Numerical investigation of the logarithmic Schrödinger model of quantum decoherence
Rory van Geleuken, Andrew V. Martin · Physical Review A · 2022
A logarithmic Schr\"odinger equation with time-dependent coupling to the nonlinearity is presented as a model of collisional decoherence of the wave function of a quantum particle in position space. The particular mathematical form of the logarithmic Schr\"odinger equation has been shown to follow from conditional wave theory, but the validity of the logarithmic Schr\"odinger equation has not yet been investigated numerically for general initial conditions. Using an operator-splitting approach, we solve the nonlinear equation of motion for the wave function numerically and compare it to the solution of the standard Joos-Zeh master equation for the density matrix. We find good agreement for the time-dependent behavior of the ensemble widths between the two approaches, but note curious zero-pinning behavior of the logarithmic Schr\"odinger equation, whereby the zeros of the wave function are not erased by continued propagation. By examining the derivation of the logarithmic Schr\"odinger equation from conditional wave theory, we indicate possible avenues of resolution to this zero-pinning problem.