Do atoms age?

Journal Article · 03 June 2022 · Physics Letters. B

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2022.137224 · OSTI ID:1973455

Raizen, Mark G. ^[1]; Kaplan, David E. ^[2]; Rajendran, Surjeet ^[2]

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1. University of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)
2. Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (United States)

Time evolution generically entangles a quantum state with environmental degrees of freedom. The resulting increase in entropy changes the properties of that quantum system leading to “aging”. It is interesting to ask if this familiar property also applies to simple, single particle quantum systems such as the decay of a radioactive particle. We propose a test of such aging in an ion clock setup where we probe for temporal changes to the energies of the electronic state of an ion containing a radioactive nucleus. Such effects are absent in standard quantum mechanics and this test is thus a potent null test for violations of quantum mechanics. As a proof of principle, we show that these effects exist in causal non-linear modifications of quantum mechanics.

• Research Organization: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: National Science Foundation (NSF); Simons Investigator Award; USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC02-07CH11359
• OSTI ID: 1973455
• Report Number(s): FERMILAB-PUB-22-356-SQMS-V; arXiv:2203.00195; oai:inspirehep.net:2040659
• Journal Information: Physics Letters. B, Journal Name: Physics Letters. B Vol. 832; ISSN 0370-2693
• Publisher: ElsevierCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English