Data di Pubblicazione:
2017
Citazione:
Can quantum probes satisfy the weak equivalence principle? / L. Seveso, M.G.A. Paris. - In: ANNALS OF PHYSICS. - ISSN 0003-4916. - 380(2017), pp. 213-223. [10.1016/j.aop.2017.03.021]
Abstract:
We address the question whether quantum probes in a gravitational field can be considered as test particles obeying the weak equivalence principle (WEP). A formulation of the WEP is proposed which applies also in the quantum regime, while maintaining the physical content of its classical counterpart. Such formulation requires the introduction of a gravitational field not to modify the Fisher information about the mass of a freely-falling probe, extractable through measurements of its position. We discover that, while in a uniform field quantum probes satisfy our formulation of the WEP exactly, gravity gradients can encode nontrivial information about the particle's mass in its wavefunction, leading to violations of the WEP.
Tipologia IRIS:
01 - Articolo su periodico
Keywords:
quantum mechanics; quantum parameter estimation theory; universality of free-fall; weak equivalence principle; physics and astronomy (all)
Elenco autori:
L. Seveso, M.G.A. Paris
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