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Title: Black holes decohere quantum superpositions
We show that if a massive body is put in a quantum superposition of spatially separated states, the mere presence of a black hole in the vicinity of the body will eventually destroy the coherence of the superposition. This occurs because, in effect, the gravitational field of the body radiates soft gravitons into the black hole, allowing the black hole to acquire “which path” information about the superposition. A similar effect occurs for quantum superpositions of electrically charged bodies. We provide estimates of the decoherence time for such quantum superpositions. We believe that the fact that a black hole will eventually decohere any quantum superposition may be of fundamental significance for our understanding of the nature of black holes in a quantum theory of gravity.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2105878
PAR ID:
10423844
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
International Journal of Modern Physics D
Volume:
31
Issue:
14
ISSN:
0218-2718
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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