A Phenomenological Framework for Entropy-Driven Decoherence and the Thermodynamic Arrow of Time

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Authors: Vasiliki Sioutopoulou
Cited by: 0

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