arXiv subjects

Rodolfo Gambini

Publications and source records attributed to Rodolfo Gambini.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2009

Undecidability and the problem of outcomes in quantum measurements

We argue that it is fundamentally impossible to recover information about quantum superpositions when a system has interacted with a sufficiently large number of degrees of freedom of the environment. This is due to the fact that gravity imposes fundamental limitations on how accurate measurements can be. This leads to the notion of undecidability: there is no way to tell, due to fundamental limitations, if a quantum system evolved unitarily or suffered wavefunction collapse. This in turn provides a solution to the problem of outcomes in quantum measurement by providing a sharp criterion for defining when an event has taken place. We analyze in detail in examples two situations in which in principle one could recover information about quantum coherence: a) "revivals" of coherence in the interaction of a system with the environment and b) the measurement of global observables of the system plus apparatus plus environment. We show in the examples that the fundamental limitations due to gravity and quantum mechanics in measurement prevent both revivals from occurring and the measurement of global observables. It can therefore be argued that the emerging picture provides a complete resolution to the measurement problem in quantum mechanics.

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arXiv2009

New variables for 1+1 dimensional gravity

We show that the canonical formulation of a generic action for 1+1-dimensional models of gravity coupled to matter admits a description in terms of Ashtekar-type variables. This includes the CGHS model and spherically symmetric reductions of 3+1 gravity as particular cases. This opens the possibility of discussing models of black hole evaporation using loop representation techniques and verifying which paradigm emerges for the possible elimination of the black hole singularity and the issue of information loss.

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arXiv2009

Quantum scalar field in quantum gravity: the vacuum in the spherically symmetric case

We study gravity coupled to a scalar field in spherical symmetry using loop quantum gravity techniques. Since this model has local degrees of freedom, one has to face ``the problem of dynamics'', that is, diffeomorphism and Hamiltonian constraints that do not form a Lie algebra. We tackle the problem using the ``uniform discretization'' technique. We study the expectation value of the master constraint and argue that among the states that minimize the master constraint is one that incorporates the usual Fock vacuum for the matter content of the theory.

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arXiv2009

The Montevideo interpretation of quantum mechanics: frequently asked questions

In a series of recent papers we have introduced a new interpretation of quantum mechanics, which for brevity we will call the Montevideo interpretation. In it, the quantum to classical transition is achieved via a phenomenon called "undecidability" which stems from environmental decoherence supplemented with a fundamental mechanism of loss of coherence due to gravity. Due to the fact that the interpretation grew from several results that are dispersed in the literature, we put together this straightforward-to-read article addressing some of the main points that may confuse readers.

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arXiv2009

Quantum cosmic censor: gravitation makes reality undecidable

When one takes into account gravitation, the measurement of space and time cannot be carried out with infinite accuracy. When quantum mechanics is reformulated taking into account this lack of accuracy, the resolution of the measurement problem can be implemented via decoherence without the usual pitfalls. The resulting theory has the same physical predictions of quantum mechanics with a reduction postulate, but is radically different, with the quantum states evolving unitarily in terms of the underlying variables. Gravitation therefore makes this worrisome situation, potentially leading to two completely different views of reality, irrelevant from an empirical point of view. It may however be highly relevant from a philosophical point of view.

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arXiv2009

Free will, undecidability, and the problem of time in quantum gravity

In quantum gravity there is no notion of absolute time. Like all other quantities in the theory, the notion of time has to be introduced "relationally", by studying the behavior of some physical quantities in terms of others chosen as a "clock". We have recently introduced a consistent way of defining time relationally in general relativity. When quantum mechanics is formulated in terms of this new notion of time the resolution of the measurement problem can be implemented via decoherence without the usual pitfalls. The resulting theory has the same experimental results of ordinary quantum mechanics, but every time an event is produced or a measurement happens two alternatives are possible: a) the state collapses; b) the system evolves without changing the state. One therefore has two possible behaviors of the quantum mechanical system and physical observations cannot decide between them, not just as a matter of experimental limitations but as an issue of principle. This first-ever example of fundamental undecidability in physics suggests that nature may behave sometimes as described by one alternative and sometimes as described by another. This in particular may give new vistas on the issue of free will.

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arXiv2008

Conditional probabilities with Dirac observables and the problem of time in quantum gravity

We combine the "evolving constants" approach to the construction of observables in canonical quantum gravity with the Page--Wootters formulation of quantum mechanics with a relational time for generally covariant systems. This overcomes the objections levied by Kuchař against the latter formalism. The construction is formulated entirely in terms of Dirac observables, avoiding in all cases the physical observation of quantities that do not belong in the physical Hilbert space. We work out explicitly the example of the parameterized particle, including the calculation of the propagator. The resulting theory also predicts a fundamental mechanism of decoherence.

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arXiv2008

Diffeomorphism invariance in spherically symmetric loop quantum gravity

We study the issue of the recovery of diffeomorphism invariance in the recently introduced loop quantum gravity treatment of the exterior Schwarzschild space-time. Although the loop quantization agrees with the quantization in terms of metric variables in identifying the physical Hilbert space, we show that diffeomorphism invariance in space-time is recovered with certain limitations due to the use of holonomic variables in the loop treatment of the model. This resembles behaviors that are expected in the full theory.

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arXiv2008

Emergent diffeomorphism invariance in a discrete loop quantum gravity model

Several approaches to the dynamics of loop quantum gravity involve discretizing the equations of motion. The resulting discrete theories are known to be problematic since the first class algebra of constraints of the continuum theory becomes second class upon discretization. If one treats the second class constraints properly, the resulting theories have very different dynamics and number of degrees of freedom than those of the continuum theory. It is therefore questionable how these theories could be considered a starting point for quantization and the definition of a continuum theory through a continuum limit. We show explicitly in a model that the {\em uniform discretizations} approach to the quantization of constrained systems overcomes these difficulties. We consider here a simple diffeomorphism invariant one dimensional model and complete the quantization using {\em uniform discretizations}. The model can be viewed as a spherically symmetric reduction of the well known Husain--Kuchař model of diffeomorphism invariant theory. We show that the correct quantum continuum limit can be satisfactorily constructed for this model. This opens the possibility of treating 1+1 dimensional dynamical situations of great interest in quantum gravity taking into account the full dynamics of the theory and preserving the space-time covariance at a quantum level.

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arXiv2008

Loop quantization of spherically symmetric midi-superspaces

We quantize the exterior of spherically symmetric vacuum space-times using a midi-superspace reduction within the Ashtekar new variables. Through a partial gauge fixing we eliminate the diffeomorphism constraint and are left with a Hamiltonian constraint that is first class. We complete the quantization in the loop representation. We also use the model to discuss the issues that will arise in more general contexts in the ``uniform discretization'' approach to the dynamics.

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arXiv2008

Black holes in loop quantum gravity: the complete space-time

We consider the quantization of the complete extension of the Schwarzschild space-time using spherically symmetric loop quantum gravity. We find an exact solution corresponding to the semi-classical theory. The singularity is eliminated but the space-time still contains a horizon. Although the solution is known partially numerically and therefore a proper global analysis is not possible, a global structure akin to a singularity-free Reissner--Nordström space-time including a Cauchy horizon is suggested.

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arXiv2008

Loss of entanglement in quantum mechanics due to the use of realistic measuring rods

We show that the use of real measuring rods in quantum mechanics places a fundamental gravitational limit to the level of entanglement that one can ultimately achieve in quantum systems. The result can be seen as a direct consequence of the fundamental gravitational limitations in the measurements of length and time in realistic physical systems. The effect may have implications for long distance teleportation and the measurement problem in quantum mechanics.

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arXiv2008

Holography from loop quantum gravity

We show that holography arises naturally in the context of spherically symmetric loop quantum gravity. The result is not dependent on detailed assumptions about the dynamics of the theory being considered. It ties strongly the amount of information contained in a region of space to the tight mathematical underpinnings of loop quantum geometry, at least in this particular context.

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arXiv2008

Modern space-time and undecidability

The picture of space-time that Minkowski created in 1907 has been followed by two important developments in physics not contained in the original picture: general relativity and quantum mechanics. We will argue that the use of concepts of those theories to construct space-time implies conceptual modifications in quantum mechanics. In particular one can construct a viable picture of quantum mechanics without a reduction process that has outcomes equivalent to a picture with a reduction process. One therefore has two theories that are entirely equivalent experimentally but profoundly different in the description of reality they give. This introduces a fundamental level of undecidability in physics of a kind that has not been present before. We discuss some of the implications.

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arXiv2007

Loop quantization of spherically symmetric midi-superspaces : the interior problem

We continue the study of spherically symmetric vacuum space-times in loop quantum gravity by treating the interior of a black hole. We start from a midi-superspace approach, but a simple gauge fixing leads to a Kantowski--Sachs form for the variables. We show that one can solve the quantum theory exactly in the (periodic) connection representation, including the inner product. The evolution can be solved exactly by de-parameterizing the theory and can be easily interpreted as a semi-classical evolution plus quantum corrections. A relational evolution can also be introduced in a precise manner, suggesting what may happen in situations where it is not possible to de-parameterize. We show that the singularity is replaced by a bounce at which quantum effects are important and that the extent of the region at the bounce where one departs from classical general relativity depends on the initial data.

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arXiv2007

Relational physics with real rods and clocks and the measurement problem of quantum mechanics

The use of real clocks and measuring rods in quantum mechanics implies a natural loss of unitarity in the description of the theory. We briefly review this point and then discuss the implications it has for the measurement problem in quantum mechanics. The intrinsic loss of coherence allows to circumvent some of the usual objections to the measurement process as due to environmental decoherence.

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arXiv2007

Uniform discretizations: a new approach for the quantization of totally constrained systems

We discuss in detail the uniform discretization approach to the quantization of totally constrained theories. This approach allows to construct the continuum theory of interest as a well defined, controlled, limit of well behaved discrete theories. We work out several finite dimensional examples that exhibit behaviors expected to be of importance in the quantization of gravity. We also work out the case of BF theory. At the time of quantization, one can take two points of view. The technique can be used to define, upon taking the continuum limit, the space of physical states of the continuum constrained theory of interest. In particular we show in models that it agrees with the group averaging procedure when the latter exists. The technique can also be used to compute, at the discrete level, conditional probabilities and the introduction of a relational time. Upon taking the continuum limit one can show that one reproduces results obtained by the use of evolving constants, and therefore recover all physical predictions of the continuum theory. This second point of view can also be used as a paradigm to deal with cases where the continuum limit does not exist. There one would have discrete theories that at least at certain scales reproduce the semiclassical properties of the theory of interest. In this way the approach can be viewed as a generalization of the Dirac quantization procedure that can handle situations where the latter fails.

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arXiv2007

Fundamental spatiotemporal decoherence: a key to solving the conceptual problems of black holes, cosmology and quantum mechanics

Unitarity is a pillar of quantum theory. Nevertheless, it is also a source of several of its conceptual problems. We note that in a world where measurements are relational, as is the case in gravitation, quantum mechanics exhibits a fundamental level of loss of coherence. This can be the key to solving, among others, the puzzles posed by the black hole information paradox, the formation of inhomogeneities in cosmology and the measurement problem in quantum mechanics.

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