TY - JOUR
T1 - An Intrinsic Limit to Quantum Coherence due to Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking
AU - van Wezel, Jasper
AU - van den Brink, Jeroen
AU - Zaanen, Jan
PY - 2005/6/13
Y1 - 2005/6/13
N2 - We investigate the influence of spontaneous symmetry breaking on the decoherence of a many-particle quantum system. This decoherence process is analyzed in an exactly solvable model system that is known to be representative of symmetry broken macroscopic systems in equilibrium. It is shown that spontaneous symmetry breaking imposes a fundamental limit to the time that a system can stay quantum coherent. This universal time scale is tspon≃2πNℏ/(kBT), given in terms of the number of microscopic degrees of freedom N, temperature T, and the constants of Planck (ℏ) and Boltzmann (kB).
AB - We investigate the influence of spontaneous symmetry breaking on the decoherence of a many-particle quantum system. This decoherence process is analyzed in an exactly solvable model system that is known to be representative of symmetry broken macroscopic systems in equilibrium. It is shown that spontaneous symmetry breaking imposes a fundamental limit to the time that a system can stay quantum coherent. This universal time scale is tspon≃2πNℏ/(kBT), given in terms of the number of microscopic degrees of freedom N, temperature T, and the constants of Planck (ℏ) and Boltzmann (kB).
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.230401
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.230401
M3 - Article (Academic Journal)
VL - 94
JO - Physical Review Letters
JF - Physical Review Letters
SN - 0031-9007
M1 - 230401
ER -