Towards quantum superpositions of a mirror
Open accessAbstract
We propose an experiment for creating quantum superposition states involving of the order of 10(14) atoms via the interaction of a single photon with a tiny mirror. This mirror, mounted on a high-quality mechanical oscillator, is part of a high-finesse optical cavity which forms one arm of a Michelson interferometer. By observing the interference of the photon only, one can study the creation and decoherence of superpositions involving the mirror. A detailed analysis of the requirements shows that the experiment is within reach using a combination of state-of-the-art technologies.
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No experiment has yet determined whether DP OR is respected by Nature, but experimental testing is close to present-day technology.
“As yet, no experiment has been refined enough to determine whether the (DP) OR proposal is actually respected by Nature, but the experimental testing of the scheme is fairly close to the borderline of what can be achieved with present-day technology (see [122]).”
From Consciousness in the universe (2014) · cites this paper as [122]
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- Authors
- Marshall, W., Simon, C., Penrose, R., & Bouwmeester, D.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Santa Barbara (US)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- ORCID
- Simon, Christoph
- Venue
- Physical Review Letters
- Publisher
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Published
- 2003-09-23
- Volume
- 91
- Issue
- 13
- Pages
- 130401-130401
- ISSN
- 0031-9007 (ISSN-L)
- 1079-7114
- OpenAlex
- W2011063945
- Cited by
- 960
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 59 · 2023: 39 · 2022: 42 · 2021: 40 · 2020: 62 · 2019: 39 · 2018: 51 · 2017: 40 · 2016: 49 · 2015: 53 · 2014: 58 · 2013: 60 · 2012: 65
- FWCI
- 13.69
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- arxiv.org
- Locations
- Physical Review Letters (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
- CERN Document Server (European Organization for Nuclear Research) (submittedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University)
- Oxford University Research Archive (ORA) (University of Oxford)
- Dr Leonard Polonsky thesis digitisation
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Mechanical and Optical Resonators
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Quantum Mechanics and Applications
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Artificial Intelligence › Quantum Information and Cryptography
- Keywords
- quantum superposition, macroscopic superposition, mirrors, high-finesse optical cavity, mechanical resonators, Michelson interferometer, decoherence
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