse parameters, which can be inferred by the gravitational wave detectors LIGO, LISA Pathfinder, and AURIGA. We consider the most widely used collapse model, the continuous spontaneous localization (CSL) model. We show that these experiments exclude a huge portion of the CSL parameter space, the strongest bound being set by the recently launched space mission LISA Pathfinder. We also rule out a proposal for quantum-gravity-induced decoherence.

  • Figure
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  • Received 20 June 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.94.124036

© 2016 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Gravitation, Cosmology & AstrophysicsAtomic, Molecular & Optical

Authors & Affiliations

Matteo Carlesso1,2,*, Angelo Bassi1,2,†, Paolo Falferi3,4, and Andrea Vinante3,‡

  • 1Department of Physics, University of Trieste, Strada Costiera 11, 34151 Trieste, Italy
  • 2Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Trieste Section, Via Valerio 2, 34127 Trieste, Italy
  • 3Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, CNR-Fondazione Bruno Kessler, I-38123 Povo, Trento, Italy
  • 4INFN-Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics and Applications, I-38123 Povo, Trento, Italy

  • *matteo.carlesso@ts.infn.it
  • bassi@ts.infn.it
  • anvinante@fbk.eu

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Issue

Vol. 94, Iss. 12 — 15 December 2016

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