Essentially, yes.rasp said:Is decoherence essentially a measurement?
The latter.rasp said:And if so is the system of quantum particles set into the classical world forever? Or is there a mechanism by which it will evolve again into a superimposed state?
It is not correct to say that the particle itself is everywhere. Instead, it is a non-vanishing probability of finding the particle which is everywhere.rasp said:Secondly, if the particle (as in the 2 slit experiment) is essentially everywhere possible at a given time, then what sense can be given to assessing the probability that the particle can be found in a specific place?
Decoherence is a phenomenon in quantum mechanics where a quantum system interacting with its environment leads to the loss of coherence and the system behaves more like a classical system. In other words, the quantum system becomes entangled with its environment, making it difficult to observe its quantum properties. This process is often referred to as a "measurement" because it is similar to the act of measuring a classical system.
Decoherence can cause the collapse of a quantum system into a specific state, making it difficult to observe the true quantum state of the system. This can lead to the loss of information and can affect the accuracy of measurements. However, decoherence also plays a crucial role in preventing quantum systems from being in superposition states for too long, allowing for the emergence of classical behavior.
No, decoherence and the collapse of the wavefunction are two different concepts in quantum mechanics. Decoherence is a physical process that occurs when a quantum system interacts with its environment, while the collapse of the wavefunction is a theoretical concept that describes the sudden reduction of the wavefunction to a specific state during measurement.
Decoherence is a natural and irreversible process that occurs in all quantum systems. However, there are techniques such as quantum error correction that can mitigate its effects and help preserve the quantum state of a system. These techniques are essential for the development of quantum technologies.
Decoherence is one of the major challenges facing the development of quantum computers. As quantum computers rely on the delicate quantum states of particles, decoherence can lead to errors in calculations and limit the complexity of problems that can be solved. Therefore, much research is being done to find ways to control and reduce decoherence in quantum systems.