Gravitationally self-bound quantum states in unstable potentials

Markku Jääskeläinen
Phys. Rev. A 97, 042116 – Published 19 April 2018

Abstract

Quantum mechanics at present cannot be unified with the theory of gravity at the deepest level, and to guide research towards the solution of this fundamental problem, we need to look for ways to observe or refute predictions originating from attempts to combine quantum theory with gravity. The influence of the gravitational field created by the material density given by the wave function itself gives rise to nontrivial phenomena. In this study I consider the wave function for the center-of-mass coordinate of a spherical mass distribution under the influence of the self-interaction of Newtonian gravity. I solve numerically for the ground state in the presence of an unstable potential and find that the energy of the free-space bound state can be lowered despite the nontrapping character of the potential. The center-of-mass ground state becomes increasingly localized for the used unstable potentials, although only in a limited parameter regime. The feebleness of the energy shift makes the observation of these effects demanding and requires further developments in the cooling of material particles. In addition, the influence of gravitational perturbations that are present in typical laboratory settings necessitates the use of extremely quiet and controlled environments such as those provided by recently proposed space-borne experiments.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 23 November 2017

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.97.042116

©2018 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

General PhysicsAtomic, Molecular & Optical

Authors & Affiliations

Markku Jääskeläinen

  • Division of Physics and Mathemaics/Natural Sciences with Didactics, Mälardalen University, Box 883, 72123 Västerås, Sweden

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 97, Iss. 4 — April 2018

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review A

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×