Emergence of classicality via decoherence

Abstract

The phenomenon of environment-induced decoherence in quantum systems and its implications on the final interference pattern of a two-slit system is explored within the framework provided by the density matrix formalism. By examining the reduced density matrix as a result of a partial trace over the environment, we visualize coherence properties of the system for different values of width parameters. Then, by analyzing how the system evolves with time, we explore the effects of entanglement on the final interference pattern and how different parameters that describe the system act as decoherence mechanisms