Thermodynamic Thresholds for Quantum-to-Classical Transition: An Entropy-Coherence Bound on Effective Wavefunction Collapse
Saved in:
| Title: | Thermodynamic Thresholds for Quantum-to-Classical Transition: An Entropy-Coherence Bound on Effective Wavefunction Collapse |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Tariq, Waleed Mahmud |
| Publisher Information: | 2025-05-20 |
| Document Type: | Electronic Resource |
| Abstract: | One of the most elusive questions in Quantum mechanics has been: why do quantum systems that can exist in many states at once (like Schrödinger’s cat being both alive and dead) appear to “collapse” into a single outcome when measured? This paper argues that instead of assuming that “collapse” happens as an unexplained process, wavefunction collapse is not a fundamental event, but a natural consequence of thermodynamics, the same laws that govern heat, disorder, and irreversibility. Primarily, when we measure a quantum system, we entangle it with a measuring device and its environment. If this process produces enough entropy (a kind of disorder or lost information), then the system becomes effectively classical. It looks like the wavefunction has collapsed, though in truth, the global quantum state remains untouched. What we experience as a single outcome is actually the result of irreversible entropy hiding the quantum coherence from view. The paper proposes a precise equation that links how much coherence remains in a system to how much entropy the environment has absorbed. Once a minimal threshold is crossed (about the same as recording one bit of information), the quantum system becomes practically indistinguishable from a classical one. That’s when “collapse” becomes irreversible—for all practical purposes. This approach unifies ideas from quantum physics, thermodynamics, and information theory. It doesn’t require adding any new physics; no hidden variables, no many worlds, no mysterious consciousness-induced effects. Instead, it reframes collapse as a thermodynamic phase transition, offering a testable and intuitive path to resolving one of physics' most stubborn puzzles. In short: collapse isn’t magic. It’s heat. |
| Index Terms: | Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Statistical Mechanics/Thermodynamics, Preprint, NonPeerReviewed |
| URL: | doi:10.20944/preprints202505.1572.v1 |
| Availability: | Open access content. Open access content cc_by_4 cc_by_4 |
| Note: | text text English English |
| Other Numbers: | PIT oai:philsci-archive.pitt.edu:25500 Tariq, Waleed Mahmud (2025) Thermodynamic Thresholds for Quantum-to-Classical Transition: An Entropy-Coherence Bound on Effective Wavefunction Collapse. [Preprint] 1527325552 |
| Contributing Source: | UNIV OF PITTSBURGH From OAIster®, provided by the OCLC Cooperative. |
| Accession Number: | edsoai.on1527325552 |
| Database: | OAIster |
Nájsť tento článok vo Web of Science | Abstract: | One of the most elusive questions in Quantum mechanics has been: why do quantum systems that can exist in many states at once (like Schrödinger’s cat being both alive and dead) appear to “collapse” into a single outcome when measured? This paper argues that instead of assuming that “collapse” happens as an unexplained process, wavefunction collapse is not a fundamental event, but a natural consequence of thermodynamics, the same laws that govern heat, disorder, and irreversibility. Primarily, when we measure a quantum system, we entangle it with a measuring device and its environment. If this process produces enough entropy (a kind of disorder or lost information), then the system becomes effectively classical. It looks like the wavefunction has collapsed, though in truth, the global quantum state remains untouched. What we experience as a single outcome is actually the result of irreversible entropy hiding the quantum coherence from view. The paper proposes a precise equation that links how much coherence remains in a system to how much entropy the environment has absorbed. Once a minimal threshold is crossed (about the same as recording one bit of information), the quantum system becomes practically indistinguishable from a classical one. That’s when “collapse” becomes irreversible—for all practical purposes. This approach unifies ideas from quantum physics, thermodynamics, and information theory. It doesn’t require adding any new physics; no hidden variables, no many worlds, no mysterious consciousness-induced effects. Instead, it reframes collapse as a thermodynamic phase transition, offering a testable and intuitive path to resolving one of physics' most stubborn puzzles. In short: collapse isn’t magic. It’s heat. |
|---|