Paper detail

Effects of the continuous spontaneous localization model in the regime of large localization length scale

Working in the limit in which the localization length scale is large compared to other relevant length scales we examine three experimental situations with the continuous spontaneous localization (CSL) model---a well-motivated alternative to standard quantum theory. These are the two-slit experiment; scattering from a potential barrier; and the release of two non-interacting particles simultaneously from a potential trap. In each case we calculate the diagonal part of the time evolved density matrix giving a probability density function over final measured states. The case of the two-slit experiment is already well understood and we reproduce some known conditions for observing loss of interference. The other examples have not previously been examined in the context of CSL. For scattering from a potential barrier we find that the probability of reflection is unchanged by CSL, however, the momentum state is spread in a characteristic way. For the case of two particles released simultaneously from a trap we find that it is more likely that the particles diffuse in the same direction than would happen if the particles behaved independently. We assess the possibility of observing these effects.