I Decoherence references and a question about the measurement problem

[msumm21]

TL;DR Summary

Questions on decoherence: references and a

Couple questions here.

1. What do you think is the best source to read about decoherence, both from an intuitive/high level pov, but also with mathematical details. I'd partially read a recommended paper by Schlosshauer a while back, is that still the bible for this?

2. If probabilities in quantum mechanics were themselves quantized (i.e. probabilities couldn't be any real number in [0,1] but had to be an integral multiple a some small number $\epsilon$), would decoherence then solve the measurement problem? E.g. while interacting with "environments" potential measurement results would eventually have a probability below $\epsilon$ and hence vanish completely. All the probability would shift the single result measured. (Admittedly not sure if this makes sense--I either never got a good grasp of decoherence or I forgot it if I did.)

 

[PeterDonis]

If probabilities in quantum mechanics were themselves quantized (i.e. probabilities couldn't be any real number in [0,1] but had to be an integral multiple a some small number $\epsilon$)

I'm not sure anyone has ever proposed a coherent model with this property. So I don't know that questions about it are actually answerable since we don't have a model to use to answer them.

 

[StevieTNZ]

Summary:: Questions on decoherence: references and a

Couple questions here.

1. What do you think is the best source to read about decoherence, both from an intuitive/high level pov, but also with mathematical details. I'd partially read a recommended paper by Schlosshauer a while back, is that still the bible for this?

Could this book be best suited for your needs?
https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783540357735

 

[Demystifier]

Summary:: Questions on decoherence: references and a

I'd partially read a recommended paper by Schlosshauer a while back, is that still the bible for this?

Now the bible is his book that @StevieTNZ linked above.

 

[Demystifier]

I'm not sure anyone has ever proposed a coherent model with this property.

I've seen it in the many world context, as a technicality that helps to derive the Born rule.

 

[Lord Jestocost]

What do you think is the best source to read about decoherence,...

To start with:
Stephen L. Adler: Why Decoherence has not Solved the Measurement Problem: A Response to P.W. Anderson
https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0112095v3

 

[kith]

1. What do you think is the best source to read about decoherence, both from an intuitive/high level pov, but also with mathematical details. I'd partially read a recommended paper by Schlosshauer a while back, is that still the bible for this?

I think Schlosshauer's book is still the standard reference if one wants to learn about how decoherence is related to the quantum-to-classical transition.

Decoherence itself, however, is primarily a physical process in open quantum systems which has measureable consequences. Schlosshauer is only scratching the surface of this. A more comprehensive reference here is "The Theory of Open Quantum Systems" by Breuer and Petruccione.

 

[Demystifier]

I think Schlosshauer's book is still the standard reference if one wants to learn about how decoherence is related to the quantum-to-classical transition.

Decoherence itself, however, is primarily a physical process in open quantum systems which has measureable consequences. Schlosshauer is only scratching the surface of this. A more comprehensive reference here is "The Theory of Open Quantum Systems" by Breuer and Petruccione.

I would put it this way: Schlosshauer is mainly for foundations, Breuer and Petruccione is mainly for applications.