arXiv · 2508.11769
Macroscopic Schr\"{o}dinger-cat states of nonequilibrium electrons induced by cat-state optical driving and projective measurements on the light field
Abstract
We show that projective measurements on quantum light can induce macroscopic cat states in many-electron systems driven by such light. Here we investigate the quantum dynamics of $N$ independent two-level electrons interacting with Schr\"{o}dinger-cat or -kitten states of light. Without measurement, a macroscopic cat state of the electrons appears only in an ultrashort time window. In contrast, we demonstrate that photon-number parity or quadrature projective measurements can restore a macroscopic cat state in nonequilibrium electrons, even in the thermodynamic limit. These dynamics are captured by an external-field approximation, in which the electronic system evolves into a Rabi-oscillation cat state. Our results highlight the need for precise quantum measurement techniques for light to control macroscopic quantum states of matter driven by quantum light.
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Shohei Imai. 2025-08-15. Macroscopic Schr\"{o}dinger-cat states of nonequilibrium electrons induced by cat-state optical driving and projective measurements on the light field. https://doi.org/10.1103/kzr9-fxx3
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