Abstract

Quantum mechanical superpositions of macroscopically distinguishable states of a macroscopic object decay rapidly due to the strong coupling of the object with its environment. This process is called environment-induced decoherence (EID) [1]. There has been extensive theoretical modelling of the decoherence of a superposition of spatially separated states of a macroscopic object [1]. However, experiments to test the decoherence of states of a macroscopic object are yet to be designed. In this paper we describe how a quantum optical system can be used to probe the rules according to which the decay of a superposition of spatially separated states of a macroscopic object takes place.

© 1998 IEEE