Zero-dimensional models for gravitational and scalar QED decoherence

Abstract

We investigate the dynamics of two quantum mechanical oscillator system–bath toy models obtained by truncating to zero spatial dimensions linearized gravity coupled to a massive scalar field and scalar quantum electrodynamics (QED). The scalar-gravity toy model maps onto the phase damped oscillator, while the scalar QED toy model approximately maps onto an oscillator system subject to two-photon damping. The toy models provide potentially useful insights into solving for open system quantum dynamics relevant to the full scalar QED and weak gravitational field systems, in particular operational probes of the decoherence for initial scalar field system superposition states.

Keywords

• decoherence
• toy model
• matter–gravity interaction
• scalar QED