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arXiv · 1512.04183

Optomechanical tests of a Schr\"odinger-Newton equation for gravitational quantum mechanics

C. C. Gan·C. M. Savage·S. Z. Scully
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Abstract

We show that optomechanical systems can test the Schr\"{o}dinger-Newton equation of gravitational quantum mechanics due to Yang et al. This equation is motivated by semiclassical gravity, a widely used theory of interacting gravitational and quantum fields. From the many-body Schr\"{o}dinger-Newton equation follows an approximate equation for the center-of-mass dynamics of macroscopic objects. This predicts a distinctive double-peaked signature in the output optical quadrature power spectral density of certain optomechanical systems. Since the Schr\"{o}dinger-Newton equation lacks free parameters, these will allow its experimental confirmation or refutation.

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C. C. Gan, C. M. Savage, S. Z. Scully. 2015-12-14. Optomechanical tests of a Schr\"odinger-Newton equation for gravitational quantum mechanics. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.93.124049

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