Requirements on quantum superpositions of macro-objects for sensing neutrinos
We examine a macroscopic system in a quantum superposition of two spatially separated localized states as a detector for a stream of weakly interacting relativistic particles. We do this using the explicit example of neutrinos with MeV-scale energy scattering from a solid object via neutral-current...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Physical Society
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Physical Review Research |
| Online Access: | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.5.023012 |
| Summary: | We examine a macroscopic system in a quantum superposition of two spatially separated localized states as a detector for a stream of weakly interacting relativistic particles. We do this using the explicit example of neutrinos with MeV-scale energy scattering from a solid object via neutral-current neutrino-nucleus scattering. Presuming the (anti)neutrino source to be a nuclear fission reactor, we utilize the estimated flux and coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus cross section to constrain the spatial separation Δx and describe the temporal evolution of the sensing system. Particularly, we find that a potentially measurable relative phase between quantum superposed components is obtained for a single gram scale mass placed in a superposition of spatial components separated by 10^{−14} m under sufficient cooling and background suppression. |
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| ISSN: | 2643-1564 |