Back to Search Start Over

Quantum time dilation in a gravitational field

Authors :
Jerzy Paczos
Kacper Dębski
Piotr T. Grochowski
Alexander R. H. Smith
Andrzej Dragan
Source :
Quantum, Vol 8, p 1338 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
Verein zur Förderung des Open Access Publizierens in den Quantenwissenschaften, 2024.

Abstract

According to relativity, the reading of an ideal clock is interpreted as the elapsed proper time along its classical trajectory through spacetime. In contrast, quantum theory allows the association of many simultaneous trajectories with a single quantum clock, each weighted appropriately. Here, we investigate how the superposition principle affects the gravitational time dilation observed by a simple clock – a decaying two-level atom. Placing such an atom in a superposition of positions enables us to analyze a quantum contribution to a classical time dilation manifest in spontaneous emission. In particular, we show that the emission rate of an atom prepared in a coherent superposition of separated wave packets in a gravitational field is different from the emission rate of an atom in a classical mixture of these packets, which gives rise to a quantum gravitational time dilation effect. We demonstrate that this nonclassical effect also manifests in a fractional frequency shift of the internal energy of the atom that is within the resolution of current atomic clocks. In addition, we show the effect of spatial coherence on the atom's emission spectrum.

Subjects

Subjects :
Physics
QC1-999

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
2521327X
Volume :
8
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Quantum
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.2eb82263a0c49ec8a51989cc53b44c1
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.22331/q-2024-05-07-1338