Discriminating quantum gravity models by gravitational decoherence

Several phenomenological approaches to quantum gravity predict the existence of a minimal measurable length and/or a maximum measurable momentum near the Planck scale. When embedded into the framework of quantum mechanics, such constraints induce a modification of the canonical commutation relations...

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Main Authors: Eissa Al-Nasrallah, Saurya Das, Fabrizio Illuminati, Luciano Petruzziello, Elias C. Vagenas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2023-07-01
Series:Nuclear Physics B
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S055032132300175X
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author Eissa Al-Nasrallah
Saurya Das
Fabrizio Illuminati
Luciano Petruzziello
Elias C. Vagenas
author_facet Eissa Al-Nasrallah
Saurya Das
Fabrizio Illuminati
Luciano Petruzziello
Elias C. Vagenas
author_sort Eissa Al-Nasrallah
collection DOAJ
description Several phenomenological approaches to quantum gravity predict the existence of a minimal measurable length and/or a maximum measurable momentum near the Planck scale. When embedded into the framework of quantum mechanics, such constraints induce a modification of the canonical commutation relations and thus a generalization of the Heisenberg uncertainty relations, commonly referred to as generalized uncertainty principle (GUP). Different models of quantum gravity imply different forms of the GUP. For instance, in the framework of string theory the GUP is quadratic in the momentum operator, while in the context of doubly special relativity it includes an additional linear dependence. Among the possible physical consequences, it was recently shown that the quadratic GUP induces a universal decoherence mechanism, provided one assumes a foamy structure of quantum spacetime close to the Planck length. Along this line, in the present work we investigate the gravitational decoherence associated to the linear-quadratic GUP and we compare it with the one associated to the quadratic GUP. We find that, despite their similarities, the two generalizations of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle yield decoherence times that are completely uncorrelated and significantly distinct. Motivated by this result, we introduce a theoretical and experimental scheme based on cavity optomechanics to measure the different time evolution of nonlocal quantum correlations corresponding to the two aforementioned decoherence mechanisms. We find that the deviation between the two predictions occurs on time scales that are macroscopic and thus potentially amenable to experimental verification. This scenario provides a possible setting to discriminate between different forms of the GUP and therefore different models of quantum gravity.
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spelling doaj.art-fe03e5de337e4f38b1b3a54d332f069c2023-06-20T04:19:52ZengElsevierNuclear Physics B0550-32132023-07-01992116246Discriminating quantum gravity models by gravitational decoherenceEissa Al-Nasrallah0Saurya Das1Fabrizio Illuminati2Luciano Petruzziello3Elias C. Vagenas4Department of Physics, Kuwait University, P.O. Box 5969, Safat 13060, Kuwait; Energy and Building Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 24885, Safat 13109, Kuwait; Corresponding author.Theoretical Physics Group and Quantum Alberta, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, Alberta, T1K 3M4, CanadaDipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Universita degli Studi di Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132 - 84084 Fisciano, Salerno, Italy; INFN, Sezione di Napoli, Gruppo collegato di Salerno, ItalyDipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Universita degli Studi di Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132 - 84084 Fisciano, Salerno, Italy; INFN, Sezione di Napoli, Gruppo collegato di Salerno, Italy; Institut für Theoretische Physik, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Universität Ulm, 89069 Ulm, GermanyTheoretical Physics Group, Department of Physics, Kuwait University, P.O. Box 5969, Safat 13060, KuwaitSeveral phenomenological approaches to quantum gravity predict the existence of a minimal measurable length and/or a maximum measurable momentum near the Planck scale. When embedded into the framework of quantum mechanics, such constraints induce a modification of the canonical commutation relations and thus a generalization of the Heisenberg uncertainty relations, commonly referred to as generalized uncertainty principle (GUP). Different models of quantum gravity imply different forms of the GUP. For instance, in the framework of string theory the GUP is quadratic in the momentum operator, while in the context of doubly special relativity it includes an additional linear dependence. Among the possible physical consequences, it was recently shown that the quadratic GUP induces a universal decoherence mechanism, provided one assumes a foamy structure of quantum spacetime close to the Planck length. Along this line, in the present work we investigate the gravitational decoherence associated to the linear-quadratic GUP and we compare it with the one associated to the quadratic GUP. We find that, despite their similarities, the two generalizations of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle yield decoherence times that are completely uncorrelated and significantly distinct. Motivated by this result, we introduce a theoretical and experimental scheme based on cavity optomechanics to measure the different time evolution of nonlocal quantum correlations corresponding to the two aforementioned decoherence mechanisms. We find that the deviation between the two predictions occurs on time scales that are macroscopic and thus potentially amenable to experimental verification. This scenario provides a possible setting to discriminate between different forms of the GUP and therefore different models of quantum gravity.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S055032132300175X
spellingShingle Eissa Al-Nasrallah
Saurya Das
Fabrizio Illuminati
Luciano Petruzziello
Elias C. Vagenas
Discriminating quantum gravity models by gravitational decoherence
Nuclear Physics B
title Discriminating quantum gravity models by gravitational decoherence
title_full Discriminating quantum gravity models by gravitational decoherence
title_fullStr Discriminating quantum gravity models by gravitational decoherence
title_full_unstemmed Discriminating quantum gravity models by gravitational decoherence
title_short Discriminating quantum gravity models by gravitational decoherence
title_sort discriminating quantum gravity models by gravitational decoherence
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S055032132300175X
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