The paper deals with the fundamental question of whether an environment, defined as a quantum system with an arbitrarily large or infinite number of unobservable degrees of freedom, is necessary or not to enforce quantum decoherence on quantum measuring instruments. The paper gives an unambiguous answer to the question as summarized by its Abstract: Current… Read More »
Abstract Current quantum orthodoxy claims that the statistical collapse of the wave-function arises from the interaction of the measuring instrument with its environment through the phenomenon known as environment-induced decoherence. Here it is shown that there exists a measurement scheme that is exactly decohering without the aid of an environment. The scheme relies on the… Read More »
Consider a hot cup of coffee, that indispensable fuel for many a physicist. We know that if we leave it alone for long, that hot, steaming cup of coffee cools down, making it easier to drink but less delectable. To delay this, some of us use special insulating cups, or cover the open top of… Read More »