Title

Free electron motion in an electromagnetic field at zero temperature and the dependence on its rest mass

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-1-2007

Abstract

Efforts to achieve quantum computation, teleportation, and communication depend on minimizing decoherence, which is the destruction of a quantum interference pattern. Here, we examine effects arising from the universal zero-point (temperature T = 0) oscillations of the electromagnetic field on a free electron in a Schrödinger cat superposition state. A unique conclusion is that the spreading of an electron wavepacket and the rate of decay of decoherence depend on the bare mass m of the electron. However, only for m = 0 does decoherence occur and the fact that it occurs almost instantly is ruled out by electron interference experiments. For m = 0, the electron essentially behaves as a free particle. © Nauka/Interperiodica 2007.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Laser Physics

First Page

302

Last Page

304

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