Quantum mechanics and the equivalence principle

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43 Scopus citations

Abstract

A quantum particle moving in a gravitational field may penetrate the classically forbidden region of the gravitational potential. This raises the question of whether the time of flight of a quantum particle in a gravitational field might deviate systematically from that of a classical particle due to tunnelling delay, representing a violation of the weak equivalence principle. I investigate this using a model quantum clock to measure the time of flight of a quantum particle in a uniform gravitational field, and show that a violation of the equivalence principle does not occur when the measurement is made far from the turning point of the classical trajectory. The results are then confirmed using the so-called dwell time definition of quantum tunnelling. I conclude with some remarks about the strong equivalence principle in quantum mechanics.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2761-2772
Number of pages12
JournalClassical and Quantum Gravity
Volume21
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 7 2004
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)

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