Material-Dependent Gravitational Decoherence: Thermodynamic Evaluation of the Pikovski Time-Dilation Mechanism

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Authors: Nikolaj Weber
Cited by: 0

Abstract

We evaluate the macroscopic entanglement-loss implications of gravitational time dilation, first identified by Pikovski et al. (2015). By moving beyond the idealized zero-temperature single-mode approximation to a continuous Debye model in the canonical ensemble, we derive the explicit phononic heat-capacity limits for spontaneous gravitational decoherence. We find that the decoherence rate driven by internal time-dilation variance strongly scales with $\sigma \propto T^{5/2}$ at ultra-low experimental temperatures ($T \ll \Theta_D$), vanishing strictly at absolute zero. Furthermore, we demonstrate mathematically that translational invariance renders proper-time differences between spatially distinct branches of an identical matter distribution identically zero. Thus, contrary to the Diósi-Penrose approach, an isolated mass in a pure superposition cannot undergo solely self-gravitational state-collapse. Decoherence requires either an external gravitational potential gradient or internal structural asymmetry. Lastly, we prove that the topological spectral dimension $d_s$ of the macroscopic test mass determines the decoherence rate scaling, creating a new class of ultra-sensitive 'fracton-gravity sensors'.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Quantum Mechanics and Applications Noncommutative and Quantum Gravity Theories Relativity and Gravitational Theory

Publication details

Journal / source
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Publication date
9 March 2026
Language
EN
Document type
Preprint