Gravitational Decoherence of Dark Matter

Understand

Decoherence describes the tendency of quantum sub-systems to dynamically lose their quantum character.

• This happens when the quantum sub-system of interest interacts and becomes entangled with an environment that is traced out.
• For ordinary macroscopic systems, electromagnetic and other interactions cause rapid decoherence.
• However, dark matter (DM) may have the unique possibility of exhibiting naturally prolonged macroscopic quantum properties due to its weak coupling to its environment, particularly if it only interacts gravitationally.