A Phenomenological Framework for Entropy-Driven Decoherence and the Thermodynamic Arrow of Time
Abstract
We propose a speculative but quantitatively constrained phenomenological framework in which the thermodynamic arrow of time emerges from entropy-dependent decoherence in open quantum systems. Higher environmental entropy strengthens decoherence, preferentially de- stroying quantum coherence in one temporal direction, thus providing a microscopic mechanism for irreversibility. The formalism is constructed within an effective Lindblad master-equation approach, recovering unitary quantum mechanics and standard thermodynamics in appropriate limits. A toy two-level system illustrates the emergence of coherence decay and an effective microscopic arrow of time.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Quantum Mechanics and Applications
Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
Quantum Information and Cryptography
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
- Publication date
- 11 January 2026
- Document type
- Preprint