Test of Causal Non-Linear Quantum Mechanics by Ramsey Interferometry on the Vibrational Mode of a Trapped Ion

Abstract

Kaplan and Rajendran have recently demonstrated that non-linear and state-dependent terms can be consistently added to quantum field theory to yield causal non-linear time evolution in quantum mechanics. Causal non-linear theories have the unavoidable feature that their quantum effects are dramatically sensitive to the full physical spread of the quantum state of the system. As a result, such theories are not well tested by conventional atomic and nuclear spectroscopy. By using a well-controlled superposition of vibrational modes of a ${}^{40}$Ca${}^{+}$ ion trapped in a harmonic potential, we set a stringent limit of $5.4\times 10^{-12}$ on the magnitude of the unitless scaling factor ${\tilde{\epsilon }}_{\gamma }$ for the predicted causal, non-linear perturbation.

References in corpus (1)

• Experimental limit on non-linear state-dependent terms in quantum theory

Cited by in corpus (4)

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