Talk detail

Participant	Bassi, Angelo
Institution	University of Trieste - Strada Costiera, 11 - Italy - Italy - Italy

Session	PT3	Accepted		Order	Time
Talk	Oral abstract	Title	Tests of the quantum superposition principle: current experiments on Earth, future experiments in Space
Coauthors
Abstract	The superposition principle is the building block of quantum mechanics, the theory we use to describe the behavior of light and matter - at least in the microscopic domain. It means that systems can be in two or more different states at once, and this precisely makes quantum theory so radically different from classical mechanics. Why quantum properties of atoms and molecules seem not to carry over to macroscopic systems is a major open question, and model have been developed, which implement a progressive loos of quantum coherence when the mass and complexity of the system increase. We will review such models, as well as current attempts to test the loss of quantum coherence they predict. Such experiments range from matter-wave interferometry, to cold atoms, to optomechanical setups, and more. The next frontier will be space, where the quantum properties of systems, which are way larger than what is possible on Earth, can be tested.
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