Decoherence: From Interpretation to Experiment

Abstract

I offer a few selected reflections on the decoherence program, with an emphasis on Zeh’s role and views. First, I discuss Zeh’s commitment to a realistic interpretation of the quantum state, which he saw as necessary for a consistent understanding of the decoherence process. I suggest that this commitment has been more fundamental than, and prior to, his support of an Everett-style interpretation of quantum mechanics. Seen through this lens, both his defense of Everett and the genesis of his ideas on decoherence emerge as consequences of his realistic view of the quantum state. Second, I give an overview of experiments on decoherence and describe, using the study of collisional decoherence as an example, the close interplay between experimental advances and theoretical modeling in decoherence research.